Sign on to support the DEFER Act!

Support the introduction of the DEFER (Deferments to Expedite Financing of Essential Resilience) Act and its inclusion in the 2023 Farm Bill!

Learn more in the one-page overview and FAQ. Request a copy of the draft legislative text here.

See the full supporter list here. You can still sign on - names will be added on a rolling basis.

See the letter below and sign on.

Sign on form:

Dear Chairwoman Stabenow, Ranking Member Boozman, Chairman Thompson, and Ranking Member Scott, 

We strongly support the Deferments to Expedite Financing of Essential Resilience (DEFER) Act to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to defer payments on all Farm Service Agency (FSA) direct loans for investing in soil health management systems.

Farmers and ranchers across the nation are looking to build soil health as a strategy to increase resilience to flood and drought, reduce inputs and input costs, and protect long-term profitability. 

One of the biggest challenges in implementing soil health conservation practices, such as cover cropping, no-till, or livestock integration, is financing the transition because often farmers and ranchers don’t have the cash flow available to invest in new practices.

This program allows direct loan holders to defer 50 percent of their payments in any given year if they invest those dollars in approved soil health conservation practices, or eligible equipment purchases, and presents an incredibly important opportunity to unlock flexible capital for producers to invest in voluntary conservation and increased resilience. These investments also accelerate producer access to new markets such as carbon and ecosystem services, creating new opportunities to fill the growing demand for more resilient supply chains. Ultimately this kind of investment leads to increased profitability with more diversified revenue opportunities.

FSA loan deferment also gives USDA a truly scalable way of investing in conservation and American agricultural resilience, without relying solely on grant programs which are consistently oversubscribed. Even minimal participation from current loan holders will contribute hundreds of millions of dollars in private capital to soil conservation. 

We thank you for your leadership on the DEFER Act and urge you to make this one of your top priorities in the 2023 Farm Bill.

Sincerely, 

[Undersigned]