In This Issue:
March is Women’s History Month, a time for us to recognize how women always demonstrate the strength, capacity and tenacity needed to achieve the goals they set for themselves, their families and their careers. Throughout the month, we place special emphasis on women’s contributions to our shared history while also recognizing and acknowledging the impact and influence women have on our daily lives.
I am honored to work for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which has placed a commitment to building a modern workplace that advances diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, and that supports women leaders at all rungs of our organization. I am also very proud of the women who make up our Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) workforce. We celebrate the assistance they provide to our customers in helping them get conservation on the ground.
We also honor and pay tribute to the accomplished, visionary, and trailblazing women farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who provide the food and fiber to help feed the world. They serve as an inspiration of expanded opportunity and endless possibilities for all women and girls.
In addition, March 21 was National Ag Day, a time for us to thank farmers, ranchers, forest landowners and all those who work in the agriculture sector across Arkansas for feeding, sheltering and powering our nation. We celebrate and recognize the pivotal role of Arkansas producers in mitigating climate change through voluntary conservation efforts.
This year’s theme was Agriculture: Growing a Climate for Tomorrow. Climate change is happening, evidenced by persistent drought, frequent tornadoes and storms, and larger and more powerful wildfires. Our agricultural communities are on the frontlines. Now is the time for us to act, and Arkansas producers are doing their part.
NRCS is continuously working to improve our programs to ensure we are giving producers the best tools to conserve natural resources. We want a broad array of agriculture to see themselves in this effort, including small and historically underserved producers as well as early adopters.
Spring is here and it’s time for spring planting season. High Tunnels protect plants from severe weather and allow farmers to extend their growing seasons – growing earlier into the spring, later into the fall, and sometimes, year-round.
NRCS can assist farmers integrate high tunnels into their operations and provide assistance through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Some of the benefits of high tunnels include:
- extended growing season;
- improved plant and soil quality;
- reduced nutrient use, pollen and pesticide drift.
Perhaps the best thing about high tunnels is that they help farmers provide their communities with healthy local food for much of the year – food that requires less energy and transportation inputs and provides communities with greater food security.
For more information, contact the district conservationist at your local USDA Field Service Center by logging on to https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/conservation-basics/conservation-by-state/arkansas.
Important Dates to Remember:
Conservation Stewardship Program-Classic Application Deadline: March 31
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)-Climate Smart Agriculture and Forestry Application Deadline: March 31
EQIP- Conservation Incentive Contracts Application Deadline: March 31
Arkansas Women in Agriculture Conference: April 3 - 4, Hotel Hot Springs
A Working Lands for Wildlife Pollinator Conservation Webinar Series, presented by Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever, in partnership with USDA-NRCS’s Working Lands for Wildlife, aims to enhance understanding, confidence and knowledge of pollinator conservation concepts, and is designed for conservation professionals working in the southeast. All webinars will be recorded and made available on the WLFW Landscape Portal https://landscapepartnership.org/networks/working-lands-for-wildlife. Contact: Celia Vuocolo, WLFW Pollinator Coordinator-East at cvuocolo@quailforever.org for additional information.
April 7 - Pollination Biology Basics
May 12 - Who are the Southeast Region’s Pollinators
June 9 - Species of Conservation Concern: Bumble Bees in the Southeast
July 21 - Species of Conservation Concern: Monarch Butterfly in the Southeast
August 11 - Species of Conservation Concern: SWAP & Listed species for 15 Southeast States
September 15 - Planning & Establishing Pollinator Habitat
October 6 - Maintaining Pollinator Habitat
November 3 - Do I Need a Pollinator Seed Mix and How to Build One
December 7 - Pollinators & Livestock Grazing
January 5, 2024 - Pollinators & Forestland: Underappreciated Pollinator Habitat
February 2, 2024 - How to do a Pollinator Outreach Event
March 8, 2024 - PF/QF’s Pollinator Habitat Program
Webinars will be held at 11:30-12:30 p.m. CST
Greetings
National Agriculture Day was on March 21st. It was a day to recognize the farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners who are the best stewards of our land and are growing a climate for tomorrow, for our state, our nation and our world.
