South Dakota USDA Newsletter - August 15, 2025
In This Issue:
Greetings from the South Dakota FSA State Office,
Turning the calendar to August means we have reached a pivotal time of the year. This is fair time for many counties and the State Fair is at the end of this month. The South Dakota State Fair is truly still an agricultural showcase of our state’s bounty!
In addition to the State Fair Value Added Ag Day, FSA also will be having a booth at Dakotafest in Mitchell August 19-21. Stop by our booth #3602 in the Ag Tents. I’ll be attending on August 20, and I look forward to visiting with producers.
The growing season is coming to a close and for most of South Dakota it appears that crops will end in a bountiful harvest this fall. This was the year of extremes with some areas getting too much rain, and some areas seeing the rain clouds but remaining dry.
While summer is ending, the new school year is upon us. Students begin a new chapter in their lives advancing to the next level of learning. The academic learning and extracurricular activities will soon begin. The fall season clearly is about change with harvest and new learning opportunities.
While I have only been in this position for a short time, I have witnessed dedication from the FSA employees both in the state office and throughout our county offices. These employees have gone through a grueling workload over the past couple of months, especially with many of our county offices short staffed!
Activities within the Farm Service Agency continue with the completion of CRP signup and acreage reporting, and disbursing disaster payments to producers across South Dakota. The employees within the FSA organization have worked hard to meet your needs this year and look forward to assisting you in the future.
For program questions, contact our dedicated FSA staff in your local county office.
Sincerely,
Roger Chase
State Executive Director, South Dakota FSA
Top of page
Greetings,
August is in full swing, and the start of the school year is not the only annual event circling back around—the application batching date for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) for the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) has been set. Although applications are accepted year-round, those received after October 3, 2025, will not be considered for FY26 funding. If you’d like to know more about the programs and their corresponding application deadline, I encourage you to read our recently published news release.
Our state continues to have great opportunities for learning and networking regarding natural resource management and agriculture. Please consider upcoming learning opportunities with South Dakota Specialty Producers Association, South Dakota Soil Health Coalition, South Dakota Grassland Coalition, and other entities to build your support team and establish or expand on existing knowledge. Additionally, visit us at our Dakotafest USDA-NRCS tent, August 19-21 and see living roots of cover crops and visit with one of our many partners who will also be showcased in the space: South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, South Dakota Association of Conservation District, and Pheasants Forever. Then, join us on August 28 for Value Added Ag Day at the South Dakota State Fair and learn about the Dakota Conservation Network website.
Visit your local NRCS office to ask about upcoming learning opportunities, discuss your goals, and learn how an NRCS specialist or program can support your efforts through conservation planning. Thank you to all South Dakota farmers, ranchers, land managers, landowners, and conservation partners who are moving the needle of conservation in our state.
Sincerely,
Tony Sunseri
State Conservationist, South Dakota NRCS
Top of page
August 15, 2025 - Deadline to apply for 2024 Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP)
August 19-21, 2025 - FSA Booth (located at Ag Tent 3602) and NRCS Booth (located at 443E) at Dakotafest - Mitchell, SD
August 26, 2025 - FSA State Committee Meeting (information below)
August 28, 2025 - FSA Booth and NRCS Booth at the SD State Fair Value Added Ag Day Sponsor Tent - Huron, SD. Note: "USDA Services & Resources for the Next Generation of Farmers, Ranchers, and Specialty Growers" Mini-Session at 12:00 p.m. CT in the Value Added Ag Day Sponsor Tent.
September 1, 2025 - Labor Day Holiday - USDA Service Centers Closed
September 10, 2025- NRCS State Technical Committee Meeting, held in Pierre, SD, and virtually. Visit the State Technical Committee webpage to learn more.
October 3, 2025 - Batching date deadline for EQIP and CSP applications. See article below.
August 2025
|
Farm Operating Loans — Direct
|
5.000% |
|
Farm Ownership Loans — Direct
|
6.000% |
|
Farm Ownership Loans — Direct Down Payment, Beginning Farmer or Rancher
|
2.000% |
|
Emergency Loans
|
3.750% |
|
Farm Storage Facility Loans (7 years)
|
4.125% |
Top of page
The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a program administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to conserve farmland for future generations while providing habitat for wildlife, reducing soil erosion, and improving water quality. Regular maintenance on CRP acres is needed to ensure the acreage continues to provide conservation benefits and remains in compliance with the CRP contract.
