Arkansas USDA Newsletter - December, 2024.
In This Issue:
It has been my pleasure to serve as the State Executive Director of Farm Service Agency in Arkansas, however, my time has come to pass the torch to someone else. As I step down as the SED for FSA Arkansas, I have passed the torch to Mr. Emund Woods, Deputy State Executive Director. Mr. Woods is a long time FSA employee from Mississippi. He brings a wealth of knowledge on farm programs and farm loans and will serve the farmers, ranchers and producers of Arkansas well helping you to stay on the farm and keep farming.
As we’ve come to the close of the year, I am excited about the changes and program initiatives that has taken place within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA). From the updates that were made to the Farm Service Loan Program, to help farmers and ranchers increase their profits and reduce personal risks. To the automatic payments for distressed borrowers under section 22006 of the Inflation Reduction Act that continues our commitment to keep agricultural producers financially viable. The changes to the Farm Service Loan program as part of the Enhancing Program Access and Delivery for Farm Loans Rule, which is aimed to provide financial flexibility for agricultural producers. These new rules provide greater financial freedom to borrowers. By equipping farmers and ranchers with better tools to manage their operation and maintain financial stability. Also provided was an estimated $250 million dollars in assistance for distressed farm loan borrowers.
Additionally, The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is issuing more than $2.14 billion in payments to eligible agricultural producers and landowners through conservation and safety-net programs, with $1.7 billion going to Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and CRP Transition Incentive Program (CRP TIP) and more than $447 million through the Agriculture Risk Coverage and Prices Loss Coverage (ARC/PLC) programs. These payments are significant investments for protecting natural resources and providing economic stability for producers impacted by market volatility. In addition to these efforts, USDA also implemented the urban agriculture initiative to connect urban farmers with support and resources to ensure the growth of their operations.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has investing nearly $9 million in funding to local organizations to provide outreach, education and technical assistance to urban agricultural producers in ten U.S. cities. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is partnering with To Improve Mississippi Economics (T.I.M.E.) to administer an urban farm outreach program offering subawards to community groups that work with producers in cities where FSA has established Urban County Committees. This partnership with T.I.M..E is part of a $40 million investment made possible by President Biden’s American Rescue Plan. The local organization selected for one of the sub-awards was Central Arkansas Sphinx Foundation, Little Rock, AR.
Our goal is to serve all farmers, ranchers, and agriculture partners; equitably; through the delivery of effective and efficient agricultural programs.
For more information on Farm Service Agency (FSA), visit www.farmers.gov
December 5th was World Soil Day, a day to remind ourselves of the life-giving properties of soil and determine how we can manage our soil in a way that improves soil function.
We need soil to regulate our water, sustain plant and animal life, filter and buffer potential pollutants, cycle nutrients, and provide physical stability support to plant roots and manmade infrastructure. There are four principles of a soil health management system that you can implement today: maximizing the presence of living roots, minimizing disturbance, maximizing soil cover, and maximizing biodiversity. As food production needs rise in Arkansas, it becomes increasingly important for us to keep our soil healthy.
Many of you may know that our agency was born out of the Dust Bowl of the 1930s and a desperate cry to mitigate soil erosion and improve farmland, so it’s no surprise that soil conservation is foundational to our agency’s programs and practices.
NRCS can help support you through the process of adding cover crops to your rotation by providing guidance for what cover crops to seed as well as how and when to seed with our guidance documents and site-specific planning worksheets. Financial assistance to help you start using cover crops is also available through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). If you would like additional information about how to maximize soil health on your land, contact a USDA field service center near you.
Regards,
Justin Meissner
Agricultural producers of perishable commodities including fruits, vegetables and floriculture can now get funding for controlled atmosphere storage through Farm Storage Facility Loans (FSFL) offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA). Controlled atmosphere storage regulates the concentrations of oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen in a storage room to increase the shelf life of crops.
In addition to now supporting controlled atmosphere storage, FSFLs also provide low-interest financing to help producers build or upgrade storage facilities and to purchase portable (new or used) structures, equipment and storage and handling trucks.
