Overview
For most MARBIDCO programs, practical farm and/or business experience is required and may be supplemented by academic or hands-on training experience. Both our loan and grant programs require business plans and borrower financial information to be submitted.
If you have some experience in commercial agriculture, forestry, or seafood, or are working with a mentor, you may qualify for one of our loan or grant programs.
In delivering our financing programs, we work cooperatively with commercial banks, Farm Credit Associations, and the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA), as well as other federal, State, and local government agencies and land grant universities.
Please contact us to find out which programs may be right for your business.
Training Resources
Not yet a farmer or new to farming?
If you are not currently working in agriculture or aquaculture but would like to start a farm, we encourage you to learn more about the industry. We suggest that you consider exploring the organizations listed below that provide education and training for new farmers:
Learn about our Rural Land Preservation Facilitation Programs Next Gen and SANG
If you are not currently working in agriculture or aquaculture but would like to start a farm, we encourage you to learn more about the industry. We suggest that you consider exploring the organizations listed below that provide education and training for new farmers:
How To Apply to Purchase Farmland
Requests for rural land preservation assistance are made on a competitive basis. Please see the application-specific program pages for full details, deadlines, and application requirements.
MARBIDCO has a Review Committee made up of individuals with experience in agricultural lending, land conservation, and agriculture and resource-based business. The committee ranks the funding applications and makes recommendations to the MARBIDCO Board of Directors.