Planting, Harvest, and the Months Between
Agriculture runs on the widest cash-flow gap in business: input costs — seed, fertilizer, crop protection, fuel — go out months before the first dollar of revenue comes back. And harvest isn't the finish line; wholesalers, packers, and distributors settle on their own schedule, sometimes weeks after delivery. The operation carries payroll, equipment payments, and land costs across that entire stretch.
Equipment timing rarely cooperates either. The right tractor, harvester, or implement shows up at an auction or on a dealer's lot on its schedule, not yours — and a 60-day bank process usually means watching someone else buy it. Coast's equipment financing can work straight from the invoice or auction sheet in hand.
Every experienced operator also plans for variability — weather, input prices, market swings. Carrying a working-capital cushion into the season isn't pessimism; it's the same discipline as carrying crop insurance. Traditional lenders often want land as collateral before they'll help. Coast underwrites the operation's revenue instead, so planning for the season doesn't have to mean a lien on the ground.
What Farms and Ranches Fund with Coast
Input costs ahead of planting
Seed, fertilizer, crop protection, and fuel all come due before the season starts. Working capital covers the buy so the planting window never waits on cash.
Equipment purchases on the market's timeline
A tractor, harvester, or implement at auction or on a dealer's lot — financed over 2–5 years with the equipment itself as collateral.
Payroll across the gap
Keep a year-round crew paid between planting and settlement, so experienced hands aren't lost to a seasonal cash squeeze.
Bridging buyer settlements
Wholesalers, packers, and distributors pay on their schedule, not yours. Short-term funding carries the operation from delivery to deposit.
Facility improvements
Irrigation upgrades, cold storage, greenhouse expansion, a packing line, or grain handling — term funding sized to the project rather than the land.
Resetting after a hard season
When a tough year leaves obligations stacked awkwardly, restructuring into one manageable payment can steady the operation heading into the next season.
Match Your Situation to the Right Program
| Your situation | The fit | Why |
|---|
| Inputs due months before any revenue | Working Capital | $5K–$2M funded in as little as 24 hours, with the draw and term sized to what the operation can carry through the season |
| Tractor, harvester, or implement invoice in hand | Equipment Financing | $10K–$5M over 2–5 years; the equipment is the collateral — no lien on the ground required |
| A facility project — irrigation, cold storage, greenhouse, packing line | Business Loan | A lump sum with a fixed payment schedule over 4–36 months, sized to the build |
| The same seasonal swing arrives every year | Business Line of Credit | Draw through the gap, pay only on what you use, and pay the balance down at settlement |
| Land, buildings, or a long-horizon expansion | SBA Loans | $50K–$5M at longer terms for the permanent moves |
Real Funding, Real Farmers
A state contract, and capital in place before the work started
A Florida agricultural operation more than thirty years in business, running about $3.2M a year, had just been awarded a state DOT contract and wanted materials secured before the work started. His advisor structured a $37,500 line against the contract rather than a lump sum, so the capital sat ready behind an $8.9M book of work instead of adding a payment the operation did not yet need. That is how Coast's programs are built to work — arranged ahead of the season, sized to the work in front of you, and there again the next time the calendar turns.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you offer agriculture business loans to farms directly?
Yes. Growers, nurseries, greenhouses, packers, and agricultural service businesses can all qualify on the same basis: a year or more in business, $100K+ in annual revenue, a business bank account, and a minimum 600+ FICO. Coast underwrites the operation's revenue rather than requiring farmland as collateral, which is the sticking point that stops many ag businesses at a traditional bank.
Can I fund input costs before planting?
Yes — pre-season input buys are exactly what working capital is designed for. Seed, fertilizer, crop protection, and fuel can be funded ahead of planting. Payments run on a regular schedule from funding, so your advisor sizes the draw and term to what the operation can carry before settlement — and because you pay only for the time funds are outstanding, paying down after harvest reduces your total cost. If the same gap arrives every year, a business line of credit lets you draw each season and pay only on what you use.
Can I finance used or auction equipment?
Yes. Coast finances new and used agricultural equipment — tractors, harvesters, implements, handling and processing equipment — including purchases at auction or from a neighboring operation. The equipment itself serves as collateral on terms of two to five years, and an invoice, quote, or auction sheet in hand is usually enough to get started quickly. Fixed installations like irrigation systems can't serve as equipment collateral — those projects are typically structured as a term loan instead, and your advisor will route it correctly.
How does seasonality affect qualification?
It doesn't count against you. Underwriting reviews a full year of revenue, so concentrated harvest income and quiet winters read as a normal agricultural pattern, not instability. Payment schedules — weekly or monthly — can be matched to how cash actually arrives in your operation, and your advisor will structure around your season rather than forcing a flat calendar onto it.
Do you require land as collateral?
No — Coast's working capital programs are underwritten on the operation's revenue, so getting through a season doesn't start with a lien on your ground. Equipment financing is secured by the equipment being purchased, and nothing more. For long-horizon projects where real estate is genuinely the right structure, an SBA loan can be explored — but it's an option, never the default.
What happens if a hard season hits mid-term?
Talk to your advisor early — before a payment is missed, not after. Structures and options vary by program and situation, so no lender can promise a specific outcome in advance, but Coast's model is relationship-based: a person who knows your business, not a collections queue. Planning for variability is part of responsible borrowing, and it's a conversation worth having before you sign, too.
How fast can an ag business get funded?
Most growers see a decision the same day, and funding typically follows within a few business days once documents are in. Coast has funded growing operations start-to-finish inside a week. If a planting window, an auction date, or a settlement delay is driving your timing, tell your advisor the date you need it by. Closing documents signed by 11 AM PT can fund the same business day.
Programs Built for Agriculture
Funding for Related Industries
Talk to someone who knows your industry
A dedicated Business Funding Advisor can structure capital around how your business actually operates. No hard credit pull to apply.
*Closing documents must be completed by 11 AM PT Monday through Friday to receive funds the same business day. Weekend approvals will be processed the following business day.
Client examples reflect actual funded transactions with identifying details removed; individual results vary and are subject to underwriting approval.
Certain programs may be made available or arranged pursuant to California Financing Law License No. 60DBO-146720.