Farm Service Agency (FSA) is also celebrating Women’s History Month. It is a time we can all celebrate and honor the celebrate and honor the immeasurable contributions of women to history, culture, and society. Not only have women help shape our history but continue to do so. As Dr. Maya Angelou said, “Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women.” In 1987, the U.S. Congress designated and observed the month of March as Women’s History Month to focus on the overlooked and undervalued role of American women in history. This year, the 2023 Women’s History Theme is “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories,” which honors women who have devoted their lives to pursuing truth and reflecting society in media.
FSA now has a new, simplified, direct loan application to provide improved customer experience for producers applying for loans. The simplified direct loan application enables producers to complete a more streamlined application, reduced from 29 to 13 pages. Producers will also have the option to complete an electronic fillable form or prepare a traditional, paper application for submission to their local FSA farm loan office. The paper and electronic versions of the form were available March 1, 2023. Please contact your local office for additional information.
USDA has announced plans to provide up to $250 million in assistance to rice farmers and what steps they can take to be prepared to sign up when the program is released later this spring. USDA is sharing information early so producers can prepare for program signup, which will include a pre-filled application in an effort to simplify and streamline the application process. On Dec. 29, 2022, H.R. 2617, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, was signed into law. It provides the authority and funding for USDA to make payments to rice producers based on data already on file with the USDA, including planted acres and acres prevented from being planted. Additional Information will be forthcoming.
Filing taxes can be challenging, especially if you are new to USDA programs or running a farm business, or if you are trying to forecast your farm’s tax bill. USDA has partnered with tax experts from across the country to connect producers to information and resources related to taxes and USDA program payments, including those from the Inflation Reduction Act for distressed borrowers. Webinars will also be available, as well as, a new tax estimator tool. To learn more, visit farmers.gov/taxes.
For more information on Farm Service Agency (FSA), contact your local USDA service center or visit www.farmers.gov.
Our goal is to serve all farmers, ranchers, and agricultural partners; equitably; through the delivery of effective and efficient agricultural programs.
Until next time…
Farmers and landowners have until March 31, 2023, to apply for funding consideration during the 2023 USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) Classic enrollment period. Producers in portions of Greene, Craighead, Lawrence, and Jackson counties will also have the opportunity to apply for CSP in the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI)-West Craighead project area.”.
CSP offers additional opportunities to expand on existing conservation efforts by offering conservation practices, enhancements, bundles, and other conservation activities.
“The Conservation Stewardship Program continues to be a very effective tool for private landowners working to achieve their conservation and management goals,” said Mike Sullivan, Arkansas NRCS state conservationist.
While applications are accepted throughout the year, interested producers should submit applications including the NRCS-CPA-1200 and maps that identify and delineate the boundaries of all eligible land uses and acres included in the operation to their local NRCS office by March 31, 2023, to ensure their applications are considered for 2023 CSP Classic funding. Applicants are encouraged to work with NRCS and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to complete eligibility requirements at their earliest convenience during the application process.
CSP is offered in Arkansas through continuous sign-ups. The program provides many benefits including increased crop yields, decreased inputs, wildlife habitat improvements and increased resilience to weather extremes. CSP is for working lands including cropland, pastureland, rangeland, nonindustrial private forest land and agricultural land under the jurisdiction of a tribe.
For additional information about CSP, contact your local USDA Service Center https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is announcing several new and expanded opportunities for climate-smart agriculture in 2023. Updates include nationwide availability of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Conservation Incentive Contracts (CIC) option and EQIP Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry (CSAF). These improvements to NRCS’s working lands conservation programs, combined with continued program opportunities in Arkansas, are part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s broader effort to support climate-smart agriculture.
“America’s farmers, ranchers, and forest owners are leading the way in implementing climate-smart solutions across their operations,” Arkansas NRCS State Conservationist Mike Sullivan said. “We are continuing to support the adoption of conservation approaches to assist Arkansas producers in their work addressing the climate crisis and building more resilient operations. We are continuously working to improve our programs to ensure we are giving farmers and ranchers the best tools to conserve natural resources. We want a broad array of agriculture to see themselves in this effort, including small and historically underserved producers as well as early adopters.”
EQIP CSAF
The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is holding a signup to support climate-smart agriculture and forestry through voluntary conservation practices. This assistance, available through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), will help agricultural producers plan and implement voluntary conservation practices that sequester carbon, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the impacts of climate change on working lands.
