BILLINGS – It’s tax season and if you haven’t done your taxes yet, Montana’s agriculture community is asking you to make a donation to ag literacy.
Rikki Swant with The Montana Farm Bureau Federation says checking line 69c on the long tax form or 18c on the EZ form will help keep ag in our schools.
“It’s important now more than ever because the average American is more than three generations removed from the farm or ranch,” said Swant. “You know we’re lucky to be here today and a lot of folks in Montana know about agriculture, but a lot don’t. So it’s important that we start with school children and make sure that our largest industry is represented in the classroom.”
She says the Montana Farm Bureau Federation is working with the Montana Farmers Union along with the Montana Department of Agriculture and Montana Office of Public Instruction on this and any donation amount helps.
“So the voluntary checkoff asks for a minimal amount, $5, $10, $20 or any other amount for folks to give on top of their taxes that will go to help fund this program,” said Swant.
She says whether they live in town or the country, kids love to learn about agriculture.
“Aside from being awesome and learning about the farm and ranch, it’s just really important that we dive into that and let folks know at an early age what’s going on around them,” said Swant. “A lot of these kids see agriculture from a school bus window, but they’re not directly involved at home. So it’s important that we give them that opportunity.”
If people would like more information on how to support ag literacy thru this voluntary tax checkoff, they can contact either the Montana Farm Bureau or Montana Farmers Union or even their own accountant.
By Russell Nemetz – Montana Ag Network
