USDA Farm Service Agency Celebrates National Agriculture Day 2018

Posted on March 20, 2018 by cassiebable

March 20 is National Agriculture Day. The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) joins the Agriculture Council of America (ACA) to celebrate the accomplishments of agriculture.

By Lauren Moore, FSA Public Affairs Specialist

It’s National Agriculture Day, a day designated each year to celebrate the accomplishments of agriculture. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) is joining the Agriculture Council of America and others to recognize farmers, ranchers and foresters for growing the nation’s food, fiber and fuel. Continue reading →

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Fox Run Berry Farm Manages Risk through FSA’s Program for Noninsurable Crops

Posted on March 13, 2018 by cassiebable

The Brockmans found out about the USDA Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) during a growers meeting. They contacted their county office and enrolled their aronia berries in the program as beginning farmers.

By Lauren Moore, FSA Public Affairs Specialist

Roger Brockman, owner of Fox Run Berry Farm in Gretna, Nebraska, has had a long career in bug extermination.

While he’s still in the extermination business, Roger and his wife, Sandra, began a new business venture in 2010.

“We had unused land that was planted with just grass,” he said. “My wife was told about the aronia berry from a massage therapist. They were talking about how we wanted to do something with our land and they gave her a brochure about the berry.” Continue reading →

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Learning from Agricultural Lending Here at Home through Interagency Dialogue

Posted on March 8, 2018 by cassiebable

Kate Edwards has owned and operated Wild Woods Farm, a 7-acre vegetable farm in Johnson County, Iowa for seven years full-time. Edwards has used FSA’s Farm Storage Facility Loan Program and the FSA microloan program to turn her farm into a successful CSA that feeds 200 families in her community.

Submitted by April Thompson and Patrick Starr, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

Several Farm Service Agency (FSA) and other USDA experts were recently invited by the USAID’s Bureau for Food Security (BFS) to share their experiences lending to farmers through the Farm Service Agency loan program.

Through a lively interagency dialogue with USDA’s Dana Richey, Bill Cobb, John Tamashiro, and Chris Hartley organized by BFS’ Markets, Partnerships and Innovation office, we learned about FSA’s model and lessons learned in agricultural finance and reflected on what might be applicable in the development context. A few key takeaways: Continue reading →

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USDA Disaster Program Helps Texas Farmer Recover from Hurricane Losses

Posted on March 6, 2018 by cassiebable

By Shawn McCowan, Texas FSA Public Affairs Specialist

Doug Harper is a fifth-generation farmer who grows cotton and watermelons along the coast in Victoria County, Texas. (Courtesy Photo)

Doug Harper, a fifth-generation farmer, moved to the Texas Gulf Coast area in 2012, looking forward to the potential for increasing corn, cotton, milo, and watermelon production there.

Texas farmer Doug Harper comes from a long line of farmers. Growing up in the business, he knows there are always ups and downs, and the importance of insurance coverage to prevent against the “what ifs?”

When challenges arose this past year, a USDA program enabled Harper to recover. Continue reading →

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USDA Helps Idaho Farmers Grow Their Operation

Posted on February 23, 2018 by cassiebable

With the help of an FSA operating loan, Darl and Susan Harms were able to accomplish their business plan and grow hydroponic lettuce.

By April Bryngelson, Idaho Farm Loan Manager, Farm Service Agency

Darl and Susan Harms are growing lettuce year-round in Idaho. With the help of a loan through USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), the couple was able to accomplish their business plan of growing hydroponic lettuce all year.

