Appealing for Relief: An Analysis of Appealed Direct Farm Loan Decisions 2009-2022 and Opportunities for Reform analyzes USDA National Appeals Division cases concerning direct farm ownership and farm operating loans. 

The report finds that farmers denied federal loans won only 17 percent of appeals and examines the basis for those denials.

The report, from the Center for Agriculture and Food Systems at Vermont Law and Graduate School in partnership with Farm Aid and the Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI), shows that the agency has wide discretion that could lead to different outcomes for similarly situated farmers in the loan approval process. Among other findings, it also reveals that innovative and nontraditional operations often face more barriers to financing.

Authors identified opportunities for reform at every step of the appeals process.

This publication was made possible with support from the United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Library, Agricultural Research Service.