Because money doesn't grow on trees, there's the Farm Credit Administration (FCA). The FCA is responsible for regulating the banks and associations of the Farm Credit System, which is a nationwide network of borrower-owned institutions that lend money to farmers, ranchers, cooperatives, and other agricultural workers. Formed in 1933, the FCA ensures a dependable source of credit America's farmers and ranchers by making sure the banking activities of the Farm Credit System are in compliance with the Farm Credit Act of 1971. Although the FCA is a federal agency in the executive branch of the US government, it is not supported by federal money, but rather by assessments paid by Farm Credit System institutions.