NSAC's Blog


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 […]

Congress Examines SBA Poultry Loan Practices in Contentious Hearing

April 27, 2018

The central question at last week’s House Small Business Committee hearing was this: Who does the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) 7(a) program really help, and does that comport with the program’s stated intent? SBA’s 7(a) program has come under fire recently, following the release of an SBA Inspector General’s (IG) report that found SBA had […]

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 […]

RELEASE: Farmers and Lenders Urge Congress to Protect Loan Funding for Beginning Farmers

April 11, 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Farmers and Lenders Urge Congress to Protect Loan Funding for Beginning Farmers Washington, DC, April 11, 2018 – Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) joined with a broad coalition of farm organizations – including National Farmers Union, Rural Advancement Foundation International, and […]

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, […]

New Report Exposes Over $1 Billion in Bad Loanmaking at SBA

March 16, 2018

Last week, the exploitative business practices of multinational poultry processing companies – and the role of the Small Business Administration (SBA) in facilitating that exploitation – were put on display by a shocking report from the SBA’s own Office of Inspector General (OIG). The report reveals that SBA has in recent years made an increasing […]

RELEASE: Explanation Demanded on SBA’s Exploitative Loan Practices in Chicken Industry

March 15, 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Explanation Demanded on SBA’s Exploitative Loan Practices in Chicken Industry National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition applauds Senator Booker for introducing transparency amendment  Washington, DC, March 15, 2018 – Yesterday, during consideration of S. 2283 by the Senate Small Business Committee, Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) offered […]

Senate Appropriators Prioritize Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development

July 21, 2017

Following closely on the heels of the House Agriculture Appropriation Subcommittee’s funding bill, which was approved by the full House Appropriations Committee last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee has advanced its agriculture appropriations funding measure for fiscal year (FY) 2018. The Senate bill moved quickly through the Subcommittee and full Committee approval process, with just […]

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 […]

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) […]