TN State Newsletter- March 31, 2026
In This Issue:
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
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Mulching is one of the most accessible and effective conservation practices available to small-scale and urban farmers. Fundamentally, mulching involves covering the soil surface with a protective layer of organic or inorganic material. This layer can be made up of natural materials such as straw, wood chips, shredded leaves or cover crop residue as well as synthetic materials like plastic mulch or landscape fabric. While it may seem like a modest step in farm management, mulching with organic materials has powerful implications for soil health, crop productivity, water conservation and weed suppression, making it a key practice in sustainable farming systems.
For farmers working in smaller or urban spaces, where soil quality may already be compromised due to previous development, compaction or limited access to soil amendments, mulching can offer immediate and long-lasting benefits. One of the most significant advantages is the decrease in soil temperature fluctuations and retention of moisture. Mulch acts as a protective blanket over the soil, reducing heat from the sun’s rays and water loss from evaporation while promoting maximum root growth. In cooler months, dark colored mulch can warm the soil and promote spring crop germination or help insulate young transplants from frost.
Mulching also plays a critical role in weed suppression. By blocking sunlight from reaching the soil surface, mulch helps prevent the germination and growth of unwanted plants. This can dramatically cut down on the labor and time small-scale farmers must dedicate to weeding, allowing them to focus on other aspects of their land.
Urban soils are often low in organic matter and biological diversity, which can limit crop yields and soil resilience. Organic mulches break down over time, gradually contributing to soil organic matter and enhancing soil structure, microbial activity and nutrient cycling. This function supports the development of a healthy soil ecosystem by providing habitat and food for beneficial organisms like earthworms and microorganisms. These soil lifeforms play a crucial role in breaking down additional organic matter, improving nutrient availability and enhancing overall soil fertility. As such, mulching becomes more than just a surface treatment, it becomes an integral part of soil regeneration.
Erosion control is another important function of mulch. In areas with limited vegetative cover or sloped terrain, precipitation can quickly wash way topsoil, carrying nutrients with it. A well-applied layer of mulch protects the soil from the impact of raindrops and reduces runoff, helping to maintain the integrity of the land and the productivity of the garden or farm plot.
The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) recognizes mulching as a key conservation practice and offers technical assistance to help farmers implement it effectively. Through programs like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), eligible small-scale and urban producers may also qualify for financial assistance to support the use of natural mulch material (synthetic materials are not covered under EQIP) and complimentary conservation activities like cover crops and reduced tillage. Local NRCS field offices can work with producers to develop a conservation plan tailored to their specific needs, ensuring that mulching and other practices are applied in a way that maximizes their benefits.
In short, mulching is a simple, high impact tool for building healthy, productive soils in small-scale and urban farm settings. With support from NRCS, even the smallest growers can apply this practice to grow food while increasing resiliency on their farm.
FSA and NRCS program applicants for benefits are required to submit a completed CCC-902 Farming Operation Plan and CCC-941 Average Gross Income (AGI) Certification and Consent to Disclosure of Tax Information for FSA to determine the applicant’s payment eligibility and establish the maximum payment limitation applicable to the program applicant.
Participants are not required to annually submit new CCC-902s for payment eligibility and payment limitation purposes unless a change in the farming operation occurs that may affect the previous determination of record. A valid CCC-902 filed by the participant is considered to be a continuous certification used for all payment eligibility and payment limitation determinations applicable for the program benefits requested.
Participants are responsible for ensuring that all CCC-902 and CCC-941 and related forms on file in the county office are updated, current, and correct. Participants are required to timely notify the county office of any changes in the farming operation that may affect the previous determination of record by filing a new or updated CCC-902 as applicable.
