One obstacle new Montana farmers and ranchers face is acquiring land, but now there's a new program through the U.S. Farm Service Agency designed to help find a way around those barriers. Assistant director of the rural policy program with the Center for Rural Affairs Traci Bruckner, says the Land Contract Guarantee program can help both buyers and sellers.

The Center for Rural Affairs is offering free assistance.

The buyer must be a beginning or socially-disadvantaged farmer or rancher with a good credit history, but unable to obtain credit elsewhere.

The seller carries the contract, rather than a bank. Buyers have to put at least five percent down, and there are limits on the total amount of the sale.

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