Regular Maintenance
Producers with CRP contracts are required to control all weeds, insects, pests, and other undesirable species to the extent necessary to ensure that the approved conservation cover is adequately protected and to ensure there is no adverse impact on surrounding land. Mowing is one of the allowable practices for weed control, but mowing for aesthetic purposes is never permitted. The Conservation Plan states the required weed control methods for each site.
Once a stand has been certified as fully established, participants are required to maintain plant diversity and stand density according to the Conservation Plan and offer (CRP-2) for the life of the contract. Stands that do not meet practice specific plant diversity or density requirements may be considered non-compliant. Refer to your conservation plan or contact FSA if you have any questions or concerns about the vegetative cover requirements.
Maintenance activities cannot occur during the primary nesting season for birds without written prior approval from the local county office. The primary nesting season in South Dakota is May 1 through August 1.
Mid-Contract Management
Regular maintenance for weed and pest control is separate from the Mid-Contract Management (MCM) requirement. MCM ensures plant diversity and wildlife benefits while ensuring protection of the soil and water resources. Such activities are site-specific and are for the purpose of enhancing the approved cover.
MCM must be completed between years four and six of a 10-year contract and between years seven and nine of a 15-year contract. The Conservation Plan will state what year MCM must take place.
Noncompliance with Maintenance Requirements
Failure to adequately maintain the stand may result in noncompliance with the terms and conditions of the CRP contract. Noncompliance can result in adverse actions up to and including termination of the CRP contract. Contracts that are out of compliance are ineligible to re-enroll, unless the stand is brought back into compliance prior to the enrollment deadline.
For general information about CRP, visit the Conservation Reserve Program webpage. For information about specific contracts, reach out to the local FSA office.
Top of page
Landowners and operators are reminded that in order to receive payments from USDA, compliance with Highly Erodible Land (HEL) and Wetland Conservation (WC) provisions are required. Farmers with HEL determined soils are reminded of tillage, crop residue, and rotation requirements as specified per their conservation plan. Producers are to notify the USDA Farm Service Agency prior to breaking sod, clearing land (tree removal), and of any drainage projects (tiling, ditching, etc.) to ensure compliance. Failure to update certification of compliance, with form AD-1026, triggering applicable HEL and/or wetland determinations, for any of these situations, can result in the loss of FSA farm program payments, FSA farm loans, NRCS program payments, and premium subsidy to Federal Crop Insurance administered by RMA.
Top of page
The Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) provides financial assistance to producers of non-insurable crops, including mechanically harvested forage with NAP coverage, to protect against natural disasters that occur during the coverage, resulting in loss of production, loss of value, or prevented planting of an eligible crop.
If you have NAP coverage on mechanically harvested forage, you must:
- Maintain separate production records for each unit, crop, practice, crop type, and intended use.
- Submit production records to FSA by the designated production reporting date for the crop.
- Notify your FSA administrative county office before grazing, abandoning, or destroying forage acreage reported, on FSA form FSA-578, as intended to be mechanically harvested; and request an appraisal.
- Notify your FSA administrative county office of a loss and timely file CCC-576, Notice of Loss and Application for Payment, Part B, the earlier of:
- 15 calendar days after the disaster occurs, or damage first becomes apparent.
- 15 calendar days after the crop’s normal harvest date.
- If you change your intended use or experience a loss during the coverage period, you must:
- Establish and maintain representative sample areas when an appraisal of the acreage is required.
- Inform your FSA administrative county office of the location of representative sample areas within 15 days of placing the panels.
- Request an appraisal of the representative sample areas at the end of harvest period but before first freeze.
For more information on NAP and NAP compliance requirements you must follow to retain NAP coverage, contact your local USDA service center.
Top of page
Marketing Assistance Loans (MALs) and Loan Deficiency Payments (LDPs) provide financing and marketing assistance for wheat, feed grains, soybeans, and other oilseeds, pulse crops, rice, peanuts, cotton, wool and honey. MALs provide you with interim financing after harvest to help you meet cash flow needs without having to sell your commodities when market prices are typically at harvest-time lows. A producer who is eligible to obtain a loan, but agrees to forgo the loan, may obtain an LDP if such a payment is available. Marketing loan provisions and LDPs are not available for sugar and extra-long staple cotton.
FSA is now accepting requests for 2025 MALs and LDPs for all eligible commodities after harvest. Requests for loans and LDPs shall be made on or before the final availability date for the respective commodities.
