FCS Diversity and Inclusion - PROPOSED RULE - MARCH 2011
Dear Mr. Van Meter, Thank you for this opportunity to provide comment on ways the FCS can better serve small and midsized, local and regional food producers in my home state of Oregon. We support your efforts to diversify the FCS loan portfolio and would ask that in defining what needs to be included in FCS marketing plans that you include:
-A requirement that each FCS institution create a baseline analysis of producers who meet the farm bill definition of local and regional food producers by number of borrowers, by loan volume, and other key characteristics.
-An investment goal for local and regional food producers of not less than 10% of each institution’s capital within 5 years.
- A plan for conducting outreach to local and regional food producers. Outreach is an important component to educating farmers about the new opportunities.
-A commitment to adding local and regional food producers to the FCS board for a well rounded representation including farmers from western states.
-A plan for providing staff development training to FCS personnel across the full spectrum of lending, accounting, farm transfer and business planning services appropriate for serving local and regional food producers.
- A plan for developing lending and business support products with terms and benefits appropriate for local and regional food producers. Thank you so much and I look forward to hearing how you are progressing. Kim Leval, Oregon
Kim Leval 1249 Willamette Street STE 205 Eugene, OR 97401