NRCS will rank applications for funding based on expected climate change mitigation benefits. Producers can contact the NRCS office at their local USDA Service Center to learn more about the selection process for awarding contracts. Priority conservation categories in Arkansas include:
- Improving conservation management for rice production
- Includes producers in Craighead, Poinsett, Cross, Lonoke, Prairie, Phillips, Jefferson, Arkansas, Mississippi, Crittenden and St. Francis counties
- Improving agroforestry, forestry and upland wildlife habitat
Includes producers in Saline, Hot Spring, Clark, Nevada, Hempstead, Lafayette, Columbia, Grant, Dallas, Ouachita, Union, Bradley, Calhoun, Cleveland, Jefferson, Ashley, Drew and Lincoln counties.
NRCS accepts program applications on a continuous basis but sets dates to batch and rank applications as funding allows. Farmers and landowners in Arkansas who submit applications to their local NRCS office by March 31, 2023, will be considered for this round of funding. Applications received after March 31 will be considered in later funding periods, subject to funding availability.
EQIP CIC
Conservation Incentive Contracts (CIC) address priority resource concerns, including sequestering carbon and improving soil health in high-priority areas. Through these contracts, NRCS works with producers to strengthen the quality and condition of natural resources on their operations using management practices, such as irrigation water management, drainage water management, feed management, and residue and tillage management that target resource concerns, including degraded soil and water quality, available water and soil erosion.
CIC offer producers annual incentive payments to implement management practices as well as conservation evaluation and monitoring activities to help manage, maintain and improve priority natural resource concerns within state high-priority areas and build on existing conservation efforts.
NRCS Arkansas is accepting EQIP-CIC applications in several counties for livestock producers to address soil quality, plant condition, and threats to water quality. Livestock producers in Cleburne, Columbia, Conway, Crawford, Faulkner, Franklin, Hempstead, Howard, Independence, Jackson, Johnson, Lafayette, Lawrence, Little River, Logan, Miller, Montgomery, Nevada, Perry, Pike, Polk, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Scott, Sebastian, Sevier, Sharp, Van Buren and Yell counties will have until March 31, 2023, to apply for the EQIP-Conservation Incentive Contracts.
How to Apply
NRCS accepts applications for conservation programs – including EQIP – year-round, however producers and landowners should apply by state specific signup dates to be considered for each year’s funding. That includes March 31, 2023, Climate - Smart Agriculture Forestry and for the Conservation Incentive Contracts. To apply, producers should contact their local USDA Service Center.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is asking for public input on two water quality conservation initiatives, the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI) and the National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI). Through the Federal Register notice published today, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) seeks feedback on how best to target program benefits, quantify impact, and improve program delivery and outreach in the future.
“In watersheds across the country, we have seen the benefits of targeting resources, working one-on-one with farmers and ranchers to voluntarily implement conservation practices that improve water quality and often have climate co-benefits” said NRCS Chief Terry Cosby. “We’re proud of what the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative and the National Water Quality Initiative have accomplished, and we look forward to continuing to improve our efforts to ensure they provide the greatest impact for producers, communities and our nation’s waterways.”
Information gathered through the Federal Register notice will help inform NRCS efforts to identify and prioritize improvements to these initiatives starting in fiscal year 2024.
This is a 30-day public comment period. Public comments should be submitted through the Federal Register notice by April 7, 2023. Questions should be sent to SM.NRCS.LandscapeConservationInitiatives@usda.gov.
Launched in 2009, the 12-state MRBI uses several Farm Bill programs, including the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), to help landowners sustain America’s natural resources through voluntary conservation. States within the Mississippi River Basin have developed nutrient reduction strategies to minimize the contributions of nitrogen and phosphorus to surface waters within the basin, and ultimately to the Gulf of Mexico. MRBI uses a small watershed approach Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC 12) to support the states’ reduction strategies. Avoiding, controlling and trapping practices are implemented to reduce the amount of nutrients flowing from agricultural land into waterways and to improve the resiliency of working lands.
Over the past ten years, MRBI has helped farmers and ranchers:
- Implement conservation on nearly 1.5 million acres.
- Reduce sediment loss by more than 2.4 million tons.
