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FSA

Important Emergency USDA Changes for Farm Loans and Crop Insurance

April 2, 2020

With the ongoing pandemic sweeping throughout the country, farmers who are just ahead of spring planting are already feeling the impacts on their farms and in their communities of price volatility, labor shortages, lack of rural healthcare facilities, and dwindling or ever changing markets. And while NSAC has been pushing Congress to do more to […]

Filed Under: Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs

Farmer Engagement Opportunity: FSA County Committee Elections

November 6, 2018

The midterm elections aren’t the only civic opportunity for farmers and ranchers this November. In addition to casting their votes for federal, state, and local elected officials, producers who participate or cooperate in a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) program are also eligible to vote in the upcoming FSA County Committee […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Farm Bill, General Interest

Enrollment Resumes for Continuous Conservation Reserve Program

June 6, 2018

After a year of frozen enrollment, this week the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced it would reopen enrollment in the Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CCRP). CCRP pays farmers to install partial field conservation practices, primarily conservation buffers or wildlife habitat. Farmers and landowners may enroll such land at any time […]

Filed Under: Conservation, Energy & Environment

FSA Lending to Female Farmers and Farmers of Color Continues to Fall

May 3, 2018

Editor’s Note: This is the final post of a 3-part analysis of FSA loan program usage throughout FY 2017. Prior posts focused on lending trends for beginning farmers and overall annual trends. Recognizing that farmers of color and female farmers have historically experienced disproportionate burden and discrimination when seeking access to loan financing, the National […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs

Farm Service Agency Lending to Beginning Farmers Remains Strong

April 25, 2018

Editor’s Note: This is the second post of a 3-part analysis of FSA loan program usage throughout FY 2017. Stay tuned for our final post on lending trends for women and farmers of color. Access to credit is a make or break issue for farmers, particularly those just starting out. Rarely do beginning farmers have […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs, Grants and Programs

Despite Decreased Demand for Loans, FSA Credit Still Critical for Farmers

April 4, 2018

Editor’s Note: This is the first post of a 3-part analysis of FSA loan program usage throughout FY 2017. Stay tuned for subsequent posts on lending trends for beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. Access to loans and credit lines are critical for farmers looking to start up a new operation, expand their operation, […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs

New Opportunity to Influence Farm Policy at the Local Level

May 31, 2017

The power to make decisions about agricultural policies and programs lies not only with Congress and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials, but also in the hands of farmers, ranchers, and rural community members across the country. Stakeholders interested in being involved in federal decision making without taking a trip to Washington D.C., should explore the […]

Filed Under: Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs, General Interest

Expanded Options for Organic Certification Cost Share in 2017

April 19, 2017

Late last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP) underwent some significant changes as administration of the program was shifted from the Agricultural Market Service (AMS) to the Farm Service Agency (FSA). The change was intended to expand opportunities for producers and handlers to access certification funding, as when the […]

Filed Under: Grants and Programs, Organic

Farm Advocate Testifies on Importance of USDA Financing for Farmers

April 7, 2017

In the run up to the 2018 Farm Bill debate, the House Agriculture Committee has been holding regular hearings to examine key agricultural and food issues. This week, the Committee’s Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit Subcommittee held a hearing focused on the farm credit programs. The backdrop for the hearing was was the depressed farm economy […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs, Farm Bill, Local & Regional Food Systems

RELEASE: Farm Advocate Testifies on Importance of USDA Financing for Farmers in Crisis

April 4, 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik, 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Farm Advocate Testifies on Importance of USDA Financing for Farmers in Crisis Scott Marlow, Executive Director at the Rural Advancement Foundation International, testifies before House Agriculture Committee Washington, D.C., April 4, 2017 – North Carolina farm advocate and Executive Director of the Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI) Scott […]

Filed Under: Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs, Farm Bill, Press Releases

New Guide Simplifies Federal Programs for Farmers

February 17, 2017

Which U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) agencies have programs that are tailored to meet the needs of diversified farming operations, organic growers, or beginning farmers? What resources are available for small- and mid-sized growers looking to reach expanding regional markets, and where can you find them? For most people, even many farmers and ranchers, the […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Food Safety, Grants and Programs, Local & Regional Food Systems, Marketing and Labeling, Organic, Research, Education & Extension

FSA Loans to Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Drop in 2016

February 9, 2017

Editor’s Note: This is the third post of a three-part blog series analyzing the impacts of the Farm Service Agency’s fiscal year (FY) 2016 direct and guaranteed loan programs. This blog will focus on socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers and the trends in their loan participation across the U.S. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs

FSA Loans Remain Popular with Beginning Farmers; Guaranteed Lender Support Falling Behind