The low-interest funds can also be used for controlled atmosphere storage monitoring equipment, designed to notify facility owners immediately if potential atmospheric concerns are detected. Producers may renovate existing storage facilities to include controlled atmosphere storage monitoring equipment. Authorized loan terms for FSFL renovations are three and five years only.
To assist with monitoring gases and particle concentrations for controlled atmosphere storage, the following equipment, but not limited to, is eligible for an FSFL:
- Optical oxygen sensor.
- Low power CO2 sensor.
- Air quality sensor.
- Gas detection devices.
- Air temperature and relative humidity sensor.
- Water activity meter.
- Temperature stabilized water activity analyzer.
- Precision and performance humidity and temperature transmitter.
Loans of up to $50,000 can be secured by a promissory note/security agreement, loans between $50,000 and $100,000 may require additional security and loans exceeding $100,000 require additional security.
FSFL borrowers do not need to demonstrate lack of commercial credit availability to apply. The loans are designed to assist a diverse range of agricultural operations, including small and mid-sized businesses, new farmers and ranchers, operations supplying local food and farmers markets, non-traditional farm products and underserved producers.
For more information, see the FSFL fact sheet and contact FSA at your local USDA Service Center.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expanding the Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops (FSCSC) program to now include medium-sized businesses in addition to small businesses. Eligible specialty crop growers can apply for assistance for expenses related to obtaining or renewing a food safety certification. The program has also been expanded to include assistance for 2024 and 2025 expenses. Producers can apply for assistance on their calendar year 2024 expenses beginning July 1, 2024, through Jan. 31, 2025. For program year 2025, the application period will be Jan. 1, 2025, through Jan. 31, 2026.
Program Details
FSCSC assists specialty crop operations that incurred eligible on-farm food safety certification and expenses related to obtaining or renewing a food safety. FSCSC covers a percentage of the specialty crop operation’s cost of obtaining or renewing its certification, as well as a portion of related expenses.
Eligible FSCSC applicants must be a specialty crop operation; meet the definition of a small or medium-size business and have paid eligible expenses related to certification.
- A small business has an average annual monetary value of specialty crops sold by the applicant during the three-year period preceding the program year of no more than $500,000.
- A medium size business has an average annual monetary value of specialty crops the applicant sold during the three-year period preceding the program year of at least $500,001 but no more than $1,000,000.
Specialty crop operations can receive the following cost assistance:
- Developing a food safety plan for first-time food safety certification.
- Maintaining or updating an existing food safety plan.
- Food safety certification.
- Certification upload fees.
- Microbiological testing for products, soil amendments and water.
FSCSC payments are calculated separately for each eligible cost category. Details about payment rates and limitations are available at farmers.gov/food-safety.
Applying for Assistance
Interested applicants have until Jan. 31, 2025, to apply for assistance for 2024 eligible expenses. FSA will issue payments as applications are processed and approved. For program year 2025, the application period will be January 1, 2025, through January 31, 2026. FSA will issue 50% of the calculated payment for program year 2025 following application approval, with the remaining amount to be paid after the application deadline. If calculated payments exceed the amount of available funding, payments will be prorated.
Specialty crop producers can apply by completing the FSA-888-1, Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops Program (FSCSC) for Program Years 2024 and 2025 application. The application, along with the AD-2047, Customer Data Worksheet and SF-3881, ACH Vendor/Miscellaneous Payment Enrollment Form, if not already on file with FSA, can be submitted to the FSA office at any USDA Service Center nationwide by mail, fax, hand delivery or via electronic means. Alternatively, producers with an eAuthentication account can apply for FSCSC online. Producers interested in creating an eAuthentication account should visit farmers.gov/sign-in.
Specialty crop producers can also call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a FSA employee ready to assist. Visit farmers.gov/food-safety for additional program details, eligibility information and forms needed to apply.
