Using the Farm Storage Facility Loan Program to Expand On-Farm Storage

Aug 28, 2025

For a quarter century, family-owned agricultural operations have received low-interest financing through USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) Farm Storage Facility Loan Program (FSFL) to enhance their operations through on-farm storage solutions.

Milton Arnett in Green County, Kentucky, has leveraged FSA’s farm storage program to expand his diversified cattle and grain operation, Double R Farms.

“We produce hay as part of our operation. We use that hay to feed our cattle and to sell to other farmers in the area,” Milton said. “The overall cost of production means that putting up hay is a large investment in the operation. So, we must make sure our hay is high quality in order to get the most return on our investment and to get the most nutrient value in our feed.”

Source : usda.gov

Video: Validating Net Energy in Commercial Swine Systems - Gustavo Lima

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Gustavo Lima, PhD candidate at Iowa State University, explains how soybean meal net energy is evaluated using growth assays and calorimetry. He discusses caloric efficiency, validation under commercial conditions, and differences between controlled and real-world environments. Gustavo also highlights practical implications for diet formulation and ingredient valuation. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Indirect calorimetry provides a precise estimation of ingredient energy, yet validation under production conditions remains essential for accurate application in real systems.”

Meet the guest: Gustavo Lima / gustavo-lima-a9867127 is a PhD candidate in Animal Science at Iowa State University, specializing in swine nutrition, ingredient evaluation, and energy metabolism. With over 15 years of experience across Latin America, his work focuses on soybean meal utilization, caloric efficiency, and applied research for commercial production systems.