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Protect Our Farmland
The American Farmland Trust explains what is needed.
To the Editor:
Re “The Ruin of Farm Country (Op-Ed, July 27):
Robert Leonard is right. Farmland availability and affordability are the No. 1 challenge for new farmers. And right now, we are unprepared for the reality that 371 million acres will probably change hands in the next 20 years as aging farmers retire. More alarming, we are losing to development the land farmers need to succeed.
To encourage a next generation of farmers and ranchers to grow our food, steward our land and anchor vibrant rural communities, we need a national commitment to protecting our irreplaceable agricultural land and getting new farm families on the land.
There are two steps we can take right now:
First, pass the federal farm bill before the law expires on Sept. 30, including the provisions aimed at protecting farmland, improving land access for beginning farmers, and addressing farm transfer and succession.
Second, change the federal tax code to eliminate capital gains on the sale of agricultural land to young, beginning, military veteran or minority farmers.
John Piotti
Washington
The writer is president and chief executive of the American Farmland Trust, a nonprofit.
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