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Nevada March USDA Newsletter 

In This Issue:

• USDA Announces Enrollment Period for Farmer Bridge Payments
• USDA Announces Streamlined Guaranteed Loans and Additional Lender Category for Small-Scale Operators
• USDA Offers Disaster Assistance for Producers Facing Inclement Weather
• Myth Busters: Common Misconceptions about the Conservation Stewardship Program
• Ask the Expert: A Farm Operating Loan Q&A with Jack Carlile
• Free USDA supported Seed and Vendor Finder Tool for CRP participants looking for wholesale Seed/Plant Vendors
• Communication Is Key in Lending

USDA Announces Enrollment Period for Farmer Bridge Payments

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has opened the enrollment period for the Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) program, providing $11 billion in one-time bridge payments to row crop producers in response to temporary trade market disruptions and increased production costs. The FBA enrollment period opened Feb. 23 and closes April 17, 2026.  

These bridge payments are authorized under the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act and are administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA). Bridge payments are intended in part to aid farmers until historic investments from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), including reference prices which are set to increase between 10-21% for major covered commodities and will reach eligible farmers after Oct. 1, 2026. 

How to Apply 

Pre-filled applications will be available online to producers with a Login.gov account who timely filed their 2025 crop acreage report for eligible commodities. Producers who have a Login.gov account can access and submit their pre-filled application from fsa.usda.gov/fba. Additionally, producers can also request their pre-filled FBA application from their FSA county office.  

April 17, 2026, is the deadline to submit completed FBA applications. Producers can complete FBA applications online or submit to their FSA county office.  

Login.gov 

Login.gov is the public’s one account for government. Producers can use one account and password for secure, private access to participating government agencies, including FSA.  

To apply for FBA online, producers can start by visiting fsa.usda.gov/fba. to create their Login.gov account. Producers who have an existing Login.gov account, can work with FSA using their existing account.   

With a secure Login.gov account, producers can be amongst the first to apply for FBA allowing them to view, certify, and submit their application as well as track their application and payment status.  

For assistance creating a Login.gov account, visit https://login.gov/help/.   

Eligibility 

The following commodities are eligible for FBA: Barley, Chickpeas, Corn, Cotton, Lentils, Oats, Peanuts, Peas, Rice, Sorghum, Soybeans, Wheat, Canola, Crambe, Flax, Mustard, Rapeseed, Safflower, Sesame, and Sunflower.  

All intended uses for FBA eligible commodities are eligible excluding grazing, experimental, green manure, left standing, or cover crops. Initial acres, double crop acres, and subsequently planted acres, are eligible. Prevent plant acres are not eligible.  

Crop insurance linkage is not required; however, USDA strongly urges producers to take advantage of the new risk management tools provided for in OBBBA to best protect against future price risk and volatility.  

Payment Calculation  

In December, USDA released the payment rates by commodity. FBA payment rates are based on 2025 planted acres, Economic Research Service cost of production, and the World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimate Report. 

More information on FBA is available online at fsa.usda.gov/fba. Producers can also contact their local FSA county office.

USDA Announces Streamlined Guaranteed Loans and Additional Lender Category for Small-Scale Operators

Options Help More Beginning, Small and Urban Producers Gain Access to Credit

Producers can apply for a streamlined version of USDA guaranteed loans, which are tailored for smaller scale farms and urban producers EZ Guarantee Loans use a simplified application process to help beginning, small, underserved, and family farmers and ranchers apply for loans of up to $100,000 from USDA-approved lenders to purchase farmland or finance agricultural operations.

A new category of lenders will join traditional lenders, such as banks and credit unions, in offering USDA EZ Guarantee Loans. Microlenders, which include Community Development Financial Institutions and Rural Rehabilitation Corporations, will be able to offer their customers up to $50,000 of EZ Guaranteed Loans, helping to reach urban areas and underserved producers. Banks, credit unions and other traditional USDA-approved lenders, can offer customers up to $100,000 to help with agricultural operation costs.

EZ Guarantee Loans offer low interest rates and terms up to seven years for financing operating expenses and 40 years for financing the purchase of farm real estate. USDA-approved lenders can issue these loans with the Farm Service Agency (FSA) guaranteeing the loan up to 95 percent.

