(Lincoln, Neb., March 20, 2026) – Agricultural operations in Nebraska have been significantly impacted by recent wildfires. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has technical and financial assistance available to help farmers and livestock producers recover from these adverse weather events.

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USDA Disaster Assistance  

Producers who experience livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality or sell injured livestock at a reduced price may be eligible for the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP). To participate in LIP, producers will have to provide acceptable documentation of death losses or evidence of reduced sales resulting from an eligible adverse weather event and must submit a notice of loss to the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) no later than March 1, 2027, for 2026 calendar year losses.  

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(St. Paul, Minn. – March 19, 2026) – Dairy producers in Minnesota impacted by the winter storm and blizzard conditions beginning March 14 are strongly encouraged to report crop, livestock and infrastructure related losses to the local USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) and inquire about available disaster recovery assistance.  Winter storms and blizzard conditions create serious challenges for dairy producers, affecting livestock health, feed supplies, transportation and daily milk production.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas, March 17, 2026 – Agricultural operations in Texas have been significantly impacted by recent wildfires. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has technical and financial assistance available to help farmers and livestock producers recover from these adverse weather events.

(Madison, Wisc. –  March 17,  2026) – Dairy producers in Wisconsin impacted by the winter storm and blizzard conditions beginning March 14 are strongly encouraged to report crop, livestock and infrastructure related losses to the local USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) and inquire about available disaster recovery assistance.  Winter storms and blizzard conditions create serious challenges for dairy producers, affecting livestock health, feed supplies, transportation and daily milk production. 

The Trump Administration recently appointed George Turner as the new State Executive Director (SED) for the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Maryland. Turner joined the Maryland FSA team on Aug. 25, 2025.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced acceptance of 1.78 million acres into the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) through 2025 General, Continuous, Grassland, and Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program enrollments.

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USDA announced it will provide approximately $1 billion in disaster recovery assistance to livestock producers through the Emergency Livestock Relief Program for those impacted by floods and wildfires in 2023 and 2024. The program helps offset increased supplemental feed costs, with sign-up beginning September 15, 2025, and applications due by October 31, 2025. Eligible producers can receive up to 60% of calculated feed costs for one month (wildfire) or three months (flood), with a combined payment limit of $125,000 per program year.

The Trump Administration recently appointed Laurie Boner as the new State Executive Director (SED) for the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Wyoming. Boner joined the Wyoming FSA team on Aug. 25, 2025.

The Trump Administration recently appointed Keith Richmond as the new State Executive Director (SED) for the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in West Virginia. Richmond joined the West Virgina FSA team on Aug. 11, 2025.

The Trump Administration recently appointed Jeffrey Holmes as the new State Executive Director (SED) for the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in New Hampshire. Holmes joined the New Hampshire FSA team on Aug. 25, 2025.

The Trump Administration recently appointed Susan Larson as the new State Executive Director (SED) for the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Utah. Larson joined the Utah FSA team on Aug. 25, 2025.

The Trump Administration recently appointed Keith Richmond as the new State Executive Director (SED) for the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in West Virginia. Richmond joined the West Virgina FSA team on Aug. 11, 2025.

The Trump Administration recently appointed Eddie Fields as the new State Executive Director (SED) for the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Oklahoma.

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The Trump Administration recently appointed Robert Andrzejczak as the new State Executive Director (SED) for the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in New Jersey. Andrzejczak joined the New Jersey FSA team on Aug. 11, 2025.

The Trump Administration recently appointed Tootie Smith as the new State Executive Director (SED) for the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Oregon. Tootie joined the Oregon FSA team on Aug. 25, 2025.

The USDA has signed a $221.2 million block-grant agreement with North Carolina to aid producers in recovering from agricultural losses caused by Hurricane Helene, covering infrastructure, timber, market, and future-year revenue losses. This funding is part of the $30 billion disaster-assistance effort authorized by the American Relief Act of 2025.  This initiative joins similar block-grant recoveries recently announced for Virginia and Florida, each tailored to cover those states’ unique agricultural recovery needs

Impacted Area(s): Idaho, Montana, Washington

Triggering Disaster: Drought

Application Deadline: 04/06/2026

Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans.

Impacted Area(s): Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming

Triggering Disaster: Drought (Fast Track)

Application Deadline: April 13, 2026

This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans.

Impacted Area: Indiana

Triggering Disaster: Excessive rain that occurred on March 30, 2025, and continuing.

Application Deadline: April 4, 2026

This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans.

The USDA’s Farm Service Agency announced the lending interest rates for September 2025, effective as of September 1, 2025. Direct Farm Operating Loans are set at 4.875%, while Farm Ownership Loans are tiered: 5.875% (direct), 3.875% (joint financing), and 1.875% (down payment). Emergency loans for actual losses carry a rate of 3.750%, and commodity and farm storage facility loans — backed by the Commodity Credit Corporation — range from 5.000% for short-term commodity loans to 4.500% for 12-year storage loans, with sugar storage at 4.750% over 15 years. Producers can explore these options and navigate the borrowing process using USDA’s Loan Assistance Tool on farmers.gov.

Impacted Area: Idaho, Montana, Washington, Oregon,

Triggering Disaster: Drought

Application Deadline: Various ranging from 04/06/2025 - 04/20/25

This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans.

Impacted Area: Iowa

‍Triggering Disaster: Severe thunderstorms and high winds that occurred on June 11, 2025 (N1878)

‍Application Deadline: April 20, 2026

Physical loss loans through the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) can help producers repair or replace damaged or destroyed physical property essential to the success of the agricultural operation, including livestock losses.

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Impacted Area: Idaho, Montana, and Washington

Triggering Disaster: Drought (Fast Track)

Application Deadline: April 6, 2026

Impacted Area: Montana, Utah, Idaho, Colorado, and Wyoming

Triggering Disaster: Drought (Fast Track)

Application Deadline: April 13, 2026

This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans.

Impacted Area(s): Pennsylvania, Maryland

Triggering Disaster: Excessive Heat and Drought

Application Deadline:  April 20, 2026

This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans.

Impacted Area(s): Wyoming, Utah, Colorado,

Triggering Disaster: Drought (Fast-Track)

Application Deadline: April 6, 2026

This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans.

Impacted Area: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Missouri

Triggering Disaster: Tornadoes, Winds, and Flooding that occurred during April 2, 2025, through April 6, 2025

Application Deadline: April 20, 2026

Physical loss loans through the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) can help producers repair or replace damaged or destroyed physical property essential to the success of the agricultural operation, including livestock losses.

1st Impacted Area(s): Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas

Triggering Disaster: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

Application Deadline: January 21, 2026

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2nd Impacted Area(s): Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee

Triggering Disaster: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

Application Deadline: February 24, 2026

This Presidential disaster declaration allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation, or to refinance certain debts.

Impacted Area: Tennessee. Kentucky ‍

Triggering Disaster:  Severe thunderstorms with straight-line winds, lightning, and hail that occurred on May 2, 2025

Application Deadline: April 13, 2026

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Physical loss loans through the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) can help producers repair or replace damaged or destroyed physical property essential to the success of the agricultural operation, including livestock losses

Impacted Area: Iowa, including Minnesota and South Dakota

Triggering Disaster: Severe thunderstorms and high winds that occurred on June 11, 2025

Application Deadline: April 20, 2026

Physical loss loans through the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) can help producers repair or replace damaged or destroyed physical property essential to the success of the agricultural operation, including livestock losses. Examples of property commonly affected include essential farm buildings, fixtures to real estate, equipment, livestock, perennial crops, fruit and nut bearing trees, and harvested or stored crops and hay.