By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributor
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker enacted a law launching the Farmland Transition Commission, a lifeline for young farmers struggling to secure land. This comes as an Illinois state Senator says farmland is disappearing to solar and wind projects.

State Sen. Sally Turner, R-Beason, sponsored legislation to create the commission. She said the commission will address barriers and support Illinois’ next-generation farmers, calling it “very much so necessary” as more than 129,000 acres of farmland have been taken out of production for solar projects across the state.

“That’s a lot,” Turner said. “We’ve got 3,000 acres south of Springfield, another solar project in Effingham, another 2,000-acre one in eastern McLean County and more coming. It’s taking up all the good farm ground, and we need to study what happens when you take all that land out of production, then what happens?”

Turner said the group’s mission is to create a “one-stop shop” of resources for aspiring farmers, connecting them with grant opportunities, rental listings, and information on purchasing equipment. She said Indiana has implemented a similar portal that coordinates state and federal programs to support new farmers.

“There are so many issues a young farmer faces when they come back from college,” Turner said. “Dad might be retiring, and he needs the value of his machinery to do that. That means the young farmer has to figure out how to start from scratch. We have tools like this for business, but not for young farmers, and that’s what this is about.”

Turner explained the Farmland Transition Commission will be established by the Illinois Department of Agriculture and include members from the Department of Natural Resources, University of Illinois Extension and key agricultural associations, like the Illinois Pork Association.

“This is for farmers aged 25 to 40 who need access to farmland, where can they find ground to rent? How do they afford to buy equipment like a combine?” said Turner.

While some commissions risk going dormant after launch, Turner said she is determined to keep the effort active.

The Illinois Auditor General in a 2024 report found that over 100 state boards and commissions in Illinois were inactive, and 28% of active boards failed to meet the minimum number of times.

“I won’t stop pushing because I’m really, really passionate about this,” she said. “We’ve got to save our farmers and our farms.”

The law was signed earlier this month. Turner said the governor’s office will soon open applications for commission seats on its website.