Nebraska FSA and NRCS State Office
Electronic Newsletter - Oct. 22, 2026
In This Issue:
I’ve had the opportunity to travel across a portion of the state recently. It’s been good to see so many folks in the field bringing in the 2026 harvest. My hope is that you are finding better yields than anticipated and that all your equipment is cooperating.
As you address the outcome of the 2026 season, FSA is finalizing assistance from the 2025 season. Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program payments have been announced and are being issued by county offices across the state. ARC and PLC programs are the main commodity crop safety net and are important support for producers of corn, soybeans, wheat and grain sorghum in Nebraska. Of the $13.8 billion in ARC and PLC payments issued nationally, Nebraska producers are receiving $832.5 million. Our offices also are busy issuing Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) annual rental payments. Approximately $1.8 billion is being issued nationally, including $84.9 million in Nebraska, a portion of which is for Grassland CRP payments. Nebraska continues to be a leader in Grassland CRP enrollment. Grasslands CRP is a working lands CRP, allowing participants to continue most grazing and haying practices, but under a conservation plan. I am proud that our producers recognize this program encourages and rewards them for conservation practices that preserve our grazing land for its intended use: raising and growing the best beef in the nation.
There is no shortage of work at our county FSA offices, and with that work comes important deadlines of which our farmer and rancher customers need to be aware. Please take note of the Dates to Remember article directly below this column and ensure you are paying attention to information coming from your County FSA office on these programs and deadlines. This includes noting the fall acreage certification deadline of Nov. 16, 2026.
While all the programs and relevant deadlines listed below are important, I especially want to call attention to the ongoing election and enrollment period for 2026 ARC and PLC. As noted above, ARC and PLC provide a financial safety net for our commodity crop producers. The 2026 election and enrollment window is open now through Dec. 11, 2026, and the 2027 ARC and PLC election and enrollment window will open soon. If you are a commodity crop producer who wants to remain eligible for any benefits that may trigger for the 2026 production season, it is critical that you make a program election by the Dec. 11 deadline. Please note the availability of this webinar recording and upcoming in-person informational meetings to aid you in your ARC and PLC election and enrollment process.
That’s all for this month. Please be safe as you work to bring in the remainder of your 2026 crop.
--Hilary
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Nov. 2 2026 – Election and enrollment period opens at FSA for Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for 2027 crop year
Nov. 11, 2026 – USDA Service Center closed for federal holiday
Nov. 16, 2026 – FSA acreage reporting deadline for fall-seeded crops for 2027 program eligibility (including NAP)
Nov. 16, 2026 – FSA NAP application closing deadline for coverage for alfalfa, grass and mixed forages in the 2027 production season
Nov. 20, 2026 – FSA NAP application closing deadline for coverage for apples, aronia berries and grapes in the 2027 production season
Nov. 26, 2026 – USDA Service Center closed for federal holiday
Dec. 11, 2026 – Election and enrollment period closes at FSA for Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for 2026 crop year
Dec. 31, 2026 – FSA deadline for Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP) application for 2025 and 2026 program years
***Please note any above NAP calendar reference may not be inclusive for all NAP-covered crops; NAP participants should contact their County FSA Office to confirm important program deadlines.
Agricultural producers are encouraged to work with their County FSA office to make elections and enroll in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs. Producers can make elections and enroll for the 2026 crop year from now through Dec. 11, 2026, and for the 2027 crop year from Nov. 2, 2026, through March 15, 2027.
Enrollment Period
Producers can now change their election and enroll in ARC-County (ARC-CO) or PLC, which both provide crop-by-crop protection, or ARC-Individual (ARC-IC), which protects the entire farm. Although election changes for 2026 are optional, producers must enroll through a signed contract each year. Existing multi-year contracts ended in 2025, but producers have the option to sign a new multi-year contract for 2026 through 2031. Producers who opt out of a multi-year contract can enroll for the 2027 crop year starting Nov. 2, 2026, through March 15, 2027.
If producers do not submit their 2026 election by Dec. 11, 2026, their election remains the same as their 2025 election for crops on the farm, and the farm is ineligible for payments for the 2026 program year. Landowners cannot enroll in either program unless they have a share interest in the farm.
Covered commodities include barley, canola, large and small chickpeas, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, dry peas, rapeseed, long grain rice, medium and short grain rice, safflower seed, seed cotton, sesame, soybeans, sunflower seed and wheat.
