FSA Loans Technical Assistance Contractor

Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA•United States, None

44d•Remote

About The Position

The FSA Loans Technical Assistance Contractor will conduct outreach and provide technical assistance to farmers in the southeast region of the United States with a particular focus on supporting BIPOC farmers (beginning and experienced) access to U.S. Farm Service Agency (FSA) loan programs. The FSA Loans TA Contractor will ensure proper case tracking and management, accurate provision of farmer technical support, and connection to potential resources and programs that will support their farm operations viability.

Requirements

Drivers license required.

Nice To Haves

Experience with U.S. Farm Service Agency (FSA) loan programs.
Experience providing technical assistance to farmers.
Experience working with BIPOC farmers.
Experience in financial literacy and loan application preparation.
Experience developing educational resources such as webinars and outreach materials.
Familiarity with the Southeast US region.

Responsibilities

Provide one-on-one technical assistance to BIPOC farmers located in the Southeast US on a variety of FSA topics such as acquiring a Farm Number, submitting an FSA loan application (microloan, operating, ownership), preparing farm financials to apply for loans, restructuring an existing loan, learning more about their fiscal and borrower responsibilities, etc.
Receive and respond to farmer referrals from RAFI staff to assist farmers with FSA loans or access to farm credit.
Consistently record and update farmer cases within data collection tools for efficient retention of farmer information, technical assistance provided, subsequent steps/actions post-technical assistance, and other relevant case information.
Schedule in-person meetings with farmers on a case by case basis to provide technical assistance and gain a better understanding of their farm operations.
Attend weekly meetings with Farmer Services Director to discuss casework status, progress, or challenges.
Coordinate with the Farmer Services Director to report the progress of cases to adhere to project reporting requirements and assess the impacts of TA.
Collaborate with NYFC TA team and/or RAFI’s Farm Advocacy team to identify educational topics that are of high farmer interest to host virtual or in person events on.
Conduct farmer surveys to assess and analyze the impact technical service provided to farmers.
Support the administrative, evaluative, and reporting requirements of the work area.
Adhere to and respect the organization’s relevant policies and procedures including submission of reports on a timely basis, attendance at required meetings, etc.