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Less Than One Month Left to Apply 

Eligible farmers, ranchers and forest landowners still have time to apply for the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP). Applicants have until January 13, 2024, to apply for assistance. 

If you need help with your application, free assistance is available from official program administrators and trusted community partners.

A frequently asked question posed to the DFAP team is: What if I need assistance or language support to complete this application? 

More information about this application is available at 22007apply.gov including videos and other resources in English and Spanish. Additional language assistance is available upon request. If you need assistance completing this application, or have any questions, please call the toll-free helpline at 1-800-721-0970 (English and Spanish). In addition, you can visit 22007apply.gov for a list of available walk-in locations available to receive assistance with completing this application. If you use sign language to communicate, you can use the 711 relay service to call. If you have a disability and need another accommodation, please call 1-800-721-0970 or email [email protected]. 

Vets in Ag Podcast 

Vets in Ag has released the third episode of their multi-part series sponsored by Farmer Veteran Coalition, a national non-profit organization mobilizing veterans to feed America and transition from military service to careers in agriculture. Farmer Veteran Coalition is partnering with USDA as a community group to support producers throughout the DFAP application process.

The guest for this episode is Malissa Burgess, an Assistant Manager with Analytic Acquisitions, one of the official program administrators. If you’re interested in applying for the program or have already started applying, but are stuck at certain parts of the application, Malissa does a great job of condensing this application process into digestible parts with practical ways to navigate each step.

In the News

The Gazette

Iowa farmers of color gather for first time to form connections, find resources

Farmers of color from across Iowa gathered for the first time on Saturday in Des Moines, sharing resources and forming connections they say will help minority farmers succeed in the state.

Organized by Todd Western III, the first inaugural Iowa Farmers of Color conference brought together Black farmers in Iowa to network and find resources that can help them improve and innovate. Nearly 100 people — some farmers and others working in other areas of agriculture — attended the conference.

Speakers at the conference highlighted a number of federal programs through the USDA and local nonprofits designed to aid Black farmers and other minority farmers who have been historically left out of the department’s loan programs.

Under President Joe Biden’s administration, the USDA and other agencies were charged with promoting equity and inclusion initiatives. Two recent government programs are designed to address historic discrimination in agriculture, Goldmon said.

One program, part of the American Rescue Plan of 2021, provides debt forgiveness for socially disadvantaged farmers. Another, the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program, included in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, provides financial assistance to people who were discriminated against in farm lending programs.

“We acknowledge the useless and painful history of discrimination; we’re going to draw a line in the sand and give you better access to resources, capital, personnel, as we go forward,” Goldmon said. “It’s important that we do that. It’s important for agriculture that we do that.”