Indiana FSA State Newsletter - July 30, 2026
In This Edition of the Indiana FSA State Newsletter:
Contact your FSA county office for more information
USDA is reminding agricultural producers impacted by increased input costs and natural disasters that the deadlines to apply for safety net and disaster assistance programs designed to protect their financial security are coming soon. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) wants to remind producers that the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) program and the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP), both have deadlines in early August. Additionally, thanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, eligible landowners have until the end of August to review and consider base acre increases for the first time since 2002 for the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs.
Agricultural producers are reminded of these important upcoming deadlines:
- Aug. 7, 2026 – Deadline to apply for ASCF
- Aug. 12, 2026 – Deadline to apply for SDRP
- Aug. 31, 2026 – Deadline to review base allocations through ARC/PLC
Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers
ASCF provides payments to specialty crop producers based on reported 2025 planted acres. Pre-filled ASCF applications are available to producers who reported their 2025 crop acreage for eligible specialty crops. Producers with a secure Login.gov account can access and submit their pre-filled application online. Producers can also request their pre-filled application from their local FSA county office. Eligible crops and payment rates can be found at fsa.usda.gov/ascf. The deadline to apply is Aug. 7, 2026.
Supplemental Disaster Relief Program
SDRP provides more than $16 billion in disaster relief payments to producers who suffered revenue, quality or production losses to crops, trees, bushes, or vines due to qualifying disaster events in calendar years 2023 and 2024. Producers with indemnified losses can apply through SDRP Stage 1 which leverages Federal Crop Insurance or Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program data as the basis for calculating payments. Producers with non-indemnified (including shallow losses), uncovered (uninsured), and quality losses can apply for Stage 2 assistance. Producers can request an application from their local FSA county office. Aug. 12, 2026, is the deadline for both Stages 1 and 2. Additional information can be found at fsa.usda.gov/sdrp.
Agriculture Risk Coverage/Price Loss Coverage
ARC and PLC are cornerstone commodity safety net programs that provide financial protection to farmers when market prices or revenues decline. Landowners have the opportunity to increase base acres in preparation for enrollment in ARC and PLC beginning with the 2026 and future crop years as authorized by the Working Families Tax Cuts Act. Nationwide, up to 30 million new base acres can be added by eligible farms.
Eligible landowners should review their Base Allocation Summary, which outlines potential base acre increases. These Base Allocation Summaries can be accessed online at fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc using a Login.gov account. Landowners who do not currently have a Login.gov account are encouraged to contact their local FSA county office to obtain their Base Allocation Summary and review and take any necessary action by Aug. 31, 2026.
County Committees
Additionally, Aug. 3 is the last day to submit nomination forms for eligible candidates to serve on their local FSA county committees. County committees are a critical component of the day-to-day operations of FSA and allow grassroots input and local administration of federal farm programs. Elections occur each year in certain Local Administrative Areas (LAA). LAAs are elective areas for FSA county committees in a single county or multi-county jurisdiction. Ballots will be mailed to eligible voters in November. Learn more at fsa.usda.gov/coc.
More Information
For more information, producers can contact their local FSA office. Producers can also book an appointment with local FSA farm program and farm loan staff using FSA’s new online scheduling system
Successful 2026 enrollment for CRP’s many enrollment options
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting more than 18,500 acres in Indiana into the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) for 2026. Through CRP, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) offers agricultural producers and landowners incentive payments for their conservation efforts while benefiting their agricultural operations and protecting the nation’s natural resources.
Producers and landowners submitted offers on nearly 19,400 acres in Indiana. Accepted acres include participation through General CRP, Grassland CRP, and Continuous CRP initiatives that support soil health, water quality, wildlife habitat, and long-term conservation on working lands.
Of the nearly 26,500 acres in Indiana set to expire on Sept. 30, producers submitted re-enrollment offers for approximately 15,200 acres. Additionally, producers submitted offers to enroll 4,200 acres of new land in Indiana. Counties with the highest accepted acreage include Jasper, Pulaski, Warren.
USDA’s CRP is one of the nation’s largest voluntary conservation programs, helping agricultural producers protect sensitive land while strengthening rural communities and supporting long-term sustainability.
