Agricultural Loans

Sterling Federal Bank understands that farming is more than just a business, it’s a way of life. 

Like many local farms, we have served the area for generations.  Since 1885 we have helped area families in Northwest Illinois, and now Northeast Iowa, to meet their financial needs.  Sterling Federal’s Ag Team has over 80 years of lending experience and is constantly learning in order to meet the challenges facing the modern farmer.  As a true community bank all loan decisions are made locally, allowing us to respond to our borrowers more quickly.   Sterling Federal Bank believes in agriculture.  We invest in it. It’s a way of life.

Sterling Federal Bank is here to serve the agri-business community. We pride ourselves on being a long-term relationship lender and offer the services below.

Committed to our Farmers!

Farm Real Estate Loans

Our Farm Real Estate loans are usually fixed rate loans on either farmland or land associated with agriculture including buildings. We offer various options for terms and amortizations to meet the needs of our customers.


Operating Lines of Credit

Operating lines of credit are available for your farming operation so you can feel confident that you have money available to you for input costs and rents. We offer both fixed and variable rates to meet your preferences.


Farmer Mac Loan Products

We are a Farmer Mac lender and offer their products to help meet your needs.


Equipment Loans

Equipment loans can include vehicles and other machinery valuable to your ag operation. We offer both new and used equipment financing with fixed rates available to offer you peace of mind as you search for your next piece of equipment.


Inventory Loans

Farm inventory loans for agricultural products such as livestock or grain on hand may be useful to your business for cash flow purposes. Let us help you with variable and fixed rate options available.

Reach out to one of our commercial/agricultural lenders today. Other loan products may be available to you upon request.

Ag-Related Links

  • Illinois Farm Bureau Farm Management Association www.fbfm.org.  A cooperative educational-service program to assist farmers with management decision making.
  • Farmdoc www.farmdoc.illinois.edu.  Contains commodity prices and agriculture-related news with links to other relevant websites.
  • Fastline www.fastline.com.  Search for and find equipment, dealers, pricing and commodities updates.
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture www.usda.gov.
  • Farmer Mac