Upcoming Important Dates
View important dates like upcoming national USDA program deadlines and events.
USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) accepts applications for it’s conservation programs year-round. Producers should apply by their state’s ranking dates to be considered for funding in the current cycle. Applications received after ranking dates will be automatically deferred to the next funding period.
General CRP helps producers and landowners establish long-term, resource-conserving plant species, such as approved grasses or trees, to control soil erosion, improve water quality and enhance wildlife habitat on cropland. Signup runs March 9, 2026, to April 17, 2026. Interested landowners and producers should contact their local USDA Service Center to learn more or to apply.
USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting applications for the Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) program through April 17, 2026. Producers who have a secure Login.gov account can access and submit their pre-filled application online as well as track their application and payment status.
Join our free webinars for military veterans and transitioning service members on April 21, 2:00-4:30 pm Eastern and April 22, 2:00-4:00 pm Eastern to learn how to work with USDA and prepare for a career in agriculture.
The webinar on Tuesday April 21 will focus on Farm Service Agency (FSA) – Farm Loan Programs and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) – Regenerating Land, Empowering Veterans.
Join our free webinars for military veterans and transitioning service members on April 21, 2:00-4:30 pm Eastern and April 22, 2:00-4:00 pm Eastern to learn how to work with USDA and prepare for a career in agriculture.
The webinar on Wednesday April 22 will focus on Rural Development (RD) – Value-Added Producer Grants (VAPG) and Risk Management Agency (RMA) – Beginners Guide to Crop Insurance.
The Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) provides assistance to producers for necessary expenses due to losses of revenue, quality or production of crops due to weather related events in 2023 and 2024. Producers with indemnified losses can apply during the first stage. Stage 1 will leverage Federal Crop Insurance or Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) data as the basis for calculating payments. Producers with non-indemnified (including shallow losses), uncovered (uninsured), and quality losses can apply for Stage 2 assistance. The deadline to apply for Stage 1 and 2 is April 30, 2026.
Ongoing USDA Programs
The following federal USDA programs either do not have a deadline or have ongoing signup. Check with your local USDA Service Center to learn more about programs that have local or state level deadlines.
Crop acreage reports filed with USDA document the crops grown on your farm or ranch and their intended uses. You must file timely acreage reports to be eligible for many USDA programs.
Deadlines to file crop acreage reports vary by crop and by state and county. Farm Service Agency staff at your local USDA Service Center can help by providing you with maps and acreage reporting deadlines by crop for your county. Your crop insurance agent can assist you with reporting information necessary for crop insurance benefits.
July 15 is a major deadline for most crops.
USDA offers a variety of helpful programs with ongoing and localized deadlines to support agricultural producers including:
- Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) which provides funding and technical assistance for farmers and ranchers to restore farmland damaged by natural disasters and for emergency water conservation measures in severe droughts.
- FSA Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) which provides funding to restore privately owned forests damaged by natural disasters.
- Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) which provides financial assistance to producers of non-insurable crops to protect against natural disasters that result in lower yields or crop losses, or prevents crop planting.
- Tree Assistance Program (TAP) which provides financial cost-share assistance to qualifying orchardists and nursery tree growers to replant or, where applicable, rehabilitate eligible trees, bushes, and vines lost by natural disasters.
USDA offers a variety of helpful programs with ongoing and localized deadlines to support livestock producers including:
- Emergency Livestock Assistance Program (ELAP) which provides financial assistance to eligible producers of livestock, honeybees and farm-raised fish for losses due to disease, certain adverse weather events or loss conditions, including blizzards and wildfires, as determined by the Secretary.
- Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) which provides benefits to livestock owners and some contract growers for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by eligible loss conditions, including eligible adverse weather, eligible disease and attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government or protected by federal law (including wolves and avian predators).
- Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) provides payments to eligible livestock owners and contract growers who have covered livestock and produce grazed forage crop acreage that has suffered a loss of grazed forage due to a qualifying drought during the normal grazing period for the county.
If you are considering a transition to organic farming, the Organic Transition Initiative (OTI) may be helpful to you. OTI has programs across many agencies. For help with natural resources on your farm, often aligned with the required organic management plan, contact your local USDA Service Center to apply.
Be the first to comment