Running a farm—or any kind of agricultural business—is a costly endeavor. Whether you’re just starting out or looking for ways to improve your existing operation, you need a significant amount of money to invest in land, equipment, supplies, and more.

For these reasons, many farmers look for an agricultural loan to help boost their operations and achieve even greater things with their businesses. With an agricultural loan, the possibilities are endless. By implementing a few creative ideas and responsible financial planning, you can use your loan to bring great success to your farming business. Read on to discover the many ways you can grow your farm with an agricultural loan.

Purchase New Land

If you want to establish an agricultural business—be it farming, ranching, beekeeping, making wine, or anything else—you need land to do so. But farming is a tough business, which means getting the land you need can be difficult. This is where a farm loan can help. The extra money can cover land costs and make it easier to purchase the exact type and size of property you need to make your business a success.

Purchasing farmland is a huge investment, so it’s important to carefully consider what kind of property you want to buy, how much it’s going to cost, and how much you need to borrow. Working with a dependable farming lender gets you the financing option you need to take this step and start growing your business.

Upgrade Land and Infrastructure

Farm loans can also help you make improvements to your existing land. These upgrades can include anything from paying for conservation efforts to improve soil and water quality to setting up new, sustainable agricultural methods across your operations. Maybe you want to make the switch to organic agriculture, so you need to invest in organic fertilizers and rethink your crop layouts. Alternatively, maybe you want to implement a more sustainable irrigation system.

Projects like these are major investments, but they help improve efficiency, product quality, and sustainability in the long run. A farm loan allows you to get these projects up and running so that you can reap the rewards without breaking your budget.

Invest in Equipment

Land isn’t the only thing you need to make your farm successful. From a massive combine harvester to a trusty wheelbarrow, equipment helps keep your operations running smoothly. As with anything else in your business, that equipment costs money. Agricultural loan options help you finance new technology to bring your farm to the next level or to replace the old equipment that’s served you well over the years.

This is also a great opportunity to invest in specialized equipment that can streamline operations and boost cost savings. Alternatively, you can use your farm loan to keep up with routine maintenance and operating costs to make sure your equipment stays in pristine condition throughout each season.

Stock Up on Supplies

You can also use an agricultural loan to cover the cost of supplies. From seeds and fertilizer for growing crops to feed and bedding for raising livestock, farm supplies are necessary expenses. Purchasing enough supplies to get your operation up and running can be difficult—especially in the early days of your business. A farm loan can help cover the initial cost of supplies until you can start making a profit from your land.

Build or Maintain Farm Structures

A lot of farming takes place outside, but you still need secure facilities for storing goods, housing livestock, and more. Perhaps you want to build a shed to keep your tractors and other farm vehicles safe from the elements. Or maybe your barn needs new insulation to keep your livestock safe during a harsh winter. Depending on the size and location of your property, you might even need offices, break rooms, and other facilities for yourself and your employees.

Building these structures—and keeping up with energy bills and maintenance for them—takes money. With a farm loan, you can invest in new facilities without pulling funds away from other crucial aspects of your operation.

Create Marketing Strategies

A lot of factors associated with an agricultural business are unique, but one thing it has in common with any other business is the need to advertise. If you want to grow your customer base and build your brand name, you need a marketing strategy. There are plenty of ways to get your name out there, including building an online presence, investing in local advertisements, or creating connections with business partners or trade journals. All of these efforts take money, though. By putting your farm loan toward advertising campaigns, you can boost visibility, improve brand recognition, and grow your customer base.

Refinance Your Loan

Your agricultural loan doesn’t have to go directly into your farm. One of the many ways you can grow your farm with an agriculture loan is to use that funding to refinance an existing loan. With a new loan carrying better interest rates, you can pay off your higher-interest loan and save money on interest payments in the long run. Refinancing is a great way to cut down on the cost of your loan and free up room in your budget. With the extra money, you can invest in your land, equipment, employees, or any other aspect of your farming business.

Supplement a Slow Season

Whether you operate on a seasonal basis or are contending with an unexpectedly slow period, it’s important to have some extra money to keep your business afloat until revenue picks back up. After all, there are numerous factors that can turn a normal farming season into a disastrous one.

If you face natural disasters, weather problems, poor crop or livestock performance, or other complications, you’re going to need a contingency fund to keep your operations running until you can start turning a profit again. An agricultural loan gives you a financial buffer so that one bad season doesn’t cause irreparable harm to your business. This gives you peace of mind throughout all the ups and downs of owning and running a farm.

Grow Your Business With Farm Plus

From dealing with unexpected costs to funding day-to-day operations, a farm loan has you covered. If it’s time to start growing your farming operation, turn to the experts at Farm Plus Financial. With decades of experience in agricultural lending, we have the knowledge and resources necessary to help you find great farm financing options for your business. See how we can help your farm flourish when you partner with our team today.