The document discusses the USDA Farm Service Agency's farm loan programs. It provides an overview of the various direct and guaranteed loan programs available to farmers, including operating loans, farm ownership loans, microloans for youth and small farms, and emergency loans. It also describes eligibility requirements and how to apply. Priority is given to beginning farmers, socially disadvantaged applicants, and those who cannot get commercial credit elsewhere.

1. USDA Farm Service Agency – Farm
Loan Programs
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Women Managing
the Farm
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FSA’s Vision: A market-oriented, economically and
environmentally sound American agriculture delivering
an abundant, safe and affordable food and fiber supply
while sustaining quality agricultural communities.

2. USDA FARM SERVICE AGENCY
• Kansas FSA:
– 96 County Offices in 105 Counties
– Management Team
• County Executive Director
• Farm Loan Manager/Officer
• Program Technicians
• County Committee (Farmer Elected) 2
• USDA Service Centers:
• Farm Service Agency (FSA)
• Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
• Rural Development (RD)

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4. FARM LOAN PROGRAMS
 Farm Loan Programs provide loans, loan guarantees, and business
planning to eligible farmers, ranchers, and others to promote, build, and
sustain family farms in support of a thriving agricultural economy.
Who are our potential customers?
• Beginning farmers and ranchers
• Farmers whose needs may not be met by commercial credit
• Multigenerational family farms
• Socially disadvantaged/underserved farmers and ranchers *
• Value added farming operations
• Organic and specialty farmers
• Farmers who have hit hard times and now require a safety net
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5. Definition of Socially Disadvantaged for Farm Loan Purposes:
A group whose members have been subject to racial, ethnic, or gender prejudice
because of their identity as members of the group without regard to their individual
qualities.
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These groups consist of:
Women
American Indians
Alaskan Natives
Asians
Hispanics
Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders
Blacks or African Americans
A certain percentage of farm loan program funding is targeted for SDA Applicants.
FARM LOAN PROGRAMS

6. FARM LOAN PROGRAMS
• Direct Loans
– FSA makes and services direct loans and provides
supervised credit
– Funds come from the U.S. Treasury
• Guaranteed Loans
– The lender makes and services the loan
– FSA guarantees loans made by conventional lenders up to
95 percent of any loss
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7. Farm Loan Program Delivery
 Direct loan requests are processed and
serviced in local offices
 Guaranteed requests are completed by the
lender and producer and submitted to FSA for
processing
 Upon request, FSA staff will assist applicants
in completing paperwork
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8. FSA Farm Loan Programs
• Operating Loans (OL) - includes Microloans
• Farm Ownership (FO) Loans
• Guaranteed Operating and Farm Ownership
Loans
• Land Contract Guarantee
• Emergency Loans
• Youth Loans
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9. Loan Limitations
 Direct FO - $300,000
 Direct OL - $300,000
 Microloan - $50,000
 Youth - $5,000
 Emergency - $500,000
(or amount of loss,
whichever is lower)
 Guaranteed:
Combined G-FO and
G-OL cannot exceed
$1,392,000 for FY 2015
 Guaranteed loan limit
changes annually based on
rate of inflation applicable
to fiscal year
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10. Farm Loan Programs –
General Eligibility Requirements
Direct and guaranteed applicants must:
 Be unable to obtain sufficient credit elsewhere
 Be a citizen or a legal resident alien
 Possess legal capacity to incur the loan obligation
 Have an acceptable credit history
 Be the owner-operator or tenant-operator of a family farm
 Not be delinquent on federal debt
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11. Direct and guaranteed applicants must:
 Not have outstanding unpaid judgments
 Not have caused the Agency a loss by receiving debt
forgiveness (there are some exceptions)
 Not have been convicted of planting, cultivating, growing,
producing, harvesting, or storing a controlled substance
within the last five years
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General Eligibility Requirements (continued)