More Information
To learn more about FSA programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center. Producers can also prepare maps for acreage reporting as well as manage farm loans and view other farm records data and customer information by logging into their farmers.gov account. Producers without an account can sign up today.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) long-awaited updates to the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Farm Loan Programs are officially in effect. These changes, part of the Enhancing Program Access and Delivery for Farm Loans rule, are designed to increase financial flexibility for agricultural producers, allowing them to grow their operations, boost profitability, and build long-term savings.
These program updates reflect USDA’s ongoing commitment to supporting the financial success and resilience of farmers and ranchers nationwide, offering critical tools to help borrowers manage their finances more effectively.
What the new rules mean for you:
- Low-interest installment set-aside program: Financially distressed borrowers can now defer up to one annual loan payment at a reduced interest rate. This simplified option helps ease financial pressure while keeping farming operations running smoothly.
- Flexible repayment terms: New repayment options give borrowers the ability to increase their cash flow and build working capital reserves, allowing for long-term financial planning that includes saving for retirement, education, and other future needs.
- Reduced collateral requirements: FSA has lowered the amount of additional loan security needed for direct farm loans, making it easier for borrowers to leverage their existing equity without putting their personal residence at risk.
These new rules provide more financial freedom to borrowers. By giving farmers and ranchers better tools to manage their operations, we’re helping them build long-term financial stability. It’s all about making sure they can keep their land, grow their business, and invest in the future.
If you’re an FSA borrower or considering applying for a loan, now is the time to take advantage of these new policies. We encourage you to reach out to your local FSA farm loan staff to ensure you fully understand the wide range of loan making and servicing options available to assist with starting, expanding, or maintaining your agricultural operation.
To conduct business with FSA, please contact your local USDA Service Center.
FSA offers direct farm ownership and direct farm operating loans to producers who want to establish, maintain, or strengthen their farm or ranch. Direct loans are processed, approved and serviced by FSA loan officers.
Direct farm operating loans can be used to purchase livestock and feed, farm equipment, fuel, farm chemicals, insurance, and other costs including family living expenses. Operating loans can also be used to finance minor improvements or repairs to buildings and to refinance some farm-related debts, excluding real estate.
Direct farm ownership loans can be used to purchase farmland, enlarge an existing farm, construct and repair buildings, and to make farm improvements.
The maximum loan amount for direct farm ownership loans is $600,000 and the maximum loan amount for direct operating loans is $400,000 and a down payment is not required. Repayment terms vary depending on the type of loan, collateral and the producer's ability to repay the loan. Operating loans are normally repaid within seven years and farm ownership loans are not to exceed 40 years.
Please contact your local FSA office for more information or to apply for a direct farm ownership or operating loan.
Urban and innovative agriculture producers will be able to more easily participate in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs as a result of acreage reporting improvements. These improvements, implemented by USDA’s Farm Service Agency, provide more flexibility for reporting acreage on a smaller scale and identifying innovative planting practices like multi-level planting or vertical farming practices.
An acreage report documents crops and where they are grown on a farm or ranch along with the intended use of the crop. Filing an accurate and timely acreage report for all crops and land uses, including failed acreage and prevented planted acreage, can prevent the loss of program benefits.
FSA’s acreage reporting software previously allowed acreage to be reported down to .0001 acres, approximately a four-square foot area. Producers will now be able to report acreage-based crops at a minimum size of .000001 acre, approximately a 2.5-inch by 2.5-inch area.
Additional improvements will distinguish alternate growing methods such as crops grown within multiple levels of a building, or crops grown using multi-level or multi-layer growing structures such as panels or towers within a container system. This change allows the distinction of vertical farming practices. Urban and innovative producers will also have the option to report plant inventory along with their acreage-based report, allowing producers to better report the full scope of their operation. Producers can contact FSA at their local USDA Service Center for acreage reporting deadlines that are specific to their county.
USDA is committed to working with farms of all sizes and in all locations, including those in urban areas. USDA works with agricultural producers through a network of more than 2,300 Service Centers nationwide. To better serve urban farmers, USDA is establishing 17 new Urban Service Centers.
