The farm of Bryce Brewer’s dreams would produce strawberries during even the worst Wisconsin winters. The climate-controlled setup would use no chemicals, less water and one key element: fish waste.
Brewer, 23, learned in college about this unconventional, emerging agricultural method called aquaponics. Yet, with $35,000 in student loan debt, he said it will be a while before he can get the $100,000 he needs to start the farm.
While aspiring farmers like Brewer have always had a hard time getting loans and land, they now point to student loan debt as another obstacle to a career in agriculture. Hearing their struggles — and hoping to entice more young people into a graying industry — federal and state lawmakers want to help them pay down their debt.
The U.S. Congress is considering a bill that would add farmers to the list of occupations that qualify for a federal program that forgives student loans for public service workers, such as teachers and police officers. In the meantime, New York started a small student loan forgiveness program for farmers last year, and the WisconsinLegislature is considering doing the same.
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3 comments:
When it costs $35,000 to find out that fish poop makes good fertilizer (isn't that one of the first things the Indians taught the pilgrims, to put some dead fish with every seed of corn?) a college education becomes something that could be taught in one period in high school. Maybe even elementary school.
What the heck are we teaching our kids prior to fish poop fertilizer?
No wonder they're so bored they just want to goof off all day!
Have to keep scientists and non-profits in high salary jobs,that's where all the money goes.
If YOU incur a loan, then YOU should pay it off. Not the tax payers. What is it with all of these cry babies now a days? Gimme, gimme, gimme. No one wants to work for anything any more. Hell, can I get a loan and have someone else pay it for me? I need 500,000 to live on a Caribbean island. It will make my life so much better. Waaaa, boooo hoooo. Tell that farmer to call, 1-800-boohoo, extension waaaaaa.
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