Emerging Farmers office pushes to expand diversity in farming

CATHY WURZER: We're going a step away right now from local election coverage. For just a moment, we're going to zoom in on an area of state government created to make farming more accessible. In the last agricultural census, 99% of Minnesota farmers were white. And across the whole state, the census counted only 39 Black farmers.

There is a history of discrimination in loan programs and other policies that led to a precipitous drop in Black-owned farms throughout the last century. State lawmakers formed the Emerging Farmers office back in 2021 and expanded it last session. Today is Lilian Otieno's first official day as its director. Lilian is on the line. Congratulations. Thanks for joining us.

LILIAN OTIENO: Thank you for having me.

CATHY WURZER: So I understand that the category emerging farmer is a really big tent. Can you talk about that?

LILIAN OTIENO: Yes. So emerging farmers are essentially folks who want to participate in Minnesota's ag economy, and these are folks from communities who are traditionally under resourced, under represented. So within the framework of the Emerging Farmers working group that was put up by the legislature in 2020, that group or those communities consisted of women, veterans, persons with disabilities, people of color, American Indians, anyone who has traditionally faced challenges in accessing our programs.

CATHY WURZER: To start, of course, you need access to land, and you need money. So can your office help folks get those things?

LILIAN OTIENO: Yes. So what you've actually mentioned are the top most challenges that we hear is, of course, land access and access to capital. And I think we have been fortunate that we've had a legislature that we have prevailed.

When we took forward some of the requests of emerging farmers, which, of course, is land access, we were able to actually secure some funding where we developed what we call a down payment assistance program. We're actually in the third session or the third step of the down payment assistance program.

And what essentially this program does is provides grants for first time farm buyers, and so it's a matching program where the cap is $15,000. You have to also provide matching funds.

But what is interesting with this program and speaks to this office and speaks also to the work of the Emerging Farmers working group is in the first round, the emerging farmers came back to us and said, well, this is not necessarily working because it was first come, first serve. And when we looked at that data, we didn't see a lot of emerging farmers who actually were able to secure those funds.

So we went back to the legislature and provided that feedback and essentially got the opportunity to carve out some of that funding to specifically go to emerging farmers and also reduced that matching requirement and saw an uptick in emerging farmers being able to access those funds. So a lot of those kind of programs that we're looking at in this office to initiate to really address that equity gap that exists in agriculture.

CATHY WURZER: As you know, though, many, many farms are growing bigger, right? Big farms seems to be the rule nowadays versus small family farms. So does this matching program help actually place farmers on the land? Can you afford a smaller farm with these matching funds?

LILIAN OTIENO: So we know that, and I think all of us, including the farmers who access these funds, know that this is a start, right? And a lot of the emerging farmers who are accessing these funds or who are interested in getting into agriculture-- it's really more of a starting point for them.

The reality of the situation, of course, is that land is expensive, especially in the areas where most of these farmers are perhaps interested in buying those farms, which is predominantly around the metro areas or just a little bit out. So that land is expensive. That's just the reality of it. But nevertheless, it is a start.

There's also other programs by some of our stakeholders and partners where most of the emerging farmers can actually incubate in existing lands either that is owned by stakeholders or other farmers who have provided their land to provide space for farmers to have a small plot to start their farming journey, to be able to have resources and access to other farming requirements. So maybe they can then build their records, and access the resources, and sort of build their portfolio, if you will, so that when they venture out, they are coming in with some history and therefore are able to meet some of the requirements of other lending institutions.

CATHY WURZER: Farming is not an easy job. You know that. At the state fair this year--

[LAUGHTER]

Yeah, I know. I can hear you laughing. And it's true. My farmer friend said the same thing. At the fair this past year, US Ag Secretary Vilsack was there, and he said half of the farmers last year in 2022 made no profit at all. It's unpredictable, and for some people, not a really great path to prosperity. So the question, I guess, is why invest in helping more people start farming?

LILIAN OTIENO: Because I think-- and you're right. The reason I was chuckling is because I hear that a lot. I know that for a fact. It's not for the faint hearted. But our farmers are very unique folks, and I think we really owe them a lot of gratitude. These are the folks who feed us, right?

And for a lot of these folks, it's so much more than just a business. I'm not downplaying the business aspect of it. It's a livelihood for a lot of emerging farmers, but there is also more to it than just that. It is also cultural. It is their relationship to the land, the value of what it means to grow your own food.

And I think we've all seen that a lot of Minnesotans-- and especially, I think, within the country, folks are interested in where their food is coming from, right? So for us, I think it's important for us to invest in this regional food systems. It's important for us to invest in local.

And that just means taking another look at emerging farmers and looking at all these folks who are interested in getting on the land, having that relationship with the land, but also making sure that they are also part of this ag economy. So yes, it may not look as economically viable. But nevertheless, I think it's contributing to the overall agriculture economics for the state.

CATHY WURZER: I'd be remiss if I didn't ask you personally. What spurs you on to do this work?

LILIAN OTIENO: Well, for me, I wear many hats. This is not just a job for me. It's also how I live my life both personally in terms of my leadership roles within my community as well. It's really an interest in making sure that we address equity in access to resources.

But it's also just that love of wanting to make sure that if someone wants to participate-- if you want to participate in this economy, if you want to grow food, if you want to be a part of this economic environment here in the state, that you should really have a chance to do that. And I think the landscape is changing.

And folks, Minnesota is that great state that is very welcoming. Most of these farmers, by the way-- it's not so much that we need to teach them how to farm. They're coming in with that experience. They're just coming in in perhaps a different environment and then looking for help and resources to be able to be successful here.

So for me, it's twofold. It's part of how I live my life, but it's also that servant leadership in me in wanting to make sure that I can give back by being an advocate of sorts, if you will, in using this platform and in using my skills and talents to be able to work in this space to see that folks can actually get what they need and that we as an agency can be responsive in providing those needs.

CATHY WURZER: All right. Lilian, thank you for the conversation. Best of luck.

LILIAN OTIENO: Thank you very much.

CATHY WURZER: We've been talking to Lilian Otieno. She's the Director of the Office of Emerging Farmers at the Minnesota Department of Ag.