Memorandum Farm Credit Administration

1501 Farm Credit Drive

McLean, VA 22102-5090

(703) 883-4000

November 1, 2023

To: Chair, Board of Directors

Chief Executive Officer

Each Farm Credit System Institution

From: Vincent Logan

FCA Board Chairman and CEO

Subject: Encouraging Farm Credit System institutions to explore untapped mission 

achievement by expanding their workforce and customer base to include tribal 

communities

As board chairman and CEO of the Farm Credit Administration, I encourage your Farm 

Credit System (System) institution to reach out to tribal citizens, tribal governments, and 

Indian Country communities in your lending territory to find ways to serve their credit and 

related-service needs and increase the diversity of your workforce. As today is the first day 

of Native American Heritage Month, I want to take this opportunity to discuss the 

importance of reaching out to this largely untapped potential source of customers and 

employees. 

Turning plans to action

We issued an informational memorandum on July 20, 2023, inviting you to reflect on your

diversity and inclusion activities since passage of the business planning rule 10 years ago 

(Revisiting diversity and inclusion 10 years after implementation of the business planning 

rule (PDF)). Under our business planning regulation, 12 C.F.R. § 618.8440, institutions are 

required to incorporate diversity and inclusion into their employment and lending strategies 

and actions. 

However, planning is not enough. Successful diversity and inclusion initiatives require your 

institution to take deliberate action to fulfill the goals you have established in your business 

plan. You must make a concerted effort to reach historically underserved groups. 

Serving tribal communities

As a member of the Osage Nation, and as the first Native American board member and 

chairman at FCA, I want to ensure that Indian Country1 knows about and has equitable 

1 “Indian Country" is a statutorily defined term under U.S. Code but is also used colloquially among 

American Indian tribes and people to refer to the collective assembly of 574 federally recognized 

tribes, tribal citizens, and affiliated tribal communities and organizations nationwide. 
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access to the agricultural and rural development resources afforded by the System to all 

creditworthy borrowers. 

Furthermore, diversity and inclusion is more than merely a goal or objective for business 

development — workforce development within your institution is an equally impactful, if not 

critical, component of diversity and inclusion initiatives. As you incorporate diversity and 

inclusion into your business planning efforts, I urge you to consider the unique needs and 

abilities of the Native Americans in your territory.

Internally focused steps

Many federal agencies, state governments, and private sector organizations have 

demonstrated the value of incorporating a meaningful sense of Indian Country cultural 

competency into their organizations. They achieve this by hiring Native American 

professionals, employing dedicated tribal liaisons, and demonstrating a base-level 

competency in the legal status of American Indian tribal governments. These actions convey 

respect for the lived experiences of tribal citizens and tribal communities that can lead to 

more effective trust building, communication, and, ultimately, better access to the System 

from Indian Country. 

Simply put, considering diversity and inclusion in your human capital plan is better for 

business — this principle is paramount for Indian Country but also applicable to all 

underrepresented groups your diversity initiatives may address. 

Externally focused steps

In addition to internal diversity and inclusion efforts, striving to reach all types of 

creditworthy borrowers from your chartered territory is a requirement because the System 

is a government-sponsored enterprise, with firm direction to serve all creditworthy 

borrowers. Many underserved borrowers are likely to fall into a young, beginning, or small 

(YBS) farmer and rancher category, making them eligible for benefits under your 

institution’s YBS program. 

There are 574 federally recognized American Indian tribes in the United States. Each tribe is 

regarded as a separate self-governing political entity. As of 2021, the U.S. Census reports 

that the individual citizens who make up these 574 political groups total about 2.6% of the 

U.S. population, or approximately 8.75 million people. 

According to the 2017 Agriculture Census, however, farms operated by American Indians or 

Alaska Natives accounted for only 2.3% of the 3.4 million producers in the United States, 

and they accounted for only 59 million acres of land, or approximately 6.5% of total U.S. 

farmland. Because of the constraints on agricultural development in Indian Country, many 

estimate that the prospective number of Native producers is much higher than the actual 

number.

Building relationships in Indian Country

Historic barriers to agricultural development in Indian Country include limited access to 

capital and financing, gaps in ag infrastructure and technology, as well as limited access to 

markets and distribution networks, among others. It is important to remember that each 

tribal government and each tribal citizen is unique in their circumstances, capacity, and 

resources, which underscores the importance of employing a workforce familiar with the 
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regional and local attributes of Indian Country within your institution’s territory. Overcoming

these barriers is possible but will require a multifaceted approach that involves collaboration 

between the tribe or tribal citizen and the knowledge and resources your institution brings 

to the table.

Your institution has a special opportunity to connect with a diverse population of borrowers, 

offer valuable lending and educational opportunities, and attract a diverse talent pool from 

these communities. With the unique challenges and opportunities present in Indian Country, 

I encourage you to thoughtfully consider how your institution can work to increase 

agricultural business development and attract talent from Native American communities. 

Forging these important connections can only make the System stronger and your 

institution more successful at fulfilling your mission to serve all eligible, creditworthy 

potential borrowers in your territory.