For more information about the available types of FSA farm loans, contact your County USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov/farmloans

USDA Offers Disaster Assistance for Producers Facing Inclement Weather

Severe weather events create significant challenges and often result in catastrophic loss for agricultural producers. Despite every attempt to mitigate risk, your operation may suffer losses. USDA offers several programs to help with recovery. 

Risk Management 

For producers with coverage through the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), we want to remind you to report crop damage to your local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office. You will need to file a Notice of Loss (also called Form CCC-576) within 15 days of loss becoming apparent, except for hand-harvested crops, which should be reported within 72 hours. 

If you have Federal Crop Insurance, contact your crop insurance agent within 72 hours of discovering damage and be sure to follow up in writing within 15 days. 

Disaster Assistance 

USDA also offers disaster assistance programs, which is especially important to livestock, fruit and vegetable, specialty and perennial crop producers who have fewer risk management options. 

First, the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) and Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybee and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP) reimburses producers for a portion of the value of livestock, poultry and other animals that died as a result of a qualifying natural disaster event or for loss of grazing acres, feed and forage. And, the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) provides assistance to producers of grazed forage crop acres that have suffered crop loss due to a qualifying drought.  Livestock producers suffering the impacts of drought can also request Emergency Haying and Grazing on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres. 

Next, the Tree Assistance Program (TAP) provides cost share assistance to rehabilitate and replant tree, vines or shrubs loss experienced by orchards and nurseries. This complements NAP or crop insurance coverage, which cover the crop but not the plants or trees in all cases. 

For LIP and ELAP, you will need to file a Notice of Loss for livestock and grazing or feed losses by the application deadline for each program. For TAP, you will need to file a program application within 90 days. 

Documentation 

It’s critical to keep accurate records to document all losses following this devastating cold weather event. Livestock producers are advised to document beginning livestock numbers by taking time and date-stamped video or pictures prior to after the loss. 

Other common documentation options include: 

• Purchase records 
• Production records 
• Vaccination records 
• Bank or other loan documents 
• Third-party certification 

Other Programs 

The Emergency Conservation Program and Emergency Forest Restoration Program can assist landowners and forest stewards with financial and technical assistance to restore damaged farmland or forests. 

Additionally, FSA offers a variety of loans available including emergency loans that are triggered by disaster declarations and operating loans that can assist producers with credit needs.  You can use these loans to replace essential property, purchase inputs like livestock, equipment, feed and seed, or refinance farm-related debts, and other needs. 

Meanwhile, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides financial resources through its Environmental Quality Incentives Program to help with immediate needs and long-term support to help recover from natural disasters and conserve water resources. Assistance may also be available for emergency animal mortality disposal from natural disasters and other causes. 

Additional Resources 

Additional details – including payment calculations – can be found on our NAP, ELAP, LIP, and TAP fact sheets. On farmers.gov, the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Farm Loan Discovery Tool can help you determine program or loan options. 

Myth Busters: Common Misconceptions about the Conservation Stewardship Program

The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) is sometimes misunderstood. It is perceived by some as complicated or not for small operations, and neither of those perceptions is true. CSP is designed to help you take your existing conservation efforts on your operation to the next higher level while maintaining your current ones. It’s supposed to help you add to what you’re already doing, either by enhancing your current practices or adding new ones.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) works one-on-one with you to develop a conservation plan under CSP to implement these additions or enhancements and help strengthen your operation.

Under CSP, you receive annual payments to help you maintain your existing conservation efforts and enhance them using new conservation practices or activities. CSP contracts last five years, with the opportunity to compete for a contract renewal if you successfully fulfill the initial contract and agree to achieve additional conservation objectives.

CSP is often misunderstood, so here are a few “myths” about the program that we want to dispel.

Myth #1: The deadline to apply for CSP in my state has already passed, so I don’t need to think about applying until next year.

Don’t wait to apply! We accept applications year-round, but funding decisions are made locally at specific times, and that “ranking date” may be coming up soon in your area. If we already have your application, it will be considered at the next ranking date. Plus, if you start planning now, you will be ready for application ranking dates as they approach. See program application ranking dates for all states at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/ranking-dates.