- Reduce phosphorous loss by more than 5.5 million pounds.
- Reduce nitrogen loss by more than 20.2 million pounds.
NWQI was launched in 2012, and is a partnership among NRCS, state water quality agencies and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to identify and address impaired water bodies through voluntary conservation. Through NWQI, NRCS provides targeted funding for financial and technical assistance to help farmers apply conservation practices to protect water resources.
Over the past ten years through NWQI, NRCS helped farmers and ranchers:
- Reduce sediment loss by more than 1.1 million tons.
- Reduce phosphorus loss by more than 3.1 million pounds.
- Reduce nitrogen loss by more than 13.5 million pounds.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit usda.gov.
The USDA Arkansas Farm Service Agency (FSA) is committed to educating producers on available programs and loans. FSA representatives will be available at the following workshops and conferences. Producers interested in attending these conferences/workshops should follow the registration or RSVP instructions listed below.
Apr 3rd-4th - Arkansas Women in Agriculture Conference (AWIA) Arkansas Women in Agriculture is hosting the 2023 Conference on April 3 & 4, 2023. Please save the date! The conference will be held at the Hot Springs Convention Center, 134 Convention Blvd, Hot Springs, AR. Chana Thompson, Farm Loan Program Chief, will sit on the USDA Panel, FSA will have an Information Booth, and other Employees will be available to discuss programs and answer questions. Take advantage of the early bird rates before March 1, 2023. Please visit: AWIAs Website for additional information.
Borrower training is available for all Farm Service Agency customers. This training is required for all direct loan applicants, unless the applicant has a waiver issued by the agency.
The Small Farm Program at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) will be conducting financial management and production training which will satisfy the Borrower Training requirements for many new or beginning Farm Service Agency (FSA) borrowers.
Borrower training includes instruction in production and financial management. The purpose is to help the applicant develop and improve skills that are necessary to successfully operate a farm and build equity in the operation. It aims to help the producer become financially successful. Borrower training is provided, for a fee, by agency approved vendors. Contact your local FSA Farm Loan Manager for a list of approved vendors.
The first course is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, April 12th – 13th, in the conference room of the UAPB S.J. Parker Agricultural Research Center. The course gets underway at 9:00 a.m. each day and ends at 4:30 p.m. Producers will undergo two days of intensive education consisting of 12 hours of farm business training and six hours of production, crop or livestock training.
Producers will have required homework and will be tested at the end of the training. They will receive a score of 1 to 3. A score of 1 or 2 is needed to pass the course. The score will be sent to the FSA state office and to the borrower’s local FSA loan officer. Most producers have two years from receipt of their first FSA loan to complete the Borrower Training.
The cost for the training is $300 per person. Funds will go to a UAPB Small Farm Program Borrower Training Fund. Fees will be collected on the first day of the course. Only a cashier’s check or money order, made payable to UAPB Small Farm Program, will be accepted. Please email registration forms to Karen Lee at leek@uapb.edu.
The S.J. Parker Agricultural Research Center is located at 2101 Oliver Road in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Please use the second door entrance. For additional information, please contact Stephan Walker, UAPB Small Farm Program, at (870) 575-7237. Contact your local FSA office for additional training options.
Using the correct signature when doing business with FSA can save time and prevent a delay in program benefits.
The following are FSA signature guidelines:
- A married woman must sign her given name: Mrs. Mary Doe, not Mrs. John Doe
- For a minor, FSA requires the minor's signature and one from the minor’s parent
Note, by signing a document with a minor, the parent is liable for actions of the minor and may be liable for refunds, liquidated damages, etc.
When signing on one’s behalf the signature must agree with the name typed or printed on the form or be a variation that does not cause the name and signature to be in disagreement. Example - John W. Smith is on the form. The signature may be John W. Smith or J.W. Smith or J. Smith. Or Mary J. Smith may be signed as Mrs. Mary Joe Smith, M.J. Smith, Mary Smith, etc.
FAXED signatures will be accepted for certain forms and other documents provided the acceptable program forms are approved for FAXED signatures. Producers are responsible for the successful transmission and receipt of FAXED information.
Spouses may sign documents on behalf of each other for FSA and CCC programs in which either has an interest, unless written notification denying a spouse this authority has been provided to the county office.
