DBAN Cooperators
DBAN provides targeted technical assistance to financially struggling farmers, ranchers, and foresters who need help understanding their financial situation and obtaining loan-servicing or program support. This FSA-sponsored initiative builds and strengthens the capacity of Technical Assistance Providers through a coordinated network of community-based organizations and Universities offering personalized, one-on-one technical assistance.
The program’s funded DBAN Cooperators are competitively funded community-based organizations, nonprofits, cooperatives, and other technical assistance providers serving farmers and ranchers. These Cooperators have a proven ability to offer individualized business mentorship and advisory support to producers.
Through the following DBAN Objectives, DBAN Cooperators provide tailored one-on-one technical assistance to financially distressed farmers, ranchers, and landowners to help them:
Objective 1: Evaluate and understand their current financial situations, explore options to address their financial challenges, and develop practical strategies and goals to improve their financial health and stability. Examples: financial records review, cash flow analysis and planning, and exploring credit and financing options.
Objective 2: Evaluate and understand the relevant regulations, laws, and legal issues that impact their financial situation, work with each farmer to explore options to address their financial challenges, develop practical strategies and goals to improve their financial health and stability, and address related legal matters. Examples: clarifying borrowers’ rights and farmer-lender mediation.
Objective 3: Access and participate in programs available to improve their financial stability and health including FSA Farm Loan Programs and USDA programs and provide other related services, including assistance with record-keeping and program applications and preparation, and follow-up for FSA/lender visits. Examples: Financing, restructuring, set-asides, collateralization/loan security, safety net and rice supports, disaster assistance, crop insurance and/or other programs.
| Organization Name | Project Name |
|---|---|
| American Farmland Trust | Farm Financial Viability and Resiliency: Farmer Cohort Training in Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Regions |
| Appalachian Sustainable Agricultural Project | Appalachian Grown Farmer Support |
| Farmers Outreach Solutions | Partnership-Based Outreach Assistance for DBAN |
| MenterScope Community Outreach | AgriPathway: A Blueprint for Alabama’s Blackbelt Distressed Borrowers and Financially Distressed Farmers |
| Native Agriculture Financial Services | Distressed Borrower Assistance Network Cooperator for Financially Distressed Farmers, Ranchers, Foresters and Veterans |
| Nebraska Farmers Union Foundation, Inc. | Enhancing Services to Distressed Farmers/Ranchers and Rural Residents |
| Rural South Institute | Comprehensive Targeted Assistance for Distressed Borrowers and Financially Distressed Farmers and Forest Landowners in Select Counties in Georgia and Alabama-Mississippi Black Belt Prairie [GAMBBP] |
| Tennessee State University | From Debt to Stability: Financial Education & Risk Management for Distressed Farmers and Borrowers in Tennessee |
| Texas Coalition of Rural Landowners | Targeted Outreach to At Risk Farmers and Ranchers in Texas |
| The Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development, Inc. | Supporting Kentucky's Distressed Farmers through One-on-One Technical Assistance, Outreach, Educational Materials, Training, and Mentoring |
| Tri-County Agriculture Cooperative | Tri-County Agricultural Cooperative Distressed Farmers Program |
| University of Arkansas Pine Bluff | Assisting Distressed Borrowers and Financially Distressed Farmers in Arkansas |
| University of Hawai’i | Strengthening Financial Resilience: Tailored Support for Hawai‘i’s Financially Distressed Farmers |
| University of Tennessee | Providing Financial Education to Distressed Farmers Across Tennessee |
| Virginia State University | Distressed Borrower and Financially Distressed Farmers and Ranchers Assistance Network |