.jpg)
For immediate release
Farmers Can Now Pay Retailers with CFA-Backed Input Loans Digitally Through Bushel
Several ag retailers are now live with digital input financing through Bushel, giving farmers a secure way to connect CFA loans and make payments online.
FARGO, N.D., March 9, 2026 – Bushel,a leader in digital payments and workflow solutions for agriculture, announced the live launch of a new integration with the Cooperative Finance Association (CFA) through Bushel. The integration enables real-time access to input financing loans for farmers and unlocks digital payments for ag retailers. Several ag retailers now have this feature live and available for their farmer customers including Adell Cooperative, Cloud County Cooperative, C-W Valley Co-op, and Golden Valley, Inc.
Any farmer with an eligible CFA loan can connect their account directly to Bushel Wallet and manage repayments digitally. This marks the first time CFA funds can be used to pay a retailer digitally within Bushel’s platform, simplifying a process that previously required multiple manual steps, including phone calls, check mailing, and spreadsheet tracking.
“Before this, we had to manually process CFA loan requests and payments,” said Katie Hammeke, Office Manager at Golden Valley, Inc. “Now, we can receive digital loan advances and payments directly from the farmer, which saves time for both sides and keeps our operations moving.”
The integration offers a full end-to-end experience:
Farm debt in the U.S. is hitting an all-time high, with USDA projections showing total farm lending surpassing $540 billion in 2025. Higher input costs, tighter margins, and equipment expenses are driving increased reliance on credit lines—and increasing the need for better tools to manage them.
"This launch comes at a crucial time as growers are grappling with higher input costs, tighter margins, and equipment expenses. These challenges are driving an increased reliance on credit lines, underscoring the necessity for better tools to manage these financial pressures,” Ross Johnson, CFA CEO said. “CFA is thrilled to partner with Bushel to introduce the Wallet functionality to our members and their grower customers through its state-of-the-art financial management tools."
Ag retailers using digital payment tools from Bushel report an average reduction of 13 days in Days Sales Outstanding (DSO). By offering secure, flexible ways for farmers to pay—including ACH, credit card, and line of credit—retailers can accelerate payment cycles and improve cash flow. When combined with easier access to input financing, such as CFA loans now available in Bushel Wallet, farmers can pay invoices digitally using available funds. This approach helps reduce delays, ease administrative work and support more timely purchasing decisions.
“Farmers need fast, simple access to capital. Retailers want financing to feel like part of the sale—not a separate hurdle,” said Doug Richards, COO and CTO at CFA. “This partnership with Bushel makes that possible. It’s secure, easy to use, and unlike anything else in the market. And now, it’s live for retailers like CW Valley.”
“Farmers, retailers, and lenders all benefit when input financing becomes part of the digital workflow. Our work with CFA shows how these connections should work—simple, fast, and built into the tools ag businesses already use. This is just the beginning of what we’re building to modernize financial transactions in agriculture,” said Jake Joraanstad, CEO at Bushel.
About Cooperative Finance Association (CFA)
Founded in 1943, the Cooperative Finance Association (CFA) is a member-owned cooperative dedicated to providing innovative, flexible financial solutions to agricultural cooperatives and producers across the United States. Through a strategic relationship with CoBank, CFA delivers customized financing options designed to support the growth, sustainability, and success of American agriculture. CFA’s Field Finance platform, combined with its robust patronage program, exemplifies its commitment to advancing cooperative principles and empowering rural communities.
About Bushel
Bushel is an independent software company based in Fargo, N.D. that provides an integrated workflow solution for agriculture. Bushel’s platform includes customer relationship management, customer and commercial portals, offer and hedge management, and farm management and advisement software. Through its wholly-owned subsidiary Bushel Exchange, LLC, Bushel also provides digital payment solutions to its customers. These solutions improve operational efficiency, deliver crucial insights, and increase flexibility, enabling grain buyers, processors, ag retailers, ag lenders and farmers to adapt and expand their operations. Bushel now powers more than 3,500 grain and ag retail facilities, representing more than 50% of U.S. and Canadian grain origination. Over 100,000 farmers use Bushel's technology, making it one of the largest technology networks in U.S. agribusiness. Bushel also meets SOC 2 Type II standards, ensuring robust data security.
*Any farmer with an eligible CFA loan can connect their account directly to Bushel Wallet and manage repayments digitally. This marks the first time CFA funds can be used to pay a retailer digitally within Bushel’s platform, simplifying a process that previously required multiple manual steps, including phone calls, check mailing, and spreadsheet tracking.
%20(1).jpg)
