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Changes to loan program helps small and mid-size farmers

Changes to a USDA loan program will give small and mid-sized local and regional food producers more opportunities for growth.  Farm Service Agency administrator Val Dolcini says the Farm Storage Facility Loan program will now include a microloan option to benefit small and mid-sized producers.  “We’re able to extend that to cold storage, to dairies, to processed meats, and a variety of other commodities,” he says.  “In addition to which now we’re making Farm Storage Facility Loans available for mobile needs.  For example you might want buy a truck to take the produce from the field directly to the farmers market.”

He tells Brownfield FSA continues to make investments in Rural America.  Since January 2013 the department has made more than 20,000 small scale loans.  “That’s 20,000 separate investments in the American dream,” he says.  “Twenty-thousand opportunities for us to help people create jobs in their local areas and invest in local economic development.”

Dolcini announced the program changes alongside Agricultural Marketing Service Administrator Elanor Starmer during a regional foods roundtable discussion just south of Columbus, Ohio on Friday.

AUDIO: Val Docini, FSA Administrator