What would rural finance look like if it truly supported long-term stewardship and resilience? This is the question Zach Ducheneaux has been asking himself and working toward for a couple of decades. Zach is an agricultural producer, a farming advocate, and the former Administrator of the USDA Farm Service Agency. From experiencing firsthand ag lending dysfunction in the 1980s farm crisis, to witnessing local community relationships in action that resulted in local lending based on trust, to helping USDA design lending programs that promote young farmers and ranchers, Zach understands ag lending like few others. In this interview he introduces principles that promote long-term capital reinvestment and producer-centered terms. This is good for borrower and lender. And it builds social capital, something badly needed in a modern economy. The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center. Go to the episode page at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-161-5th-c-agricultural-lending-zach-ducheneaux for more information or to contact Zach.
