PRST STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID OMAHA, NE PERMIT NO. 36
Volume III, Issue 6
Beginning farmers build dairy from scratch by Emma Struve
What are two young people to do when both are laid-off from their dairy production jobs at a farm in eastern Iowa on the same day? For one Harlan couple the answer was to transport their children, a two year old daughter and a two week old son, along with their 20 cows across the state and build a dairy farm. Corey and Laura Rasmussen moved into Corey’s grandparents’ vacant house near Harlan in December of 2002. Though approved to receive a USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) loan for beginning farmers, funding disbursement was delayed until March. During the intervening months the Rasmussens made just enough money selling bull cows from 11 heifers to make ends meet. “We always wanted to have our own farm, just trying to get into it is the hardest,” Laura explained. Corey continued, “For people like us its awful hard to get in. A young person’s usually got a lot of energy but no equity, the old guy’s got the equity but he doesn’t want to put it on the line.” Continued on page 3
JUNE 2009