More Information
Signed into law in 1985, CRP is one of the largest voluntary private-lands conservation programs in the United States. Originally intended to primarily control soil erosion and potentially stabilize commodity prices by taking marginal lands out of production, the program has evolved over the years, providing many conservation and economic benefits to farmers, ranchers, and landowners across the country.
USDA offers disaster assistance and low-interest loan programs to assist you with recovery efforts following recent severe storms. Available programs and loans include:
Disaster Assistance Programs:
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Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) - offers payments to eligible producers for livestock death losses in excess of normal mortality due to adverse weather.
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Tree Assistance Program (TAP) – provides assistance to eligible orchardists and nursery tree growers for qualifying tree, shrub and vine losses due to natural disaster.
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Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) - provides emergency relief for losses due to feed or water shortages, disease, adverse weather, or other conditions, which are not adequately addressed by other disaster programs.
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Emergency Loan Program – available to producers with agriculture operations located in a county under a primary or contiguous Secretarial Disaster designation. These low interest loans help producers recover from production and physical losses due to adverse weather. Additionally, FSA has a variety of loan servicing options available for borrowers who are unable to make scheduled payments on their farm loan debt to FSA because of reasons beyond their control.
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Farm Storage Facility Loans (FSFLs) - provides low-interest financing so producers can build or upgrade facilities to store commodities. Loan terms vary from 3 to 12 years. Contact FSA if you’re in need of on-farm storage.
Risk Management (must have purchased coverage):
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Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) - provides financial assistance to producers of non-insurable crops when low yields, loss of inventory, or prevented planting occur due to natural disasters including severe storms (includes native grass for grazing).
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Federal Crop Insurance – producers with federal crop insurance should timely report losses to their crop insurance agent.
Conservation:
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Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) - provides emergency funding for farmers and ranchers to rehabilitate land severely damaged by natural disasters; includes fence loss.
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Emergency Forest Restoration Program – provides funding to restore privately owned forests damaged by natural disasters.
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Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) – helps producers plan and implement conservation practices on farms, ranches, and working forests impacted by natural disasters.
Assistance for Communities
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Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program - assists local government sponsors with the cost of addressing watershed impairments or hazards such as debris removal and streambank stabilization.
To establish or retain Farm Service Agency (FSA) program eligibility, you must report prevented planting and failed acres (crops and grasses). Prevented planting acreage must be reported on form CCC-576, Notice of Loss, no later than 15 calendar days after the final planting date as established by FSA and Risk Management Agency.
For more information on these programs, contact your County USDA Service Center.
Farm Service Agency is offering a new option to schedule appointments online with County FSA offices. Following a successful pilot program, FSA is using a digital appointment platform across the agency to allow producers to conveniently make farm program or farm loan program appointments online.
Appointments can be scheduled through FSA’s digital platform, Microsoft Bookings, using a mobile device, tablet, laptop or desktop computer. To assist producers in finding their local FSA office to make an appointment, FSA has also launched a new FSA County Office locator that is searchable by state and by county. Each county office contact page has a unique link for producers to make an appointment online and shows contact information for the local FSA office and the farm loan team. Scheduled appointments may be in-person or virtual with the local FSA office depending on producer preference.
Producers can conveniently schedule appointments for a variety of services with both farm program and farm loan staff. The Microsoft Bookings-based system will automatically send a confirmation email to the producer along with reminder emails for upcoming appointments.
Producers still have the option to call their FSA County Office or visit in person to make an appointment.
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 FSA County office.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is putting farmers first and reaffirming this commitment by updating its strategic priorities, motto and mission and vision
statements for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). These updates complement NRCS’s historic role in providing practical, voluntary, and locally led conservation solutions for producers. The new NRCS motto and mission and vision statements are:
Motto: Keeping Working Lands in Working Hands
Mission Statement: We deliver practical, voluntary, and locally led conservation solutions that help producers conserve natural resources, strengthen agricultural production, and keep working lands productive for generations to come.
Vision Statement: An America where working lands remain productive, resilient, and in the hands of those who steward them.
NRCS is also updating its strategic priorities to guide agency operations, program delivery, stakeholder engagement and modernization efforts through fiscal year 2026 and beyond. NRCS’s seven priorities include:
- Preserve and protect agricultural land;
- Shift to outcome-based conservation and farmer empowerment;
- Re-center field engagement and strengthen technical expertise;
- Expand wildlife conservation and outdoor access;
- Strengthen partnerships by streamlining processes and accountability;
- Optimize mission delivery by strengthening workforce culture; and
- Modernize NRCS infrastructure and technology.