The Urban Service Centers are staffed by FSA and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) employees and offer farm loan, conservation, disaster assistance and risk management programs.
To find exact locations and contact information for these Urban Service Centers or to learn how to prepare for a USDA Service Center appointment, producers can visit farmers.gov/your-business/urban-growers/urban-service-centers.
For questions, producers should call their FSA county office. Urban operations that are not located near one of the Urban Service Centers can contact one of the more than 2,300 Service Centers across the country by visiting farmers.gov/service-locator.
Additional resources include:
Agricultural producers in Arkansas should make an appointment with their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office to complete crop acreage reports before the applicable deadline after planting is complete.
An acreage report documents a crop grown on a farm or ranch, its intended use and location. Filing an accurate and timely acreage report for all crops and land uses, including failed acreage and prevented planted acreage, can prevent the loss of benefits.
How to File a Report
Acreage reporting dates vary by crop and by county. Contact your local FSA office for a list of acreage reporting deadlines by crop.
To file a crop acreage report, producers need to provide:
- Crop and crop type or variety
- Intended crop use
- Number of crop acres
- Map with approximate crop boundaries
- Planting date(s)
- Planting pattern, when applicable
- Producer shares
- Irrigation practice(s)
- Acreage prevented from planting, when applicable
- Other required information
Acreage Reporting Details
The following exceptions apply to acreage reporting dates:
- If the crop has not been planted by the acreage reporting date, then the acreage must be reported no later than 15 calendar days after planting is completed.
- If a producer acquires additional acreage after the acreage reporting date, then the acreage must be reported no later than 30 calendar days after purchase or acquiring the lease. Appropriate documentation must be provided to the county office.
Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) policy holders should note that the acreage reporting date for NAP-covered crops is the earlier of the dates listed above or 15 calendar days before grazing or crop harvesting begins.
Prevented Planted Acreage
Producers should also report crop acreage they intended to plant but were unable to because of a natural disaster, including drought. Prevented planted acreage must be reported on form CCC-576, Notice of Loss, no later than 15 calendar days after the final planting date as established by FSA and USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA).
FSA recently updated policy that applies to prevented planted acreage due to drought. To certify prevented planted acreage due to drought, all of the following must apply:
- The area that is prevented from being planted has insufficient soil moisture for seed germination on the final planting date for non-irrigated acreage.
- Prolonged precipitation deficiencies that meet the D3 or D4 drought intensity level as determined by the U.S. Drought Monitor.
- Verifiable information must be collected from sources whose business or purpose is recording weather conditions as determined by FSA.
Continuous Certification Option for Perennial Forage
Agricultural producers with perennial forage crops have the option to report their acreage once, without having to report that acreage in subsequent years, as long as there are no applicable changes on the farm. Interested producers can select the continuous certification option after FSA certifies their acreage report. Examples of perennial forage include mixed forage, birdsfoot trefoil, chicory/radicchio, kochia (prostrata), lespedeza, perennial peanuts and perennial grass varieties.
Once the continuous certification option is selected, the certified acreage will roll forward annually with no additional action required by the producer in subsequent years unless the acreage report changes.
Farmers.gov Portal
Producers can access their FSA farm records, maps, and common land units through the farmers.gov customer portal. The portal allows producers to export field boundaries as shapefiles and import and view other shapefiles, such as precision agriculture boundaries within farm records mapping. Producers can view, print and label their maps for acreage reporting purposes. Level 2 eAuthentication or login.gov access that is linked to a USDA Business Partner customer record is required to use the portal.
Producers can visit farmers.gov/account to learn more about creating an account. Producers who have authority to act on behalf of another customer as a grantee via an FSA-211 Power of Attorney form, Business Partner Signature Authority or as a member of a business can now access information for the business in the farmers.gov portal.
More Information
For questions, producers should call their FSA county office. To find their FSA county office, visit farmers.gov/service-center-locator.
The Farm Service Agency encourages you to examine available USDA crop risk protection options, including federal crop insurance and Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) coverage, before the applicable crop sales deadline.
