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Nevada July USDA Newsletter 

In This Issue:

• USDA Offers Disaster Assistance for Producers Facing Inclement Weather
• USDA Microloans Help Farmers Purchase Farmland and Improve Property
• How to Document Wildfire Losses
• USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service Unveils New Conservation Priorities to Keep Working Lands in Working Hands
• USDA Helps Organic Producers with Certification Costs
• Reminders for FSA Direct and Guaranteed Borrowers with Real Estate Security
• Ask the Expert: Understanding Conifer Encroachment in Sagebrush Country and the Latest Resources to Address it, with Derek Tilley

USDA Offers Disaster Assistance for Producers Facing Inclement Weather

Livestock inventory records are necessary in the event of a natural disaster, so remember to keep them updated.

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. 

USDA Microloans Help Farmers Purchase Farmland and Improve Property

Farmers can use USDA farm ownership microloans to buy and improve property. These microloans are especially helpful to beginning or underserved farmers, U.S. veterans looking for a career in farming, and those who have small and mid-sized farming operations. Microloans have helped farmers and ranchers with operating costs, such as feed, fertilizer, tools, fencing, equipment, and living expenses since 2013.

Microloans can also help with farmland and building purchases and soil and water conservation improvements. FSA designed the program to simplify the application process, expand eligibility requirements and expedite smaller real estate loans to help farmers strengthen their operations. Microloans provide up to $50,000 to qualified producers and can be issued to the applicant directly from the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA).

To learn more about the FSA microloan program, contact your County USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov/microloans.

How to Document Wildfire Losses

If you’ve suffered excessive livestock death losses and grazing or feed losses due to recent wildfires, you may be eligible for disaster assistance programs.

The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) offers payments to you for livestock death losses in excess of normal mortality due to adverse weather and the 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.

To participate in LIP, you will be required to provide verifiable documentation of death losses resulting from an eligible adverse weather event, and you must submit a notice of loss to your local FSA by the application deadline, which is March 1, 2027, for calendar year 2026 losses. To participate in ELAP, you must submit a notice of loss to your local FSA office no later than March 1, 2027, for calendar year 2026 losses.  

You should record all pertinent information regarding livestock losses due to the eligible adverse weather or loss condition, including:

• Documentation of the number, kind, type, and weight range of livestock that have died, supplemented if possible by photographs or video records of ownership and losses;
• Rendering truck receipts by kind, type and weight - important to document prior to disposal;
• Beginning inventory supported by birth recordings or purchase receipts;
• Documentation from Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, Department of Natural Resources, or other sources to substantiate eligible death losses due to an eligible loss condition;
• Documentation that livestock were removed from grazing pastures due to an eligible adverse weather or loss condition;
• Costs of transporting livestock feed to eligible livestock, such as receipts for equipment rental fees for hay lifts;
• Feed purchase receipts if feed supplies or grazing pastures are destroyed;
• Number of gallons of water transported to livestock due to water shortages.

For more information on these programs and documentation requirements, contact your County USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov/disaster

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service Unveils New Conservation Priorities to Keep Working Lands in Working Hands

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. 

USDA Helps Organic Producers with Certification Costs

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is helping organic producers and handlers cover certification costs as part of the Department’s effort to put Farmers First and Make America Healthy Again. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting applications to help with organic certification costs for the 2025 and 2026 program years through the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP), which covers up to 75% of eligible organic certification costs. Producers and handlers must apply by Dec. 31, 2026, for both program years.     

Cost Share Assistance      

OCCSP provides cost share assistance to producers and handlers for the costs of obtaining or maintaining organic certification under the National Organic Program, which is administered by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service. Producers and handlers are eligible to receive 75% of the costs, up to $750 for each of the following scopes: crops, wild crops, livestock, processing/handling and state organic program fees.      

FSA will make payments as applications are received on a first-come, first-served basis until available funds are depleted.      

Eligibility     

To be eligible for OCCSP, a producer or handler must have their USDA organic certification for the applicable program year at the time of application and must have paid fees or expenses related to the initial certification or renewal from a certifying agent during the program year. For program year 2025, they must have possessed a USDA organic certification at any time during the program year.    

There are four USDA organic regulation recognized scopes that must be individually inspected and certified: crops, livestock, wild crops, and handling. The scopes must be listed on the producer or handler’s organic certificate to be eligible for OCCSP. Eligible costs include:    

• Application and administrative fees for USDA organic certification  
• Inspection fees for USDA organic certification, including travel and per diem costs for organic inspectors  
• USDA organic certification costs, including fees necessary to access international markets with which AMS has equivalency agreements or arrangements  
• State organic program fees  
• User and sale assessment fees for USDA organic certification  
• Postage costs for materials related to obtaining or renewing USDA organic certification.    

How to Apply     

To apply, producers and handlers should contact their local FSA county office. As part of completing the OCCSP application, producers and handlers will need to provide documentation of their organic certification and eligible expenses.    

Organic producers and handlers may also apply for OCCSP through participating state agencies.    

Opportunity for State Agency Participation     

FSA will soon announce a 30-day application period for state agencies to apply through grants.gov to administer OCCSP.    

If a state agency chooses to participate in OCCSP, both the state agency and FSA county offices in that state will accept OCCSP applications and make payments to eligible certified operations. However, producers and handlers may not receive OCCSP payments for the same scope  through both the state agency and their FSA county office. 

More Information    

For more information, producers and handlers can visit the OCCSP webpage or contact their local FSA county office.   

Reminders for FSA Direct and Guaranteed Borrowers with Real Estate Security

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.

Ask the Expert: Understanding Conifer Encroachment in Sagebrush Country and the Latest Resources to Address it, with Derek Tilley

We’re often taught we should save the trees. They give us oxygen. They improve air quality. But trees aren’t always the hero. In fact, in this case, they’re taking over the West. For a decade, Derek Tilley served as manager of the Aberdeen Plant Materials Center with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Idaho before transitioning to his current role as the Sagebrush Biome Technology Transfer Specialist with NRCS’s Working Lands for Wildlife (WLFW) partnership. He collaborates with NRCS staff and partners to address key threats to the sagebrush biome while supporting the sustainability of western working lands and ranching operations. In this Ask the Expert, Derek discusses the growing threat of tree encroachment in western sagebrush rangelands and introduces two new WLFW resources designed to help landowners and managers in the Northwestern Great Plains, more effectively respond to this challenge.

Learn more.

FSA/NRCS Contacts

Nevada State Office 

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

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