Published May 7, 2010
Savings Incentive Program is launched
By Teresa Opheim
Today is a big day
Practical Farmers of Iowa is officially launching a fundraising campaign for our Savings Incentive Program.
Our 300 beginning farmers are smart, eager, hard working, and stewards of the land–they deserve the efforts we will take with this campaign! Our members tell us their stories of beginning, how difficult it is to make those first capital purchases. SIP will reward farmers who save, getting our leaders for the next 25 years on more solid ground.
The Savings Incentive Program will entice beginning farmers to save $100 a month for two years; after two years, this program will match their savings 1:1. The beginning farmer can then use this savings to purchase a productive farm asset (like machinery, land, or livestock). The Savings Incentive Program is more than a dollar match. It is a program designed to help beginners succeed. Enrollees will meet with a farmer mentor and develop a business or whole farm plan. Ninety beginner farms around the state will benefit from this program by 2016.
We’re eager to talk about this exciting development, so forward your questions, your contacts, your ideas!
We want to raise $250,000 for the program–a huge amount. If we do so, we will be able to serve 90 beginning farmers over the next five years. Do you want to donate to this program? Go to practicalfarmers.org and scroll down to Next Generation. Or contact Luke Gran at luke@practicalfarmers.org.
(Photo of beginning farmer Betsy Dahl by long-time PFI supporter Helen Gunderson.)