Some land grant universities offer web-based decision tools to help producers make informed election decisions using crop data specific to their respective farming operations. Nebraska FSA and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Center for Agricultural Profitability recorded an informational webinar at this link. In-person education meetings also are planned for seven locations across Nebraska.
Producers can make program elections and enroll by making an appointment at their local FSA office.
Crop Insurance Considerations
Producers are reminded that ARC and PLC election and enrollment can impact eligibility for some crop insurance products.
Producers can now add SCO coverage or the Enhanced Coverage Option (ECO) regardless of their ARC or PLC election. Previously, producers who elected ARC-CO or ARC-IC were ineligible to purchase the Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) through their Approved Insurance Provider for the same acres, but The Working Families Tax Cuts Act removed this restriction.
Upland cotton farmers who choose to enroll seed cotton base acres in ARC or PLC are ineligible for the Stacked Income Protection Plan (STAX) on their planted cotton acres for that farm.
Crop insurance information is available through USDA’s Risk Management Agency.
More Information
For more information on ARC and PLC, visit the ARC and PLC webpage or contact your local FSA County Office.
Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds producers to examine available USDA crop risk protection options, including federal crop insurance and Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) coverage, before the applicable crop sales deadline.
NAP application deadlines can vary by county and by crop. In Nebraska NAP application deadlines for coverage in the 2027 production season are approaching and include:
- Alfalfa, mixed forages and grass: Nov. 16, 2026
- Apples, aronia berries and grapes: Nov. 20, 2026
Producers interested in NAP are encouraged to contact their county FSA office for more information ahead of the deadline.
Producers are reminded that crops not covered by federal crop insurance may be eligible for NAP. NAP covers losses from natural disasters on crops for which no permanent federal crop insurance program is available, including perennial grass forage and grazing crops, fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, floriculture, ornamental nursery, aquaculture, turf grass, ginseng, honey, syrup, bioenergy, and industrial crops. NAP can protect against losses associated with lower yields, destroyed crops or prevented planting.
NAP basic coverage is available at 55 percent of the average market price for crop losses that exceed 50 percent of expected production. Buy-up levels of NAP coverage are available if the producer can show at least one year of previously successfully growing the crop for which coverage is being requested. The buy-up coverage can be from 50 to 65 percent of expected production in 5 percent increments, at 100 percent of the average market price. Buy-up coverage is not available for crops intended for grazing.
For all coverage levels, the NAP service fee is the lesser of $325 per crop or $825 per producer per county, not to exceed a total of $1,950 for a producer with farming interests in multiple counties. Producers qualifying as beginning, underserved, or limited resource farmers or those who can meet eligibility requirements as a military veteran are eligible for free catastrophic (basic) level of NAP coverage, as well as the potential for reduction in buy-up premiums.
To learn more about NAP, visit www.fsa.usda.gov/nap.
USDA announced that dairy producers can enroll for 2027 Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) now through Dec. 18, 2026. DMC is a voluntary risk management program that was recently strengthened by the Working Families Tax Cuts Act with greater risk protection for dairy producers.
DMC provides financial protection when the difference between the national all-milk price and average feed cost falls below a producer-selected coverage level.
Do you want the convenience of conducting business with USDA online? Create your Login.gov account today!
With a Login.gov account, you can view, complete, certify, submit and track applications online for applicable programs.
Login.gov uses one account and password for secure, private access to participating government agencies, including the Farm Service Agency and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. If you already have a Login.gov account, there is no need to create a new account to work with USDA, just link your Login.gov account with your USDA customer record.
To create your Login.gov account, you’ll need:
- U.S. state or government issued photo ID (driver’s license or U.S. passport)
- Secure password (at least 12 characters)
Create Your Account
Follow the steps below to create your Login.gov account and tie it to your USDA customer record:
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Create your Login.gov Account
- Complete Identity Verification
- Link your USDA Customer Record
Login.gov can verify your identity online using personal information you submit with an approved U.S. state or government issued photo ID. If you cannot verify your identity through the online process, visit an FSA Office to complete the verification process in person.
Linking your USDA Customer Record
If you have worked with FSA or NRCS in the past and have a USDA customer record, the system will attempt to automatically link your Login.gov account to your existing USDA Customer Record.
