Boots to Business Reboot for Veteran Beginning Farmers and Ranchers

The Veterans Business Outreach Center of New England, in partnership with the USDA, invite veterans, service members, and military spouses to Boots to Business Reboot for Veteran Beginning Farmers and Ranchers. This full day workshop will aid those interested in exploring agriculture-based business ownership by leading participants through the key steps for evaluating business concepts and providing foundational knowledge required to develop a business plan.

USDA Begins Issuing Payments for Spot Market Hog Pandemic Program

WASHINGTON, July 26, 2022— The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is increasing the amount of funding available for the Spot Market Hog Pandemic Program (SMHPP) and expects to issue approximately $62.8 million in pandemic assistance payments to hog producers starting this week. SMHPP assists eligible producers who sold hogs through a spot market sale from April 16, 2020, through Sept. 1, 2020.

USDA Designates 21 Counties as Disaster Areas Due to Drought

A Secretarial Disaster Designation has been issued for five (5) counties in Iowa as primary disaster areas for drought. Additionally, sixteen (16) Iowa counties are contiguous to the disaster area. This determination will allow the Farm Service Agency’s Emergency Loans to be made available to eligible family farmers with qualifying production and physical losses in the primary and the contiguous counties to the declared disaster area.

Secretarial Declaration Number: S5530
Emergency Loan Application Deadline: May 13, 2024

Deadline Extended and More Pre-Filled Forms For 2020 and 2021 Disasters on the Way

WASHINGTON, July 27, 2022 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that it will indefinitely extend the deadline for producers to return the pre-filled applications for Phase One of the Emergency Relief Program (ERP). A new deadline will be announced after the last Phase One applications are mailed and provide at least 30 days following the mailing.

Missouri Disaster Designation Impacts Two Iowa Counties

A Secretarial Disaster Designation has been issued for 15 counties in Missouri as primary disaster areas due to drought. Additionally, two (2) Iowa counties are contiguous to the disaster area. This determination will allow the Farm Service Agency’s Emergency Loans to be made available to eligible family farmers with qualifying production and physical losses in the primary and the contiguous counties to the declared disaster area.

Secretarial Declaration Number: S5437

USDA Designates 2 Montana Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas 6 Montana, 2 Idaho and 2 North Dakota Contiguous Counties Also Eligible

BOZEMAN, Montana-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.