View as a webpage / Share

Ohio FSA State Newsletter - March 18, 2026

In This Edition of the Ohio FSA State Newsletter:

• A Message from the Ohio FSA State Executive Director
• USDA Announces Continuous and General Conservation Reserve Program Enrollment for 2026
• FSA Now Accepting Applications for Second Stage of Crop Disaster Assistance
• 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
• USDA Assistance for Livestock Death Losses due to Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease
• Disaster Assistance Available for Livestock Losses Due to Theileria Orientalis
• March 2026 Loan and Interest Rates
• Dates to Remember

A Message from the Ohio FSA State Executive Director

USDA Announces Continuous and General Conservation Reserve Program Enrollment for 2026

USDA announced the enrollment periods for agricultural producers and landowners to submit offers for the Continuous and General Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting offers for Continuous CRP from Feb. 12, 2026, through March 20, 2026. Enrollment for General CRP will run from March 9, 2026, through April 17, 2026. FSA will announce dates for Grassland CRP signup in the near future.

CRP is USDA’s flagship conservation program, providing financial and technical support to agricultural producers and landowners who place unproductive or marginal cropland 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 Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026, extends FSA’s authority to administer CRP through Sept. 30, 2026.  

Continuous CRP (Signup 65)  

FSA will batch Continuous CRP offers submitted by interested agricultural producers and landowners. Offers to re-enroll expiring CRP continuous acreage will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. New acreage offered in continuous CRP practices will be considered for acceptance on a first-come, first-serve basis if they support USDA conservation priorities including but not limited to practices that address water quality, such as filter strips and grass waterways, and practices that restore native ecosystems or target specific resource concerns.

The first Continuous CRP batching period ends on March 20, 2026. Offers submitted after this date will be considered for acceptance in subsequent batching periods if acreage remains available.

Continuous CRP participants voluntarily offer environmentally sensitive lands, typically smaller parcels than offered through General CRP including wetlands, riparian buffers, and varying wildlife habitats. In return, they receive annual rental payments and cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource-conserving vegetative cover.   

Continuous CRP enrollment options include:   

• Clean Lakes, Estuaries and Rivers (CLEAR) Initiative: Prioritizes water quality practices on the land that, if enrolled, will help reduce sediment loadings, nutrient loadings, and harmful algal blooms. The vegetative covers also contribute to increased wildlife populations.    
• CLEAR30 (a component of the CLEAR Initiative): Offers additional incentives for water quality practice adoption and can be accessed in 30-year contracts.   
• Highly Erodible Land Initiative (HELI): Producers and landowners can enroll in CRP to establish long-term cover on highly erodible cropland that has a weighted erodibility index greater than or equal to 20.
• Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP): Addresses high priority conservation objectives of states and Tribal governments on agricultural lands in specific geographic areas.   
• State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement Initiative (SAFE): Restores vital habitat in order to meet high-priority state wildlife conservation goals.

General CRP (Signup 66)  

General CRP offers are submitted through a competitive bid process. After the enrollment period closes, General CRP offers are ranked and scored by FSA, using nationally established environmental benefits criteria. USDA will announce accepted offers once ranking and scoring for all offers is completed. In addition to annual rental payments, approved General CRP participants may also be eligible for cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource-conserving vegetative cover.

If you’re interested in participating in CRP, contact your local FSA county office.

FSA Now Accepting Applications for Second Stage of Crop Disaster Assistance

FSA is delivering more than $16 billion in total Congressionally approved disaster relief. FSA is accepting applications for assistance through the second stage of the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) from agricultural producers who suffered eligible non-indemnified, uncovered or quality crop losses due to qualifying natural disasters in 2023 and 2024.

Stage Two covers eligible crop, tree, bush and vine losses that were not covered under Stage One program provisions, including non-indemnified (shallow loss), uncovered and quality losses. Although the majority of payments from the first stage are already in the hands of producers helping them prepare for and invest in the next crop year, Stage One assistance, announced in July, remains available to producers who received an indemnity under crop insurance or the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) for eligible crop losses due to qualifying 2023 and 2024 natural disaster events.

The deadline to apply for both Stage One and Stage Two assistance is April 30, 2026.

SDRP Stage Two Program Details

SDRP Stage Two provides assistance for eligible crop, tree, bush and vine losses not covered under Stage One, including:

• Non-Indemnified Losses (Including Shallow Losses)
  • Insured losses through federal crop insurance that did not trigger a crop insurance indemnity.
  • Losses with NAP coverage that did not trigger a NAP payment.
• Uncovered Losses (Uninsured Losses)
  • Includes losses that were not insured through federal crop insurance or NAP.
• Quality Losses
  • Includes quality losses to commodities indicated by:
    • A decrease in value based on discounts due to the physical condition of the crop supported by applicable grading factors
    • A decline in the nutritional value of forage crops supported by documented forage tests. 
  • Producers will certify to an SDRP quality loss percentage.

