Programs

Farm Service Agency Programs

Agricultural Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage (ARC/PLC)

The 2014 Farm Bill authorized a new safety net approach for farm commodities, known as the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs. These programs combine provisions from previous programs delivered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA).

Margin Protection Program, Dairy (MPP)

The Margin Protection Program, Dairy (MPP) replaces MILC and is effective through December 31, 2018. The Margin Protection Program offers dairy producers: (1) catastrophic coverage, at no cost to the producer, other than an annual $100 administrative fee; and (2) various levels of buy-up coverage. To participate in buy-up coverage, a producer must pay a premium that varies with the level of protection the producer elects.

In addition, the 2014 Act created the Dairy Product Donation Program (DPDP). This program is triggered in times of low operating margins for dairy producers, and requires USDA to purchase dairy products for donation to food banks and other feeding programs.

Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP)

NAP provides financial assistance to eligible producers affected by drought, flood, hurricane, or other natural disasters. This federally funded program covers noninsurable crop losses and planting prevented by disasters. Producers who are landowners, tenants, or sharecroppers who share in the risk of producing an eligible crop are eligible. Eligible crops include commercial crops and other agricultural commodities produced for food (including livestock feed) or fiber for which the catastrophic level of crop insurance is unavailable. Also eligible for NAP coverage are controlled-environment crops (mushrooms and floriculture), specialty crops (honey and maple sap), and value loss crops (aquaculture, Christmas trees, ginseng, ornamental nursery, and turfgrass sod).

Conservation Programs:

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)

CRP provides a voluntary program to agricultural producers to help them safeguard environmentally sensitive land. Producers enrolled in CRP plant long-term, resource-conserving covers to improve the quality of water, control soil erosion, and enhance wildlife habitat. In return, CCC provides participants rental payments and cost-share assistance. Contract duration is between 10 and 15 years.

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) Delaware

As the name implies, this program is an enhanced version of the very successful Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). The Delaware CREP enhancements are dedicated staff and financial incentives provided by the State of Delaware. CREP is a special conservation program that allows the CRP to be tailored to meet the needs of the State. CREP is a Federal-State conservation partnership program that targets significant environmental effects related to Agriculture. CREP priority areas include the Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay, and Delaware Inland Bays.

Emergency Conservation Program (ECP)

ECP provides emergency funding for farmers and ranchers to rehabilitate farmland damaged by wind erosion, floods, hurricanes, or other natural disasters, and for carrying out emergency water conservation measures during periods of severe drought. The natural disaster must create new conservation problems, which, if not treated, would: impair or endanger the land; materially affect the productive capacity of the land; represent unusual damage which, except for wind erosion, is not the type likely to recur frequently in the same area; and be so costly to repair that Federal assistance is, or will be, required to return the land to productive agricultural use.

Farm Loan Programs:

Farm Ownership Loan

No current or previous farm ownership requirements and 100 percent financing available make FSA Farm Ownership loans a valuable resource to help farmers and ranchers become owner-operators of family farms, improve and expand current operations, increase agricultural productivity, and assist with land tenure to save farmland for future generations.

All FSA direct loans are financed and serviced by the Agency through local Farm Loan Officers and Farm Loan Managers.

Farm Operating Loan

FSA’s Farm Operating loans are a valuable resource to start, maintain and strengthen a farm or ranch. For new agricultural producers, FSA direct farm operating loans provide an essential gateway into agricultural production by financing the cost of operating a farm.

All FSA direct loans are financed and serviced by the Agency through local Farm Loan Officers and Farm Loan Managers.

Guaranteed Farm Loans

FSA’s Guaranteed Farm Loan Programs help family farmers and ranchers to obtain loans from USDA-approved commercial lenders at reasonable terms to buy farmland or finance agricultural production. Financial institutions receive additional loan business as well as benefit from the safety net the FSA provides by guaranteeing farm loans up to 95 percent against possible financial loss of principal and interest.