12. FSA Direct Loans
A direct loan applicant must:
 Meet general eligibility criteria
 Have applicable education, training, or farm
experience that provides a reasonable prospect of
success (For an FO loan, the applicant must have
participated in the operations of a farm or ranch for
at least 3 years)
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13. FSA Direct Loans (continued)
A direct loan applicant must:
 Develop a realistic Farm Business Plan that projects
repayment ability for the loan
 Provide adequate collateral for the loan
 Agree to take borrower training courses and
“graduate” to private sector credit when able
 Not exceed restriction on years of eligibility
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14. FSA Direct Loans (continued)
• Corporations, cooperatives, joint operations,
trusts and partnerships may be eligible:
– Their members/stockholders must meet the
program eligibility requirements
– The entity must also be authorized to operate a
farm in the State where the farm is located
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15. Direct Loan Making –
Operating Loans
• Purposes:
– Purchase Machinery and/or Equipment
– Purchase Livestock
– Production Expenses
– Refinance operating expenses (other than FSA)
• OL loans are repaid in 1 to 7 years depending on
purpose
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16. Direct Loan Making –
Microloans
 Microloans are operating loans, either annual of
term, that do not exceed $50,000.
 Microloans have a simplified application process
with paperwork and verification requirements that
are more proportional to smaller loans and
operations.
 Alternative managerial requirements for
Microloans may be acceptable.
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17.  Marketing and distribution expenses
 Purchase of livestock
 Minor farm improvements such as wells
and coolers
 Annual operating expenses such as
seed, fertilizer, utilities and land rents
 Loan amount limited to $50,000
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~ FSA Microloans can include ~
 Initial start-up expenses; such as: hoop houses to extend the
growing season
 Essential tools or equipment needed for the operation
 Irrigation equipment

18. Direct Loan Making –
Youth Loans
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 Establish and operate income producing projects.
 Be at least 10 years old but less than 21 years of age.
 Project must be participating in an established
organization that supports agricultural projects, such
as 4-H or FFA.
 Must have recommendation and consent from
parent/guardian and from an advisor (4-H, Vo-Ag
teacher, scout leader, etc.)
 The maximum loan available is $5,000.

19. Direct Loan Making –
Farm Ownership Loans
• Purposes:
– Purchase Land
– Make Capital Improvements
– Promote Soil and Water Conservation
– Loan closing and related expenses
• FO loan repayments can be scheduled for up to
40 years
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20. Direct Loan Making –
Farm Ownership Downpayment Loans
• Downpayment loan applicants must:
– Be beginning farmers or meet definition of SDA
– Provide a minimum down payment of 5%
• Downpayment loans will not exceed 45% of the
lesser of:
1. The purchase price,
2. The appraised value of the farm to be purchased, or
3. $667,000 (maximum loan of $300,000)
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21. Direct Loan Making –
Farm Ownership Downpayment Loans (continued)
• Maximum term for FSA loan is 20 years
• Interest rate is 4% below regular direct FO rate but no less
than 1.5%
• The remaining balance may be obtained from a commercial
lender or private party. That party must have an amortization
period of at least 30 years and cannot balloon their payment
in the first 20 years of the loan.
– If lender seeks FSA guarantee, the guarantee fee will be waived
• There is no limit on purchase price of the property
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22. Direct Loan Making –
Farm Ownership Joint Financing Loans
• FSA encourages using joint financing arrangements where an
applicant obtains financing from another lender, which can be a
commercial lender, a State program, or the seller of a farm. The
applicant will use this financing along with FSA financing for any
authorized FO purposes.
• If FO is part of a joint financing arrangement and the amount of
FSA’s loan does not exceed 50% of the total amount financed, the
interest rate charged by FSA will be the greater of the following:
– Current direct FO interest rate minus 2%
– 2.5% floor for interest rate
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23. Direct Loan Making –
Emergency Loans
Emergency loans are available for real estate and
operating purposes when a disaster or quarantine has
been declared.
• Purposes:
– Refinance debts
– Repair/replace farm property
• Buildings
• Machinery/Livestock
• Feed
• Other Items
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24. Land Contract Guarantee Program
• This program was announced in January 2012 – it’s a program available to landowners
who wish to transfer farm real estate to the next generation of farmers and ranchers.
• The Land Contract Guarantee Program offers an alternative to a traditional loan.
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• Instead of obtaining a loan from a
commercial lender – the buyer and seller
will enter into a Purchase Contract and
FSA can guarantee said Contract.
• There is no fee charged by the Agency;
however, there may be fees charged by
the loan servicing / escrow agent.

