Objective 2: Facilitate SSDPs in registering and owning farms and farmlands and farm ownership.

Photo on right: KSU small farmers listen to Attorney Monica Drainage discuss “Land Retention, Heir Property and Estate Planning,” 2015 Federation of Southern Cooperatives Land Assistance Fund annual meeting, Epes, AL, August 13, 2015. (Photo by Edwin Chavous)

Task 2.1 Assist SSDPs in apply for farm ownership, youth and housing loans.

This objective was modified to better suit the needs of SSDPs being reached. The Black Farmer lawsuits against USDA were addressed and settled previously through other channels; that element of the objective was no longer applicable to the needs of this situation and as such, deleted.

Applying for USDA loans and other financial support programs can be a daunting task. This program was developed to help overcome the barriers to acquiring these resources in support of SSDPs. However bureaucratic requirements of the application process are not the only barriers to access. Many SSDPs are still uncertain of the relevance of many of the grant and loan programs to their farming operations. Many are intimidated by the skill sets necessary to apply—recordkeeping, computer skills, and related communication skills. Here is what one SSDP shared in an interview:

• The process is complicated and there is a huge learning curve. I have an advanced degree and the registrations and paperwork are overwhelming. We need simple worksheets with step-by-step lists of things we need to do. There is an assumption that “everyone knows” and that just is not the case.

From another perspective, one of the KSU personnel interviewed noted that during the SSDP workshops, farmers were able to increase their knowledge base with USDA agencies. Here is one example shared:

December 2015

SSDP Final Evaluation