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Nevada August USDA Newsletter 

In This Issue:

• How to Document Wildfire Losses
• Applying for FSA Direct Loans
• USDA Celebrates One Year Anniversary of the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, Delivers Final ‘Farmers First’ Program Improvements
• Maintaining Good Credit History
• USDA Helps Organic Producers with Certification Costs
• NRCS in Nevada Accepting Applications for Conservation Programs
• USDA Clarifies Wetland Determinations to Provide Certainty to Farmers

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 local USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov/disaster

Applying for FSA Direct Loans

FSA offers direct farm ownership and direct farm operating loans to producers who want to establish, maintain, or strengthen their farm or ranch. Direct loans are processed, approved and serviced by FSA loan officers. 

Direct farm operating loans can be used to purchase livestock and feed, farm equipment, fuel, farm chemicals, insurance, and other costs including family living expenses. Operating loans can also be used to finance minor improvements or repairs to buildings and to refinance some farm-related debts, excluding real estate.  

Direct farm ownership loans can be used to purchase farmland, enlarge an existing farm, construct and repair buildings, and to make farm improvements.  

The maximum loan amount for direct farm ownership loans is $600,000 and the maximum loan amount for direct operating loans is $400,000 and a down payment is not required. Repayment terms vary depending on the type of loan, collateral and the producer's ability to repay the loan. The term of the loan varies based on the use of funds and the useful life of security. Generally, operating loans are set to a term between 1 and 7 years and farm ownership loans between 20 and 40 years.   

Please contact your local FSA office for more information or to apply for a direct farm ownership or operating loan.  

USDA Celebrates One Year Anniversary of the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, Delivers Final ‘Farmers First’ Program Improvements

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is making significant improvements to its disaster assistance and commodity loan programs as outlined in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act. As part of the commitment to put Farmers First, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is strengthening disaster assistance support for livestock producers, orchardists and nursery tree growers, increasing Marketing Assistance Loan rates, and expanding Marketing Assistance Loans to better help cotton and sugar producers. 

Cumulatively, the changes outlined in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act provide a significant investment in American agriculture. Last month, FSA announced expanded payment limitation and payment eligibility provisions and the opportunity to increase base acres on eligible farms. FSA also previously announced that producers will benefit from increased reference prices for major commodities starting this fall. Additional policy enhancements for FSA disaster and commodity loan programs are taking effect.  

Disaster Assistance Programs    

USDA is expanding disaster assistance coverage and increasing benefits to help producers recover from eligible losses.     

• Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP): ELAP helps producers with losses due to disease, certain adverse weather events, and qualifying conditions that are not covered by other USDA disaster assistance programs. Retroactive to Jan. 1, 2026, ELAP is providing benefits to farm-raised fish losses due to birds that feed on fish and has established a payment rate of $600 per acre of farm raised fish. Also, effective for 2026 losses, FSA will use a normal mortality rate of 15% for eligible honeybee colony losses.
      
• Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP): LFP provides financial assistance  to livestock producers who suffer eligible grazing losses due to a qualifying drought or fire. Retroactive to Jan. 1, 2026, the threshold has been lowered for producers to qualify for a one-month payment with payments now triggering after four consecutive weeks of qualifying severe drought (D2 on the U.S. Drought Monitor) conditions instead of eight weeks.  And producers may receive a two-month payment if D2 drought conditions continue for seven out of eight consecutive weeks during the normal grazing period.

• Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP): LIP helps livestock owners and contract growers who suffer livestock losses beyond normal mortality levels due to eligible adverse events. Starting this year, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2026, LIP rates increase to 100% for predation from animals listed as endangered or protected (compared with 75% of market value), and producers have the option to document regional price premiums that exceed the national average market price for eligible livestock losses. Additionally, LIP will also cover unborn livestock losses that occurred on or after Jan. 1, 2024. In most cases, the payment will be automatic for 2024 and 2025 losses based on LIP data on file with FSA with no action required by the producer. 

• Tree Assistance Program (TAP): TAP helps orchardists and nursery tree growers replant or rehabilitate trees, bushes, and vines that were lost due to an eligible natural disaster. Retroactive to Jan. 1, 2026, FSA is removing the 15% normal mortality rate, increasing the reimbursement rate for activities like pruning and removal, and extending the implementation period to 24 months with an option to extend.              

Marketing Assistance Loans      

Marketing Assistance Loans (MALs) help producers manage cash flow needs and provide marketing flexibility until market prices improve. Producers who choose to forego an MAL can receive a Loan Deficiency Payment (LDP) that provides immediate financial support without taking out a loan. Both are reauthorized through crop year 2031 and, starting in 2026, loan rates will increase for all eligible commodities. FSA is improving MALs for cotton and sugar producers by:    

• Increasing cotton storage credit cap starting with the 2026 crop. 

