Debt and Interest Rates
Debt and Interest Rates from Farmer Gripe: 16 articles for readers in Oklahoma and beyond.
The $605 Billion Debt Cliff: Why Farm Sector Borrowing Is Outpacing Equity
A plain-English look at why farm borrowing can grow faster than equity, how lenders read the numbers, and what to…
Debt and Interest RatesThe 7% Interest Rate Reality: Why Operating Loans Are Eating Farm Profits
How operating loan interest works, why a few points of rate matter on a thin margin, and how to compare lenders and…
Debt and Interest RatesBorrowing to Survive: How High Rates Are Trapping the Next Generation of Growers
Why high borrowing costs hit beginning farmers hardest, which lenders and programs serve them, and how to build a plan…
Debt and Interest RatesThe Disappearing Middle: How Small and Mid-Sized Farms Are Being Squeezed Out
Why mid-sized farms feel squeezed between scale and niche, what the Census of Agriculture can show, and practical…
Debt and Interest RatesWhen the Government Shuts Down, the Farm Loan Window Slams Shut
A federal shutdown can delay farm loan processing. Learn how it works, which loans are affected, and how to plan…
Debt and Interest RatesThe Silent Spring: When Planting Decisions Are Driven by Debt, Not Demand
When loan payments drive crop choices, farms can plant what pays the bank rather than what the market wants. Learn how…
Debt and Interest RatesWhy Farmers Are Liquidating Equipment Just to Stay Afloat
Selling machinery to cover debt is a warning sign. Learn why it happens, what it costs the operation, and what to try…
Debt and Interest RatesThe Two-Tiered Farm Economy: Why Some Grow While Most Struggle
Farm income and size are unevenly spread. Learn what a two-tiered farm economy means, what the data show and what…
Debt and Interest RatesThe Hidden Fees and Fine Print of USDA Guaranteed Loans
A plain-spoken look at the fees, fine print and questions to ask before signing a USDA guaranteed farm loan with a…
Debt and Interest RatesWhen Your Lender Becomes Your Business Partner (and You Didn’t Ask)
What it feels like when a farm lender starts steering your crop plan, and how covenants, reporting and clear…
Debt and Interest RatesWhat the Farm Credit Nominees Aren’t Saying About the Debt Crisis
Questions farmers can ask about farm debt, how Farm Credit oversight works and what to look for in any statement about…
Debt and Interest RatesA Farmer’s Guide to Surviving the 2026 Credit Crunch
A practical plan for tight farm credit: talk to lenders early, understand FSA and Farm Credit options, trim costs and…
Debt and Interest RatesWhy Farmers Are Angry at Both Parties (and Neither Is Listening)
Why many farm families say neither major party speaks for them, the arguments on each side, and practical ways to make…
Debt and Interest RatesThe Rural Legal Desert: When You Can’t Afford a Lawyer to Fight a Loan
What to do when a farm loan dispute arises and a lawyer is hard to find or afford, including how to document, who to…
Debt and Interest RatesThe Unspoken Truth About Farm Succession Planning
Farm succession is hard because it mixes money, family and mortality. Here is why families avoid it, what it should…
Debt and Interest RatesWhy the Next Farm Crisis Won’t Look Like the 1980s (But Will Feel Like It)
Why many people expect the next farm crisis to look different from the 1980s while still feeling familiar, and what…