Newsletter - June 2025
In This Issue:
 Hurricane season is here, beginning June 1 and running through Nov. 30. Farmers, ranchers and forest landowners have been significantly impacted by hurricanes in recent years. USDA encourages agricultural producers to prepare for the 2025 season and get familiar with recovery resources.
USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Risk Management Agency (RMA) offer a suite of disaster assistance programs to help you recover from the impacts of natural disasters.
Get Prepared
Nominations are now being accepted for farmers and ranchers to serve on local U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committees. These committees make important decisions about how federal farm programs are administered locally. All nomination forms for the 2025 election must be postmarked or received in the local FSA office by Aug. 1, 2025.
Elections for committee members will occur in certain Local Administrative Areas (LAA). LAAs are elective areas for FSA committees in a single county or multi-county jurisdiction and may include LAAs that are focused on an urban or suburban area.
Producers interested in serving on the FSA county committee can locate their LAA through a geographic information system locator tool available at fsa.usda.gov/elections and determine if their LAA is up for election by contacting their local FSA office.
Agricultural producers may be nominated for candidacy for the county committee if they:
- Participate or cooperate in a USDA program.
- Reside in the LAA that is up for election this year.
A cooperating producer is someone who has provided information about their farming or ranching operation to FSA, even if they have not applied or received program benefits.
Individuals may nominate themselves or others and qualifying organizations may also nominate candidates. USDA encourages all eligible producers to nominate, vote and hold office.
Nationwide, more than 7,700 dedicated members of the agriculture community serve on FSA county committees. The committees are made up of three to 11 members who serve three-year terms. Committee members play a key role in how FSA delivers disaster recovery, conservation, commodity and price support programs, as well as making decisions on county office employment and other agricultural issues.
More Information
Producers should contact their local FSA office today to register and find out how to get involved in their county’s election, including if their LAA is up for election this year. To be considered, a producer must be registered and sign an FSA-669A nomination form. This form and other information about FSA county committee elections are available at fsa.usda.gov/elections.
All nomination forms for the 2025 election must be postmarked or received in the local USDA Service Center by the Aug.1, 2025, deadline. Election ballots will be mailed to eligible voters in November 2025.
Producers in all Hawaii Counties, Guam, Saipan, Rota and Tinian County are eligible to apply for 2025 Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) benefits on native and improved pasture.
LFP provides compensation if you suffer grazing losses for covered livestock due to drought on privately owned or cash leased land or fire on federally managed land.
County committees can only accept LFP applications after notification is received by the National Office of qualifying drought or if a federal agency prohibits producers from grazing normal permitted livestock on federally managed lands due to qualifying fire.
You must complete a CCC-853 and the required supporting documentation no later than March 2, 2026, for 2025 losses.
For additional information about LFP, including eligible livestock and fire criteria, contact the your respective County office.
| County |
Contact Person |
Phone number |
Email Address |
| Guam, Saipan, Rota & Tinian |
Ilene Iriarte |
671-300-8550 |
ilene.iriarte@usda.gov |
| Hawaii County |
Keadin Fujii |
808-933-8369 |
keadin.fujii@usda.gov |
| Honolulu County |
Sofia Blackwelder |
808-861-8538 ext 108 |
sofia.blackwelder@usda.gov |
| Kauai County |
Calvin Threat |
808-245-9014 ext 104 |
calvin.threat@usda.gov |
| Maui County |
James Brown |
808-933-8342 |
james.brown7@usda.gov |
| Program |
Interest Rates |
| Farm Operating - Direct |
5.000% |
| Farm Operating - Microloan |
5.000% |
| Farm Ownership - Direct |
5.750% |
| Farm Ownership - Microloan |
5.750% |
| Farm Ownership - Direct, Joint Financing |
3.750% |
| Farm Ownership - Down Payment |
1.750% |
| Emergency Loan - Amount of Actual Loss |
3.750% |
| Effective as of June 1, 2025 |
Top of page
Hawaii State and Pacific Basin
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USDA website: https://www.usda.gov
Farmer.gov website: https://www.farmers.gov
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Hawaii and Pacific Basin FSA State Office USDA Farm Service Agency
Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole (PJKK) Federal Building
P.O. Box 50065
300 Ala Moana Blvd. Rm 5-108
Honolulu, Hawaii 96850
Telephone: (808) 600-2964
Toll Free: 1-866-794+1079
Fax: (855) 356-9493
Website: Hawaii State and Pacific Basin Farm Service Agency
Shirley Nakamura
Deputy State Executive Director
shirley.nakamura@usda.gov
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Natural Resources Conservation Service Pacific Islands Area
Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole (PJKK) Federal Building
P. O. Box 50004
300 Ala Moana Blvd. Rm 4-118 Honolulu, Hawaii 96850
Telephone: (808) 600-2911
Fax: (855) 838-6330
Website: Natural Resources Conservation Service - Pacific Islands Area
J.B. Martin
State Director
jb.martin@usda.gov
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