The original news release was published by the USDA on February 13, 2026. (Washington, D.C., February 13, 2026) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is providing $1 billion in Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) Program assistance for specialty crops and sugar, commodities not covered through[Read More…]
Indiana FSA State Newsletter Publication date: June 16, 2025 2025 County Committee Elections The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) opens nominations for county committee members on June 16, 2025, and encourages all farmers, producers, and FSA program participants to take part in the County Committee election nomination process. Elections will occur in[Read More…]
Agricultural producers who have not yet enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2025 crop year have until April 15, 2025, to revise elections and sign contracts. Both safety net programs, delivered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), provide vital income support to eligible farmers who experience substantial declines in crop[Read More…]
Two USDA programs that provide payments to vegetable, fruit, and other specialty crop farmers have January deadlines. The FSA Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) application deadline is January 8, 2025. Payments are based on your specialty crop sales for 2023 or 2024, or for new producers, expected sales in 2025. See the fact sheet[Read More…]
NIFA is recruiting industry representatives (growers, packers, shippers, staff from organizations that represent specialty crops, etc.) to review pre-applications for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) for 2025. This is an opportunity for commodity sectors to make sure that SCRI projects are tackling a critical need for the sector. The time commitment for a relevancy reviewer is[Read More…]
Nominations are now being accepted for farmers to serve on local U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committees. These committees make important decisions about how federal farm programs are administered locally. All nomination forms for the 2024 election must be postmarked or received in the local FSA office by Aug. 1,[Read More…]
This article is a news release that was published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on May 18, 2023. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will cover up to 75% of the costs associated with organic certification, up to $750 per category, through the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP). Indiana Farm Service Agency[Read More…]
This article was adapted from an Indiana FSA newsletter dated April 4, 2023. For more information about storm damage and disaster relief, read the newsletter. USDA offers several programs to help with recovery from the storms that have impacted farmers in several Indiana counties. Risk Management For producers who have risk protection through Federal Crop Insurance or[Read More…]