If you are new to working with USDA, you will need to have a USDA Customer Record created. This record is sometimes called a Business Partner ID, BPID, or Business Partner Customer Record. After you verify your identity online, you will be taken to a page to fill out and submit a form to begin that process.
If you run into issues linking your customer record, we may need to update existing forms or your contact information on file. Please reach out to your FSA county office for assistance.
For assistance in creating your Login.gov account, refer to the Login.gov Quick Reference Guide. For troubleshooting, visit login.gov/help/ or contact your FSA county office.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is improving access to credit for farmers and ranchers by making farm loan policy and technology improvements, reducing administrative burdens and strengthening financial security. These updates will increase efficiency by expediting the application process for direct loans, streamlining the process for certain guaranteed lenders who partner with USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) and laying the groundwork for an electronic interface for guaranteed loans.
FSA makes direct and guaranteed loans to farmers and ranchers who are unable to obtain sufficient commercial credit at reasonable rates and terms. FSA farm loans can be used to purchase personal property or farmland, finance agricultural production expenses, or address day-to-day operational needs. The Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act authorizes most farm loans including farm ownership, farm operating, and emergency loans.
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires Federal agencies to consider all potential environmental impacts for federally funded projects before the project is approved.
For all Farm Service Agency (FSA) programs, an environmental review must be completed before actions are approved, such as site preparation or ground disturbance. These programs include, but are not limited to, the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP), Farm Storage Facility Loan (FSFL) program and farm loans. If project implementation begins before FSA has completed an environmental review, the request will be denied. Although there are exceptions regarding the Stafford Act and emergencies, it’s important to wait until you receive written approval of your project proposal before starting any actions.
Applications cannot be approved until FSA has copies of all permits and plans. Contact your local FSA office early in your planning process to determine what level of environmental review is required for your program application so that it can be completed timely.
OPERATING/OWNERSHIP
Farm Operating: 5.375%
Farm Ownership: 6.250%
Farm Ownership - Joint Financing: 4.250%
Farm Ownership - Down Payment: 2.250%
Emergency - Actual Loss: 3.75%
FARM STORAGE FACILITY LOAN
3-year term: 4.5%
5-year term: 4.625%
7-year term: 4.75%
10-year term: 4.875%
12-year term: 5%
MARKETING ASSISTANCE
Commodity Loan: 5.250%
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced increased financial assistance for the Regenerative Pilot Program from $700 million to $1 billion in fiscal year 2027, providing more producers with the opportunity to adopt conservation systems that improve soil health, water quality, and long-term farm resilience. Producers can now apply for assistance with regenerative practices.
Additionally, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is making improvements to the program, including using NRCS’s locally led conservation model to allow State Technical Advisory Committees to add conservation practices that reflect local resource concerns, production systems, and producer needs.
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USDA has announced an investment of $5 million in partnerships to help agricultural producers and private landowners restore and steward wetlands and floodplains through conservation easements. These projects deliver Farmers First, direct-to-producer benefits while improving water quality, reducing flooding risks and providing habitat for wildlife.
Read more.
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Nebraska FSA and NRCS State Office
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Farm Service Agency
1121 Lincoln Mall Suite 330
Lincoln, NE 68508
Phone: (402) 437-5581
Fax: (844) 930-0237
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Natural Resources
Conservation Service
1121 Lincoln Mall Suite 360
Lincoln, NE 68508
Phone: (402) 437-5300
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Hilary Maricle, FSA
State Executive Director
hilary.maricle@usda.gov
FSA State Office
Tim Divis, Deputy SED
Cathy Anderson, Product. & Compliance
Pat Lechner, Price Support & Conserv.
Nick Elting, Administrative Officer
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Robert Lawson, NRCS
State Conservationist
robert.lawson@usda.gov
FSA State Committee
Scott Spilker, Chair, Beatrice
Crystal Klug, Member, Columbus
Brent Robertson, Member, Elsie
Rylee Wagner, Member, Winnetoon
John Walvoord, Member, Waterloo
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Find your local USDA Service Center at farmers.gov.
Find your FSA office and book an appointment online at www.fsa.usda.gov.
Visit the Nebraska FSA website at www.fsa.usda.gov/ne.
Visit the Nebraska NRCS website at www.nrcs.usda.gov/ne.
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