Sarah Longstreth shows off her favorite variety of tomato grown in one of three hoop houses she funded with an FSA Microloan.
USDA customers and partners are following the USDA motto of do right and feed everyone.
Sarah Longstreth, founder of Good Stead Farm, a source of fresh, local organic food in Midland County, Michigan, is no exception.
Longstreth has a background in agriculture and with the help of USDA programs, was able to start her own operation. Continue reading
Across the country, women are the heart of many family farming operations. As part of Women’s History Month, USDA’s Farm Service Agency is highlighting the work of women agricultural producers across the country.
Here are a few of these farmers’ stories:
Meet Brittany Caskey
Raised in the small town of Hunter, Arkansas, Brittany Caskey grew up dreaming of becoming a farmer. Her lifelong dream came true in 2017 when her employer, a farm operator, decided to retire. She was faced with the decision to find a new farmer or to start her own. She went with the latter. Continue reading
Skip Hyberg, Senior Economist, USDA Farm Service Agency, stands in front of an edge of field conservation practice on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Photo by Julie Polt, USDA Farm Service Agency
By Skip Hyberg, Senior Economist, USDA Farm Service Agency
“As of 2015, an estimated 18,091,710 people lived in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, up from 17,986,898 in 2014. Experts predict the watershed’s population will surpass 20 million by 2030 and reach 21.4 million by 2040. Each of the 18.1 million people that live in the region affects the Bay: consuming resources, altering the landscape and polluting the air and water.” — Chesapeake Bay Program
The Chesapeake Bay watershed, North America’s largest estuary, is huge. It includes parts of six states from New York to Virginia, the entire District of Columbia, and drains 64,000 square miles of land. The bay and surrounding area is home to a complex, intricate food web and a large population of wildlife. Various pollution sources cause stress on this system. Continue reading
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
