WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), a longtime member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) recently introduced the Crop Insurance for Future Farmers Act. This bipartisan legislation would help beginning farmers and veterans receive more affordable crop insurance protections by extending the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development program eligibility from five years to ten years. The bill would also align the beginning farmers crop insurance programs with the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) other beginning farmer programs.

“Investing in future generations of farmers and ranchers is critical to growing South Dakota’s agriculture economy and supporting rural communities,” said Thune. “Crop insurance is the cornerstone of the farm safety net, and I’m proud to lead this legislation that would improve its effectiveness for beginning farmers and ranchers by providing more affordable options during their first 10 years of operation.”