The USDA Farm Service Agency has announced that loans are being made available for the purchase, lease or operation of farms by beginner farmers and by targeted under-served groups.
The goal of these loans, according to Frank Urbanick, the Farm Loan Manager for the agency that serves Indiana and 10 other counties, is to reverse the declining number of farmers and ranchers across the U.S. and in the area he serves. The loans encourage and assist recipients in owning and operating their own farms and ranches, take part in ag programs, and become integral parts of the ag community. The money can be used to buy or grow a farm, purchase easements or rights of way, erect or remove buildings, promote soil and water conservation and development and pay closing costs.
The FSA reserves part of the loan funds each year to target underserved groups, which is defined as a group whose members have been subjected to racial, ethnic or gender prejudice because of their identity as members of a group without regard to their individual qualities. Those groups include women, African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics and Asian and Pacific Islanders.
For more information on the application process, call 724-662-2890.
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