Featuring Guest Speakers with USDA Rural Development and U.S. Small Business Administration

BOZEMAN, Montana, Oct. 21, 2019 - USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced today eight informational meetings for agricultural lenders and other interested parties familiar with FSA's guaranteed loan program. The meetings will update participants on recent changes in the guaranteed loan program and provide an overview of FSA’s programs. The meetings will include guest speakers from USDA's Rural Development and U.S. Small Business Administration. The meetings will be held in October, November and December in Whitehall, Ronan, Great Falls, Billings, Chinook, Wolf Point, Miles City and Lewistown.

The FSA Guaranteed Loan Program enables agricultural lenders to serve their farm and ranch customers in need of agricultural credit. It also helps lenders manage the risk inherent in certain portions of their agricultural loan portfolios. FSA may guarantee loans that eligible agricultural lenders make to family farmers and ranchers for farm ownership, real estate improvement, livestock and equipment purchase, or operating purposes. The guarantee can be for either a fixed loan amount or for a revolving line of credit for current annual operating purposes and can cover up to 90 or 95 percent of any principal and interest loss on the loan.

Commercial loan officers, relationship managers, special credits staff, and other interested parties are invited to attend the FSA guaranteed loan informational meeting at one of our eight locations. All meetings will start promptly and will last approximately 2 to 2.5 hours.

Montana FSA Guaranteed Lender Meetings (poster):

Nov. 5 at 1:30 p.m., Miles City, Fort Keogh, 243 Fort Keogh Rd

Nov. 6 at 10 a.m., Great Falls, First Interstate Bank, 12 Third St NW

Nov. 13 at 9:30 a.m., Wolf Point, Fort Peck Community College, DuMont Building, 301 Benton St

Nov. 20 at 10 a.m., Chinook, Blaine County Library, 112 4th St W

Nov. 20 at 1:30 p.m., Billings, Quality Inn Homestead, 2036 Overland Ave

Dec. 5 at 10 a.m., Lewistown, USDA Service Center, 211 McKinley St

Persons with disabilities who require accommodations to participate in a meeting should contact Jennifer Cole at [email protected] and/or (406) 654.1333, ext. 117 or Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 at least two workdays prior to the meeting date. For more information, visit Montana FSA online at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/mt and http://www.farmers.gov.