Federal crop insurance covers crop losses from natural adversities such as drought, hail and excessive moisture. NAP covers losses from natural disasters on crops for which no permanent federal crop insurance program is available. You can determine if crops are eligible for federal crop insurance or NAP by visiting the RMA website.
NAP offers higher levels of coverage, from 50 to 65 percent of expected production in 5 percent increments, at 100 percent of the average market price. Producers of organics and crops marketed directly to consumers also may exercise the “buy-up” option to obtain NAP coverage of 100 percent of the average market price at the coverage levels of between 50 and 65 percent of expected production. Buy-up levels of NAP coverage are available if the producer can show at least one year of previously successfully growing the crop for which coverage is being requested. NAP basic coverage is available at 55 percent of the average market price for crop losses that exceed 50 percent of expected production.
For all coverage levels, the NAP service fee is the lesser of $325 per crop or $825 per producer per county, not to exceed a total of $1,950 for a producer with farming interests in multiple counties.
Beginning, underserved, veterans and limited resource farmers are now eligible for free catastrophic level coverage.
Deadlines for coverage vary by state and crop. contact your local County USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov.
Federal crop insurance coverage is sold and delivered solely through private insurance agents. Agent lists are available at all USDA Service Centers or at USDA’s online Agent Locator. You can use the USDA Cost Estimator to predict insurance premium costs.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced up to $7.7 billion in assistance for fiscal year 2025 to help agricultural and forestry producers adopt conservation practices on working lands. This includes up to $5.7 billion for climate-smart practices, made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, which is part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda and $2 billion in Farm Bill funding. This is more than double the amount available last year and the most conservation assistance made available in a single year in U.S. history for popular USDA conservation programs.
Through changing temperatures, precipitation patterns, drought, flooding, and increasingly more severe extreme events, such as hurricanes and wildfires, climate change is affecting the livelihood of USDA’s stakeholders. Innovations in adapting to such changes will be central to the future success of working lands. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) received more than 156,485 applications for its conservation programs in fiscal year 2024. While NRCS accepts applications year-round, interested agricultural producers can now apply for fiscal year 2025 funding through NRCS at their local USDA Service Center.
The Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate and conservation investment in history, invests an additional $19.5 billion in NRCS’ oversubscribed conservation programs over five years, which began in fiscal year 2023. This year through the Inflation Reduction Act, producers can apply for $2.8 billion through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), $943 million through the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), $472 million through the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), and up to $1.4 billion in the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). This is in addition to the $2 billion available for these programs through the Farm Bill, including $860 million for EQIP, $600 million for CSP, $450 million for ACEP, and $250 million for RCPP.
This assistance through the Inflation Reduction Act also helps advance the President’s Justice40 Initiative, which set a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain climate, clean energy and other federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. These investments also advance President Biden’s America the Beautiful Initiative, a locally led, voluntary conservation and restoration effort that aims to address the nature and climate crises, support working lands conservation, improve equitable access to the outdoors, and strengthen the economy.
Since implementation began in 2023, this climate smart conservation assistance has helped over 28,500 farmers and ranchers apply conservation to 361 million acres of land during the past two years. These funds provide direct climate mitigation benefits, advance a host of other environmental co-benefits, and expand access to financial and technical assistance for producers to advance conservation on their farm, ranch or forest land through practices like cover cropping, conservation tillage, wetland restoration, prescribed grazing, nutrient management, tree planting and more.
Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Activities
NRCS recently released an updated list of Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Mitigation Activities eligible for Inflation Reduction Act funding in fiscal year 2025, which includes 14 new activities. NRCS also released the NRCS Conservation Practices and Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Information dashboard sharing the expected mitigation benefits and science-based estimation approach for listed practices.
These in-demand activities are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or increase carbon sequestration, as well as provide other significant benefits to natural resources like soil health, water quality, pollinator and wildlife habitat and air quality. In response to feedback received from conservation partners, producers and NRCS staff across the country, NRCS considered and evaluated activities based on scientific literature demonstrating expected climate change mitigation benefits.
