Aug. 23 NALC webinar to detail the USDA Discrimination Financial Assistance Program
“The program can be very helpful for those that experienced discrimination in USDA farm loan programs. The rules for the program are complicated and require considerable documentation." — Stephen Carpenter
By Tru Joi Curtis
National Agricultural Law Center
U of A System Division of Agriculture
August 10, 2023
Fast facts:
- NALC webinar on Aug. 23 will focus on the USDA Discrimination Financial Assistance Program.
- Stephen Carpenter, Lindsay Kuehn of Farmers’ Legal Action Group, Inc. are presenting.
- Registration is online.
(379 words)
Download related photos of Carpenter, Kuehn
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has opened a program to provide
funds for farmers who experienced discrimination in its farm loan programs. To help
potential recipients navigate the complex application, the National Agricultural Law
Center is hosting a webinar on Aug. 23.
The USDA Discrimination Financial Assistance Program was authorized by Section 22007
of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, or IRA. The law called for the USDA to make
$2.2 billion available to farmers who can demonstrate that they experienced discrimination
in USDA Farm Loan Programs prior to Jan. 1, 2021. The application deadline is Oct.
31.
Farmers’ Action Group, Inc.’s Deputy Director Stephen Carpenter and Staff Attorney Lindsay Kuehn will discuss
the historical context and eligibility for the program, what counts as discrimination,
documentation requirements, how applicants can get access to USDA documents, the details
of the program application and the program process during the NALC webinar, “An Overview
of the USDA Discrimination Financial Assistance Program.” The webinar will be held
on Wednesday, Aug. 23, at 2 p.m. Central/3 p.m. Eastern.
“The program can be very helpful for those that experienced discrimination in USDA
farm loan programs. The rules for the program are complicated and require considerable
documentation,” Carpenter said. “This is why it is important for potential applicants
to understand the parameters of the program and what is required of them. Lindsay
Kuehn and I look forward to sharing important information and deadlines through this
webinar.”
The webinar is free of charge and registration is online.
“With the USDA Discrimination Financial Assistance Program application deadline quickly
approaching, this information is extremely timely and important,” NALC Director Harrison
Pittman said. “This webinar will be very helpful to all farmers who are interested
in applying.”
More information regarding financial assistance provisions in the IRA can be found
in the article “Ag & the IRA: Debt Relief and Financial Assistance Provisions in the Inflation Reduction
Act” by NALC Staff Attorney Micah Brown.
For information about the National Agricultural Law Center, visit nationalaglawcenter.org or follow @Nataglaw on Twitter. The National Agricultural Law Center is also on Facebook and LinkedIn.
For updates on agricultural law and policy developments, subscribe free of charge
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which issues twice a month.
About the National Agricultural Law Center
The National Agricultural Law Center serves as the nation’s leading source of agricultural
and food law research and information. The NALC works with producers, state and federal
policymakers, Congressional staffers, attorneys, land grant universities, and many
others to provide objective, nonpartisan agricultural and food law research and information
to the nation’s agricultural community.
The NALC is a unit of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and
works in close partnership with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Agricultural
Library.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen
agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption
of best practices. The Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work
within the nation’s historic land grant education system through the Agricultural
Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas
System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is an equal opportunity/equal
access/affirmative action institution. If you require a reasonable accommodation to
participate or need materials in another format, please contact dviguet@uark.edu as
soon as possible. Dial 711 for Arkansas Relay.
# # #
Media contact:
Drew Viguet
Communications & Special Projects Coordinator
National Agricultural Law Center
dviguet@uark.edu