USDA Designates Five Iowa Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas

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. 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 the refinance of certain debts.

USDA Stands Up New Team to Better Serve Beginning Farmers and Ranchers

WASHINGTON, March 16, 2020 ─The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is standing up a new team of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) staff that will lead a department-wide effort focused on serving beginning farmers and ranchers. 

“More than a quarter of producers are beginning farmers,” said USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Censky. “We need to support the next generation of agricultural producers who we will soon rely upon to grow our nation’s food and fiber.”

Biden Administration Appoints Timothy Boring to Serve as State Executive Director for USDA’s Farm Service Agency in Michigan

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2021— The Biden Administration recently appointed Timothy Boring as the new State Executive Director (SED) for the USDA Michigan Farm Service Agency (FSA). Boring joined the Michigan FSA team on Oct. 11, 2021.

USDA Encourages Producers to Enroll Soon in Safety Net Programs

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) encourages agricultural producers to enroll now in the Agriculture Risk Loss (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs. March 16, 2020 is the enrollment deadline for the 2019 crop year.

Although more than 200,000 producers have enrolled to date, FSA anticipates 1.5 million producers will enroll for ARC and PLC. By enrolling soon, producers can beat the rush as the deadline nears.