These activities will also help producers mitigate the risks of climate change, including drought and flooding from extreme weather events such as the recent hurricane. Agriculture faces significant exposure to the physical risks of climate change. The USDA estimates that due to increased drought fueled by climate change, the Agency could see up to double the number of ranchers seeking assistance under the Livestock Forage Disaster Program by the end of the century compared to today. This corresponds to an increase of more than $800 million per year in Federal expenditures by the end of the century.
Conservation Easements
NRCS is accepting applications for ACEP for fiscal year 2025, which includes $472 million in Inflation Reduction Act funds for this year. ACEP helps producers conserve and protect grasslands, wetlands and farmlands. Producers interested in Inflation Reduction Act funding through ACEP should submit their applications by Dec. 20, 2024. Any ACEP application submitted to NRCS that was unfunded in fiscal year 2024 will be automatically re-considered during the Oct. 4 funding cycle.
In addition, NRCS is also accepting ACEP applications eligible for Farm Bill funding. Application dates for fiscal year 2025 funding differ by state, and they’re available on the NRCS Ranking Dates webpage.
How to Apply
NRCS accepts producer applications for EQIP and CSP year-round, but producers interested in fiscal year 2025 funding should apply by their state’s ranking dates through NRCS at their local USDA Service Center. Funding is provided through a competitive process and is an opportunity to address the unmet demand from producers who have previously sought funding for climate-smart conservation activities.
The Biden-Harris Administration today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) supported more than 23,000 climate-focused conservation contracts funded by the Inflation Reduction Act. These investments cover over 11 million acres in fiscal year 2024, contributing to the highest total investment in private lands conservation in any year in the history of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, the largest investment in climate action in history, bolstered funding for NRCS’ in-demand conservation programs for climate-smart practices on farms, ranches, and forests. NRCS also released updated state-by-state data showing where financial assistance went in fiscal year 2024 for resources provided under both the Farm Bill and Inflation Reduction Act.
Despite the additional Inflation Reduction Act funding, NRCS still did not fund nearly 64% of the applications received for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship (CSP) and Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) applications.
In fiscal year 2024, NRCS made over $3 billion available from the Inflation Reduction Act for climate-smart agriculture and forestry (CSAF) mitigation activities, in addition to the $2 billion available from the Farm Bill for all conservation activities. The agency obligated 97.6% of all available fiscal year 2024 Inflation Reduction Act conservation program financial assistance funds, or more than $1.6 billion, to farmers, ranchers and forest landowners across America. Learn more by using the Inflation Reduction Act Data Visualization Tool. Further details on program enrollment in fiscal year 2024 are also available in a fact sheet and in NRCS Financial Assistance Program Data.
This funding positively impacted farmers, ranchers and forest landowners across the nation. To highlight how meaningful this funding was to individual landowners, NRCS also released an interactive map that shows farmers, ranchers and forest landowners across the nation who are adopting climate-smart conservation practices with funding from the Inflation Reduction Act. Importantly, these investments provide critical co-benefits for farmers and communities, including for water conservation, wildlife habitat, soil health, and more.
For example, within the $5 billion-plus total available in fiscal year 2024, NRCS provided $3 billion (an increase of nearly $1 billion from fiscal year 2023 due to Inflation Reduction Act funding) in conservation investments in line with the agency’s Western Water Framework to help producers and communities in the West better steward water resources and build resilience to the impacts of drought. About 40%, or $1.2 billion, of this investment was funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, benefiting both water conservation and climate mitigation.
NRCS also continued full support for Working Lands for Wildlife (WLFW) in fiscal year 2024, including about $60 million to kickstart the migratory big game effort in the West and the grassland and northern bobwhite effort in the East. WLFW is NRCS’s premier approach to focus science-based financial and technical assistance to deliver win-win conservation solutions that benefit both people and wildlife.
