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Proposed Class Definition

The current proposed class definition for Love v. Johanns includes:

All women who farmed or attempted to farm and were denied one or more of the following loans or loan servicing between January 1, 1981 and December 31, 1996 or October 19, 1998 to the present on the basis of their gender:

  1. If you were refused an application to apply for a farm ownership loan, operating loan or emergency loan…Click here.
  2. If you were denied an initial farm ownership loan, operating loan or emergency loan…Click here.
  3. If you obtained at least one of the above-mentioned types of loans but were denied a subsequent loan or loan servicing…Click here.

For all others interested in receiving future information regarding the Women Farmers Litigation...Click here.

Explanation of Terms

There are many different types of loans that the USDA administers. At this time, the lawsuit Love v. Johanns involves only three types of loans that were provided directly by the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) or its predecessor Farmer’s Home Administration (FmHA): farm ownership loans, farm operating loans, and emergency farms loans.

Farm Ownership loan: A direct loan from FSA (or its predecessor FmHA) to a farmer in order to buy, enlarge or make capital improvements to a family-sized farm or ranch when credit is not available elsewhere. The money may also be used to promote soil and water conservation and protection. In the case of a leased farm, the loan can be used to make capital improvements.

Operating loan: A direct loan from FSA (or its predecessor FmHA) to a farmer in order to operate a family-sized farm or ranch. The loan may be used, for example, to buy feed, seed, fertilizer, pesticides, farm or ranch supplies, livestock, poultry, farm equipment, cooperative stock; to pay for other operating expenses including rent; or to pay for farm, ranch or home needs including family subsistence. The money may also be used to pay for costs associated with land and water development for conservation or use purposes.

Emergency loan: A direct loan from FSA (or its predecessor FmHA) to a farmer who owns or operates farms located in an officially designated disaster area. In the case of a natural disaster, the Secretary of USDA or the Administrator of FSA (or its predecessor FmHA) must officially designate the disaster area. In the case of a major disaster or emergency, the President of the United States must officially designate the disaster area. The disaster area includes those counties located in designated areas as well as contiguous counties.