Vilsack to Announce New Loans for Beginners and Small Farms

Jan 15, 2013

Up To $35,000 Now Available in Microloans for Farmers

U.S Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will announce today that new loans are now available to those interested in starting a farming business or existing farmers looking to expand their small farming operations. The intent behind the microloans is to help small family-farms expand their businesses and allowing new entrants to farming a means to secure start-up financing.

The loans are also extended to veterans and socially disadvantaged farmers who may not otherwise qualify for traditional farms loans or loans from other programs offered by the U.S.D.A.

These loans can be used to produce organic crops that can be sold directly to farmers markets, buy delivery vehicles, seeds, tools, fertilizers and irrigation equipment, among other things. The new loan program uses a simplified application process which makes applying even easier.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.