FACT SHEET

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FARM SERVICE AGENCY

Page 1

May 2013

The USDA Minority Farm Register (MFR)

Overview

What is the MFR?

The Minority Farm Register 

(MFR) is a tool to promote 

equal access to USDA farm 

programs and services for 

minority producers that are 

farmland owners, farm or ranch 

operators, tenants and other 

individuals with an agricultural interest. Participants 

may receive information or be 

personally contacted through 

USDA outreach efforts. USDA 

programs include direct and 

guaranteed farm ownership 

and operating loans, direct and 

guaranteed housing and rural 

business loans and grants, marketing loans, as well as conservation and risk management 

programs.

What Authorized the MFR?

The Farm Security and Rural 

Investment Act of 2002 (the 

Act) amended Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade 

Act of 1990, Section 2501(e) 

and states, “The Secretary of 

Agriculture shall carry out an 

outreach and technical assistance program to encourage 

and assist socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers in 

owning and operating farms 

and ranches and in participating, equitably, in the full range 

of agricultural programs offered by the Department.” The 

MFR was developed as a tool 

to allow producers to voluntarily provide personal information 

for outreach and assistance.

Is Participation Mandatory?

Participation in the MFR is 

voluntary. 

USDA oversees the MFR outreach program and through the 

Farm Service Agency (FSA) 

participants may voluntarily 

provide their name, residential 

address, telephone number, 

email address, ethnicity, race, 

gender and the location of their 

farm or ranch on form AD2035, USDA Minority Farm 

Register, or form AD-2035SP, 

Registro De Agricultores Minoritarios del USDA, to receive 

USDA information. 

How Will the Register Be 

Used?

By joining the MFR, participants authorize the USDA Office of Advocacy and Outreach 

(OAO) to release voluntarily 

submitted information to other 

USDA agencies and approved 

outreach partners. Participants 

may receive outreach materials, newsletters and program 

announcements from USDA 

agencies. They may also 

receive information and assistance from other USDA-approved outreach partners, such 

as community-based organizations (CBOs), other government agencies, faith-based 

organizations and minorityserving educational institutions. 

USDA will carefully control 

access to and use of the MFR.

Producer’s names and farm 

records are already at the local 

USDA Service Center. Why 

should they participate in the 

MFR?

Under the Privacy Act, a producer must voluntarily authorize release of his or her name, 

race, ethnicity and contact 

information before USDA can 

share it with other USDA approved outreach partners.

Producers are already signed 

up for GovDelivery News 

Alerts. Is this the same 

thing?

No. GovDelivery allows 

producers to select and receive 

information electronically 

based on agency, state, county, 

programs, press releases and 

other news. In addition to 

USDA departmental announcements, participation in MFR 

allows USDA’s OAO to share 

the producer’s information with 

partner organizations in that 

producer’s area offering assistance, localized opportunities 

and event information.

How Do Producers Benefit 

From Joining the MFR?

USDA is committed to ensuring that every eligible person is 
FACT SHEET

USDA Minority Farm Register May 2013

equally informed of and given 

access to all USDA programs. 

While other governmental 

organizations, universities, 

nonprofit and community-based 

organizations often desire 

to provide outreach services 

targeted to distinct minority 

and ethnic constituencies, they 

often lack suitable contact 

information. By joining the 

MFR, producers authorize the 

release of their name, address, 

telephone number, email address and minority/ethnic status 

to USDA agencies and USDA 

outreach partners. 

Does Signing Up for the MFR 

Make Producers Eligible for 

USDA Programs?

No. Each agency within USDA 

has its individual sign-up 

procedures and eligibility 

requirements. USDA’s FSA, 

Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), Rural 

Development (RD) and the 

National Institute of Food and 

Agriculture (NIFA, formerly 

named the Cooperative State 

Research Education and Extension Service) have local service 

centers in most counties. To 

sign up for a USDA program, 

producers must directly contact 

the agency responsible for that 

program.

Does FSA release the MFR 

Participant Information?

No. The USDA OAO oversees 

all information and authorizes 

release. FSA only collects the 

information for the Department and promotes participation in the MFR. FSA has no 

authority to release information 

from the MFR. All requests 

to receive information from 

the MFR must be sent to and 

approved by: USDA Office of 

Advocacy & Outreach, 1400 

Independence Ave SW Stop 

0601, Washington, D.C. 20250-

9821 or email advocacyandoutreach@osec.usda.gov .

Who Receives Requested 

MFR Information from 

USDA’s Office of Advocacy 

and Outreach Office?

• USDA Agencies

• Federal government agencies, other than USDA

• Community Based Organizations

• Educational Institutions

How Do Producers Participate in the MFR?

Minority producers interested 

in joining the MFR can find 

registration forms available 

in English (AD-2035) and 

Spanish (AD-2035SP) on the 

USDA Service Center Agencies 

eForms website (www.forms.

sc.egov.usda.gov). Completed 

forms may be mailed to: USDA 

Minority Farm Register, USDA 

Stop Code 0539, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-0539, or 

dropped off at any local FSA 

office for mailing. 

An individual may remove his 

or her name from the MFR 

at any time by writing to the 

Minority Farm Register, USDA 

Stop Code 0539, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-0539.

For more information, visit 

FSA’s website at www.fsa.usda.

gov or www.fsa.usda.gov/outreach. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national 

origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, 

religion, reprisal, and where applicable, 

political beliefs, marital status, familial or 

parental status, sexual orientation, or all or 

part of an individual’s income is derived from 

any public assistance program, or protected 

genetic information in employment or in any 

program or activity conducted or funded by 

the Department. (Not all prohibited bases 

will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.)

If you wish to file a Civil Rights program 

complaint of discrimination, complete the 

USDA

Program Discrimination Complaint Form, 

found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/

complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA 

office, or call (866) 632-9992 to request the 

form. You may also write a letter containing 

all of the information requested in the form. 

Send your completed complaint form or letter 

to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 

Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, 

D.C. 20250-9410, by fax (202) 690-7442 or

e-mail at program.intake@usda.gov.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and 

employer.

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