FSA’s Direct Farm Operating loans are a valuable resource to start, maintain and strengthen a farm or ranch. For new agricultural producers, FSA provides an essential gateway into agricultural production by making it easier to get the capital needed to operate a farm. Continue reading →

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Oklahoma Crop and Livestock Producer Thankful for Safety-Net Assistance

Posted on February 16, 2018 by cassiebable

Mark Deleon has been farming in Beckham County, Oklahoma, for 25 years. Pictured from left to right: Addison, Bridget, Amy and Mark Deleon

By Dana Rogge, FSA Public Affairs Specialist

Mark Deleon has been farming in Beckham County, Oklahoma, for 25 years. During this time, he has seen his fair share of ups and downs in the agriculture industry. Farming is a risky business considering the potential for market downturns and natural disasters, but Deleon knows how to mitigate his risks. This is a life he loves – raising cattle and crops.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better life,” Deleon said.

Deleon got his start with help from a USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) farm ownership loan. A joint loan, made in cooperation with a local bank, allowed Deleon to purchase a farm when he was getting started.

“That really helps young farmers,” he said. Continue reading →

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USDA Agencies Band Together to Assist Producers Impacted by 2017 Hurricanes

Posted on February 14, 2018 by cassiebable

By Cassie Bable and Lauren Moore, FSA Public Affairs Specialists

When hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria made landfall, USDA agencies worked hard to provide information and recovery resources to agricultural producers who experienced losses. (Photo Credit: Julie Stoddard)

Just as families, friends and communities came together to respond to damages that occurred during the hurricanes of 2017, so did government agencies.

When hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria made landfall, the Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Risk Management Agency (RMA), Rural Development (RD), and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) worked together, along with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other intergovernmental groups, to provide information and recovery resources to agricultural producers who experienced losses. Continue reading →

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USDA Programs Empower Arkansas Farmer

Posted on February 7, 2018 by cassiebable

Brittany Caskey was able to obtain financing through FSA’s farm loan programs to purchase equipment. She utilized FSA’s guaranteed loan program, where a private bank financed part of Caskey’s operating expenses and FSA provided a guarantee against a possible financial loss. Photo credit: Rochanda Harlin

By Cheryl Brooks, Farm Loan Officer, Cross County, Arkansas & Dana Rogge, Public Affairs Specialist

From the time Brittany Caskey was a toddler, she lived her life in the dirt and on tractors, learning from an early age the kind of work it takes to make things grow.

In the small community of Hunter, in Woodruff County Arkansas, Caskey grew up with a dream of becoming a farmer. In 2017, the 26-year-old’s dream came to fruition with help from USDA.

In late 2016, the farmer who employed both Caskey and her father decided to retire, leaving her with the decision to find employment on another farm, or pursue her dream of managing her own operation.

“I had always wanted to farm. I love the outdoors, just the farm life in general. I saw my chance after my boss retired,” Caskey said. “Many said I couldn’t do it and would never make a farmer, but I’m the type that if you tell me I can’t, I will find a way.”

Continue reading →

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USDA Works to Support the Next Generation of Agriculturalists

Posted on February 2, 2018 by cassiebable

California Beginning farmer, Meredith Bell, owner and operator of Autonomy Farms, was hit by a flood that left her farm underwater for two months. She was able to financially recover from her poultry losses through the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP).

By Farm Service Agency Acting Administrator Steve Peterson

Through many programs and opportunities, USDA provides support to beginning farmers and ranchers, veterans and people transitioning from other industries to agriculture.

According to the 2012 Census of Agriculture, there are a little over 469,000 new farmers across the country.  The 2012 Census also shows that the average age of farmers continues to rise, with the average age being 58. We realize that now, more than ever, it is important to provide those interested in a career in agriculture with the tools they need to succeed so they are equipped to fill the shoes of those who have spent their lives caring for our land and forests and producing our food and fiber. Continue reading →

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Farm Loan Programs – Making a Difference for Thousands in Rural America across the Country

Posted on January 24, 2018 by cassiebable
By Jim Radintz, Deputy Administrator for Farm Loan Programs, Farm Service Agency

Ryan Kuster cuts first crop hay of 2016 for his family’s beef cattle.

