122
-Benefits of USDA Programs
Mr. Dwight Guy, Mr. Phil Estes, Mr. Robert Dukes, Ms. Sally Vielma
USDA
123
-An Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer
Fact Sheet
Natural Resources
September 2006
Conservation Service
Helping People Help the Land
With the mission of “Helping People Help the
Land,” the Natural Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS) provides products and services
that enable people to be good stewards of the
Nation’s soil, water, and related natural
resources on non-Federal lands. With our help,
people are better able to conserve, maintain, or
improve their natural resources. As a result of
our technical and financial assistance, land
managers and communities take a
comprehensive approach to the use and
protection of natural resources in rural,
suburban, urban, and developing areas.
A Partnership Approach
Since the Dust Bowl of the 1930’s, NRCS has
worked with conservation districts and others
throughout the U.S. to help landowners, as well
as Federal, State, Tribal, and local governments
and community groups.
NRCS has six mission goals: high quality,
productive soils; clean and abundant water;
healthy plant and animal communities; clean air;
an adequate energy supply; and working farms
and ranchlands. To achieve these goals, the
Agency implements these strategies:
• Cooperative conservation: seeking and
promoting cooperative efforts to achieve
conservation goals.
• Watershed approach: providing information
and assistance to encourage and enable
locally-led, watershed-scale conservation.
• Market-based approach: facilitating the
growth of market-based opportunities that
encourage the private sector to invest in
conservation on private lands.
Conservation Assistance
Our locally-based NRCS staff works directly
with farmers, ranchers, and others, to provide
technical and financial conservation
assistance. Our guiding principles are
service, partnership, and technical excellence.
NRCS helps landowners develop
conservation plans and provides advice on the
design, layout, construction, management,
operation, maintenance, and evaluation of the
recommended, voluntary conservation
practices. NRCS activities include farmland
protection, upstream flood prevention,
emergency watershed protection, urban
conservation, and local community projects
designed to improve social, economic, and
environmental conditions.
NRCS conducts soil surveys, conservation
needs assessments, and the National
Resources Inventory to provide a basis for
resource conservation planning activities and
to provide an accurate assessment of the
condition of the Nation’s private lands.
As the leading source of technology as it
applies to natural resource conservation on
private lands, NRCS develops technical
guides and other Web-based tools to help
enhance natural resource conservation efforts.
For More Information
Please contact NRCS at your local USDA
Service Center, listed in phone directories
under U.S. Government, or visit our Web site
at:
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov
.
124
-All FSA All FSA
Information For... Information For...
You are here: FSA Home / About FSA
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) administers and manages farm commodity, credit, conservation, disaster and loan programs as laid out by Congress through a network of federal, state and county offices.
These programs are designed to improve the economic stability of the agricultural industry and to help farmers adjust production to meet demand. Economically, the desired result of these programs is a steady price range for agricultural commodities for both farmers and consumers.
In the Eisenhower administration, the Congress split the functions of the Triple A committees, creating the state and county office system to take care of administrative functions and kept the farmer county committee to oversee implementation of federal programs in their county.
State and county offices directly administer FSA programs. These offices certify farmers for farm programs and pay out farm subsidies and disaster payments. Currently, there are 2,346 FSA county offices in the continental states. FSA also has offices in Hawaii, and a few American territories.
More than 8,000 farmer county committee members serve in FSA county offices nationwide. Committee members are the local authorities responsible for fairly and equitably resolving local issues while remaining dually and directly accountable to the Secretary of Agriculture and local producers though the elective process. They operate within official regulations designed to carry out Federal laws and provide a necessary and important voice in Federal decisions affecting their counties and communities. Committee members make decisions affecting which FSA programs are implemented county-wide, the establishment of allotment and yields, commodity price support loans and payments, conservation programs, incentive, indemnity, and disaster payments for commodities, and other farm disaster assistance.
Structure & Organization
Provides contact information as well as a listing of the programs and offices that make up the Farm Service Agency.
FSA Biographies
Includes biographies of the Farm Service Agency leadership.
History & Mission
Provides a history of the agency and describes its vision and mission.
Budget & Performance
Includes information about the budget, the strategic plan, and efforts to ensure that activities are managed efficiently.
Structure and Organization FSA Biographies
History and Mission Budget and Performance Management
Human Resources Customer Perspectives
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-3/24/2008 2:36 PM
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=fmlp&topic...
All FSA All FSA Information For... Information For...You are here: FSA Home / Farm Loan Programs
FSA makes direct and guaranteed farm ownership (FO) and operating loans (OL) to family-size farmers and ranchers who cannot obtain commercial credit from a bank, Farm Credit System institution, or other lender. FSA loans can be used to purchase land, livestock, equipment, feed, seed, and supplies. Our loans can also be used to construct buildings or make farm improvements. See our loan information chart which describes maximum loan amounts, rates, term, and use of proceeds. Many FSA loan application forms are available on our website! We also encourage you to contact your local office or USDA Service Center to learn more about our programs and the information you will need for a complete application.
FSA loans are often provided to beginning farmers who cannot qualify for conventional loans because they have insufficient financial resources. FSA also helps established farmers who have suffered financial setbacks from natural disasters, or whose resources are too limited to maintain profitable farming operations.
Last Modified: 10/09/2007
Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Loans Direct Farm Loans Emergency Farm Loans Funding
Guaranteed Farm Loans Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Loans
Find Farm Loan Program Notices
Find Real Estate for Sale
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installed on your computer.
FSA Home | USDA.gov | Common Questions | Site Map | Policies and Links
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Go
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Welcome to USDA Rural Development. Rural Development is committed to helping
improve the economy and quality of life in all of rural America. Through our programs,
we touch rural America in many ways.
Our financial programs support such
essential public facilities and services as
water and sewer systems, housing, health clinics, emergency service facilities and
electric and telephone service. We promote
economic development by supporting
loans to businesses through banks and community-managed lending pools. We offer
technical assistance and information to help agricultural and other cooperatives get
started and improve the effectiveness of their member services. And we provide
technical assistance to help communities undertake
community empowerment
programs.
We have an $86 billion dollar portfolio of loans and we will administer nearly $16
billion in program loans, loan guarantees, and grants through our programs.
Rural Development achieves its mission by helping rural individuals, communities and
businesses obtain the financial and technical assistance needed to address their
diverse and unique needs. Rural Development works to make sure that rural citizens
can participate fully in the global economy.
Business Loans and Grants
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Programs
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Grants
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Grants
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Grans
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Programs
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Grants
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Programs
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Rural Development is within the U.S. Department of Agriculture and administers rural business, cooperative, housing, utilities and community development programs.