Commodity certificates are available to loan holders who have outstanding nonrecourse loans for wheat, upland cotton, rice, feed grains, pulse crops (dry peas, lentils, large and small chickpeas), peanuts, wool, soybeans and designated minor oilseeds. These certificates can be purchased at the posted county price (or adjusted world price or national posted price) for the quantity of commodity under loan, and must be immediately exchanged for the collateral, satisfying the loan. MALs redeemed with commodity certificates are not subject to Adjusted Gross Income provisions.
To be considered eligible for an LDP, you must have form CCC-633EZ, Page 1 on file at your local FSA Office before losing beneficial interest in the crop. Pages 2, 3 or 4 of the form must be submitted when payment is requested.
Marketing loan gains (MLGs) and loan deficiency payments (LDPs) are no longer subject to payment limitations, actively engaged in farming and cash-rent tenant rules.
Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) provisions state that if your total applicable three-year average AGI exceeds $900,000, then you’re not eligible to receive an MLG or LDP. You must have a valid CCC-941 on file to earn a market gain of LDP. The AGI does not apply to MALs redeemed with commodity certificate exchange.
For more information and additional eligibility requirements, contact your local County USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov.
Top of page
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) 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.
Top of page
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing the launch of the Debt Consolidation Tool, an innovative online tool available through farmers.gov that allows agricultural producers to enter their farm operating debt and evaluate the potential savings that might be provided by obtaining a debt consolidation loan with USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) or a local lender.
A debt consolidation loan is a new loan used to pay off other existing operating loans or lines of credit that might have unreasonable rates and terms. By combining multiple eligible debts into a single, larger loan, borrowers may obtain more favorable payment terms such as a lower interest rate or lower payments. Consolidating debt may also provide farmers and ranchers additional cash flow flexibilities.
The Debt Consolidation Tool is a significant addition to FSA’s suite of improvements designed to modernize its Farm Loan Programs. The tool enhances customer service and increases opportunities for farmers and ranchers to achieve financial viability by helping them identify potential savings that could be reinvested in their farming and ranching operation, retirement accounts, or college savings accounts.
Producers can access the Debt Consolidation Tool by visiting farmers.gov/debt-consolidation-tool. The tool is built to run on modern browsers including Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or the Safari browser. Producers do not need to create a farmers.gov account or access the authenticated customer portal to use the tool.
USDA encourages producers to reach out to their local FSA farm loan staff to ensure they fully understand the wide range of loan and servicing options available to assist with starting, expanding, or maintaining their agricultural operation. To conduct business with FSA, please contact your local USDA Service Center.
Top of page
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) serving South Dakota (SD) review date for applications for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) has been set for October 3, 2025.
While applications are accepted year-round, October 3, 2025, is the final date by which an operator or landowner must sign an application at their local NRCS office for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) funding consideration. Applications made after that date will be considered in the next application period.
Both EQIP and CSP are voluntary programs that offer financial and technical assistance for participants to install or manage conservation practices on eligible agricultural land. Although when differentiating the programs, EQIP helps operations establish initial conservation practices that include targeted funding through the Conservation Implementation Strategies (CIS) across the state. Other areas of focus include wildlife, high tunnels, specialty crops, and the National Water Quality Initiative. Jennifer Wurtz, NRCS EQIP Program Coordinator in the Huron State Office, further elaborated, “Now is the time to start the conservation planning process with the NRCS staff to help create a plan to meet your operation’s conservation needs. EQIP allows eligible participants financial assistance to install or implement structural or management practices on their operations.”
A separate program with a similar mission, CSP provides a five-year annual payment program for producers who would like to strengthen existing conservation efforts and reach management goals. Implemented across a producer’s operation, (including cropland, rangeland, associated agricultural land, farmstead, and forestland), CSP is a great opportunity for agricultural producers to generate additional financial return as they implement new practices. “Chances are, if you are already looking for ways to improve or are currently taking steps to improve the condition of the land, CSP can help you find ways to reach those goals,” said Danielle Rhine, NRCS CSP Program Manager, Rapid City.
The NRCS offers free one-on-one consultation with producers to complete a full resource concern assessment, learn about their current management activities, and understand their operational goals and objectives. Based on this information, NRCS can then develop a tailored conservation plan with the producer, which can potentially be implemented through EQIP or CSP programs.
To learn more and apply for EQIP or CSP, please contact your local USDA Service Center.
Top of page
USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) announced it approved changes to the Triticale crop insurance program for the 2026 and succeeding crop years. The program provides actual production history yield protection to producers who grow triticale for grain.
