The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of Agriculture that provides mortgage loans to rural property owners, including farmers and service providers to farmers and ranchers. These loans are typically issued at below-market interest rates and require borrowers to purchase stock in their local land bank association for additional security.
Farmer Mac, officially known as the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation, is a government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) established to improve the availability of mortgage credit in rural America, encourage rural economic development, and ensure competitive and reliable prices for agricultural loans.
Farmers Home Administration (FmHA) was a former agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administered assistance programs for the purchasers of homes and farms in small towns and rural areas. In 1994, the USDA reorganized and transferred the functions of the FmHA to the Farm Service Agency.
Federal Land Banks are specialized, government-sponsored lenders under the Federal Farm Credit System that provide loans for purchasing, refinancing, and renovating rural real estate, aiming to alleviate the shortage of real estate credit in non-urban areas.
An irrigation district is a special-purpose, quasi-governmental entity designed to provide water and other utilities to rural areas, primarily for agricultural use.
The Rural Housing Service (RHS) is a department within the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers loans, loan guarantees, and grants to help provide housing in rural areas and small towns to those who need assistance. Many of the programs operated by the RHS previously fell under the Farmers Home Administration.
