Before they adjourned last week, Iowa lawmakers included help for beginning farmers. One provision that was included in Senate File 619, was the expansion of eligibility for the Beginning Farmer Tax Credit Program. The program reduces some of the financial burdens of getting into farming by providing tax incentives to landowners who transfer or lease assets to beginning farmers. The bill also shifted funding for mental health from local governments to the state, eliminated the inheritance tax and increased tax credits for child care and housing, among other things, including helping young farmers. “We should be doing all we can to reduce financial barriers and help young Iowans start a career in agriculture,” Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said in a release. “This expansion will significantly improve an already successful program that has helped numerous Iowa farmers, both experienced and new.”