Much of the federal money spent on farm and rural programs is directed toward activities that do little to encourage meaningful development at the local level.
That’s a large part of the reason why this is so encouraging.
Woodbury County to consider tax breaks to organic farmers
SIOUX CITY, IA – Woodbury County may provide tax incentives to farmers who switch from conventional production to organic.
Rob Marqusee, the county’s rural economic development director, is scheduled to present the Board of Supervisors with a proposal Tuesday to offer farmers property tax rebates if they go organic.
Bob Scowcroft, executive director of the Organic Farming Research Foundation in Santa Cruz, Calif., said Woodbury County may be the first local government to offer such incentives to farmers.
Marqusee said the goal of the program would be to build on local agriculture to spark economic development. The program would help build a thriving organic farming industry that would attract organic food processors and other businesses to the area, he said.
At a time when demand for organic foods is soaring this is a tax break that has a real chance of paying off in increased economic activity generated by tapping into the booming organic trend.
Generally speaking, we need to look toward local and regional governments for direction on farm and rural policy more often.