Spouses cannot sign on behalf of each other as an authorized signatory for partnerships, joint ventures, corporations or other similar entities. Likewise, a spouse cannot sign a document on behalf of the other in order to affirm the eligibility of oneself.
Any member of a general partnership can sign on behalf of the general partnership and bind all members unless the Articles of Partnership are more restrictive. Spouses may sign on behalf of each other’s individual interest in a partnership, unless notification denying a spouse that authority is provided to the county office. Acceptable signatures for general partnerships, joint ventures, corporations, estates, and trusts must consist of an indicator “by” or “for” the individual’s name, individual’s name and capacity, or individual’s name, capacity, and name of entity.
For additional clarification on proper signatures contact your local FSA office.
Fruit, vegetable, and wild rice producers will continue to follow the same rules for certain Farm Service Agency (FSA) programs.
If you intend to participate in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs, you are subject to an acre-for-acre payment reduction when fruits and nuts, vegetables or wild rice are planted on payment acres of a farm. Payment reductions do not apply to mung beans, dry peas, lentils or chickpeas. Planting fruits, vegetables or wild rice on acres not considered payment acres will not result in a payment reduction. Farms that are eligible to participate in ARC/PLC but are not enrolled for a particular year may plant unlimited fruits, vegetables and wild rice for that year but will not receive ARC/PLC payments. Eligibility for succeeding years is not affected.
Planting and harvesting fruits, vegetables and wild rice on ARC/PLC acreage is subject to the acre-for-acre payment reduction when those crops are planted on more than 15 percent of the base acres of an ARC enrolled farm using the county coverage or PLC, or more than 35 percent of the base acres of an ARC enrolled farm using the individual coverage.
Fruits, vegetables, and wild rice that are planted in a double-cropping practice will not cause a payment reduction if the farm is in a double-cropping region as designated by the USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that agricultural producers and private landowners can begin applying for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) General signup starting February 27 through April 7, 2023. CRP is a cornerstone voluntary conservation program offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and a key tool in the Biden-Harris administration’s effort to address climate change and help agricultural communities invest in the long-term well-being of their land and natural resources.
Producers and landowners enrolled more than 5 million acres into CRP through signups in 2022, building on the acceptance of more than 3.1 million acres in the largest Grassland CRP signup in history. There are currently 23 million acres enrolled in CRP, with 1.9 million set to expire this year. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is aiming to reach the 27-million-acre cap statutorily set for fiscal year 2023.
General CRP
General CRP helps producers and landowners establish long-term, resource-conserving plant species, such as approved grasses or trees, to control soil erosion, improve water quality and enhance wildlife habitat on cropland. Additionally, General CRP includes a Climate-Smart Practice Incentive to help increase carbon sequestration and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by helping producers and landowners establish trees and permanent grasses, enhance wildlife habitat, and restore wetlands.
Continuous CRP
Under Continuous CRP, producers and landowners can enroll in CRP throughout the year. Offers are automatically accepted provided the producer and land meet the eligibility requirements and the enrollment levels do not exceed the statutory cap. The Climate-Smart Practice Incentive is also available in the Continuous signup.
FSA offers several additional enrollment opportunities within Continuous CRP, including the Clean Lakes Estuaries and Rivers Initiative (CLEAR30), the State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) Initiative, the Farmable Wetlands Program (FWP), and the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). The CLEAR30 Initiative, which was originally piloted in twelve states in the Great Lakes and Chesapeake Bay watershed, has been expanded nationwide, allowing producers and landowners to enroll in 30-year CRP contracts for water quality practices. Under this administration, FSA also moved SAFE practices back to the Continuous CRP signup, giving producers and landowners more opportunities to participate in the initiative. Through the FWP, producers and landowners can enroll land in CRP as part of their efforts to restore previously farmed wetlands and wetland buffers, to improve both vegetation and water flow.
This administration has also made significant improvements to CREP, which leverages federal and non-federal funds to target specific State, regional or nationally significant conservation concerns. Specifically, USDA made significant improvements to CREP to reduce barriers and make the program more accessible to a broad range of producers and new types of partners.
