Welcome to the Indiana Farm Service Agency Website
Indiana USDA Provides Local Support for Beginning Farmers
The first 10 years of a farming operation are tough. USDA recognizes you need dedicated support to help make sense of all the information coming your way. Each state has a Beginning Farmer team headed up by a state coordinator. The coordinator helps producers who have operated a farm for less than 10 years navigate USDA and partner resources.
Bridgette Wanhainen is the Indiana Beginning Farmer Coordinator. She is a Farm Loan Officer with the Farm Service Agency. Bridgette is the team lead and will answer questions from farmers. She can be reached at Bridgette.Wanhainen@usda.gov or at 765-529-2303 Extension 2125.
The other members of the team are Champions. They assist Bridgette in responding to questions, provide support to county offices and plan outreach events specifically for beginning farmers. Your Indiana Champions are:
- Brianne Lowe, Acting Outreach Coordinator with Natural Resources Conservation Service.
- Mark Zukunft, Direct Single-Family Housing Programs Specialist with Rural Development.
- Jessica Heyen, Risk Management Specialist with the Risk Management Agency.
For more beginning farmer resources, visit the website at www.farmers.gov/newfarmers.
FSA Provides Receipt for USDA Services
FSA provides a receipt to customers who request or receive assistance or information concerning any FSA program. The receipt should be issued regardless if the request comes via an office visit, email, fax, or letter.
The 2014 Farm Bill requires a customer receipt to be issued for any agricultural program assistance requested from FSA, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Rural Development (RD). Receipts include the date, summary of the visit and any agricultural information, program and/or loan assistance provided to an individual or entity.
Indiana FSA State Committee
The Committee is responsible for oversight of farm programs and county committee operations, resolving program delivery appeals from the agriculture community, maintaining cooperative relations with industry stakeholders, keeping producers informed about FSA programs and operating in a manner consistent with USDA equal opportunity and civil rights policies.
FSA State Committee Members:
Travis Nolcox (Committee Chair) - Gibson County
Amanda Berenda - Benton County
Joe Pearson - Grant County
Beth Tharp - Putnam County
Emily Wilson - Decatur County
If you have issues with any links on this website,
please reach out to in-fsa-webmaster@usda.gov
Latest FSA News for Indiana
USDA Announces Conservation Reserve Program General Signup for 2024
Dairy Producers Can Enroll for 2024 Dairy Margin Coverage Beginning Feb. 28
Farmers, Ranchers Now Can Make USDA Farm Loan Payments Online
USDA Reopens Signup for Continuous Conservation Reserve Program
Federal Emergency Management Agency Designates 1 County as Primary Natural Disaster Area