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Owners of agricultural assets that lease or sell to beginning farmers in Minnesota may be eligible for the Beginning Farmer Tax Credit, which is open for applications through the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) Rural Finance Authority (RFA).

Those who have previously applied should take note of the new application deadlines for rentals (July 17) and sales (November 1). Additionally, recent legislative changes have resulted in several updates to the program to further incentivize farmland sales:

• An increase in the tax credit amount to 8% of the sale price for buyers and 12% if the buyer is an emerging farmer (previously 5% for all).
• A new maximum tax credit of $50,000 (previously $32,000).
• Direct family members such as parents, grandparents, and siblings are now eligible for farmland sales.

Qualifying applicants can include individuals, trusts, or qualified pass-through entities renting or selling land, livestock, facilities, buildings, or machinery used for farming in Minnesota to a beginning farmer.

A beginning farmer is defined as a Minnesota resident with the desire to start farming or who began farming in Minnesota within the past 10 years. They must provide positive projected earnings statements, have a net worth less than $979,000, and enroll in, or have completed, an approved farm business management (FBM) program.

Asset owners can claim credits in one of the below categories in a given tax year for each beginning farmer they lease/sell to:

To be eligible for the tax credit, both the asset owners and beginning farmers must submit applications.

Beginning farmers are also eligible for a nonrefundable Minnesota tax credit equal to the amount paid for FBM tuition, up to a maximum of $1,500. This tax credit is available for up to three years.

Full eligibility requirements and application materials can be found on the Beginning Farmer Tax Credit webpage. Questions may be directed to Jenny Heck at Jenny.Heck@state.mn.us or 651-201-6316.

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Media Contact
Logan Schumacher, MDA Communications
651-201-6193
Logan.Schumacher@state.mn.us

Minnesota educators recently traveled to Orlando, Florida, with Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom (MAITC) for the annual National Ag in the Classroom Organization (NAITCO) Conference from June 26-29. The conference is the premier professional development event for pre-K-12 teachers, volunteers, and professionals in agricultural literacy.

Four Minnesota educators received scholarships to attend the NAITCO Conference, including:

• Jeni Breidenbach, social studies teacher at Minnetonka High School, received the MAITC Educator Advisory Member Scholarship from the MAITC Foundation
• Marie Kruse, kindergarten teacher at Bluff View Elementary in Lake City, was awarded the CHS Foundation Scholarship
• Haley Madson, first grade teacher at St. Anne’s School in Le Sueur, received the 2023 Outstanding Educator Scholarship from the MAITC Foundation 
• Evan White, kindergarten teacher at Red Lake Schools in Red Lake, was awarded the Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF) Scholarship

Conferencegoers had the opportunity to attend workshops and tours, explore exhibits, and network with other professionals to help them learn more about teaching through an agricultural lens. They also had the chance to attend the keynote addresses from Dr. Gbola Adesogan and Marshal Sewell.

For educators who were unable to attend the in-person conference, NAITCO is holding a virtual version on July 20, 2023. Registration information can be found on NAITCO’s webpage.

MAITC is a partnership between the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the MAITC Foundation that seeks to increase agricultural literacy through K-12 education. Visit the MAITC website for more information on future conferences, scholarship opportunities, and free educational resources.

Back row left to right: Evan White, Ann Marie Ward (MAITC Foundation Executive Director and MN Farm Bureau representative), Sue Knott (MAITC education specialist), Tiffany Kobbermann (MN Farm Bureau representative), Marie Kruse. Front row left to right: Jeni Breidenbach, Chantelle Seykora (MN Farm Bureau representative), Haley Madson, Keri Sidle (MAITC education specialist)

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Media Contact
Logan Schumacher, MDA Communications
651-201-6193
Logan.Schumacher@state.mn.us