These updates included flexibility for partners to provide matching funds in the form of cash, in-kind contributions, or technical assistance, along with an investment in additional staff to work directly with partners. Through CREP, for the first time ever, three Tribal Nations are now partnering with USDA to help conserve, maintain, and improve grassland productivity, reduce soil erosion, and enhance wildlife habitat.
Grassland CRP
FSA will announce the dates for Grassland CRP signup in the coming weeks. Grassland CRP is a working lands program, helping landowners and operators protect grassland, including rangeland and pastureland and certain other lands, while maintaining the areas as working grazing lands.
Protecting grasslands contributes positively to the economy of many regions, provides biodiversity of plant and animal populations, and provides important carbon sequestration benefits to deliver lasting climate outcomes.
How to Sign Up
Landowners and producers interested in CRP should contact their local USDA Service Center to learn more or to apply for the program before their deadlines.
Producers with expiring CRP acres can use the Transition Incentives Program (TIP), which incentivizes producers who sell or enter a long-term lease with a beginning, veteran, or socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher who plans to sustainably farm or ranch the land.
More Information
Signed into law in 1985, CRP is one of the largest voluntary private-lands conservation programs in the United States. It was originally intended to primarily control soil erosion and potentially stabilize commodity prices by taking marginal lands out of production. The program has evolved over the years, providing many conservation and economic benefits.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has developed a simplified direct loan application to provide improved customer experience for producers applying for loans from the Farm Service Agency (FSA). The simplified direct loan application enables producers to complete a more streamlined application, reduced from 29 to 13 pages. Producers will also have the option to complete an electronic fillable form or prepare a traditional, paper application for submission to their local FSA farm loan office. The paper and electronic versions of the form will be available starting March 1, 2023.
Approximately 26,000 producers submit a direct loan application to the FSA annually, but there is a high rate of incomplete or withdrawn applications, due in part to a challenging and lengthy paper-based application process. Coupled with the Loan Assistance Tool released in October 2022, the simplified application will provide all loan applicants access to information regarding the application process and assist them with gathering the correct documents before they begin the process. This new application will help farmers and ranchers submit complete loan applications and reduce the number of incomplete, rejected, or withdrawn applications.
In October 2022, USDA launched the Loan Assistance Tool, an online step-by-step guide that provides materials to help an applicant prepare their farm loan application in one tool. Farmers can access the Loan Assistance Tool by visiting farmers.gov/farm-loan-assistance-tool and clicking the ‘Get Started’ button. The tool is built to run on any modern browser like Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or the Safari browser. A version compatible with mobile devices is expected to be available by the summer. It does not work in Internet Explorer.
The simplified direct loan application and Loan Assistance Tool are the first of multiple farm loan process improvements that will be available to USDA customers on farmers.gov in the future. Other improvements that are anticipated to launch in 2023 include:
- An interactive online direct loan application that gives customers a paperless and electronic signature option, along with the ability to attach supporting documents such as tax returns.
- An online direct loan repayment feature that relieves borrowers from the necessity of calling, mailing, or visiting a local Service Center to pay a loan installment.
USDA provides access to credit to approximately 115,000 producers who cannot obtain sufficient commercial credit through direct and guaranteed farm loans. With the funds and direction Congress provided in Section 22006 of the Inflation Reduction Act, USDA took action in October 2022 to provide relief to qualifying distressed borrowers while working on making transformational changes to loan servicing so that borrowers are provided the flexibility and opportunities needed to address the inherent risks and unpredictability associated with agricultural operations.
Soon, all direct loan borrowers will receive a letter from USDA describing the circumstances under which additional payments will be made to distressed borrowers and how they can work with their FSA local office to discuss these options. Producers can explore all available options on all FSA loan options at fsa.usda.gov or by contacting their local USDA Service Center.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) launched a new online tool to help farmers and ranchers better navigate the farm loan application process. This uniform application process will help to ensure all farm loan applicants receive equal support and have a consistent customer experience with USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) regardless of their individual circumstances.
USDA experiences a high rate of incomplete or withdrawn applications, particularly among underserved customers, due in part to a challenging and lengthy paper-based application process. The Loan Assistance Tool is available 24/7 and gives customers an online step-by-step guide that supplements the support they receive when working in person with a USDA employee, providing materials that may help an applicant prepare their loan application in one tool.