The EZ Guarantee Program is available for smaller loans. This program provides a simplified Guaranteed Loan application process to help small, new or underserved family farmers with early financial assistance. The EZ Guarantee is available for loan applications up to $100,000 for farm operating or farm ownership purposes. Lenders need only submit one application form per loan request containing all necessary information for the application. No other supporting documents will typically be required. In addition, streamlined financial underwriting is available for these loans, allowing all approved lenders to analyze the request in the same manner in which they would analyze a nonguaranteed loan request of the same size and type. All existing eligibility, loan purpose, security, and other requirements remain the same.

Microloans

Microloans are direct farm operating loans with a shortened application process and reduced paperwork designed to meet the needs of smaller, non-traditional, and niche type operations. Apprentice and mentorship programs, non-farm business experience, and farm labor experience are acceptable alternative solutions for helping to meet farm experience.

Loans for Minority and Women Farmers and Ranchers

FSA continues to develop innovative loan products and initiatives to improve its ability to serve traditionally underserved farmers and ranchers, such as with the Operating and Ownership Microloan programs into urban areas. In its first full year of operation, more than 80 percent of Microloans went to beginning farmers, the underserved, and military veterans. Further, FSA is working to expand credit in areas where there are few lenders or where cultural or economic conditions limit the availability of credit.

While FSA is committed to serving all farmers and ranchers, by statute, FSA targets a portion of all Guaranteed loan funds, Direct Operating and Direct Farm Ownership loan funds, Microloan funding, and Youth loans, to historically underserved farmers and ranchers.

Beginning Farmer and Ranchers (BF) Loan

America's next generation of farmers and ranchers are supported through FSA's "Beginning Farmer" direct and guaranteed loan programs. Farm Ownership loans can provide access to land and capital. Operating loans can assist beginning farmers to become competitive by helping to pay normal operating or family living expenses; open doors to new markets and marketing opportunities; assist with diversifying operations; and so much more. The Microloan programs, offer beginning farmers and ranchers an important source of financial assistance during the start-up years.

Youth Loans

FSA makes loans to individual young persons to start and operate income-producing projects of modest size in connection with their participation in 4-H clubs, FFA, a Tribal youth group, or similar agricultural youth organization. The project being financed with an FSA Youth Loan needs to provide an opportunity for the young person to acquire experience and education in agriculture-related skills.

Price Support:

Farm Storage Facility Loan Program (FSFL)

The FSFL program provides low-interest financing so producers can build or upgrade facilities to store commodities. Eligible commodities include grains, oilseeds, peanuts, pulse crops, hay, honey, renewable biomass commodities, fruits and vegetables, floriculture, hops, maple sap, milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, eggs, meat/poultry (unprocessed), rye and aquaculture. Drying, handling and storage equipment is also eligible, including storage and handling trucks. Eligible facilities and equipment may be new or used, permanently affixed or portable.

Nonrecourse Marketing Assistance Loan (MAL) and Loan Deficiency Payment (LDP) Program

The Agricultural Act of 2014 (2014 Farm Bill) authorizes loan deficiency payments (LDPs) for 2014 through 2018. LDPs are direct payments made in lieu of a marketing assistance loan when the CCC determined value, which is based on the current local price in a county, is below the applicable county loan rate.

Nonrecourse Marketing assistance loans (MALs) provide producers interim financing at harvest time to meet cash flow needs without having to sell their commodities when market prices are typically at harvest-time lows. Allowing producers to store production at harvest facilitates more orderly marketing of commodities throughout the year.

For a commodity to be eligible for a marketing assistance loan (MAL) or a loan deficiency payment (LDP), the producer must have beneficial interest in the commodity in addition to other eligibility requirements.

OnLine Services

For your convenience we have provided several services online. If you are new to the site and would like to obtain a USDA Service Center Customer ID and password, please Register now. Several online services do not require an ID and password.