State Loan Programs
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) provides direct and guaranteed loans to beginning farmers and ranchers who are unable to obtain financing from commercial credit sources. Each fiscal year, the Agency targets a portion of its direct and guaranteed farm ownership (FO) and operating loan (OL) funds to beginning farmers and ranchers.
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) substantially participates in the operation; and, (4) for FO loan purposes, does not own a farm greater than 30 percent of the median size farm in the county. (Note: all applicants for direct FO loans must have participated in business operation of a farm for at least 3 years.) If the applicant is an entity, all members must be related by blood or marriage, and all stockholders in a corporation must be eligible beginning farmers.
Click here for more information about loans for beginning farmers and ranches
These programs are run by State Departments of Agriculture. If your state isn’t listed, contact your Departments of Agriculture to see if they have a program or here for more information about a number of specific state beginning farmer financing programs including the beginning Farmer Aggie Bond Programs.
Arkansas
Colorado
Illinois
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Minnesota
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
New York
North Dakota
Pennsylvania
Washington