During a Senate hearing on America’s aging farm workforce, one issue took center stage. Witnesses told lawmakers that the death tax makes it hard for young producers to take over the family business.
“That, you know, when you’re passing along a farm business that comes with, like I said, a lot of cost, a lot of assets. It takes a lot to run a farm today. And so doing away with the estate, the death tax is the right thing to do to be able to continue to pass it down to the next generation. Otherwise, it becomes cost-prohibitive,” said Aaron Locker.
Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall got emotional, saying he spent his life buying back land that his father had to sell. He worries that future generations may lose their farms altogether if no action on the death tax is taken.
“Raised my children on the farm, making them understand how to take care of not just plants, but animals, and do it with all your heart, as are you’re working for the Lord, not for man. There’s nothing more rewarding than that. But there’s nothing more stressful and disappointing than going to the mailbox, pulling out all the bills and your paycheck, and not having enough to pay the bills with. After you put your heart and soul into it, and to watch your heart break when your children can’t come back and do it.”
Cattle producers want action on the Farm Bill, too. The Oregon Cattlemen’s Association was on Capitol Hill to get answers, but says they got mixed results.
“We need the Farm Bill. I’m not sure that we’re going to get it through this year. Some of them say, ‘yeah, we’re going to get through this year,’ and others tell me it’s going to be tough to get through this year, but that’s important to us,” said Matt McElligott.
The expiring tax cuts are also on their radar. McElligott warns that if they expire, every piece of the ag industry will feel the impact.