Learn more about the priorities at nrcs.usda.gov/about/priorities.
The Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Farm Storage Facility Loan (FSFL) program provides low-interest financing to help you build or upgrade storage facilities and to purchase portable (new or used) structures, equipment and storage and handling trucks.
Eligible commodities include corn, grain sorghum, rice, soybeans, oats, peanuts, wheat, barley, minor oilseeds harvested as whole grain, pulse crops (lentils, chickpeas and dry peas), hay, honey, renewable biomass, fruits, nuts and vegetables for cold storage facilities, controlled atmosphere storage, floriculture, hops, malted small grains, maple sap, maple syrup, rye, milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, meat and poultry (unprocessed), eggs, and aquaculture (excluding systems that maintain live animals through uptake and discharge of water). Qualified facilities include grain bins, hay barns and cold storage facilities for eligible commodities.
Loans up to $50,000 can be secured by a promissory note/security agreement, loans between $50,000 and $100,000 may require additional security, and loans exceeding $100,000 require additional security.
You do not need to demonstrate the lack of commercial credit availability to apply. The loans are designed to assist a diverse range of farming operations, including small and mid-sized businesses, new farmers, operations supplying local food and farmers markets, non-traditional farm products, and underserved producers.
For more information, contact your County FSA office.
Farm loan borrowers who have pledged real estate as security for their Farm Service Agency (FSA) direct or guaranteed loans are responsible for maintaining loan collateral. Borrowers must obtain prior consent or approval from FSA or the guaranteed lender for any transaction that affects real estate security. These transactions include, but are not limited to:
- Leases of any kind
- Easements of any kind
- Subordinations
- Partial releases
- Sales
Failure to meet or follow the requirements in the loan agreement, promissory note, and other security instruments could lead to nonmonetary default which could jeopardize your current and future loans.
It is critical that borrowers keep an open line of communication with their FSA loan staff or guaranteed lender when it comes to changes in their operation. For more information on borrower responsibilities, read Your FSA Farm Loan Compass.
Farm Operating Loans, Direct -- 5.125%
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 -- 4.125%
Farm Storage Facility Loan, 5 year -- 4.250%
Farm Storage Facility Loan, 7 year -- 4.375%
Farm Storage Facility Loan, 10 year -- 4.500%
Farm Storage Facility Loan, 12 year -- 4.625%
Sugar Storage Facility Loans, 15 year -- 4.875%
Commodity Loans -- 4.875%
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August 1
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End of primary nesting season for CRP program purposes.
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August 3
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Deadline to Request farm reconstitutions and transfers for 2026.
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August 3
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Last day to file County Committee Nomination forms.
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August 7
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Deadline for applications for the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers program.
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August 12
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Final date to apply for the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program Stage 1 and Stage 2.
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August 31
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Deadline for landowners to review their owner notification and base allocation summary(s).
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September 7
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Labor Day Holiday. USDA Service Center is Closed.
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September 15
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Final Acreage Reporting Date for Cucumbers (Planted 6/1 to 8/15 in Knox County).
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September 15
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Final Date to submit late-filed FSA-578 for 2025 Cucumbers Planted 6/1 to 8/15 in Knox County.
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September 30
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Final Acreage Reporting Date for Value Loss & Controlled Environment Crop (for coming program year).
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September 30
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NAP Sales Closing Date for Value loss Crops for the Following Year (Flowers for Fresh Cut, Onion Sets, Turfgrass Sod, Christmas Trees, Aquaculture, Mushrooms).
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Continuous
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Reports of Failed Acreage must be filed with the County Office before disposition of the crop.
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Continuous
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Reports of Prevented Planting Acreage must be filed with the County Office no later than 15 calendar days after the final planting date for that county and producers of hand-harvested crops and certain perishable crops must notify FSA within 72 hours of when a loss becomes apparent.
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Continuous
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Contact FSA right away for notice of loss deadlines and disaster program requirements.
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Ongoing
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Inform your County office of bank account changes, if you have picked up or dropped any farms and inform the office of any cropland boundary changes.
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Ongoing
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Submit an Application for a Farm Storage Facility Loan.
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Continuous
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Submit an Application for FSA Farm Loans.
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Continuous
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