A recently introduced House bill is designed to put more money in the pockets of young people in agriculture.
It would allow 4-H and FFA students ages 21 and younger to keep more of the modest income they earn.
The students could then turn around and put the money they earn toward higher education or future agricultural projects.
The Student Agriculture Protection Act of 2019 (H.R. 1770) would create a tax exemption on the first $5,000 of income students earn from projects completed through either 4-H or the FFA.
The American Farm Bureau Federation supports the measure, saying the long-term sustainability of agriculture depends on talented young people pursuing careers in farming and ranching, as well as related agricultural fields.
“Student agricultural projects encourage interests in fields of study that will provide the next generation of farmers, ranchers, food scientists, agricultural engineers, agronomists, horticulturalists, and soil scientists,” says AFBF President Zippy Duvall.