The FSA has just released a clear a concise explanation of its different farm loans and policies in an online publication entitled “Your guide to FSA Farm Loans.” 

The guide is specifically written for those considering assistance for starting, expanding, or purchasing land for a farm or ranch.  While the best thing for you to do is get in touch with an FSA officer who can work through the processes with you, take a look at this document first to decide if FSA loans can work for you and to learn more about what you are looking for.

The FSA offers several basic types of loan programs:

• Farm Ownership Loans, which help you purchase or enlarge a farm or ranch, construct or improve farm or ranch buildings, pay for soil and water conservation and protection and pay closing costs.
• Operating Loans, which help you with annual operating expenses and help pay for livestock and equipment purchasing.
• Emergency Loans, which are for those suffering a qualifying loss caused by natural disasters that damaged the farm or ranch.  These loans can restore or replace property, help with production costs for that year, help with certain family expenses, and refinance certain debts.
• Conservation Loans, which help complete an approved conservation practice
• and the Land Contract Guarantee, which provides certain financial guarantees to the seller of a farm or ranch through aland contract sale to a beginning or historically under-served farmer or rancher.

The guide is available to read here. Take a look, and feel free to let us know how it worked out for you!  We are always interested in hearing from beginning farmers on how well these programs help them out –  our goal is to make sure beginning farmers get all the support they need.