To strengthen implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act, NRCS increased staffing levels, streamlined its Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) and improved its ACEP program, and built partnerships with organizations to expand capacity to help provide assistance to producers.
For fiscal year 2025, the third year of implementation, NRCS is making up to $7.7 billion available for conservation and climate-smart practices through Farm Bill and Inflation Reduction Act funding.
A total of $19.5 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act is available over several years for climate-smart agriculture and forestry mitigation activities, including through NRCS conservation programs: EQIP, ACEP, RCPP and CSP. These programs also help advance the President’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to ensure 40% of the overall benefits of certain climate, clean energy and other federal investments reach underserved communities.
More Information
To learn more about NRCS programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center. Producers can also apply for NRCS programs, manage conservation plans and contracts, and view and print conservation maps by logging into their farmers.gov account. If you don’t have an account, sign up today.
For more than 90 years, NRCS has helped farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners make investments in their operations and local communities to improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and wildlife habitat. NRCS uses the latest science and technology to help keep working lands working, boost agricultural economies, and increase the competitiveness of American agriculture. NRCS provides one-on-one, personalized advice and financial assistance and works with producers to help them reach their goals through voluntary, incentive-based conservation programs. Now, with additional funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, NRCS is working to get even more conservation practices on the ground while ensuring access to programs for all producers. For more information, visit nrcs.usda.gov.
The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) leverages a voluntary approach to conservation that expands the reach of conservation efforts and climate-smart agriculture through public-private partnerships.
In October 2024, USDA announced a historic $1.5 billion for 92 partner-driven conservation projects through RCPP, funded through the Farm Bill and the Inflation Reduction Act. View the interactive map of 2024 RCPP projects below. See here for the project list and for more information about RCPP visit our website.
- AR-LA CDN Open Pine Landscape Restoration #2
Lead Partner: American Bird Conservancy
Project Type: Classic
Funding Pool: S/M
CCA (if applicable): N/A
Lead State: AR
Partner States(s): LA
Total Funding: $21,250,000.00
This project will greatly improve Forest Health for Wildlife Resources in the West-Gulf Coastal Plain; it will connect and build upon American Bird Conservancy's successful programs in other landscapes across the U.S. The Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture Conservation Delivery Network will deliver this project to advance the recovery of species of conservation concern through use of desired forest conditions management practices for Open Pine habitat. Implementation of integrated vegetation management treatments on corridors connecting public and private lands will more than double our conservation impact, linking private lands conservation into a restored landscape for the next 10-20 years.
- Protecting and Enhancing Wildlife Habitat and Water Quality of Conservation Reserve Program Tracts Under Threat of Conversion in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley, Phase II
Lead Partner: Mississippi River Trust
Project Type: Classic
Funding Pool: CCA
CCA (if applicable): Mississippi River Basin
Lead State: AR
Partner States(s): n/a
Total Funding: $25,000,000.00
This project will convert approximately 7,500 acres of vulnerable bottomland hardwood and wetland Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) tracts to permanently protected, U.S.-held conservation easements within the Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. This project will target the protection and enhancement of high-quality forest habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife, improve local water quality, support groundwater recharge, and increase sequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Of the CRP tracts enrolled in permanent easements, this project will also enhance habitat on 2,500 acres through hydrology restoration, supplemental tree planting, and forest stewardship activities. In addition, the project will strive to enroll a minimum of 750 acres of CRP tracts owned by socially disadvantaged landowners, primarily African Americans.
- Engaging Historically Underserved Lands in Wetland Restoration and Preservation
Lead Partner: KKAC Foundation
Project Type: Classic
Funding Pool: CCA
CCA (if applicable): Mississippi River Basin
Lead State: AR
Partner States(s): n/a
Total Funding: $20,000,000.00
The purpose of this project is to yield greater conservation benefits for the Mississippi River Basin (MRB) through prioritized involvement of a historically underserved demographic of producers in efforts to improve management of forestland within this critical conservation area as it contributes to concerns of water quality and quantity as well as habitat for fish and wildlife. It is the KKAC Foundation’s philosophy that these lands, though typically smaller in scale, can collectively yield significant conservation benefits related to preserving the MRB.
