Farm Financing Options

For info on how the list was selected click. The list is arranged in order by state.

We welcome feedback on this list as we try to make it as useful as possible.

Multi-State

(Includes organizations working in more than one state or region.)

Cooperative Fund of New England provides loans to all types of cooperatives.

Equity Trust helps people set up innovative ownership models for land protection throughout the country. and provide technical assistance to many more farms working to gain security. Plus, they have a revolving loan fund.

Farm Credit is the largest agricultural lender in New England and New York. They have offices throughout throughout the region.

FarmStart, a program of First Pioneer Farm Credit and CoBank, assists beginning farmers and new cooperatives with seed capital. For more information contact 800-562-2235 or FarmStart@FirstPioneer.com (Southern New England and Eastern New York). 

National Council of State Agricultural Finance Programs  has a directory of finance programs offered by each state department of agriculture.

The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service assists land owners and managers conserve their soil, water, and other natural resources. NRCS provides technical and financial assistance for many conservation activities. There are multiple service centers in each state.

USDA's Farm Service Agency is the federal government's lender that works with farmers who cannot get loans from a commercial bank.

Connecticut

Connecticut Department of Agriculture has grant programs through its Agricultural Business Development Assistance Programs.

First Pioneer Farm Credit serving all of Connecticut and Rhode Island with offices in Enfield, CT and Dayville, CT.

Maine

Coastal Enterprises Inc's has an Organic Farms Loan Fund. Contact Art Stevens, 207-324-0888, ams@ceimaine.org or our (Wiscasset) office, 207-882-7552.

Maine’s Department of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Resources offers various types of business technical assistance programs, loans, and grants.  

Maine Farm Credit specializes in lending to Maine's agricultural, fishing and forest products industries.

Maine’s Farm Service Agency is the federal government's lender in Maine that works with farmers who cannot get loans from a commercial bank.

The Maine Organic Farming and Gardening Association has an Organic Farmer Loan Fund.

Massachusetts

First Pioneer Farm Credit with an office in Middleboro, MA.

Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources offers various technical assistance, grant, and resource programs.

Massachusetts’ Farm Service Agency is the federal government's lender in Massachusetts that works with farmers who cannot get loans from a commercial bank.

Washington Bank in Lowell.

New Hampshire

First Pioneer Farm Credit with an office in Bedford, NH.

New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food offers grant funding opportunities.

New Hampshire’s Farm Service Agency is the federal government's lender in New Hampshire that works with farmers who cannot get loans from a commercial bank.

New York

Bank of Castile, Castile, NY.

Community Bank, Northern Branch, Washington Street, Watertown and Southern Branch, Geneva, NY.

Farm Credit of Western New York,  Batavia, Geneva, Hornell, Mayville, NY.

First National Bank of Groton, Groton, NY.

First Bank of Jeffersonville, Jeffersonville, NY.

First Pioneer Farm Credit, Burrville, Claverack, Cobleskill, Cortland, Greenwich, Middletown, Riverhead, Sangerfield, NY,

Lyons National Bank, Lyons, NY.

National Union Bank of Kinderhook, Kinderhook, NY.

New York’s Farm Service Agency is the federal government's lender in New York that works with farmers who cannot get loans from a commercial bank.

New York State Department of Agriculture and Marketsoffers various funding opportunities.

Steuben Trust Company, Genesee & Hornell, NY.

Suffolk County National Bank, West Second Street, Riverhead, NY.

USNY Bank, Geneva, NY.

Yankee Farm Credit, Chazy, NY.

Rhode Island

First Pioneer Farm Credit serves all of Rhode Island through its offices in Dayville, CT.

Rhode Island’s Department of Environmental Management Division of Agriculture offers grants and loans.

Rhode Island’s Farm Service Agency is the federal government's lender in Rhode Island’s that works with farmers who cannot get loans from a commercial bank.

Vermont

Ag Ventures Financial Serviceshas an office St. Albans, VT.

First National Bank of Orwell (802) 948-2811 and Shoreham (802) 897-2265 in VT.

NOFA-VT offers farm financing programs.

People’s Trust has offices in Enosburg, Essex Town Center, Franklin, Georgia, St. Albans, Swanton, VT.

Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets offers a capital equipment assistance program for eligible equipment purchases.

Vermont Agricultural Credit Corporation a program of the Vermont Economic Development Authority provides credit to farmers and agricultural facilities who are not having their financing needs fully met by conventional agricultural credit sources.

Vermont Community Loan Fund offers the Agritourism Program which is a revolving loan fund with financing of up to $50,000.

Vermont’s Farm Service Agency is the federal government's lender in Vermont’s that works with farmers who cannot get loans from a commercial bank.

Vermont Women’s Farm Fund makes awards for Farm Business Development and Leadership Development.

Yankee Farm Credit has offices in Middlebury, Newport, St. Albans, and White River Junction, VT.

Farm Business and Financial Planning Resources

The following resources may help you find information to understand how to draft or improve your business plan or financial management tools.

We welcome feedback on this list as we try to make it as useful as possible.

Multi-State

(Includes organizations work in more than one state or region.)

AGPLAN: The agricultural, fisheries, and Small Business Planning website provides step by step guided instructions to help rural business owners develop a business plan free of charge.

ATTRA National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service provides information and other technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, and others involved in sustainable agriculture in the United States. This link takes you to their information about marketing, business, and risk management.

Beginningfarmers.org
A knowledge and networking resource for farmers and potential farmers, educators, activists, and policy makers interested in small, diverse, locally-based, sustainable farming.

