Financing-Related Matters

I am a disabled veteran and want to know, is there any funding available to help with farm equipment and expenses required for me to continue farming?

  1. Look at other FAQs on this Web site about funding for different farm expenses.
  2. Contact the Veterans Administration and ask about their Vocational Rehabilitation services. By phone (800-827-1000) or go to www.va.gov and click "Benefits," then "Vocational Rehabilitation."
  3. You may also qualify for services through the civilian Vocational Rehabilitation Department of your state and also qualify for assistance from other civilian programs. See the FAQ "Funding for Farm Equipment and Production Inputs" on this Web site for their contact information.

* Note: most vocational rehabilitation agencies do not provide continuing support to sustain a business. Their funding is intended for needed accommodations, training, and occasionally for starting a business for self employment so that a person with a disability can return to work or seek alternative employment.

I have a disability and would like to find out if I might qualify for assistance to start a farm business.

  1. Visit the Funding Assistance page of this website www.agrability.org/funding-assistance for information on disability- and agriculture-related funding options.
  2. Listed below are federal and state government-related entities that either provide or can work with you in seeking out low-interest loans and/or grants for starting a farm business, including purchasing agricultural equipment and production inputs. Vocational Rehabilitation is of particular interest, since they often provide small grants to people with disabilities for starting a business.

    • Farm Service Agency (both funding and assistance). Nearly every county in the U.S. has an FSA office. Check the local phone book, or call FSA national headquarters @ 202-720-2791 to obtain the phone number of your state or county FSA office. On the Web—go to www.fsa.usda.gov and click on "State Offices," then on your state on the U.S. map, then on "County Offices," and finally on your county on the state map.

    • U.S. Small Business Administration (provides both loans and business plan assistance). By phone—call the federal office @ 800-827-5722 to obtain your state office or nearest branch office phone number. On the Web—go to www.sba.gov and click on "Contact," then on "Find Your Local SBA District Office," then on your state on the U.S. map, and finally on the nearest branch-office city.

    • State Vocational Rehabilitation, Rehabilitation Services, etc. (titles vary by state) (provides grants and planning assistance). By phone—look in the yellow pages under "Government, State" or in a separate section ahead of the white pages that lists state government offices. On the Web—go to www.agrability.org and click on "Resources" then "Worksite and Vocational Issues." The section "State Vocational Rehabilitation Contacts" is near the top of the page.

    • County Cooperative Extension Services (provides planning assistance only). By phone—look in the yellow pages under "Government, County" or in a separate section in front of the white pages that lists county government offices. On the Web—go to www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension and click on your state on the U.S. map, then on your county on the state map.

    • Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (both funding and assistance). By phone—call the SARE national office @ 202-720-5384 to obtain the nearest SARE regional office phone number. On the Web—go to www.sare.org and click on "For Farmers & Ranchers" for information about grants for established farmers who want to work with an education entity on a research project; also, click on your state on the U.S. map for your SARE Region's phone number and Web site.

    • USDA Rural Development (provides value-added producer grants). By phone—look in the yellow pages under "Government, U.S." or in a separate section in front of the white pages that lists federal government agencies. On the Web—go to www.rurdev.usda.gov and click on "State Offices," then on your state on the U.S. map, then "Offices," and finally on your county on your state map. Grants and loans may be used for working capital for marketing value-added agricultural products and for farm-based renewable energy.

  3. Check out the "Toolbox," which is a CD-ROM and on-line catalog of commercial and farmer-modified equipment and assistive devices for farming with a disability. One section that would be particularly helpful is the Plowshares Technical Reports series, which includes reports on farming with a specific disability (e.g., spinal cord injury, lower extremity amputation or impairment, back impairment, visual impairment, hearing impairment, cerebral palsy). Your county Extension office and local high school agricultural education teacher should have a copy of the "Toolbox" CD to view (perhaps borrow), or you can access it (in pdf format) at www.bngtoolbox.info.
  4. Another good source of information for beginning farmers is Begin Farming Ohio at: beginfarmingohio.org.

I need a new prosthesis, but cannot afford one. Is there funding assistance available?

There are several professional and nonprofit organizations that may help:

• American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association. By phone— 571-431-0876, on the Web--go to www.aopanet.org. Type your state's name in the "AOPA Member Directory Search Box," and you will find a list of companies belonging to that organization.

• The Amputee Coalition of America. By phone--888-267-5669, on the Web—go to the Amputee Colaition website, and click on "Financial help/funding" to see the information sheet titled "Financial Assistance for Prostheses and Other Assistive Devices." It lists information about insurance and Medicaid, and also lists about 12 non-profit organizations that might offer assistance.

• Vocational Rehabilitation, Rehabilitation Services, etc. (titles vary by state) By phone—look in the yellow pages under "Government, State" or in a separate section in front of the white pages that lists state government offices. On the Web—Vocational Rehabilitation contact information."

I own a small acreage where I want to raise goats to supplement my disability income. Are there any grants or low interest loans available for modifying the home on that acreage to make it accessible or building a new accessible home in my rural area?

