In the past USDA farm loan programs had not specifically addressed conservation practices.  Therefore, the Farm Service Agency has just recently starting the Conservation Loan program for landowners to install conservation practices on their land. 

Eligible conservation practices must be approved by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), such as the installation of conservation structures; establishment of forest cover; installation of water conservation measures; establishment or improvement of permanent pastures; implementation of manure management; and the adaptation of other emerging or existing conservation practices, techniques or technologies.

Direct Loans can range up to $300,000.  For more information contact your local FSA office or visit their website.

I often get asked if there are grants available to start a small business?  Yes and No is my answer.  Sometimes there are some grants available to help business, but you may have to be located in a certain area, come from a certain background, or any number of other criteria that the grantor's have developed.  Those grants are usually few and far between and are purposefully set up to reach a narrowly identified group. 

However, there are always low interest loans available through the US Small Business Administration.  This is a federal agency and the programs they offer are very sound and secure.  Their website offers lots of information not only on loans but also on other programs to assist business owners.  I encourage you to check out their website for additional information.

I always warn constituents to use caution in appling for loans or grants that are not federally funded.  In some cases there are scams out there.  It's best to research who the funder is and find out what other projects they have actually funded.  Sometimes the old cliche' "If it sounds too good to be true....."  is a good cautionary measure to use. to gauge wether or not to apply.    

Spring is here and the signs outside my window prove it. The sun is shining, the grass is greening, the daffodils are blooming, and on my family’s farm the baby lambs are running about baaahhhing. That’s right….baaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhing! You may be asking yourself why lambs are born in the spring and not year round. Well that is because sheep are seasonal breeders. Their fertility increases as the length of daylight decreases (photoperiod). They breed in the fall, carry the lambs for 5 months and then deliver them in the spring. I recall one spring morning, while I was still in high school, going out to the barn to do chores and finding 3 baby lambs with 5 different ewes (mom sheep) trying to claim them. At first this seemed a little chaotic but after looking things over I figured out one ewe had triplets and the other 4 ewes were just anxious to have lambs of their own.

I share a little bit about my farm with you for two reasons this week; firstly, to tell you some information about farm loans and secondly to let you know about the Indiana Farmers’ Feed US campaign.

I have a lot of people ask about the availability of grants to start a farm. Grants for this are pretty uncommon but, what I do like to suggest are some low interest loans through USDA. One in particular is the Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Loan. This loan is available to individuals or entities who have not operated a farm for more than 10 years. For all the details you should visit your local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office, and you can use this link to find an office near you. http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app?service=page/CountyMap&state=IN&stateName=Indiana&stateCode=18

Now about Indiana Farmers’ Feed US. This is a program which allows consumers to learn more about where their food comes from and connect with the producers who actually raise their food. Farmers work hard to produce a quality product for you (the consumer) to enjoy. Just like the information I provided at the beginning of this blog about the animals on my farm when you visit http://www.farmersfeedus.org/in/our-farm-families/ you will be able to learn more from other farmers about what they do on their operations. Now I bet you’re thinking, what does this has to do with Grants??? Well….not much, but this blog is used as a funding resource, and if you go to the website you can sign up to win FREE GROCERIES for a YEAR!!!!! Just like grants, all it takes is your time to apply and you may be surprised with the outcome.

While March came in like a Lion this year in Indiana, it is going out with a bunch of baby lambs running around in a green pasture.