Ohio FSA State Newsletter - August 6, 2025
In This Edition of the Ohio FSA State Newsletter:
I want to take a moment to thank everyone for visiting our offices and completing their crop reports in July. Crop reporting is always a busy time of year for our staff and this year, with delayed planting, made it more hectic than usual.
I would like to give everyone a few updates about current FSA activities and a deadline that is quickly approaching.
As a reminder our FSA County Offices are now taking applications for the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) Stage 1. This assistance program is designed to provide financial relief to producers who had losses of revenue, quality or production of crops due to certain weather-related events in 2023 and/or 2024. Prefilled applications have been mailed to impacted producers who received crop insurance indemnification or Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) payments in either of those years. Producers must submit the FSA-526 application to their FSA office. For more information, producers can visit the SDRP webpage or contact their FSA County office. SDRP Stage 2 for uncovered/shallow losses will be announced at a later date.
The deadline for the recently announced Grassland Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is fast-approaching. Ohio FSA County Offices are accepting offers through Aug. 8, 2025. Grassland CRP helps participants protect grassland, and pastureland, while maintaining the areas as grazing land. For more information, visit the Grassland CRP webpage.
FSA has several farm loan program options that might be the right fit for you. FSA offers direct operating and ownership loans as well as guaranteed loans in partnership with your local lender. We encourage you to view the various farm loan program options and then call your local FSA farm loan team to begin the conversation.
FSA also offers an online application for Direct loan customers. The Online Loan Application (OLA) tool is interactive, guided, paperless, and provides customers with features such as an electronic signature option, the ability to attach documents such as tax returns, and to complete a balance sheet and build a farm operating plan. Visit farmers.gov/loan-application. The OLA tool is only available to producers who will be or are currently operating their agricultural operation as an individual. FSA is expanding the tools availability to married couples applying jointly and other legal entities in the future.
Additional program details and more in-depth information is provided in our newsletter. Please don’t hesitate to contact your FSA County office with questions about our programs, loans and information that is included in this newsletter edition.
Respectfully,
Don Jones
State Executive Director, Ohio FSA
USDA announced that agricultural producers and private landowners can now enroll in the Grassland Conservation Reserve Program (Grassland CRP). The sign-up runs from July 14 to Aug. 8, 2025. Grassland CRP, offered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), is a voluntary working lands conservation program that enables participants to conserve grasslands while also continuing most grazing and haying practices.
Grassland CRP emphasizes support for grazing operations, plant and animal biodiversity, and grasslands and land with shrubs and forbs under the greatest threat of conversion.
CRP, USDA’s flagship conservation program, celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. For four decades, CRP has provided financial and technical support to agricultural producers and landowners whose accepted acres are placed under contract for 10-15 years and who agree to voluntarily convert the land to beneficial vegetative cover to improve water quality, prevent soil erosion and support wildlife habitat. The American Relief Act, 2025, extended provisions for CRP through Sept. 30, 2025.
Currently, more than 25.8 million acres are enrolled in CRP, with nearly 9.7 million acres in Grassland CRP. On May 12, FSA opened General and Continuous CRP enrollment for 2025. FSA is currently reviewing submitted offers and will announce accepted offers at a later date. Due to the 27-million-acre statutory cap, only 1.8 million acres are available for all CRP enrollment this fiscal year.
Landowners and producers interested in Grassland CRP should contact their local USDA Service Center to learn more or apply for the program before the Aug. 8 deadline.
The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) is now authorizing cost share assistance for Grassland Conservation Reserve Program (Grassland CRP) components installed on acres not enrolled in a CRP contract that, once completed, provide a water source for livestock and resolves the resource concern on acreage enrolled in CRP. The installation of water developments, water facilities, and pipelines on these acres must be the most cost-effective method of providing water sources. Contact your local FSA office for more information on the requirements and to apply for cost share assistance.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service will plan locations for water development, water facilities, and pipeline during development of the conservation plan. Watering facilities must be available to livestock grazing the acreage enrolled in Grassland CRP.
For new contracts, practice components installation will be included in the conservation plan and will be eligible for cost share assistance. The installation must be completed within 36 months after the contract effective date.
FSA is accepting offers for new enrollment in Grassland CRP through Aug. 8, 2025. Learn more in the July 14 announcement.
For existing contracts, cost share is available to address a new resource concern. Activities planned to meet the new resource concern must be completed as soon as possible after the plan modification is approved.
About Grassland CRP
Grassland CRP helps landowners and operators protect grassland, including rangeland, pastureland, and certain other lands, while maintaining the areas as grazing lands. Grassland CRP provides participants with rental payments and cost-share assistance. Contract duration is 10 to 15 years. Contact your local USDA Service Center to learn more.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is issuing up to $10 billion directly to agricultural producers through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) for the 2024 crop year. Administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), ECAP will help agricultural producers mitigate the impacts of increased input costs and falling commodity prices.
Authorized by the American Relief Act, 2025, these economic relief payments are based on planted and prevented planted crop acres for eligible commodities for the 2024 crop year.
