Young farmer testifies on credit access challenges
Sedrick Rowe, a first-generation organic peanut farmer from Albany, Georgia, testified March 18 before the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry about barriers young farmers face in accessing credit and risk management programs.
“As a young farmer, I’ve had to fight every step of the way to secure land, financing and reliable insurance,” Rowe said in his prepared testimony. “While federal programs exist to support farmers, too many barriers still keep young and beginning farmers — especially farmers of color — from getting the assistance they need.”
Rowe operates Rowe Organic Farms, a 30-acre operation growing organic peanuts, watermelons, sunflowers and hemp. He helped found the Georgia Organic Peanut Association, which supports small and medium-sized farms.
During the hearing, Rowe outlined challenges with USDA Farm Service Agency loan requirements, including restrictive collateral rules and income assessments that do not reflect startup farm realities. He also addressed the impact of student loan debt on loan eligibility.
Rowe emphasized the need to improve risk management programs like Whole-Farm Revenue Protection and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program to better serve diversified farms. He urged Congress to expand credit access, strengthen crop insurance and invest in community-based solutions.
His testimony comes as Congress negotiates the next Farm Bill, shaping policies that will impact beginning farmers nationwide.
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