25. Guaranteed Loans
Guaranteed loans are:
Made and serviced by local agricultural lenders
Funded by the lender
Used by lenders to assist producers who do not
meet normal underwriting standards
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26. Guaranteed Loan Making –
Eligibility
• To qualify for an FSA Guarantee, a loan applicant
must:
– Meet the general eligibility requirements
– Be unable to obtain a loan without a guarantee
– Have a feasible plan and adequate collateral as
determined by the lender
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27. Guaranteed Loan Making –
Participating Lenders
• For guaranteed loans, applicants must apply
to a commercial lender who participates in
the Guaranteed Loan Program
• Local FSA offices have lists of participating
lenders
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28. Farm Loan Programs –
Program Funding
Loan programs are funded by annual Congressional
Appropriations
Appropriation levels may fall short of demand,
especially direct farm ownership loans
Loan funds are allocated to states
There are separate allocations of SDA and beginning
farmer targeted funds
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29. Farm Loan Programs –
Socially Disadvantaged Applicant (SDA)
As defined by law, an SDA applicant is one who is a member of
a socially disadvantaged group whose members have been
subjected to racial, ethnic, or gender prejudice because of their
identity as a member of a group, without regard to their
individual qualities.
SDA groups are African Americans, American Indians, Alaskan
Natives, Hispanics, Asians, Pacific Islanders, and Women.
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30. Farm Loan Programs –
Socially Disadvantaged Applicant (SDA)
 FSA does not have a specific SDA loan program, but rather
targets funds in existing programs to applicants that meet
the definition
 The targets are set by law
 SDA loan applicants must meet loan program requirements
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31. Farm Loan Programs –
Beginning Farmer Loans
• FSA provides direct and guaranteed loans to
beginning farmers and ranchers
• FSA targets a portion of its direct and
guaranteed FO and OL funds to beginning
farmers
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32. Farm Loan Programs –
Beginning Farmer Loans
• A beginning farmer or rancher is an individual or
entity who:
1. Has not operated a farm or ranch for more than 10
years,
2. Meets the loan eligibility requirements of the program
to which he/she is applying,
3. For an FO loan, does not own a farm greater than 30
percent of the average size farm in the county
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33. Farm Loan Programs –
Application Tips
 A good farm business plan is critical
 Applicants should:
 Set short and long term goals
 Plan conservatively
 Have records to support production projections
 Have good financial records
 Get help from experts (FSA staff, Extension, etc.)
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34. Farm Loan Programs –
Application Tips
 Application forms are available from FSA Offices
 All forms are available via internet as well
 No one can be denied an application or other forms
 Applicants may ask FSA employees for help to
complete the paperwork
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35. Farm Loan Programs–
Applications
 Applications for direct loan assistance may be submitted to
the FSA local office serving the area where the operation is
located
 Local FSA offices are listed in the telephone directory under
U.S. Government, Department of Agriculture, Farm Service
Agency
 Applications, additional forms, office locations and more are
available online at: www.fsa.usda.gov
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36. FARM LOAN TEAM OFFICES
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37. Farm Storage Facility Loans (FSFL)
• FSA provides FSFL’s to producers to build or upgrade
farm storage and handling facilities:
– Corn, grain sorghum, soybeans, wheat, etc.
– Hay
– Pulse Crops, including lentils, chickpeas and dry peas
– Renewable biomass
– Fruits, nuts, vegetables and cold storage facilities
• Maximum loan amount - $500,000
• A 15% down payment is required
• Loan Terms: 7, 10 or 12 years depending on amount of the loan
with a fixed interest rate 37