A new era of small-scale farming: could more money be coming for the little guys?

The USDA has allocated nearly $3 billion to their EQIP program for 2025 (I am a current applicant) to make it easier for beginner farmers to get involved with small scale farming and conservationism.

Both the federal government and individual states are aware we are staring down an agricultural crisis in this country: the average age of the American farmer is 58.1 as of 2022, up 0.6 years since 2017. Only 9% of all farmers in the U.S. are under the age of 35 currently, which means we do not have an incoming class of agricultural experts at-the-ready to take over the business of farming from those that are about to retire.

There are a lot of reasons why millennials and Gen Z don’t, en masse, feel the call to start farming. Many famous regenerative farmers today, like Joel Salatin, have famously stated that their high schools and guidance counselors billed ‘farmer’ as something the ‘lesser intelligent kids should pursue.’ My high school was no different, with the failure to attend a four-year bachelor’s program being whispered about between parents.

Many farmers today did indeed go to college or earn certifications along the way, there’s no doubt. But the overall branding that only the ‘redneck’ pursue the art of farming has deterred many people in my generation from lowering their pride to take a look at the massively rewarding career of farming.

Besides the average age of farmers being that of probable retirement, other studies have shown that between 2017 and 2022, we lost over 140,000 farms in the U.S. Farmers are retiring, selling out to pay off debts, or accepting checks from investment funds when the Wall Street hotshots show up and make them an offer they can’t refuse. Farmland has always been a sought-after commodity in this country: it’s an unwavering investment that has historically been the most reliably sound amidst economic and political turmoil. Investors know this and either plan to sit on their farmland, develop it, place shopping strips or apartments on it, or sell it over to massive conglomerate agricultural operations that are poisoning the environment.

For a long time, it’s felt as though our federal and state governments have been ignoring this trend. But the food security catastrophe we are staring down as a country can no longer be ignored. I have had firsthand experience with the USDA to assure everyone reading this: the government is paying attention, and yes, trying to help.

The USDA’s EQIP

I am currently a candidate for EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program) through the USDA. They visited my property, sat down with me, listened to my objectives, and recommended I apply to this program. EQIP allocates anywhere from $1,500 to $80,000/annually based on the project scope and submitted materials. EQIP is managed through the NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service), a branch of the USDA.

Fascinatingly, EQIP was funded with $250 million in 2023 and $1.75 billion for 2024. For 2025, they are working with closer to $3 billion and a staggering $3.6 billion for 2026. I met with the USDA at my property and they also assured me in person that EQIP is going to be funded with more money than ever before in the coming years. The money for EQIP is released to the USDA through the Farm Bill.

Why is this significant?

EQIP is the government’s attempt to place money in the hands of those not typically serviced by the USDA in the past:

• EQIP exists for beginner farmers with ZERO prior experience

• Services ‘underserved groups’

• Focuses on medium to smaller farming operations (there is no acreage minimum)

• Focuses on urban farming and community development

• Supports those trying to conserve/protect the land without large-scale farming

As someone who plans to work only 2 of my nearly 7 acres, and plant as many native plants, trees, and shrubs and possible to support the wildlife in my region, the USDA has already provided me with free print-outs, maps of my land, briefings, and an official call scheduled with a biologist and a pollinator specialist to start carving out the plan. After the call, they will schedule another site visit to come to my property and help me, as a brand-new farmer, embark on a bold quest to support native bees and butterflies, while also farming. They are also equipped to train me in the art of regenerative farming (no tilling).

All of that, so far, is free. I will know in April how much of the EQIP funds I will receive for my property.

Interestingly, to prove that it’s not just the USDA that is aware of the need to support beginner farmers, I found this on the New York State website today:

And, as this article is not intended to comment on politics or the incoming administration, it would be poor reporting on my end to not mention RFK’s statements about breaking down massive agricultural conglomerates and allocating more funds to small and family-owned farming operations. The extent to which he is able to enact that change is unknown at this time - but having someone with that level of prominence in the incoming administration is a good sign for those of us new to farming, novices at farming, or feeling the farming/homesteading call, and unsure where to begin (the counter-argument could be made that funding will be slashed for the USDA - but the EQIP funds have already been supplied through the end of 2026).

Though I don’t have personal experience with the Microloans programs at the USDA, I have read comments from people on my social media stating that it is indeed real and something that is also available to beginner farmers:

New to farming? Now is the time to jump on the bandwagon.

As someone who proudly states on my social media that I have no idea what I am doing when it comes to gardening or farming, I am writing this article today to say based on the statistics and governmental responses in just the last 18-months, now is the time to jump into this lifestyle if you’ve been considering it. More support is coming for beginner farmers and rightfully so: with no food, we have nothing.

To get started with this lifestyle, you have one of two options:

• buy farmland and build out your own operation

• inherit farmland from a retiring farmer, of which there are many (use a charitable remainder trust or seller financing)

I went the ‘build your own operation’ route using a loan from Farm Credit East and the Amish. I obtained the loan to buy my land, and paid the Amish in cash to build a barn. Many farmers are open to seller financing or arrangements with only $500 down and a $500/month pay-off structure for 10-20 years. They will train you in the art of farming and show you invaluable things that need to passed on to younger generations. It should be interesting to see if the USDA develops more programs to make this farm hand-off easier in the future.

Either way, I am already blown away by the level of free help I have received from the USDA. I am just getting started with exploring these federal and New York State programs and grants available to me.

To the small farmer or family farmer reading this: hang in there. Help is on the way! If possible, do not take the Wall Street money. Our country needs your farm and its history more than we all know.

I cover all things land loans, farm development, first-generation farming, conservation, and Amish culture here. Follow along!