  1. Listed below are several government-related entities and one non-profit organization that provide housing monetary grants, low-interest loans, and/or assist in home building, modification or repair for persons in rural areas.

    • Vocational Rehabilitation, Rehabilitation Services, etc. (titles vary by state) (both funding and assistance). By phone—look in the yellow pages under "Government, State" or in a separate section in front of the white pages that lists state government offices. On the Web—National AgrAbility Project: Vocational Rehabilitation contact information.

    • USDA Rural Development (provides loans and grants for home purchase, home-debt refinancing, home repairs, and rental assistance). By phone—call USDA-RD national office @ 800-670-6553 to obtain the phone number of your state or nearest local RD office. On the Web—go to www.rurdev.usda.gov and click on "State Offices," then your state, then your county, and scroll down to find your local office.

    • Housing Assistance Council (provides home loans and technical assistance for people of low income in rural areas). By phone—call HAC national office @ 202-842-8600 or the regional offices at 916-706-1836 (West), 816-880-0400 (Midwest), 404-892-4824 (Southeast), or 505-883-1003 (Southwest). On the Web—go to www.ruralhome.org and click on "HAC Services."

    • Federal Housing Authority (provides loans for purchasing or refinancing a home). By phone—call FHA Headquarters @ 800-569-4287 to find out who to contact in your area. On the Web—go to www.fha.gov to learn about the various loan programs, qualifications, application process, and local-area contacts.

    • Habitat for Humanity (builds and rehabilitates homes utilizing volunteer labor and donated money and materials). By phone—call Habitat national headquarters @ 800-422-4828 to obtain the phone number of the nearest affiliate. On the Web—go to www.habitat.org and enter your ZIP code under "Search for Affiliates."

  2. For information about other potential rural housing-related funding assistance sources, go to National Agricultural Library's Web site www.nal.usda.gov, and in the site's search bar, type "Housing Loans."

I recently was injured and obtained a permanent disability. Where can I obtain funding to buy equipment and production inputs that I need to keep farming?

  1. Listed below are federal and state government-related entities that either provide or can work with you in seeking out low-interest loans and/or grants for purchasing agricultural equipment and production inputs. Vocational Rehabilitation is of particular interest, since they often provide grants for equipment modifications to help people with disabilities to continue farming.

    • Farm Service Agency (both funding and assistance). Nearly every county in the U.S. has an FSA office. Check the local phone book, or call FSA national headquarters @ 202-720-2791 to obtain the phone number of your state or county FSA office. On the Web—go to www.fsa.usda.gov and click on "State Offices," then on your state on the U.S. map, then on "County Offices," and finally on your county on the state map.

    • Small Business Administration (both funding and assistance). By phone—call the federal office @ 800-827-5722 to obtain your state office or nearest branch office phone number. On the Web—go to www.sba.gov and click on "Contact," then on "Find Your Local SBA District Office," then on your state on the U.S. map, and finally on the nearest branch-office city.

    • Vocational Rehabilitation, Services, etc. (titles vary by state) (both funding and assistance). By phone—look in the yellow pages under "Government, State" or in a separate section in front of the white pages that lists state government offices. On the Web—National AgrAbility Project: Vocational Rehabilitation contact information. It is unlikely that Vocational Rehabilitation agencies will fund the purchase of large new equipment but may assist with the cost of modifying currently owned or newly purchased large equipment to make it accessible.

    • Cooperative Extension Service (assistance only). By phone—look in the yellow pages under "Government, County" or in a separate section in front of the white pages that lists county government offices. On the Web—go to www.csrees.usda.gov and click on your state on the U.S. map, then on your county on the state map.

    • Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (both funding and assistance). By phone—call the SARE national office @ 202-720-5384 to obtain the nearest SARE regional office phone number. On the Web—go to www.sare.org and click on "For Farmers & Ranchers" for information about grants for established farmers who want to work with an education entity on a research project.

  2. Check out the "Toolbox," which is a CD-ROM and on-line catalog of commercial and farmer-modified equipment and assistive devices for farming with a disability. Your county Extension office and local high school agricultural education teacher should have a copy of the CD to view (perhaps borrow), or you can access it (in pdf format) at www.bngtoolbox.info.

Where might I find sources of financial assistance for schooling for a farmer with a disability like myself?

Here are some potential sources of financial assistance available to persons with disabilities for furthering their education.

• Vocational Rehabilitation, Rehabilitation Services, etc. (titles vary by state) (possible funding assistance for continuing education). By phone—look in the yellow pages under "Government, State" or in a separate section ahead of the white pages that lists state government offices. On the Web—go to National AgrAbility Project: Vocational Rehabilitation contact information.

• Federal Grants for Education. Go to www.ed.gov and click on "Grants to apply for," "Grant opportunities," and "Money for college."

• State Grants for Education. Go to usa.gov to find your state's website, then click on "Department of Education," then in the search window type "Grants" or "Loans."

• Private-Source Grants for Education. In your search engine window, type "Financial Aid" then "Private Sources" then your state.

• College Scholarships. Check with your local community college or agricultural college and explore the availability of scholarships for non-traditional students.

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