Loan & Grant Opportunities
- Terrenablog
- Nov 1, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 13, 2023
The Farm Service Agency makes direct and guaranteed farm ownership and operating loans to family-sized farmers and ranchers who cannot obtain commercial credit from a bank, Farm Credit System institution, or other lender. Land, livestock, equipment, feed, seed, and supplies can all be purchased with FSA loans. Loans can also be used to build structures or improve farms.
The USDA offers low- and moderate-income rural Americans the opportunity to become homeowners through a variety of loan, grant, and loan guarantee programs. Individuals can also use the funds to make critical home improvements that will make their homes decent, safe, and sanitary. USDA Multi-Family Housing Programs provide Rural Rental Housing Loans to provide low- and moderate-income families, the elderly, and people with disabilities with affordable multi-family rental housing. In addition, eligible families can receive rental assistance.
USDA Rural Development collaborates with rural communities to fund projects that provide housing, community facilities, business guarantees, utilities, and other services to rural America. The USDA provides technical assistance as well as financial support to rural businesses and cooperatives in order to create quality jobs in rural areas. By involving the entrepreneurial spirit of rural America in the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements, Rural Development promotes the President's National Energy Policy and, ultimately, the nation's energy security. Rural Development collaborates with low-income individuals, state, local, and tribal governments, as well as private, nonprofit, and user-owned cooperatives.
Through the Farm Service Agency, the USDA makes direct and guaranteed loans to beginning farmers and ranchers who are unable to obtain commercial credit. The Agency directs a portion of its direct and guaranteed farm ownership (FO) and operating loan (OL) funds to beginning farmers and ranchers each fiscal year.
USDA assists producers in managing business risks. The Risk Management Agency (RMA) of the USDA's mission is to promote, support, and regulate sound risk management solutions in order to preserve and strengthen the economic stability of America's agricultural producers. RMA operates and manages the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) as part of this mission.
RMA is divided into three sections: Insurance Services, Product Management, and Risk Compliance. The policies are sold and serviced by seventeen private-sector insurance companies. RMA creates and/or approves premium rates, administers premium and expense subsidies, approves and supports products, and reinsures businesses. RMA also sponsors educational and outreach programs, as well as risk-related seminars.
This matching grant program, also known as the FSMIP, provides matching funds to state departments of agriculture and other appropriate state agencies to aid in the exploration of new market opportunities for food and agricultural products, as well as to encourage research and innovation aimed at improving the efficiency and performance of the marketing system.
SCBGP funds can be requested to improve specialty crop competitiveness. Fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and nursery crops (including floriculture) are examples of specialty crops.
The FMPP was established as a result of a recent amendment to the 1976 Farmer-to-Consumer Direct Marketing Act. The FMPP-authorized grants are intended to assist in the improvement and expansion of domestic farmers markets, roadside stands, community-supported agriculture programs, and other direct producer-to-consumer market opportunities.
AMS manages two cost-sharing programs for organic certification. Each program offers cost-sharing assistance to organic producers and/or handlers through participating states. Recipients must obtain initial or continuing certification from a USDA accredited certifying agent (ACA).
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