• Updating prevailing world market price for upland cotton, using the three lowest-price growth quotes instead of five. This change is retroactive to July 4, 2025.   

• Calculating a new prevailing world market price for extra-long staple cotton, which will be announced weekly, similar to upland cotton.   

• Authorizing refunds of upland cotton loan redemptions when the Adjusted World Price (AWP) declines within 30 days of the loan repayment date. Producers who request an LDP may be eligible for an additional LDP disbursement if a lower AWP is announced. This change is retroactive to July 4, 2025. 

• Extending sugar program through 2031 and increasing raw cane and refined beet sugar loan rates. Additionally, sugar marketing allotments will be adjusted for beet sugar processors. 

For more information on these updates to FSA programs, visit the respective program webpage. Producers interested in applying for disaster assistance, Marketing Assistance Loans, or other FSA programs should contact their local FSA office.   

Maintaining Good Credit History

Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans require applicants to have a satisfactory credit history. A credit report is requested for all FSA direct farm loan applicants. These reports are reviewed to verify outstanding debts, see if bills are paid timely and to determine the impact on cash flow.

Information on your credit report is strictly confidential and is used only as an aid in conducting FSA business.

Our farm loan staff will discuss options with you if you have an unfavorable credit report and will provide a copy of your report. If you dispute the accuracy of the information on the credit report, it is up to you to contact the issuing credit report company to resolve any errors or inaccuracies.

FSA’s farm loan staff will guide you through the process, which may require you to reapply for a loan after improving or correcting your credit report.

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

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.   

NRCS in Nevada Accepting Applications for Conservation Programs

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) continues to put Farmers First through a historic investment in conservation on agricultural lands through USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) as a result of the conservation funding provided by the Working Families Tax Cuts Act.

“We know that America’s producers know the land the best and are the best stewards,” said NRCS State Conservationist Heidi Ramsey in Nevada. “We encourage producers interested in conserving natural resources and keeping their operations productive, profitable and sustainable for future generations to contact their local NRCS office.” 

While NRCS accepts applications year-round, interested agricultural producers in Nevada should apply by October 15 to be considered for fiscal year 2027 funding. Programs include: 

• Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP): The Agricultural Land Easement component of ACEP enables producers to protect their agricultural land from development by enrolling it in a permanent Agricultural Land Easement. The Wetland Reserve Easement component of ACEP helps landowners protect, restore and enhance wetlands which have been previously degraded due to agricultural uses. 
• Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP): CSP helps producers build on existing conservation efforts while strengthening their operation. 
• Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP):: EQIP provides producers with the technical and financial resources they need to address resources concerns on their land including improved water and air quality, increased soil health, reduced soil erosion, improved natural vitality and more.
• Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA): AMA helps agricultural producers manage financial risk through diversification, marketing or natural resource conservation practices.

NRCS is also providing additional financial assistance nationwide through the Regenerative Pilot Program (RPP), which enables producers to implement whole-farm regenerative practices through a single application for EQIP and CSP. RPP is part of USDA’s commitment to putting Farmers First and advancing the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda by building a healthier, more resilient food system. 

USDA Clarifies Wetland Determinations to Provide Certainty to Farmers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is putting farmers first and supporting government accountability by providing clear guidance around wetland determinations, which helps inform agricultural producers’ decisions for their operations. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) published an interim final rule that ensures most determinations made since 1990 are considered certified, and producers can rely on the determinations to work farmland.

Producers rely on certified wetland determinations when making decisions about their agricultural operations, which impacts USDA program eligibility such as farm loans, conservation assistance, crop insurance and commodity programs.  

Through this interim final rule, NRCS addressed inconsistencies in how wetland determinations have been certified and issued in the past. It aligns USDA policy with statutory requirements, protects producer reliance interests, and reduces unnecessary administrative burden by preventing the reinterpretation or replacement of previously certified determinations unless the producer asks for a review.

Specifically, the interim final rule ensures all wetland determinations issued after Nov. 28, 1990, are certified if: 

1. the producer was notified of the determination; and 
2. the producer was given appeal rights at the time.  

Farmers can rely on the decision to install drainage, clear land, and conduct other land alternations without risking USDA program eligibility so long as the determination shows the area is not a wetland in accordance with the Wetland Conservation provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985.

FSA/NRCS Contacts

Nevada State Office 

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

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