FSA: Lender of First Opportunity for Beginning Farmers

At the age of 26, after working several years on his family farm, Tom Grzadzieleski, Jr., stepped out on his own with the help of the Farm Service Agency Beginning Farmer Loan Program. For the past two years, Grzadzieleski rented acres to grow sugarbeets, wheat and soybean. FSA financing allowed him to stop renting and purchase 76 acres of land. “People used to think of FSA as the lender of last resort,” said Gail Gullickson, South Dakota FSA loan specialist. “We are very fortunate to be the lender of first opportunity for many beginning farmers and ranchers.” Read more (Dakota Farmer).