Let Farmers Fly › Idaho › Idaho SWCC Resource Conservation and Rangeland Development Program loan
Idaho SWCC Resource Conservation and Rangeland Development Program loan
Idaho Soil and Water Conservation Commission: Up to $600,000; 3% for up to 7 years, 4% for 10, 5% for 15, 6% with new or used equipment and second mortgages as collateral. Apply at least two months before the project is needed.
Verified Oct 14, 2026 against swc.idaho.gov · Report a change
What it pays
Up to $600,000
Up to $600,000; 3% for up to 7 years, 4% for 10, 5% for 15, 6% with new or used equipment and second mortgages as collateral.
You pay first
See below
Collateral; draws during installation.
Buy before approval?
No
No. Loans for practices implemented before Commission approval may be disapproved.
Drones
Ask the agency
"Precision ag equipment" is named, drones are not; an unlisted item may need special-practice approval.
Who can apply
Farmers, ranchers and landowners with a conservation plan reviewed and ranked by the local district.
What it covers
Practices in the field office technical guide or a Commission-approved special practice; the July 2025 release lists minimum-till and no-till drills, strip-till equipment and precision ag equipment, new or used.
Drones: ask the agency before you count on it
"Precision ag equipment" is named, drones are not; an unlisted item may need special-practice approval.
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 loans@swc.idaho.gov (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 Idaho SWCC Resource Conservation and Rangeland Development Program loan, and what would you need from me to decide?"
Money and timing
Up to $600,000; 3% for up to 7 years, 4% for 10, 5% for 15, 6% with new or used equipment and second mortgages as collateral. Collateral; draws during installation.
| Item | What the record says |
|---|---|
| Opens | Open. · not confirmed |
| Deadline | None; apply at least two months before the project is needed. |
| When money arrives | Draws during installation; install within one year of approval. |
| Repayment | Repaid with interest; repayment starts within two years. |
| Equipment origin rules | None. · not confirmed |
Apply at least two months before the project is needed.
Paperwork
Conservation plan ranked by the district; title insurance on mortgages. · not confirmed
Still open
- No 2026 rate notice was found.
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 | Resource Conservation & Rangeland Development Program (RCRDP) | swc.idaho.gov · capture 232 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Agency | Soil & Water Conservation Commission | swc.idaho.gov · capture 232 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Kind of help | The maximum amount of any one loan is $600,000. | swc.idaho.gov · capture 232 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Who can apply | To provide long-term, low-interest loans to farmers, ranchers, and landowners to install conservation measures. | swc.idaho.gov · capture 233 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Who can apply | Your local Conservation District will review and rank your project. | swc.idaho.gov · capture 233 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| What it covers | Equipment can be new or used. | swc.idaho.gov · capture 239 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Status | The Conservation Commission invites landowners to apply for low-interest loans to install conservation measures on private property. | swc.idaho.gov · capture 232 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Deadline | Most applications should be submitted at least two months before the conservation project is needed and planned for implementation | swc.idaho.gov · capture 239 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| What it pays | The maximum amount of any one loan is $600,000. | swc.idaho.gov · capture 232 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| What it pays | 6% with new or used equipment & 2nd mortgages as collateral | swc.idaho.gov · capture 232 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| You pay first | Preferably new equipment or first mortgage on real estate. | swc.idaho.gov · capture 233 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| You pay first | the contractee may draw loan funds in multiple disbursements during installation of the project | files.dfm.idaho.gov · capture 210 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Repayment | Repayment of the loan, together with interest, must commence no later than two (2) full years from the date the note is signed. | files.dfm.idaho.gov · capture 210 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Repayment | The maximum term offered is 15 years. | swc.idaho.gov · capture 233 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Drones | Equipment can be new or used. | swc.idaho.gov · capture 239 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Buy before approval? | Disapprove loans for reasons including but not limited to | files.dfm.idaho.gov · capture 210 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Buy before approval? | The purpose of the loan is to pay for conservation plan practices that have been implemented prior to Commission approval. | files.dfm.idaho.gov · capture 210 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Buy before approval? | provided the project is not completed before the loan is approved and the conditions of approval are met | files.dfm.idaho.gov · capture 210 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| When money arrives | the contractee may draw loan funds in multiple disbursements during installation of the project | files.dfm.idaho.gov · capture 210 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| When money arrives | they must be installed within one year from the loan approval date | swc.idaho.gov · capture 239 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Official page | Resource Conservation & Rangeland Development Program (RCRDP) | swc.idaho.gov · capture 232 | Oct 14, 2026 |
Record idaho-swcc-conservation-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 Idaho Soil and Water Conservation Commission.
Not live yet: the assistant is being built. Until then, use the program pages and the contact on each one.