Reaching Native, Veteran and Other Producers 

Farmers and ranchers have had limited access to crop insurance. This project aims to provide crop insurance education and related technical assistance and training resources to Native, veteran, and other farmers and ranchers in the form of virtual webinars and in-person gatherings. Farmers and ranchers will develop the skills needed to manage risk and navigate crop insurance.

Reaching Native and Under Resourced Producers with AgFTAP Training and Resources 

As a subaward of the University of Arkansas, Native Agriculture Financial Services (NAFS) will use team expertise which consists of Ag Lawyers, Ag Economists and Ag Lenders to reach Native and under resourced communities with materials, resources and in person assistance to help producers navigate financial difficulties and increase farm profit. NAFS leadership has identified educational gaps in technical assistance specifically aligned for this project and aims to expand upon the Agriculture Finance, Tax and Asset Protection (AgFTAP) program by providing the following financial trainings:  

• Basic information on completing a loan application 
• Assisting lenders who will be guaranteed lenders for FSA 
• Unique access and land use for producers 
• Food safety training, entity and land tenure  
• Fractionated land and leasing  
• Bankruptcy and appeal process 
• Ag mediation programs 

Farm Loan Program Technical Assistance for Native and Farmers and Ranchers in the Southern Region  

Farmers and ranchers must have access to capital and technical assistance to remain sustainable. Efforts are underway across all USDA programs to increase farmers and ranchers’ access to capital. This project aims to provide technical assistance to Native and under resourced farmers and ranchers that will increase participation in the Farm Service Agency (FSA) Farm Loan Programs (FLP) by utilizing existing relationships and financial training history with Tribal members in the targeted critical areas of the western and southern regions. Native Agriculture Financial Services (NAFS) was created out of the dire need for Native and under resourced farmers and ranchers to have the resources to access capital. A team of former ag extension agents along with experts in legal, finance, and agricultural lending will use current digital fact sheets, webinars, and videos developed by USDA/FSA farm loan programs and address barriers to capital by building relationships and trust. NAFS has developed a robust FSA FLP technical assistance network to exist alongside NAFS’ own technical assistance efforts, that will be sustainable for farming generations of the future. Ensuring our NAFS target borrower audience is fully versed in FSA FLP efforts to modernize and strengthen support to underserved producers is the overarching goal of this project. Outcomes include: 

• Tribal and other under resourced farmers and ranchers will learn and understand the FSA FLP resources and products available. 
• Tribal and under resourced farmers and ranchers will understand the loan application process. 
• Tribal and under resourced farmers and ranchers will be able to gather application documents. 
• Tribal and under resourced farmers and ranchers will have the skill set to develop an application. 
• Tribal and under resourced farmers and ranchers will understand farm record keeping, business and strategic planning, legal and tax issues, financials and state and federal farm programs. 
• Tribal and under resourced farmers and ranchers will understand what is expected of them after they become borrowers. 
• Tribal and under resourced farmers and ranchers will understand how to access and use loan servicing resources.

Empowering Southern Producers and Tribal Members Under Resourced by Crop Insurance with Risk Management Education  

This project aims to increase understanding and participation in the federal crop insurance program and production business practices to manage farm risk and close the insurance risk gap for under resourced farmers and ranchers. A team of former ag extension agents along with experts in legal, farming production, and crop insurance products will utilize the University of Arkansas Navigator program’s “Fundamentals of Federal Crop Insurance” curriculum along with webinars, fact sheets and in person training to reduce the crop insurance participation barriers. 

The Native Agriculture Financial Services (NAFS) will collaborate with the Rural Coalition and use existing relationships to prioritize training focused on regional policy selection, Tribal land legalities, program access and participation in crop insurance programs. The impact and result of this project will be that under resourced and Tribal members in the south are comfortable with their knowledge of crop insurance policies and know where to go to find an agent and participate in the federal crop insurance program. NAFS will provide educational programming and technical assistance for: 

• Covered and non-covered crops 
• Understanding policy selections & eligibility including NAP, whole farm and livestock. 
• Understanding the legalities of crop insurance on Tribal land. 
• Understanding how to access and develop relationships with crop insurance agents 
• Understanding price and coverage levels 
• Written agreements where crop insurance is not available 
• Business planning 
• Record keeping for livestock, financial statements and using crop insurance in times of 
• financial stress 
• Food safety 
• Transition, succession and estate planning 
• Taxes appropriate for crop insurance participation 
• How to work with lenders and crop insurance agents