Myth #2: Enrolling land in CSP is complicated and time-consuming.

If you have a farm and tract number (available from USDA’s Farm Service Agency) and have kept good farm records, you’re already well on your way. You just need to complete a three-page NRCS-CPA-1200 form, see Applications and Forms. You can even complete this form online if you create a farmers.gov account at https://www.farmers.gov/account.

Read more myths.

Ask the Expert: A Farm Operating Loan Q&A with Jack Carlile

In this Ask the Expert, Jack Carlile, Farm Loan Manager for the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA), answers questions about farm operating loans and when producers should apply in order to secure funds for the current crop year.

As the Farm Loan Manager for the Cherokee County Service Center, Jack is responsible for managing the loan making and loan servicing activities for five counties in northeast Oklahoma.  His office provides services for over 650 farm loan customers. Jack was raised on a cross bred cow/calf operation that his grandparents started. Over the years, each generation has added to the operation by purchasing additional pasture. The operation also grows and bales their own hay. Jack’s agriculture background and degree in agriculture economics from Oklahoma State University help him better understand the financing needs of his producers.

Who can apply for FSA Farm Loans?

Anyone can apply for FSA’s loan programs. Applications will be considered on basic eligibility requirements. To apply for a loan, you must meet the following general eligibility requirements including:

• Be a U.S. citizen or qualified alien.
• Operator of a family farm or ranch.
• Have a satisfactory credit history.
• Unable to obtain credit elsewhere at reasonable rates and terms to meet actual needs.
• Not be delinquent on any federal debts.

To read the full blog visit farmers.gov/blog/ask-the-expert-farm-operating-loan-qa-with-jack-carlile.

Free USDA supported Seed and Vendor Finder Tool for CRP participants looking for wholesale Seed/Plant Vendors

USDA worked with the Conservation Biology Institute (CBI) to design and build a free online easy-to-use Seed and Vendor finder tool to support the producers enrolling in the CRP program, along with other conservation efforts involving native plantings. CBI also partnered with the Institute for Applied Ecology (IAE) to address the needs of the Native Seed Network and significantly expanded the native seed customer and vendor base.  

The seed and vendor finder can be found here: Seed and Vendor Finder

Customers looking for native or introduced species to plant for the conservation projects can easily find vendors across the country that carry that seed or plant using this tool.  Currently, CBI has seeded the tool with 600+ wholesale seed and seedling vendors found through an online search from across the country with limited profiles, and 100+ have voluntarily completed full profiles which includes their plant catalogue. The tool is designed for easy uploading of their profile and inventory. It also provides an opportunity for vendors without a website to have an online presence and be found by customers looking for seeds. 

Also check out the plant finder tool where you can find suitable plants, including pollinator friendly plants for your area and soil type. The plant finder prototype is only available for 6 states and there is potential to extend it to the entire country. 

There were over 10,000 visitors to the site last year, with the current number of unique daily visitors to the tool at over 30 and growing!

All growers/vendors are encouraged to add their business profile and catalog to the tool. They can do this easily by filling out a simple form located here: https://crptool.org/cotactn/.  Once their catalog is online, customers can match their seed/seedlings needs with what they might have available for sale and contact you. This USDA supported tool expands customer outreach to the entire U.S.

Communication Is Key in Lending

Farm Service Agency (FSA) is committed to providing our farm loan borrowers the tools necessary to be successful. FSA staff will provide guidance and counsel from the loan application process through the borrower’s graduation to commercial credit. While it is FSA’s commitment to advise borrowers as they identify goals and evaluate progress, it is crucial for borrowers to communicate with their farm loan staff when changes occur. It is the borrower’s responsibility to alert FSA to any of the following:

• Any proposed or significant changes in the farming operation
• Any significant changes to family income or expenses
• The development of problem situations
• Any losses or proposed significant changes in security

If a farm loan borrower can’t make payments to suppliers, other creditors, or FSA on time, contact your farm loan staff immediately to discuss loan servicing options.

For more information on FSA farm loan programs, contact your County USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov.

FSA/NRCS Contacts

Nevada State Office 

300 Booth Street, Suite 2081 Reno, NV 89509
775-857-8500

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