Beginning with the 2026 crop year, RMA will expand the program to 257 counties and will allow insureds in counties with both winter and spring sales closing dates to revise their coverage up until the spring sales closing date when there is no winter-planted acreage. Adding this flexibility ensures triticale coverage matches the existing coverage for wheat.
By allowing coverage revisions up to the spring sales closing date, we are giving producers the flexibility to secure appropriate coverage for their planted acres. Sales closing dates vary by region. Producers interested in obtaining coverage should check with a crop insurance agent to verify the sales closing date for their area.
Producers insured $13 million in covered liabilities on 69,000 acres of triticale during the 2025 crop year.
Contact a crop insurance agent to see how Federal Crop Insurance can meet the specific needs of your operation. Crop insurance is sold and delivered solely through private crop insurance agents. A list of crop insurance agents is available 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. RMA’s Basics for Beginners provides information for those new to crop insurance.
Top of page
USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) announced it is implementing the Quality Loss (QL) option for additional crop insurance programs for the 2026 and succeeding crop years. QL will be available for the alfalfa seed, dry peas, dry beans, grass seed and triticale crop insurance programs.
RMA developed the QL option in response to the 2018 Farm Bill requirement to carry out research and development for an alternative method for adjusting quality losses that will not impact Actual Production History (APH). While initially created to improve coverage options for row crop producers, the option was expanded to perennial crop programs in the 2024 crop year.
Producers must elect QL by the sales closing date. The QL option may apply if a notice of loss is filed, regardless of whether an indemnity is received for that crop year. When elected, QL allows a producer to replace the post-quality adjusted production in their APH database with the pre-quality adjusted production, thereby increasing the actual yields for individual crop years.
Quality adjustment to production will be based on the applicable quality statements contained in the Special Provisions, or on applicable quality requirements allowed by the Crop Provisions or endorsements. The QL option is not available for policies insured under the Catastrophic Risk Protection Endorsement.
Contact a crop insurance agent to see how Federal Crop Insurance can meet the specific needs of your operation. Crop insurance is sold and delivered solely through private crop insurance agents. A list of crop insurance agents is available 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. RMA’s Basics for Beginners provides information for those new to crop insurance.
Top of page
-
South Dakota FSA State Committee Meeting: August 26, 2025, 8:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. CT at Federal Building, 200 4th Street SW, Huron, SD 57350.
- Questions? Contact Jean Wharton at jean.wharton@usda.gov.
- If you need to request an accommodation, please contact Jean Wharton at (605) 352-1160 or jean.wharton@usda.gov by August 19, to request accommodations (e.g., an interpreter, translator, seating arrangements, etc.) or materials in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape – captioning, etc.).
-
"USDA Services & Resources for the Next Generation of Farmers, Ranchers, and Specialty Growers" Mini-Session: August 28, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. CT in the Value Added Ag Day Sponsor Tent, SD State Fair, Huron, SD.
- Questions? Contact Gail Gullickson at gail.gullickson@usda.gov.
- If you need to request an accommodation, please contact Gail Gullickson at (605) 692-8003 ext. 3 or gail.gullickson@usda.gov by August 21, to request accommodations (e.g., an interpreter, translator, seating arrangements, etc.) or materials in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape – captioning, etc.).
Top of page
USDA in South Dakota
200 4th Street SW
Huron, SD 57350
FSA Phone: (605) 352-1160
NRCS Phone: (605) 352-1200
RMA Phone: (406) 651-8450
|
|
Get Started at Your USDA Service Center
|
|
Farm Service Agency
State Executive Director:
Roger Chase
Deputy State Executive Director:
Ryan Vanden Berge
Administrative Officer:
Theresa Hoadley
Program Managers:
Owen Fagerhaug - Conservation
Logan Kopfmann - Disaster Relief
Donita Garry - Program Delivery
Bridget Weber - Farm Loan Program,
Acting
State Outreach Coordinator:
Gail Gullickson
|
Natural Resources Conservation
Service
State Conservationist:
Tony Sunseri
Assistant State Conservationists:
Jessica Michalski - Ecological Sciences
James Reedy - Engineering
Nathan Jones - Soils
Val Dupraz - Programs
Colette Kessler - Partnerships
Deke Hobbick - Compliance
Denise Gauer - Management & Strategy
|
|
South Dakota Farm Service Agency
South Dakota Natural Resources Conservation Service
|
|
