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Go Farm Connect USDA Resource Guide
This material is geared towards service providers and farmers focused on small-scale fruit and vegetable farms and livestock farms who are interested in utilizing USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) resources. While people often think USDA serves only large-scale commodity farmers, some USDA programs and services are also suitable and useful for small-scale, diversified growers of vegetables, fruit, and livestock.
The USDA is made up of many different agencies. Two agencies that frequently work directly with farmers are the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). This guide is meant to help farmers understand commonly used FSA and NRCS programs and decide whether to try accessing these resources.*
*Please note that USDA is a changing entity based on federal governmental leadership, whose staffing capacity and data management policies shift over time.
Go Farm Connect USDA Resource Guide
Farm Service Agency (FSA) - FSA aims to assist farmers through various programs, including disaster assistance and low-interest loans.Examples of how FSA could help you are:Offer loans when other lenders will not. These loans have better terms than traditional lenders for land, livestock, equipment, or other operations-related materialsProvide financial relief when environmental hazards, such as weather, affect your farm infrastructure or products through disaster assistance and insurance
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) - NRCS works with farmers to protect or improve natural resources on private land. NRCS has resources to help farmers address water quality or quantity issues, soil erosion, invasive species control, and other concerns. Examples of what NRCS could support you with include:Cost-share on installing a well or obtaining a high tunnel (Environment Quality Incentives Program)Payments for conservation practices on your farm (Conservation Stewardship Program)Conservation plan development for the land you manage
Records Required to get an FSA loanBoth financial records and production records are part of an FSA loan application. Records are used as the base for making accurate projections and demonstrating experience.Production recordsProduce - Planting records and Harvest recordsAnimals - acquiring and harvesting/processingFinancial recordsExpense log and income logsProfit and loss or Income statementProduction and Financial ProjectionsDetailed plans for your production and finances for future yearsOther required financial information is similar to other loans. Want to learn more about FSA loans? Review the sections below. FSA loan basicsIs an FSA loan right for you?Do you currently operate a farm business?FSA loan approval relies on your current experience operating a farm business or your experience making decisions on another farm.Could you get financing from a bank to make your property purchase?FSA is not a competitor with other lenders - they are a second option if a bank will not finance your purchase.Are you looking for a property type that is highly desirable (selling quickly on the market)?FSA loans take time and require a seller to wait without the guarantee of loan approval. This often does not work with a property that has interest from other buyers.What are advantages and disadvantages of an FSA loan?Advantages: Low interest rate and the ability to get financing when banks aren’t an optionDisadvantage: The loans take longer to process than other loans, making it difficult to purchase desirable properties listed on the real estate market.Consideration: Are you committed to continuing to farm for the life of the loan and reporting to FSA yearly?What should you do in your first years of farming to prepare for an FSA loan?Keep records!USDA links with more information:Farm Loans Application Quick GuideFarm Loans OverviewMicroloans
This slide deck provides information about USDA programs that support farmers with risk mitigation and management: FSA and NRCS Risk Management ProgramsIf you'd like to only view specific parts of the slide deck, click on the section in the presentation outline that you're interested in:Risk and risk managementFSA Programs for Disaster AssistanceOngoing disaster assistance from FSAAd hoc disaster assistance from FSADiversified crop insurance options and farmer experiences - Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance, Whole Farm Revenue Protection, Micro Farm ProgramDisaster assistance options for livestock operations - Emergency Livestock Assistance Program, Livestock Forage Disaster ProgramRequired Records for Program ParticipationNRCS Programs Supporting Conservation PracticesClimate/conservation practices, CSP, EQIPFarmer risk-management support networkStrategies for managing riskHere are some USDA Fact Sheets about potentially relevant programs:Disaster Assistance Programs at a Glance (USDA)Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (FSA)Tree Assistance Program (FSA)
How to connect with FSA and NRCS FSA and NRCS have county offices throughout each state. You connect directly with the county office for the county you live in or where you are looking for land. NRCS and FSA are usually in the same building but not always. Not all FSA county offices have a loan team, so you may need to work with another office for a loan.Find Your Local USDA Service Center | Farmers.gov Getting started with USDA can start with an in-person meeting, a virtual meeting, or a phone call.Get Started at Your USDA Service Center Before participating in a program, a farm needs to have a farm numberGetting a farm number - The USDA identifies farms by associating parcels of land with a farm number. While establishing a farm number is voluntary, your land must be assigned a farm number for you to benefit from many USDA programs and services, like FSA loans and disaster assistance, and NRCS EQIP. Working with FSA usually starts with talking about your farm business and what you would like to do. 4 Steps to Assistance from FSAWorking with NRCS usually begins with a farm visit from either a consultant working with NRCS, or NRCS staff. 5 Steps to Assistance from NRCS and NRCS Conservation Visit PreparationThe following factsheet contains information on how to prepare for a visit with FSA, what information you will need and what the different forms mean. FSA staff can assist with all forms.Onboarding_to_FSA_factsheet_FINAL_2024 FSA Revision.pdf
Go Farm Connect is a program of Renewing the Countryside, made possible with support from USDA’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement, which was first authorized by Congress in 1980. This program is intended to improve access to USDA programs and services by farmers who are military veterans and to those who may have been subjected to discrimination based on race or ethnicity. NC Now | John Boyd | Black Farmer's Association: Pigford Lawsuit | PBS Black farmers say they still face USDA inequality 2 decades after major lawsuit : NPR
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