Let Farmers Fly › Federal › FSA Emergency Loan
FSA Emergency Loan
USDA Farm Service Agency: Up to $500,000 or 100% of the actual loss, whichever is less; 3.750% in October 2026. Open only after a disaster designation; apply within 8 months of the designation.
Verified Oct 14, 2026 against fsa.usda.gov · Report a change
What it pays
Up to $500,000
Up to $500,000 or 100% of the actual loss, whichever is less; 3.750% in October 2026.
You pay first
No down payment
None stated; security required. · not confirmed
Buy before approval?
Ask
Not stated. · not confirmed
Drones
Ask the agency
Only as replacement of equipment destroyed in the disaster; a first drone is not a loss purpose.
Who can apply
Family farmers in a disaster-designated county who suffered physical or production losses and cannot get credit elsewhere.
What it covers
Repair or replacement of essential property damaged or destroyed by the disaster, including farm equipment, and working capital for production losses. · not confirmed
Drones: ask the agency before you count on it
Only as replacement of equipment destroyed in the disaster; a first drone is not a loss purpose.
What that means for you: equipment is an allowed purpose and drones are not named. Nobody can promise approval. If you plan to ask, describe the exact use and tie it to a practice the agency already recognizes.
Question to send USDA Farm Service Agency (copy and edit)
"I farm [acres, crop] in [county]. Would a [make, model] agricultural drone used for [spot spraying / variable-rate fertilizer / cover-crop seeding] be considered eligible under FSA Emergency Loan, and what would you need from me to decide?"
Money and timing
Up to $500,000 or 100% of the actual loss, whichever is less; 3.750% in October 2026. None stated; security required. · not confirmed
| Item | What the record says |
|---|---|
| Opens | Not stated |
| Deadline | Within 8 months of the county's disaster designation. |
| When money arrives | Not stated. · not confirmed |
| Repayment | Repaid with interest; 1 to 7 years for non-real-estate losses. |
| Equipment origin rules | None in FSA texts. · not confirmed |
Open only after a disaster designation; apply within 8 months of the designation. Current Washington, Oregon and Idaho designations were not researched.
Paperwork
Proof of the loss plus the standard FSA loan application. · not confirmed
Still open
- Which Washington, Oregon and Idaho counties hold a current designation?
Where this comes from
Every quoted line below was copied from the official page the research harness captured, and checked again against that capture when this site was built. Lines marked "not confirmed" elsewhere on this page have no quote yet.
| Fact | Official wording | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Program name | Emergency Farm Loans | fsa.usda.gov · capture 164 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Agency | Farm Service Agency | fsa.usda.gov · capture 164 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Kind of help | Emergency Farm Loans | fsa.usda.gov · capture 164 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Who can apply | Eligible applicants include farmers and ranchers who operate in a disaster-designated county and have experienced substantial damage or loss. | fsa.usda.gov · capture 164 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Who can apply | Applicants must demonstrate an inability to obtain sufficient credit from other sources | fsa.usda.gov · capture 164 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Deadline | Applications must be submitted within eight months after the disaster designation date. | fsa.usda.gov · capture 164 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| What it pays | The maximum loan amount is up to 100% of actual production or physical losses, with a cap of $500,000. | fsa.usda.gov · capture 164 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| What it pays | Emergency Loan (Amount of Actual Loss): 3.750% | fsa.usda.gov · capture 159 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Repayment | Loans for crop, livestock, and non-real estate losses are typically repaid within 1 to 7 years | fsa.usda.gov · capture 164 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Official page | Emergency Farm Loans | fsa.usda.gov · capture 164 | Oct 14, 2026 |
Record fsa-emergency-loan v2, approved; automatic checks run Oct 15, 2026.
Ask about this program
Answers come only from the verified program records on this site. Every answer shows the agency's own words and the date we checked them. When the records don't say, it tells you to ask USDA Farm Service Agency.
Not live yet: the assistant is being built. Until then, use the program pages and the contact on each one.