:: Site Map :: Disclaimer :: Recent Web Postings :: e-Newsletter
:: Administrative Law :: Agritourism :: Alternative Dispute
   Resolution :: Animal Feeding
   Operations :: Animal Identification :: Bankruptcy :: Biosecurity :: Biotechnology :: Checkoff Programs :: Clean Water Act :: Commercial
   Transactions :: Commodity Programs :: Conservation Programs :: Cooperatives :: Country of Origin
    Labeling :: Corporate Farming
    Laws :: Crop Insurance :: Environmental Law :: Estate Planning
    and Taxation :: Finance & Credit :: Food Safety :: Food Labeling :: International Law
   and Organizations :: International Trade :: Labor :: Landowner Liability :: Local Food Systems :: Marketing Orders :: National Organic
    Program :: Packers and Stockyards :: Perishable Agricultural
   Commodities :: Pesticides :: Production Contracts :: Renewable Energy :: Secured Transactions :: Sustainable Agriculture :: Urbanization and
    Agriculture

Finance and Credit

Overview

Farmers must often borrow large amounts of capital and incur sizeable debts in order to operate and maintain their farming operations. Thus, the complex network of state and federal statutes, regulations, case law, and lending institutions that comprise the area of farm credit is of increasing significance to those involved in all aspects agricultural production. Read the full overview.

Note: Recently added resources are posted at the top of the applicable sections.

Major Statutes

Agricultural Credit, 7 U.S.C. §§ 1921-2009aa-13

Farm Credit System, 12 U.S.C. §§ 2001-2279cc

Finance and Credit Provisions from the 2002 Farm Bill

Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, 7 U.S.C. §§ 1921-2009dd-7

State Agricultural Loan Mediation Programs, 7 U.S.C. §§ 5101-5106

Adjustment and Cancellation of Farm Loans, 12 U.S.C. §§ 1150-1150b

Agricultural Marketing Act, 12 U.S.C. §§ 1141-1141j

Regional Agricultural Credit Corporations, 12 U.S.C. §§ 1148-1148d

Local Agriculture-Credit Corporations, Livestock-Loan Companies and Like Organizations,

12 U.S.C. §§ 1401-1404

Equal Credit Opportunity Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1691-1691f

Uniform Commercial Code

Regulations

Direct Farm Ownership Loans, 7 C.F.R. pt. 1943

Direct Operating Loans, 7 C.F.R. pt. 1941

Guaranteed Farm Loans, 7 C.F.R. pt. 762

Emergency Loans, 7 C.F.R. pt. 764

Servicing and Collections, 7 C.F.R. pt. 1951

Property Management, 7 C.F.R. pt. 1955

Debt Settlement, 7 C.F.R. pt. 1956

Personal Property, 7 C.F.R. pt. 1962

Real Property, 7 C.F.R. pt. 1965

Assignment of Payments, 7 C.F.R. pt. 1404

Farm Credit Administration, 12 C.F.R. pts. 600-650

Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation, 12 C.F.R. pts. 1400-1403; 1408; 1410-1411

National Appeals Division, 7 C.F.R. pt. 11

Federal Register Rules Open for Comment

Center published Federal Register Digest

Case Law

Note: Recently summarized cases are listed and linked in Recent Postings.

Case Law Index for Finance and Credit

Center Research Publications

2005 Commercial Law Update (Meyer, 2006)

The Farmer's Legal Guide to Producer Marketing Associations (O'Brien, Hamilton & Luedeman, 2006)

Rabobank Offer to Purchase FCS of America (O'Brien, 2004)

Chapter 12 Bankruptcy: On Again, Off Again (Schneider, 2003)

Husband and Wife Farmers in Ag Bankruptcy: The "Tools of the Trade" Exemption (Pittman, 2002)

Statutory Ag Liens Under Revised Article 9 (Schneider, 2002)

Congressional Research Service Reports

CRS Subject(s):
Finance and Credit
Federal Loan Programs

Reference Resources

USDA

Farm Service Agency Farm Loans

FSA Handbook for Farm Loan Programs:
General Program Administration
Guaranteed Loan Making and Servicing
Direct Loanmaking
Regular Direct Loan Servicing
Direct Loan Servicing - Special and Inventory Property Management
Special Programs

Rural Financial Market Performance (ERS)

Briefing Room: Lenders and Financial Markets (Economic Research Service - ERS)

Key Topic: Farm Financial and Risk Management (ERS)

Key Topic: Credit and Financial Markets Policy (ERS)

Agriculture Income and Finance (ERS)

Office of Civil Rights

Congressional Resources

Reports on Ag Credit General Accounting Office (GAO)

Reports on Farm Finance (GAO)

Other Federal Resources

Farm Credit Administration

Federal Reserve AgLetter

Farmer Mac (Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation)

Farm Credit Administration Office of General Counsel Legal Opinion Summaries

Publications

Farmer's Guide to Disaster Assistance (FLAG, 2008)

Credit in Rural America (ERS)

Issues in Agricultural and Rural Finance (ERS)

Bankruptcy Reform: Changes to Chapter 12 - Family Farmer Reorganization (FLAG, 2005)

Making the Most of Your Milk Check: What Dairy Farmers Need to know About Assignments
(FLAG, 2005)

Managing Debt to Prepare for Farm Transfer (FLAG, 2006)

Additional Resources

Farmdoc - Finance (U. IL - Urbana)

Pigford Monitor

Warning:

You are using an older web browser that is not compatible with basic Web standards.

We recommend that you upgrade to one of the following browsers:

Windows or Mac Users:

Netscape 6+, Opera 6+, MSIE 6+

Linux OS:

Netscape 6+, Konqueror

In an effort to create a more organized World Wide Web, the W3C has created many new Web layout standards. The key focus of their effort is to provide the best possible interoperability between the different browsing programs available.

In the days of the browser wars between Netscape and Microsoft, many hacks were propagated by the competing companies. However, today these hacks have done more to hurt the Web than to help the battling companies. By downloading and installing one of the programs listed above, the Web will be one step closer to eliminating these hacks and bugs.

Click here to go view current Web browser usage statistics.