Want to
apply for a loan, learn about water conservation, get involved in your
community?
The information provided below is to assist you in identifying local
USDA offices. This is not an exhaustive list of resources, and we encourage
you to notify us of any links that you think should be added by e-mailing
us at AdvocacyandOutreach@osec.usda.gov.
Descriptive summaries about each of the below
listed locator tools is provided in the following section.
USDA Service Center Locator
Find your local office for Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Rural Development (RD).
USDA Service Centers are designed to be a single
location where customers can access the services provided by
FSA, NRCS, and RD. This web site will provide the address of a USDA Service
Center and other Agency offices serving your area, along with information
on how to contact them.
USDA Cooperative Extension System Offices
The Cooperative Extension System is a nationwide, non-credit
educational network. Each U.S. state and territory has a state office at its
land-grant university and a network of local or regional offices. These offices
are staffed by one or more experts who provide useful, practical, and research-based
information to agricultural producers, small business owners, youth, consumers,
and others in rural areas and communities of all sizes.
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is the federal partner
in the Cooperative Extension System. It provides federal funding to the system
and, through program leadership, helps the system identify and address current
issues and problems.
USDA
FSA State Office Websites
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency (FSA) makes and guarantees
loans to family farmers and ranchers to promote, build, and sustain family
farms in support of a thriving agricultural economy. FSA maintains its headquarters
in Washington, DC, with offices located in each state, usually in a state capital
or near a state land-grant university, as well as in most agriculturally productive
counties. Farmers may apply for direct loans at local FSA offices. Guaranteed
loans may be available from local commercial lenders who apply for loan guarantees
from FSA. Although general information may be obtained from headquarters and
state offices, all programs are administered through local offices.
The goal of FSA's farm loan programs is to graduate its borrowers to commercial
credit. Once a farmer is able to obtain credit from the commercial lending
sector, the Agency's mission of providing temporary, supervised credit is
complete.
NRCS Center Regional
Boundaries, State Offices, Centers
NRCS has expanded to become a conservation
leader for all natural resources, ensuring private lands are
conserved, restored, and more resilient to environmental challenges,
like climate change. NRCS works at the local level– in
field offices at USDA Service Centers in nearly every county
across the nation. NRCS employees’ understanding of local
resource concerns and challenges result in conservation solutions
that last.
RMA helps producers manage their business
risks through effective, market-based risk management solutions.
RMA's mission is to promote, support, and regulate sound risk management
solutions to preserve and strengthen the economic stability of America's
agricultural producers. As part of this mission, RMA operates and
manages the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC).
USDA Risk Management
Agency (RMA) Regional Office (RO) State Directory
ROs are RMA's eyes in the field, keeping in close contact
with local producers, grower groups, universities, and government
agencies. ROs provide information on local pilot programs, growing conditions, participating crop
reinsurance companies/agents, and events.
USDA RD Agencies and Office Websites
RD financial programs support such essential public facilities
and services as water and sewer systems, housing, health clinics,
emergency service facilities and electric and telephone service.
RD promotes economic development by supporting loans to businesses
through banks, credit unions and community-managed lending
pools. RD offers technical assistance and information to help
agricultural producers and cooperatives get started and improve
the effectiveness of their operations. RD provides technical
assistance to help communities undertake community empowerment
programs.
Program assistance is provided in many ways, including direct or guaranteed
loans, grants, technical assistance, research and educational materials.
Outreach Directory
The Outreach Directory is a listing of projects funded
by a USDA Outreach and Technical Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmer
and Rancher (OASDFR) Competitive Grant. Organizations awarded grants offer
various types of assistance that improve access to USDA Programs and Services.
The directory provides a summary of projects; the geographic region serviced;
and the organization’s contact information.