Let Farmers Fly › Washington › WSHFC Beginning Farmer/Rancher Program (tax-exempt bond loan)
WSHFC Beginning Farmer/Rancher Program (tax-exempt bond loan)
Washington State Housing Finance Commission with AgWest Farm Credit: Up to $682,700; up to $250,000 for depreciable farm property and $62,500 for used equipment. No window; status beyond the live page unknown.
Verified Oct 14, 2026 against wshfc.org · Report a change
What it pays
Up to $682,700
Up to $682,700; up to $250,000 for depreciable farm property and $62,500 for used equipment.
You pay first
Lender terms
Lender terms through AgWest.
Buy before approval?
No
Loan closes before purchase. · not confirmed
Drones
Ask the agency
Equipment is financeable; drones are not named; AgWest underwrites.
Who can apply
Beginning farmers who have never owned or operated a farm, or only one under 30% of the county median size; the farmer and family must manage and work the operation.
What it covers
Farm land and depreciable farm property such as equipment; up to $250,000 for depreciable property and $62,500 for used equipment. · not confirmed
Drones: ask the agency before you count on it
Equipment is financeable; drones are not named; AgWest underwrites.
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 dan.schilling@wshfc.org (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 WSHFC Beginning Farmer/Rancher Program (tax-exempt bond loan), and what would you need from me to decide?"
Money and timing
Up to $682,700; up to $250,000 for depreciable farm property and $62,500 for used equipment. Lender terms through AgWest.
| Item | What the record says |
|---|---|
| Opens | Not stated |
| Deadline | None published. · not confirmed |
| When money arrives | At closing. · not confirmed |
| Repayment | Repaid with interest on AgWest's terms. |
| Equipment origin rules | None. · not confirmed |
No window; status beyond the live page unknown.
Paperwork
AgWest loan application plus the Commission's beginning-farmer certification. · not confirmed
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 | Beginning Farmer/Rancher Program | wshfc.org · capture 263 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Agency | Washington State Housing Finance Commission | wshfc.org · capture 263 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Kind of help | Loans from this program are limited to $682,700 | wshfc.org · capture 263 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Who can apply | If you have never owned and operated a farm or ranch before | wshfc.org · capture 263 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Who can apply | owned/operated one that was less than 30% of the county's median farm size | wshfc.org · capture 263 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Who can apply | must directly manage and perform the labor for the farming operation | wshfc.org · capture 263 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| What it pays | Loans from this program are limited to $682,700 | wshfc.org · capture 263 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| You pay first | Submit an application for a business loan through our loan partner, AgWest Farm Credit. | wshfc.org · capture 263 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Repayment | provides low-interest loans to help new farmers get started with land, equipment, buildings, and even animals | wshfc.org · capture 263 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Repayment | Submit an application for a business loan through our loan partner, AgWest Farm Credit. | wshfc.org · capture 263 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Drones | Loans from this program are limited to $682,700 | wshfc.org · capture 263 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Drones | Machinery and equipment | wshfc.org · capture 263 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Official page | Beginning Farmer/Rancher Program | wshfc.org · capture 263 | Oct 14, 2026 |
Record wshfc-beginning-farmer-rancher-program 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 Washington State Housing Finance Commission.
Not live yet: the assistant is being built. Until then, use the program pages and the contact on each one.