This via California FarmLink
Dear California FarmLink Clients and Friends,
I'm writing to you today to ask for your support in securing funding for the Beginning Farmer Individual Development Account (IDA) Pilot Program. This program would enable beginning farmers and ranchers to open an Individual Development Account (matched savings account) in order to save for a farm-related business asset such as tractors, breeding stock, trees, a down payment on farmland, or other capital expenditures. The program is modeled after California FarmLink's program which matches beginning farmers? savings 3:1, and at the end of the two-year program farmers have approximately $10,000 to purchase assets that form the foundation of their farm business. For more information and some success stories on our IDA program go to
http://californiafarmlink.org/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=4&id=14&Itemid=29.

California FarmLink and other advocates around the nation are asking Congress to appropriate $5 million for this competitive grant program, which would fund projects in 15 states. If approved we would be well positioned to get funding and California FarmLink would be able to fund seven times more accounts than we did in the previous round.
Please act on this Action Alert as soon as possible. Congress is expected to act on this within days, so now is the time to act. If you have questions call (530) 756-8518 ext. 32 or (707) 828-1691 or email [email protected].
Thanks in advance,
The California FarmLink Team
P.S. Please let us know who you were able to contact and if they gave you any indication of their support.
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