Farm Storage Facility Loans (FSFL) provide low-interest financing for producers to build or upgrade farm storage and handling facilities and to store eligible commodities they produce. The program is administered by the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA).
A producer may borrow up to $500,000 per loan, with a minimum down payment of 15 percent. Loan terms are up to 12 years, depending on the amount of the loan. Producers must demonstrate storage needs based on three years of production history.
There is a nonrefundable application fee of $100.
Microloans
Producers who select the microloan option can borrow up to $50,000, with the minimum down payment reduced to 5 percent and shorter loan terms. Producers can self-certify the storage needs of the eligible commodity and are not required to demonstrate storage needs based on production history.
Eligible Commodities
- Grains, including rye, peanuts and rice
- Pulse crops
- Hay
- Honey
- Renewable biomass
- Fruits, nuts, and vegetable — cold storage facilities
- Floriculture
- Hops
- Maple sap
- Dairy products
- Eggs
- Meat/poultry (unprocessed)
- Aquaculture (excluding live-animal systems)
Eligible Facilities, Equipment and Upgrades
The following types of new/used facilities and upgrades are eligible and must have a useful life for at least the term of the loan (this list is not exhaustive, and producers should check with their local FSA office on the eligibility of other retained "equipment," such as returnable CSA boxes):
- Conventional cribs or bins
- Oxygen-limiting structures
- Flat-type storage structures
- Electrical equipment and handling equipment, excluding the installation of electrical service to the electrical meter
- Safety equipment, such as interior and exterior lighting
- Equipment to improve, maintain or monitor the quality of stored grain
- Concrete foundations, aprons, pits and pads, including site preparation, off-farm labor and material essential to the proper operation of grain storage and handling equipment
For more information and current lending rates, see the USDA Farm Storage Facility Loan Program page.