Beginning Farmer and Rancher Resources for Basic Bookkeeping, Budgeting, Tax Recordkeeping, other stuff. This is a blog with links to helpful resources used in presentations and other venues.

The Carrot Project in cooperation with our non-profit and lending partners offer loans in Vermont, Massachusetts, and Maine.

Cornell University's Small Farm Program business management resource is helpful for planning and managing your business or visit their sister site for Beginning and Diversifying Farms.

Equity Trust helps small farmers across the country set up innovative ownership models for land and they have a revolving loan fund. 

Farm Aid has a Farmer Resource Network which includes contacts for Financial Counseling and Referrals.

Farmers’ Legal Action Group provides disaster assistance resources.

Farm-Risk-Plans.usda.gov The USDA Risk Management Agency’s website designed to walk small to medium scale farmers or ranchers through every step of business and risk management planning. It will support farmers and ranchers who are starting a new business, managing or growing an existing business, or planning for succession.

Field to Table works in New England and offers business planning, marketing, energy and other technical assistance to farmers (and others, particularly coops).

The New Entry Sustainable Farming Project has developed a plain language guide for applying to USDA Farm Service Agency Loans.

Small Business Development Centers are located around the country and provide business planning assistance to all types of small businesses. Their services are free or low cost. Even if an office does not have agricultural expertise, they can still be of assistance in helping to put your business plan and financials together.

Connecticut

The Connecticut Small Business Development Center has offices around the state that provide business planning assistance to all types of small businesses. Their services are free or low cost.

The University of Connecticut’s Cooperative Extension Service has a Farm Risk Management and Resource Library offers a variety of links that  appeal to different types of farmers, and provides information for different skill levels

Maine

Costal Enterprises, Inc. partners with The Carrot Project to offer the Maine Farm Business Loan Fund.

Maine’s Department of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Resources offers various types of business technical assistance programs, loans, and grants. 

MOFGA offers a comprehensive program to help farmer get started through its Journeyperson Farm Training Program and Melissa White Pillsbury provides technical assistance for CSAs.

UME Cooperative Extension’s Tori Jackson works primarily in Androscoggin and Sagadahoc Counties, but also provides business assistance statewide. A popular link is their Small Business Education website and the most popular link is to the Virtual Resource Library.

Massachusetts

The Carrot Project in cooperation with our non-profit and lending partners offer loans in Massachusetts.

Franklin County Community Development Corporation provides small business planning assistance and operates the Food Processing Center for Western, MA.

Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources offers two different agricultural business training programs for farms at different stages of development and technical assistance through the Farm Viability Program.

Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network connects you to small business development centers around Massachusetts which provide business planning assistance to all types of small businesses. Their services are free or low cost.

New England Small Farm Institute partners with the MA Department of Agriculture to offer a business planning course called Exploring Your Small Farm Dream.

The New Entry Sustainable Farming Project offers Farmer Business Trainingcourses two times a year for ALL beginning farmers.

SEMAP (Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership) offers various business technical assistance resources and workshops for farmers in MA and RI.

New Hampshire

University of New Hampshire’s Cooperative Extension provides various agricultural business management resources.

New Hampshire Small Business Development Centers connects you to small business development centers throughout the state which and provide business planning assistance to all types of small businesses. Their services are free or low cost.

New York

Cornell University's Small Farm Program business management resource is helpful for planning and managing your business or visit their sister site Beginning and Diversifying Farms.

New York State Small Business Development Centers connects you to small business development centers throughout the state which and provide business planning assistance to all types of small businesses. Their services are free or low cost.

Rhode Island

RI Center for Agricultural Promotion and Education offers loans from $10,000 to $25,000 for agro-tourism.

Rhode Island’s Department of Environmental Management Division of Agriculture offers grants through its Farm Viability Program.

Rhode Island Small Business Development Centers connects you to small business development centers throughout the state which and provide business planning assistance to all types of small businesses. Their services are free or low cost.

SEMAP (Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership) offers various business and technical assistance resources and workshops for farmers in MA and RI.

Vermont

The Carrot Project in cooperation with our non-profit and lending partners offer loans in Vermont.

Micro-Business Development Program provides technical assistance and training to low to moderate income Vermonters planning to start or expand a small business.

NOFA-VT offers business technical assistance for organic farmers and farmers in-transition.

University of Vermont’s Cooperative Extension offers Ag & Farm Management Resources and a Risk Management Blog and general business management and planning tools and Tilling the Soil of Opportunity, a business planning class providing new and experienced farmers with the tools to develop agricultural business plans to start or grow their businesses (offered in cooperation with UMASS extension).

Vermont Farm Viability Enhancement Program offered through the VT Housing and Conservation Board provides participating farmers with one-on-one business planning and technical assistance.

Vermont Small Business Development Center offers expertise on agricultural business planning assistance.

Women’s Agricultural Network offers several courses including  ‘Growing Places’ that helps  explore the idea of starting a farm or ag-related business and ‘Taking Stock’, a course for mature businesses to examine what is working and identify aspects of business that might need fine tuning.

We welcome feedback on this list as we try to make it as useful as possible. We are planning on moving to a more flexible platform to make the list easier to navigate.

The Carrot Project's E-newsletter is sent out 3-4 times per year. If you would like to subscribe to the newsletter, please send a message with your name, town/city, state, and if you are a farmer to subscribe@thecarrotproject.org.

Thank you.