Eligible Commodities and Payment Rates
The commodities below are eligible for these per-acre payment rates:
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Wheat - $30.69
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Eligible oilseeds:
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Corn - $42.91
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Canola – $31.83
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Sorghum - $42.52
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Crambe – $19.08
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Barley - $21.67
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Flax - $20.97
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Oats - $77.66
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Mustard - $11.36
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Upland cotton & Extra-long staple cotton - $84.74
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Rapeseed -$23.63
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Long & medium grain rice - $76.94
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Safflower - $26.32
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Peanuts - $75.51
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Sesame - $16.83
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Soybeans - $29.76
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Sunflower – $27.23
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Dry peas - $16.02
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Lentils - $19.30
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Small Chickpeas - $31.45
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Large Chickpeas - $24.02
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Producer Eligibility
Eligible producers must report 2024 crop year planted and prevented planted acres to FSA on an FSA-578, Report of Acreage form. Producers who have not previously reported 2024 crop year acreage or filed a notice of loss for prevented planted crops must submit an acreage report by the Aug. 15, 2025, deadline. Eligible producers can visit fsa.usda.gov/ecap for eligibility and payment details.
Applying for ECAP
Producers must submit ECAP applications to their local FSA county office by Aug. 15, 2025. Only one application is required for all ECAP eligible commodities nationwide. ECAP applications can be submitted to FSA in-person, electronically using Box and One-Span, by fax or by applying online at fsa.usda.gov/ecap utilizing a secure login.gov account.
If not already on file for the 2024 crop year, producers must have the following forms on file with FSA:
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Form AD-2047, Customer Data Worksheet.
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Form CCC-901, Member Information for Legal Entities (if applicable).
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Form CCC-902, Farm Operating Plan for an individual or legal entity.
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Form CCC 943, 75 percent of Average Gross Income from Farming, Ranching, or Forestry Certification (if applicable).
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AD-1026, Highly Erodible Land Conservation (HELC) and Wetland Conservation (WC) Certification.
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SF-3881, Direct Deposit.
Except for the new CCC-943, most producers, especially those who have previously participated in FSA programs, likely have these forms on file. However, those who are uncertain and want to confirm the status of their forms or need to submit the new Form-943, can contact their local FSA county office.
If a producer does not receive a pre-filled ECAP application, and they planted or were prevented from planting ECAP eligible commodities in 2024, they should contact their local FSA office.
ECAP Payments and Calculator
ECAP payments will be issued as applications are approved. Initial ECAP payments will be factored by 85% to ensure that total program payments do not exceed available funding. If additional funds remain, FSA may issue a second payment.
ECAP assistance will be calculated using a flat payment rate for the eligible commodity multiplied by the eligible reported acres. Payments are based on acreage and not production. For acres reported as prevented plant, ECAP assistance will be calculated at 50%.
For ECAP payment estimates, producers are encouraged to visit fsa.usda.gov/ecap to use the ECAP online calculator.
Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans require applicants to have a satisfactory credit history. A credit report is requested for all FSA direct farm loan applicants. These reports are reviewed to verify outstanding debts, see if bills are paid timely and to determine the impact on cash flow.
Information on your credit report is strictly confidential and is used only as an aid in conducting FSA business.
Our farm loan staff will discuss options with you if you have an unfavorable credit report and will provide a copy of your report. If you dispute the accuracy of the information on the credit report, it is up to you to contact the issuing credit report company to resolve any errors or inaccuracies.
There are multiple ways to remedy an unfavorable credit score:
- Make sure to pay bills on time
- Setting up automatic payments or automated reminders can be an effective way to remember payment due dates.
- Pay down existing debt
- Keep your credit card balances low
- Avoid suddenly opening or closing existing credit accounts
FSA’s farm loan staff will guide you through the process, which may require you to reapply for a loan after improving or correcting your credit report.
For more information on FSA farm loan programs, producers are encouraged to contact their FSA County office.
Register for a free webinar series for military veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses on how to work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to prepare for a career in agriculture. This webinar series is designed to provide information about USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher programs and resources for the military community.
August 13 Topics
- Farmers First Initiative
- Disaster Relief
- Ag Taxes
August 14 Topics
- FSA County Committees (COC)
- NRCS Local Working Groups (LWG) and State Technical Committees (STC)
- Becoming Market-Ready
Farm Operating Loans, Direct -- 5.000%
Farm Ownership Loans, Direct -- 6.000%
Limited Resource Loans -- 5.000%
Farm Ownership Loans, Down Payment -- 2.000%
Farm Ownership – Joint Financing -- 4.000%
Emergency Loans -- 3.750%
Farm Storage Facility Loan, 3 year -- 3.750%
Farm Storage Facility Loan, 5 year -- 3.875%
Farm Storage Facility Loan, 7 year -- 4.125%
Farm Storage Facility Loan, 10 year -- 4.375%
Farm Storage Facility Loan, 12 year -- 4.500%
Sugar Storage Facility Loans, 15 year -- 4.750%
Commodity Loans -- 5.000%
August 1 --- Last day to file County Committee Nomination forms.
August 1 --- Deadline to Request farm reconstitutions and transfers for 2024.
August 8 --- Final date for County Offices to accept offers for Grassland CRP.
August 15 – Deadline for producers to submit applications for ECAP.
September 1 - Labor Day Holiday. USDA Service Center is Closed.
September 30 - Deadline to obtain 2026 NAP coverage for Aquaculture, Christmas trees, Floriculture, Ginseng, Mushrooms, Turf grass Sod and Watercress.
October 13 ----- Columbus Day Holiday. USDA Service Center is Closed.
Top of page
Ohio FSA State Office
200 North High Street, Room 540
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: 614-255-2441
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Visit the Ohio FSA website at: www.fsa.usda.gov/oh
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State Executive Director:
Don Jones
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Deputy State Executive Director:
Traci Garza
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Administrative Officer:
Stephanie Moran
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Conservation Chief:
Brandi Koehler
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Farm Loan Chief:
Andrew Huey
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Price Support Chief:
Trevor Kerr
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Production Adjustment / Compliance and Risk Management Chief:
Matt Kleski
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