February 3, 2017

Editor’s Note: This is the second post of a three-part blog series detailing the outcomes of fiscal year (FY) 2016 direct and guaranteed loan data. This blog will focus specifically on beginning farmers and ranchers (BFRs) and their loan participation trends across the U.S. In the early 1990s, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) led […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs

Growing Demand for FSA Loans in 2016 Shows Importance of Credit

January 26, 2017

Editor’s Note: This is the first post of a 3-part analysis of the FSA loan program throughout FY 2016. Click here to see part 2 (on beginning farmers and ranchers) and here for part 3 (on socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers). Whether a farmer’s goal is to start up a new operation, expand their farm, […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Budget and Appropriations, Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs

FSA Cooperative Agreements Connect Farmers to USDA Programs

January 25, 2017

  The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is dedicated to helping farmers start, grow, and improve their businesses. Farmers are busy people, however, and cannot always easily access information and programs from USDA. This has been especially challenging for farmers of color, military veteran farmers, women farmers, and farmers who utilize less conventional practices and […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Grants and Programs, Organic

USDA Microloan Program is a Good Fit for Small Family Farms

January 4, 2017

America is a nation of family farmers – nearly half of all production comes from small and medium-sized family farms. Like any small business owner, these farmers occasionally need infusions of relatively small amounts of capital to sustain and grow their operations, but often have trouble accessing funds through traditional lenders because of a lack […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs

New Grasslands Conservation Opportunity for Small Dairy Operations

November 8, 2016

America’s grasslands are among our most productive natural resources, providing wildlife habitat, flood mitigation, erosion control, and helping to sequester an enormous amount of carbon dioxide. Moreover, grasslands are a critical component of our ranching and hunting economies. Unfortunately, these lands are also some of the most threatened natural resources in the country. A study […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Grants and Programs, Sustainable Livestock

COMMENT: NSAC Applauds USDA, Congress for Filling Farm Operating Loan Gap

September 2, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Ferd Hoefner, 202-547-5754 The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) applauds USDA and the congressional agriculture appropriators who have answered the call of farmers across the country and allocated up to $185 million in additional lending for direct and guaranteed farm operating loans. Thanks to this reprogramming, nearly 2,000 approved loan applicants […]

Filed Under: Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs, Press Releases

Upcoming Webinar on the Newly Expanded Farm Storage Facility Loan Program

August 5, 2016

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is hosting a webinar on Tuesday, August 9 at 2:00pm EDT to provide information about the Farm Storage Facility Loan program and the expansions and improvements that have been made to it over the past two years. Register for the webinar here. Farm Storage Facility […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs, Food Safety, Local & Regional Food Systems

Farm Service Agency County Committee Members Help Shape Farmer Assistance Programs

July 5, 2016

The halls of Congress and offices of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are commonly where the decisions about agricultural policies and programs are made, but they are not the only places. For farmers, ranchers, and the scores of rural community members for whom a trip to Washington D.C. is not feasible, opportunities to get […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs, Conservation, Energy & Environment

RELEASE: Farm Groups and Farm Lenders Appeal for Assistance During Credit Crunch

June 2, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Juli Obudzinski, 202-547-5754, jobudzinski@sustainableagriculture.net Ferd Hoefner, 202-547-5754, fhoefner@sustainableagriculture.net Farm Groups and Farm Lenders Appeal for Assistance During Credit Crunch Washington, DC, June 2, 2016 – Operating loans are the lifeblood of farming. They help farmers get crops in the ground, by financing needed supplies and equipment, and when necessary, refinancing earlier loans. The federal government […]

Filed Under: Press Releases

New FSA Cooperative Agreements Expand Farmer Outreach Efforts

May 6, 2016

Even the best designed U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs can fail to find success if farmers don’t have the knowledge or tools to access them. In order to increase program awareness and participation among underserved farmer communities, last year the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced a new cooperative agreement that would develop innovative […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Grants and Programs

USDA Makes Payments Available for Organic Field Border Buffers

February 26, 2016

Many organic farmers install conservation buffers strips around the edges of their crop fields. These ‘field border’ buffers provide multiple conservation and environmental benefits, and also help farmers meet U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic certification requirements, which include protecting soil and water quality and enhancing biodiversity and habitat). In some circumstances, the buffers can […]

Filed Under: Conservation, Energy & Environment, Grants and Programs, Organic

Expanded USDA Microloans Program Increases Opportunity for Small and Beginning Farmers

January 25, 2016

Access to credit continues to be an urgent need for farmers across the country, especially for small and beginning farmers. Starting a new farm is not unlike starting any other small business–it can require significant upfront capital to get off the ground. USDA recently announced exciting changes to their Microloan Program, including launching a new […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs, Grants and Programs

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