New Financing Tools to Advance On-Farm Stewardship Highlighted in 2025 Sustainability Report from Farm Credit Services of America, AgCountry Farm Credit Services, and Frontier Farm Credit

OMAHA, Neb. — April 21, 2026 — Farm Credit Services of America (FCSAmerica), AgCountry Farm Credit Services (AgCountry), and Frontier Farm Credit today released their collaborative 2025 Sustainability Report, highlighting new financing tools informed by producer insights. The report outlines how these tools, alongside research partnerships and cross-industry collaborations, help to reduce barriers to on-farm stewardship. The report is available for download here 2025 Sustainably Report.

Among the topics covered in this year’s report is an in-depth look at two new programs: the  discounted grant-writing support through Lasso, which is currently in its pilot phase, and a Stewardship Fund that will launch its pilot later this year,  along with references to findings from producer surveys.

Partnerships Demonstrating Stewardship in Practice 

The Sustainability Report highlights several collaborations that put stewardship into action. Through support from FCSAmerica, the Nebraska Soil Health Coalition partnered with the Soil Health Institute to develop partial budgets for 20 farms and ranches that have implemented regenerative practices for at least five years. The analysis found:

• Increased yields boosted revenue for 8 operations.
• Grazing cover crops improved revenue for 11 operations, with the greatest gains when both benefits were combined.
• 13 operations saw increased revenue and reduced input costs such as fertilizer, water and soil amendments.
• Only 2 operations experienced increased expenses, primarily from post-harvest herbicide applications.

In addition, the Soil Health Institute documented improvements across multiple soil health indicators, including:

• 100% improvement in water infiltration, soil organic matter, and erosion
• 94% improvement in soil biology and crop resiliency
• 88% improvement in soil structure and reduced fertilizer needs
• 82% improved water quality

Stewardship Fund: A New Approach to Reducing Upfront Costs 

The report offers the first detailed look at the Stewardship Fund, a blended financing model that combines zero interest capital from food and agriculture companies with a Farm Credit loan. This structure reduces the cost of adopting new activities, as well as continuing, updating, and expanding activities such as no till, cover crops, precision nutrient management, and improved grazing systems.

Seeking and acting on borrower feedback is central to how the Associations approach and guide its path to borrower solutions. “Producer perspectives continuously inform how we design, pilot, and refine solutions, ensuring they reflect real world needs and decision making,” said Myriah Johnson, Ph.D., vice president sustainability, FCSAmerica, AgCountry, Frontier Farm Credit.  “This disciplined listen and act approach reinforces our commitment to delivering practical, borrower-driven outcomes.” The report details customer examples as part of an intentional effort to understand producers’ challenges and successes and measuring outcomes. The pilot will launch in late 2026, with refinements continuing through producer feedback and partner collaboration.

Making Federal and State Funding More Accessible 

The report also details a new partnership with grant-writing service Lasso, offering discounted, end-to-end grant-writing support for producers seeking public funding for stewardship projects. The pilot is exclusive to publicly funded grants, Lasso’s area of expertise. Existing customers in Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin are eligible to apply for grant-writing services during the pilot period with nearly 90% of the cost being covered by FCSAmerica and AgCountry. Early feedback shows strong demand for assistance navigating increasingly complex funding opportunities.

The program provides support to producers considering equipment upgrades, infrastructure improvements, or energy and efficiency projects who may be unsure whether grant funding is available or how to navigate the application process. Selected participants will receive Lasso’s end-to-end support, including identifying relevant grant opportunities, preparing applications, and managing post-award requirements.

PepsiCo Collaboration Signals Cross Industry Momentum 

PepsiCo, one of the world’s largest food companies and a major buyer of Midwest-grown ingredients, is also featured in this year’s Sustainability Report. The company aims to help producers adopt or expand regenerative, restorative practices across 10 million acres globally by 2030 and contributed insights during the development of the FCSAmerica Stewardship Fund.

Report Highlights Producer Experiences and On-Farm Impact 

Across the region, producers featured in the report demonstrate how stewardship is implemented over time through practical, incremental improvements. Their experiences underscore the long-term nature of soil health and conservation work — and the importance of financial tools that support those transitions.

“Our sustainability program is grounded in listening to producers and delivering practical solutions that work on real operations,” said Johnson. “This report shows how borrower informed financing, research partnerships and cross industry collaboration can reduce barriers to stewardship, strengthen farm profitability and create measurable outcomes that move agriculture — and the industry as a whole — forward.”

Download report here: 2025 Sustainability Report