FSA is establishing block grants with Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, and Massachusetts that cover crop losses; therefore, producers with losses on land physically located in these states are not eligible for SDRP program payments. 

For information on program eligibility and to download an application checklist, visit fsa.usda.gov/sdrp.

More information will be provided in early 2026 regarding a separate enrollment period for quality losses covered by SDRP Stage One as well as for insured producers in Puerto Rico who were not included in Stage One because data was not available when pre-filled applications were mailed.

To make an appointment to apply, producers should call the their County FSA Office.

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/contact/.  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.

USDA Assistance for Livestock Death Losses due to Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease

Livestock producers in Ohio may be eligible for Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) assistance to offset death losses caused by Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD), transmitted by biting flies or the flying midge. EHD has been identified in livestock herds in Ohio.

LIP is administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) and provides assistance for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by adverse weather, eligible disease, and attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government or protected by federal law.  

Eligibility and Testing  

For LIP, eligible livestock deaths must be directly due to EHD. Producers will be required to submit positive EHD test results.  

The Ohio Department of Agriculture, through the Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, can assist producers with testing. For more information regarding the laboratory, visit their website at: https://agri.ohio.gov/programs/animal-disease-diagnostic-lab.    

Payments and Mortality Rates  

Calendar year 2026 LIP losses are calculated based on a percentage of the average fair market value of the livestock as determined by CCC. Specific rates are set for different categories of livestock.    

USDA has established normal mortality rates for each type and weight range of eligible livestock. These established percentages reflect losses that are considered expected or typical under “normal” conditions.  

Reporting and Documenting Loss  

Producers are encouraged to report losses throughout the year. To participate in LIP, producers will have to provide acceptable documentation of death losses and must submit a notice of loss and application to their local FSA county office no later than March 1, 2027, for 2026 calendar year losses.      

Acceptable EHD loss documentation includes:   

• Proof of death documentation 
• Copy of grower contracts 
• Livestock beginning inventory documentation and inventory changes throughout the year 
• Positive test results for EHD  

Note: Producers are encouraged to keep documentation for all livestock losses as normal mortality applies to EHD losses.  

To apply for LIP or for questions about eligibility or documentation requirements, contact your local FSA office.

USDA to Enhance Support for Farmers with Increased Replant Payments

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is bolstering support for farmers facing crop setbacks by announcing an increase in replant payments for most producers beginning with the 2026 crop year. This initiative aims to provide financial assistance to farmers who need to replant insured crops damaged by early insurable causes of loss. 

Replant payment factors have not been updated since they were established in the 1990s. RMA reviewed replant payment factors to ensure they reflect current replanting costs. The agency determined most small grains and coarse grains crops will receive a significant increase. RMA will consider future updates based on new data, further analysis, and stakeholder feedback from these changes. 

RMA plans to announce the new replant payments with additional crop insurance improvements in the summer of 2025.  

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.

Disaster Assistance Available for Livestock Losses Due to Theileria Orientalis

The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) provides assistance for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by eligible adverse weather, disease and attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government or protected by federal law. FSA has determined that Theileria Orientalis is an eligible disease for LIP as it is a disease transmitted by vectors, specifically Asian longhorned ticks. 

For 2026 livestock losses, you must file a notice of loss, provide the following supporting documentation, and file an application for payment to your local FSA office by March 1, 2027.               

• Proof of eligible loss documentation 
• Proof of death documentation 
• Copy of contract grower’s agreement, as applicable  
• Proof of livestock death loss due to normal mortality documentation, as applicable  
• Livestock beginning inventory documentation  

For eligible disease losses, FSA county committees can accept veterinarian certifications that livestock deaths were directly related to Theileria Orientalis and unpreventable through good animal husbandry and management. 

USDA has established normal mortality rates for each type and weight range of eligible livestock, i.e. Adult Beef Cow = 1.5% and Non-Adult Beef Cattle = 5%. These established percentages reflect losses that are considered expected or typical under “normal” conditions. 

For more information, producers should contact their County USDA Service Center.

March 2026 Loan and Interest Rates

Farm Operating Loans, Direct                   -- 4.750% 
Farm Ownership Loans, Direct                  -- 5.875%
Limited Resource Loans                            -- 5.000% 
Farm Ownership Loans, Down Payment   -- 1.875% 
Farm Ownership – Joint Financing            -- 3.875%
Emergency Loans                                      -- 3.750% 
Farm Storage Facility Loan, 3 year            -- 3.625%
Farm Storage Facility Loan, 5 year            -- 3.750%
Farm Storage Facility Loan, 7 year            -- 4.000%
Farm Storage Facility Loan, 10 year          -- 4.250% 
Farm Storage Facility Loan, 12 year          -- 4.375%
Sugar Storage Facility Loans, 15 year       -- 4.625%
Commodity Loans                                      -- 4.500%

Dates to Remember

Top of page