(ABC 6 News) – Governor Tim Walz visited a small farm in Pine Island to meet with local farmers and talk about opportunities for the future.

The governor’s trip came as part of an effort to highlight the available resources for new farmers throughout Minnesota.

For many interested in farming, a number of barriers stand in the way from getting established, like land access, cost of equipment, or even health insurance.

It’s these burdens that Gov. Walz looks to lift.

“That’s where one role where the state and other partners can be a part of that and we all benefit from it,” said Walz. “Having the most affordable, the safest, and the most abundant food supply in the world.”

Through government funding, new farmers are able to get help paying for the land and equipment they need to get started but often can’t afford on their own.

Farmers like Matt Kruger.

He’s only 34, when the average age for Minnesota farmers is 57, but in 2020 became the owner of an 80 acre plot in Pine Island, thanks to state funded grants.

“It’s a passion. It’s a lifestyle,” Kruger said. “I was living in Rochester for four years, and I come from a dairy farm in Wabasha. And my goal was to get back in the country and to be able to have my own farm and MDA, the state of Minnesota helped me get here.”

A number of programs are made available through the state, like the Down Payment Assistance Grant which rolls out again on august first.

This grant provides about $15,000 for farmers to buy their first piece of land.

For more information on how to get access to these resources, click here.