Two farm bills designed to help young farmers have passed the state legislature and are awaiting the governor's signature, according to Sen. Patty Ritchie, who chairs the Senate agriculture committee.

One of the bills creates a revolving loan program for startup funds for agriculture novices. It could be used to buy land and equipment. The other identifies land throughout the state, including surplus state land, that new farmers could use to start an operation, according to Ritchie.

In addition to these new measures, “Young Farmers NY” also includes new farmer grants, college loan forgiveness for graduates who commit to farming careers, increased funding for the Future Farmers of America program and repeal of the estate tax for thousands of small businesses, including farms. That latter provision will make it easier for families to pass on their farm business to the next generation, according to Ritchie.

“Ask any farmer and they will tell you—it’s a tough business. ‘Young Farmers NY’ helps make it easier to start and grow a successful business, by giving young people the necessary resources to get off the ground," Ritchie said.

The US Secretary of Agriculture has set a goal of recruiting 100,000 new farmers across the country to replace those who are retiring. The average age of New York farmers is 57, and is expected to climb to increase unless steps are taken to reverse this trend, according to Ritchie.

She represents the 48th Senate district, which includes western St. Lawrence County from Waddington to Canton, and includes Canton and Gouverneur. It also encompasses Jefferson and Oswego counties.