Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA is establishing new programs and efforts to bring financial assistance to farmers, ranchers and producers who felt the impact of COVID-19 market disruptions. The new initiative—USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers—will reach a broader set of producers than in previous COVID-19 aid programs.

USDA is dedicating at least $6 billion toward the new programs. The Department will also develop rules for new programs that will put a greater emphasis on outreach to small and socially disadvantaged producers, specialty crop and organic producers, timber harvesters, as well as provide support for the food supply chain and producers of renewable fuel, among others. Existing programs like the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) will fall within the new initiative and, where statutory authority allows, will be refined to better address the needs of producers.

USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers was needed, said Vilsack, after a review of previous COVID-19 assistance programs targeting farmers identified a number of gaps and disparities in how assistance was distributed as well as inadequate outreach to underserved producers and smaller and medium operations.

USDA will reopen sign-up for CFAP 2 for at least 60 days beginning on April 5, 2021. The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) has committed at least $2.5 million to improve outreach for CFAP 2 and will establish partnerships with organizations with strong connections to socially disadvantaged communities to ensure they are informed and aware of the application process.

USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers – 4 Parts

Part 1: Investing $6 Billion to Expand Help & Assistance to More Producers

USDA will dedicate at least $6 billion to develop a number of new programs or modify existing proposals using discretionary funding from the Consolidated Appropriations Act and other coronavirus funding that went unspent by the previous administration.

Part 2: Adding $500 Million of New Funding to Existing Programs

USDA expects to begin investing approximately $500 million in expedited assistance through several existing programs this spring, with most by April 30.

Part 3: Carrying Out Formula Payments under CFAP 1, CFAP 2, CFAP AA

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, enacted December 2020 requires FSA to make certain payments to producers according to a mandated formula. USDA is now expediting these provisions because there is no discretion involved in interpreting such directives, they are self-enacting.

• An increase in CFAP 1 payment rates for cattle. Cattle producers with approved CFAP 1 applications will automatically receive these payments beginning in April. Information on the additional payment rates for cattle can be found on farmers.gov/cfap. Eligible producers do not need to submit new applications, since payments are based on previously approved CFAP 1 application. USDA estimates additional payments of more than $1.1 billion to more than 410,000 producers, according to the mandated formula.
• Additional CFAP assistance of $20 per acre for producers of eligible crops identified as CFAP 2 flat-rate or price-trigger crops beginning in April. This includes alfalfa, corn, cotton, hemp, peanuts, rice, sorghum, soybeans, sugar beets and wheat, among other crops. FSA will automatically issue payments to eligible price trigger and flat-rate crop producers based on the eligible acres included on their CFAP 2 applications. Eligible producers do not need to submit a new CFAP 2 application. For a list of all eligible row-crops, visit farmers.gov/cfap. USDA estimates additional payments of more than $4.5 billion to more than 560,000 producers, according to the mandated formula.
• USDA will finalize routine decisions and minor formula adjustments on applications and begin processing payments for certain applications filed as part of the CFAP Additional Assistance program in the following categories:
• Applications filed for pullets and turfgrass sod;
• A formula correction for row-crop producer applications to allow producers with a non-Actual Production History (APH) insurance policy to use 100% of the 2019 Agriculture Risk Coverage-County Option (ARC-CO) benchmark yield in the calculation;
• Sales commodity applications revised to include insurance indemnities, Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program payments, and Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus payments, as required by statute; and
• Additional payments for swine producers and contract growers under CFAP Additional Assistance remain on hold and are likely to require modifications to the regulation as part of the broader evaluation and future assistance; however, FSA will continue to accept applications from interested producers.

Part 4: Reopening CFAP 2 Sign-Up to Improve Access & Outreach to Underserved Producers

As noted above, USDA will re-open sign-up for of CFAP 2 for at least 60 days beginning on April 5, 2021.

• FSA has committed at least $2.5 million to establish partnerships and direct outreach efforts intended to improve outreach for CFAP 2 and will cooperate with grassroots organizations with strong connections to socially disadvantaged communities to ensure they are informed and aware of the application process.

Please visit www.farmers.gov  for additional information and announcements under the USDA Pandemic Assistance to Producers initiative, which will help to expand and more equitably distribute financial assistance to producers and farming operations during the COVID-19 national emergency.

Important Note:  This program is offered through the Fauquier County Agricultural Development Office is in no way associated with USDA or USDA programs, services or products. All inquiries related to this program should be directed to the Fauquier County Agricultural Development Office at 540-422-8280.

Fauquier County Purchase of Development Rights Program will open a new application cycle beginning March 15, 2021 through May 31, 2021.

The Fauquier County Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) Program is currently accepting new applications.  The program is a voluntary program that pays landowners in exchange for relinquishing the residential development potential of qualifying farmland to the County (with ownership and use of the property still maintained by the landowner).  The purpose of the program is to protect working farmland and help to maintain the agricultural heritage and industry of the county.  To date, approximately 13,090 acres have been approved for the PDR Program.  Fauquier County leads the Commonwealth in farmland acreage protected through PDR.

To obtain an application or more information, please contact:

                           Fauquier County Agricultural Development Department

                                    35 Culpeper Street, Warrenton, VA  20186

                                    (540)422-8280  or  www.fauquierag.com

Are you interested in keeping your working land productive for years to come? Use Natural Resources Conservation Service’s new Conservation Concerns Tool to learn about conservation concerns that might impact your agricultural operation, then work with us on solutions targeted to fit your business needs. This tool is available now on our farmers.gov website, no login or account necessary. 

With plain language and illustrative photos, the Conservation Concerns Tool provides a walkthrough of more than 40 conservation concerns related to soil, water, plants, animals, energy and air. Use the tool to create a list of resource concerns specific to your farm, ranch, or working forest lands, then download or print your list to share with NRCS staff at your local USDA Service Center.

We have a video available to walk you through the tool so you can see how it works.

The Conservation Concerns Tool is built to run on any modern browser such as Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari and is fully functional on mobile devices. Whether you work from your desktop at home or your smartphone in the field, this new tool offers personalized conservation insights to meet the needs of 21^st century agriculture. Visit farmers.gov/conserve to learn about additional USDA resources available for your working land.