Changes that may require a new determination include, but are not limited to, a change of:
- Shares of a contract, which may reflect:
- A land lease from cash rent to share rent
- A land lease from share rent to cash rent (subject to the cash rent tenant rule
- A modification of a variable/fixed bushel-rent arrangement
- The size of the producer’s farming operation by the addition or reduction of cropland that may affect the application of a cropland factor
- The structure of the farming operation, including any change to a member's share
- The contribution of farm inputs of capital, land, equipment, active personal labor, and/or active personal management
- Farming interests not previously disclosed on CCC-902 including the farming interests of a spouse or minor child
- Certifications of average AGI are required to be filed annually for participation in an annual USDA program. For multi-year conservation contracts and NRCS easements, a certification of AGI must be filed prior to approval of the contract or easement and is applicable for the duration of the contract period.
Participants are encouraged to file or review these forms within the deadlines established for each applicable program for which program benefits are being requested.
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The Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) provides technical and financial assistance to owners of nonindustrial private forestland whose forestland was damaged by a qualifying natural disaster event.
EFRP can provide crucial assistance to producers after a natural disaster, but there are a few “myths” about the program that we want to dispel.
Myth: EFRP assists landowners with removal of a dead or damaged tree in their yard.
Fact: EFRP helps with the removal of dead or damaged trees as part of a reforestation project and must be on land that meets the definition of nonindustrial private forestland, is at least 120 feet wide, one acre in size, and at least 10% covered by live trees of any size. If the landowner’s yard does not meet these criteria, then the land is not eligible for EFRP. EFRP requires a landowner to incur at least $1,000 in forest restoration costs to be eligible for assistance. (Minimum restoration costs may be set at a higher level by the FSA State Committee). Finally, eligible forestland must have damage to natural resources caused by the natural disaster event that, if not treated, would impair natural resources on the land and materially affect the future use of the land. For example, damage to natural resources on nonindustrial private forestland could include trees that have died or were damaged by the natural disaster event and where it’s determined that removal and restoration is needed to restore forest health and future use of the land.
To read the full blog visit farmers.gov/blog/myth-busters-learn-facts-about-emergency-forest-restoration-program.
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.
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A farmers.gov account provides self-service opportunities to Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) customers through a secure, authenticated access process.
A new feature now provides access to your current or prior year FSA-578, Report of Commodities (Nationwide Producer Print). Your FSA-578 contains annual crop acreage reporting information submitted to USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA). If you are a shareholder (operator, owner or other producer) for a crop on the acreage report, you will be able to view, save and/or print your selected annual FSA-578.
How to Access Your FSA-578’s
From the Land tab in your farmers.gov account, click Land Overview on the navigation drop-down. On the Land Overview page, you will see an information block that states “View and Print Your Acreage Reports” containing a View Your FSA-578 button.
Clicking the button will open a popup modal with a drop-down menu to select the acreage report year. Once you have selected a year, the View FSA-578 button becomes active. Clicking the button will open a new tab with a message indicating the PDF file is being loaded. Once the load is complete, the FSA-578, Report of Commodities (Nationwide Producer Print) PDF document is displayed. You can view, save and/or print the FSA-578 as needed.
If there is no acreage report information on file for the selected acreage report year, the PDF will display the message, “This producer does not have a producer print currently available.”
How to Access FSA-578s Using Your Representative Authority to Act on Behalf of Another Customer
Additionally, if you have been granted the authority to act on behalf of another individual or entity, you can use the yellow banner to “Switch Profile” and view the current or prior year FSA-578, Report of Commodities (Nationwide Producer Print) for the customer you on whose behalf you have been elected to act.
Contact your local FSA office for more information or questions regarding your FSA-578, Report of Commodities (Nationwide Producer Print) or if you have questions regarding establishing representative authority or do not see the expected representative authority options when you log in.
More information can be found in the farmers.gov Fact Sheet and video tutorials. Visit the farmers.gov Account page to log in or learn how to create an account.
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Top of page
FSA in Tennessee
579 U.S. Courthouse
801 Broadway
Nashville, TN 37203
Phone: 615-277-2600
Service Center Locator
Farm Service Agency
State Executive Director - Mike Mayfield
Deputy State Executive Director - Tyeisha Samples
State Committee Members
George McDonald, Chairperson
Perry Dykes
Wesley "Worth" Eubanks
Charlotte Kelley
Jared "Bo" Jackson
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