Farmers looking for help with their loans or with hiring foreign workers need look no further than the newly-revamped website Farmers.gov.
The website, launched in 2018 by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, recently added features to help farmers manage their farm loans and navigate the application process for H-2A visas.
The latter, also known as the temporary agricultural workers program, is designed to help farmers fill employment gaps by hiring workers from other countries.
U.S. Rep. John Joyce, R-Chambersburg, recently introduced legislation that would tweak the program so that dairy farmers are able to hire more temporary foreign-born workers. Currently, dairy farmers can’t use the H-2A program because dairy farming is not considered seasonal.
The self-service website also enables agricultural producers to log in to view loan information, history and payments. Customers can access the “My Financial Information” feature by desktop computer, tablet or phone.
Currently, only producers doing business as individuals can view information. Entities such as an LLC or Trust, or producers doing business on behalf of another customer, cannot access the portal, but access is being planned.
To access their information, producers need a USDA eAuth account to log in to Farmers.gov.
