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First of all let me apologize … somehow I got a little long winded in this episode. The subject of financing the farm is one that I’m passionate about and care about deeply because I not only want to see my farm succeed, but other beginning farms as well. So, when I talk about grants, loans, and other funding options I have a tendency to go on and on and on! What I do hope that you can take away from this episode though is a quick overview of some helpful resources when it comes to “finding money” and my passion for boot-strapping and saving like crazy to get the farm off the ground! As a little aside … it seems to me that the farmers I interact with from day to day are the kings and queens of boot-strapping and getting by with less, so I would almost call it a required farming skill!
Here are some helpful links from today’s show …
- Practical Farmers of Iowa
- Interview with Luke Gran of PFI (Part One and Part Two)
- Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (Research Grants)
- F.A.C.T. Fund-a-Farmer Grant
- PFI Savings Incentive Program
- USDA Beginning Farmers Grants
- NRCS Funding Opportunities
- Farm Credit Services of America (FCSA) Loans
- FSA Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Loans
- The Beginning Farmer Blog Post “Why FARM?” from October 9th, 2006
- You Can Farm by Joel Salatin (Great book about just going for it on the farm)
As always, I want to thank you so much for listening and supporting the show with your encouragement and reviews on iTunes! I am continually working to produce a better show, and I’m thankful for all of the listeners sticking with me as I learn.
If you do enjoy the show, don’t forget that you can subscribe on iTunes and leave a five star rating and review (by clicking the link). If you are an Android phone user you can also subscribe on the free Stitcher App. It is so very encouraging to know that people are listening and enjoying the show!
I would love to hear your questions, show ideas, or comments about the show. Feel free to shoot me an e-mail! As always you can follow along with “The Beginning Farmer” and Crooked Gap Farm by checking out these links …
My favorite attribute of The Beginning Farmer Show is that Ethan is not afraid to admit his struggles. This show WOULD NOT be helpful to people if Ethan just told everyone that the farm was running great, every day was enjoyable start to finish, and that he was confident that everything he was doing was the right thing for him and his family. This show IS helpful because Ethan is not afraid to reveal his true feelings, thoughts, worries, etc. to the listener. This is what other farmers or people considering becoming farmers need to hear.
Paul,
Thanks so much for listening and for the encouragement! I do hope that the process comes through in each episode 🙂