[OKC] USDA Introduces an Online Tool to Assist Beginning and Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers

[Miles, Karen]

<https://app.icontact.com/icp/loadimage.php/mogile/590864/05a332da045c6d
3b10d38bd3727c130c/image/jpeg> 
 
 
	Release No. 0648.10
Contact:
Isabel Benemelis
(202) 720-7809
 
USDA Introduces an Online Tool to Assist Beginning and Socially
Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers
  WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2010 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack
announced today that the Department has established an online tool that
can link retiring farmers who have expiring Conservation Reserve Program
contracts with beginning farmers or ranchers who are interested in
bringing the land into production. The new online resource, TIP Net, is
a website provided by the Farm Service Agency (FSA). Through the
Transition Incentives Program (TIP), producers with land for sale or
lease are introduced to qualified beginning or socially disadvantaged
farmers and ranchers who want to buy or rent land for their operations. 
   "The interest in TIP during the first six months of implementation
has far exceeded our expectations," said Vilsack. "This tool should make
TIP even more effective in facilitating the transition of land to our
next generation of farmers."  
   TIP provides up to two additional Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
annual rental payments to a retired or retiring owner or operator with
an expiring CRP contract.  To qualify, the landowner must sell or lease
the CRP land to a beginning or socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher
so the new operator can convert some or all of the land to production
using sustainable grazing or crop production methods.
   As of Nov. 30, TIP participation included 372 contracts on more than
52,000 acres, with nearly $5 million obligated for TIP annual rental
payments.
   For beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers who
cannot qualify for conventional credit, FSA offers financing as well.
FSA makes direct loans and guaranteed loans made by conventional farm
lenders to finance the purchase and operation of a farm. Each fiscal
year, the agency targets a significant portion of its direct and
guaranteed farm ownership and operating loan funds to beginning and
socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers.  In the fiscal year ending
Sept. 30, 2010, FSA made or guaranteed 18,700 loans totaling $1.975
billion to beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers.  In addition to
the funding reserves, FSA operates a special "down payment" loan program
to assist socially disadvantaged and beginning farmers in purchasing a
farm. Like TIP, this program can help retiring farmers transfer their
land to future generations.  
   Additional information on FSA farm loan programs is available online
at www.fsa.usda.gov
<http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=66611734&msgid=329687&act=8XR
E&c=590864&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fsa.usda.gov%2F>  or from any
FSA office.  TIP Net can be found online at
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/tipnet
<http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=66611734&msgid=329687&act=8XR
E&c=590864&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fsa.usda.gov%2Ftipnet> .
 
________________________________


USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a
complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil
Rights, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call
(800) 795-3272 (voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).
	
 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.sustainableokc.org/pipermail/okc-sustainableokc.org/attachments/20101221/c0d4cb20/attachment.htm>