Farm Service Agency
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that serves all farmers, ranchers and agricultural partners through the delivery of effective, efficient agricultural programs for all Americans.
The FSA provides beekeepers with emergency disaster relief and low cost loans.
FSA makes direct and guaranteed farm ownership (FO) and operating loans (OL) to family-size farmers and ranchers who cannot obtain commercial credit from a bank, Farm Credit System institution, or other lender. FSA loans can be used to purchase land, livestock, equipment, feed, seed, and supplies. Our loans can also be used to construct buildings or make farm improvements. See our loan information chart which describes maximum loan amounts, rates, term, and use of proceeds.
FSA loans are often provided to beginning farmers who cannot qualify for conventional loans because they have insufficient financial resources. FSA also helps established farmers who have suffered financial setbacks from natural disasters, or whose resources are too limited to maintain profitable farming operations.
The Deputy Administrator for Farm Programs (DAFP) is responsible for overseeing and implementing policies and procedures that regulate the delivery of federal farm programs. FSA farm programs help agricultural producers manage market risks, recover from disasters, and conserve and protect America's natural resources.
DAFP administers major portions of the farm bill including FSA's commodity price support activities (commodity loans and loan deficiency payments) and the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs, which provide vital income support to that nation's farmers and ranchers. Also, DAFP is responsible for other programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program, the nation's largest private lands conservation program, the Non-insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) and a variety of other disaster programs.