Capital is the lifeblood of any farming and ranching operation, and in the recently completed fiscal year the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Loan Programs pumped $5.9 billion in support to a diverse group of producers across America, which was the second highest total in Farm Service Agency (FSA) history. Over $2.5 billion of that total was direct and guaranteed operating loans, and another $3.5 billion was allocated for direct and guaranteed farm ownership loans. The $5.9 billion in new lending continued the recent growth in FSA’s farm loan portfolio. By the end of the fiscal year, FSA was providing credit, either directly or guaranteed through commercial lenders, to 120,000 family farmers across the country.

 

Though their family no longer dairy farms, the effects of the dairy operation are felt today even as Ryan’s family has switched to a beef and crop operation. This calf was born a full year after all the Holstein cattle were sold.

As impressive as these statistics are, the true value of the programs is in the stories of the lives these loans change for the better, and the opportunities they provide. For example:

  • Chelten and Stephen Hasty are beginning farmers with a cow/calf operation in Gasconade and Warren counties in Missouri. The Hastys used the FSA Farm Ownership and Operating Loan Programs to help build their cattle business. They sell a variety of meat products, including beef sticks and jerky, and beef cuts processed from cattle they raise.
  • After a brewing hobby turned into wine crafting, Hillary and Diane Dean dreamed about expanding their modest hobby into a business venture. With the help of FSA’s Microloan Program, Hillary and Diane opened Blue River Valley Winery in Oklahoma in 2015. They sold more than 15,000 bottles of their handcrafted wine in 2016 and currently grow muscadine grapes, along with other grape varieties. They also purchase juice from several vineyards across the country to keep up with demand.
  • Ryan and Travis Kuster grew up on their family’s operation, Kuster Farms, in Wisconsin. While still working with their father, Ryan and Travis are starting an operation of their own. “FSA’s operating loans can keep a farming operation running during the low and high times that there are with farming,” said Ryan. “It has helped me take out a large amount to operate, which I never could have done alone.”
  • Koua Thao, formerly of Laos, aims to grow his already successful farming operation in Miller County, Arkansas, with some help from USDA. In January 2005, Thao used a USDA FSA Guaranteed Farm Ownership loan of $30,000 to purchase a hen breeding farm with two henhouses on 40 acres. Last year, Thao wished to diversify his farming operation, so he obtained a microloan to purchase 22 cows and one bull.
  • Lauri Roberts, owner of Farming Turtles in Rhode Island, acquired a Farm Ownership Loan and two Farm Operating Loans, allowing her to obtain property and greenhouses needed to grow and expand her microgreen business. Products from her operation are sold in multiple supermarkets in Rhode Island, New York City and the New England area. Her microgreens are also featured on numerous restaurant menus in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

Lauri Roberts acquired an FSA Farm Ownership Loan and two Farm Operating Loans, allowing her to obtain the property and the greenhouses needed in order to grow and expand her business into what it is today.

These are just five of the literally thousands of loan success stories from across the country. Since FSA provides credit when applicants cannot qualify for commercial loans, it’s clear that the achievements of these operations, and many others, would not have been possible without the help of FSA.

No matter what your current situation is, I encourage you to check out our loan programs. In the 2017 fiscal year, over 25,300 of the loans we made were to farmers classified as “beginning” or “socially disadvantaged”. Almost 1,400 loans went to veterans and of the 6,900 microloans we made, over 1,100 went to female applicants.

Ryan Kuster waits for his brother Travis to start the grain bin auger so they can empty the remainder of the previous year’s corn crop.

Whether you have a driving passion to raise vegetables, grain, livestock or run a dairy, chances are we have a loan program that is right for you. FSA also recently partnered with the national organization SCORE to help interested producers draft a business plan and obtain training and mentorship that will aid in assisting the producer in becoming successful with their production agriculture venture.

The first step is to reach out to any of the over 2,100 FSA offices across the country. We’re here to help you achieve your agricultural goals.

Ryan Kuster had to jump over a fence and lasso one of his cows that got out. Luckily Rosie followed him right back in!

Continue reading →

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