Flax producers can now benefit from revenue protection, a crop insurance option available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) has expanded Small Grains Crop Provisions to now offer revenue protection for flax for the 2025 crop year, which is already offered for barley, rye, wheat and oats.
Revenue protection policies insure producers against yield losses due to natural causes such as drought, excessive moisture, hail, wind, frost, insects, disease and revenue losses caused by harvest price changes from the projected price.
For a revenue protection policy, a producer selects the coverage level – between 50% and 85% –and has the option to select revenue protection that has a harvest price option or one with a harvest price exclusion. If the harvest price option is chosen, RMA will calculate guaranteed revenue for insurance purposes using the higher of either the harvest price or the initial guaranteed projected price.
The current yield-based plan of insurance, Actual Production History (APH), available to flax will be automatically converted to the yield protection plan of insurance. For producers who wish to maintain yield coverage without electing one of the new revenue coverage options, the only difference in coverage is that the price guarantee will be the projected price offered for revenue protection, instead of a price election established by RMA. The replanting payment for flax will be determined by using the projected price, instead of a price election.
Specialty and Organic Growers
RMA is continuing efforts to expand crop insurance options for specialty and organic growers by allowing enterprise units by organic farming practice, adding enterprise unit eligibility for several crops and making additional policy updates.
The following changes will be made beginning with the 2025 crop year:
- Expand the availability of enterprise units as well as units by organic farming practice to green peas and processing sweet corn.
- Combine written agreement deadlines in the Dry Bean crop insurance provisions to match other insurance policies. For the first year of coverage, the deadline is the acreage reporting date; for subsequent years of coverage, the deadline is the sales closing date. This change will reduce the likelihood of a producer losing coverage because of confusion over which deadline applies.
Most of these changes take effect with a November 30 Final Rule in the Federal Register. Public comments will be accepted on the rule through January 27, 2025.
Additionally, RMA also expanded the availability of enterprise units as well as enterprise units by organic farming practice to sugar beets, onions, popcorn and processing beans.
More Information
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. Producers can learn more about crop insurance and the modern farm safety net at rma.usda.gov or by contacting their RMA Regional Office.
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Selected Interest Rates for December 2024
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90-Day Treasury Bill
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4.750%
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Farm Operating Loans — Direct
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4.750%
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Farm Ownership Loans — Direct
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3.250%
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Farm Ownership Loans — Direct Down Payment, Beginning Farmer or Rancher
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1.500%
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Emergency Loans
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9.250%
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Farm Storage Facility Loans
(7 years)
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4.250
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Farm Storage Facility Loans
(10 years)
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4.375
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Commodity Loans 1996-Present
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5.250
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Dates to Remember
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12/15/2024
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Acreage reporting deadline for wheat oats and small grain
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12/15/2024
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Final reporting date for prevented and failed wheat, oats and small grain acreage
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01/02/2025
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Bee colony reporting deadline
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USDA Service Centers
Arkansas USDA-FSA
700 West Capitol Room 3416, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
FSA State Executive Director - Doris Washington
FSA Phone: 501-301-3000 | FSA Fax: 855-652-2082
www.fsa.usda.gov
www.fsa.usda.gov/state-offices/Arkansas/index
Arkansas USDA-NRCS
700 West Capitol Room 3416, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
NRCS Acting State Conservationist - Justin Meissner
NRCS Phone: 501-301-3149
www.nrcs.usda.gov
www.ar.nrcs.usda.gov
USDA-RMA / Jackson, Mississippi Regional Office
803 Liberty Road, Jackson, MS 39232-9000
RMA Regional Director – Roddric Bell
RMA Phone: 601-965-4771 | RMA Fax: 601-965-4517
Jackson, Mississippi | RMA (usda.gov)
Please contact your local Office for questions specific to your operation or county. To find contact information for your local office visit the website below: Get Started at Your USDA Service Center | Farmers.gov
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