Farmers can access the Loan Assistance Tool by visiting farmers.gov/farm-loan-assistance-tool and clicking the ‘Get Started’ button. From here they can follow the prompts to complete the Eligibility Self-Assessment and start the farm loan journey. The tool is built to run on any modern browser like Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or the Safari browser, and is fully functional on mobile devices. It does not work in Internet Explorer.
The Loan Assistance Tool is the first of multiple farm loan process improvements that will be available to USDA customers on farmers.gov in the future. Other improvements and tools that are anticipated to launch in 2023 include:
- A streamlined and simplified direct loan application, reduced from 29 pages to 13 pages.
- An interactive online direct loan application that gives customers a paperless and electronic signature option, along with the ability to attach supporting documents such as tax returns.
- An online direct loan repayment feature that relieves borrowers from the necessity of calling, mailing, or visiting a local Service Center to pay a loan installment.
Background
USDA provides access to credit to approximately 115,000 producers who cannot obtain sufficient commercial credit through direct and guaranteed farm loans. With the funds and direction Congress provided in Section 22006 of the Inflation Reduction Act, USDA is taking action to immediately provide relief to qualifying distressed borrowers whose operations are at financial risk while working on making transformational changes to loan servicing so that borrowers are provided the flexibility and opportunities needed to address the inherent risks and unpredictability associated with agricultural operations.
USDA has made great strides to better reach underserved agricultural producers and to support climate-smart agriculture through crop insurance. In the past two years, USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) has created new insurance options while improving others and invested in a comprehensive risk management education effort.
Equity in Crop Insurance
RMA took steps to ensure that underserved, specialty crop, organic, small-scale, and urban producers had access to crop insurance options and information during the past two years. This includes launching the new Micro Farm option in 2021 to better serve direct market and small-scale producers. Micro Farm provides a risk management safety net for all eligible commodities on a farm under one insurance policy, but on a smaller scale. In 2022, RMA listened to producers and expanded the program's eligibility to reach more producers.
Meanwhile, RMA made several improvements to Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP), an important policy to specialty crop and organic producers, including:
- Increasing expansion limits for organic and aquaculture producers.
- Increasing insurable revenue up to $17 million in revenue (formerly $8.5 million).
As part of USDA’s broader Organic Transition Initiative, RMA provided a premium benefit to organic and transitioning producers through the Transitional and Organic Grower Assistance (TOGA) Program. TOGA reduces producers’ overall crop insurance premium bills and helps them continue to use organic agricultural systems.
In order to better engage with producers about these and other risk management tools, RMA has increased its support of risk management education and outreach. In 2021 and 2022, RMA invested about $6.5 million in partnerships with 27 organizations to provide risk management education as well as to train and equip the next generation of crop insurance agents, adjusters, and outreach educators about crop insurance options.
RMA created a roadshow series to promote Micro Farm and WFRP insurance options. The roadshow series reached over 3,000 producers who attended the events either virtually or in-person since its creation in late fall 2022.
Climate-Smart Agriculture
RMA has taken steps to support producers who are using climate-smart practices, including planting cover crops and split-applying nitrogen. RMA introduced the Pandemic Cover Crop Program (PCCP), which supports climate smart agricultural practices and helps farmers maintain their cover crop systems, despite the financial challenges posed by the pandemic. RMA provided more than $110 million in premium support for producers who planted cover crops on over 22 million net acres through PCCP during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. RMA also updated policy in 2021 to allow producers with crop insurance to hay, graze or chop cover crops at any time and still receive 100% of the prevented planting payment.
In 2022, RMA introduced its Post Application Coverage Endorsement (PACE) in certain states for non-irrigated corn, providing coverage for producers who use this practice that saves them money and is considered better for natural resources, and expanded the program in September.
Supporting Domestic Production
To increase domestic food production amid potential global food shortages and supply chain disruptions, RMA expanded double crop insurance opportunities in nearly 1,500 counties where double cropping is viable.
Improvements to Crop Insurance
RMA continues to work with producers and agricultural groups to improve crop insurance. Some examples include:
Crop insurance is sold and delivered solely through private crop insurance agents. A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA Service Centers and online at the RMA Agent Locator. Learn more about crop insurance and the modern farm safety net at rma.usda.gov or by contacting your RMA Regional Office.
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