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.
Past Important Dates
The following list shows past important dates, including past federal USDA program enrollment dates. Check with your local USDA Service Center to learn about programs that are currently open or that have local or state level deadlines.
ECAP will provide up to $10 billion in direct payments to agricultural producers for 2024 crop year losses. These economic assistance payments will help agricultural producers mitigate the impacts of increased input costs and falling prices for eligible commodities. Applications must be submitted by August 15, 2025.
Join our free webinars on August 13, 2:00-4:30 pm Eastern and August 14, 2:00-4:00 pm Eastern to learn how to work with USDA and prepare for a career in agriculture.
Agricultural producers and private landowners can sign up for the Grassland Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) starting July 14, 2025, through August 8, 2025. Among CRP enrollment opportunities, Grassland CRP is a unique working lands program, allowing producers and landowners to continue grazing and haying practices while conserving grasslands and promoting plant and animal biodiversity as well as healthier soil.
Landowners and producers interested in CRP should contact their local USDA Service Center to learn more.
Nominations are now being accepted for farmers and ranchers to serve on local Farm Service Agency county committees. Elections for committee members will occur in certain Local Administrative Areas (LAA). Nomination forms must be returned or postmarked by August 1, 2025.
The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA), is a voluntary program that encourages agricultural producers and landowners to convert highly erodible and other environmentally sensitive acreage to vegetative cover, such as native grasses, trees, and riparian buffers.
ARC and PLC provide financial protections to farmers from substantial drops in crop prices or revenues and are vital economic safety nets for most American farms. Producers can elect coverage and enroll in ARC-County (ARC-CO) or PLC, which provide crop-by-crop protection, or ARC-Individual (ARC-IC), which protects the entire farm. Agricultural producers can submit applications to USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) for ARC and PLC for the 2025 crop year from January 21, 2025 to April 15, 2025.
DMC is a voluntary risk management program that offers protection to dairy producers when the difference between the all-milk price and the average feed price (the margin) falls below a certain dollar amount selected by the producer. Agricultural producers can submit applications to USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) for DMC for the 2025 coverage year from January 29, 2025 to March 31, 2025.
The Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) offers financial support to livestock producers who experience grazing losses due to qualifying drought conditions or fire on federally managed rangelands. The program is designed to help producers recover from significant forage losses, ensuring the continuity of their operations and the well-being of their livestock. LFP provides payments to eligible producers to compensate for lost grazing opportunities and to help cover additional feed costs incurred due to the disaster. Producers must apply by March 3, 2025 for 2024 losses.
The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) offers financial compensation to livestock owners and contract growers who suffer significant livestock losses beyond normal mortality levels due to eligible adverse events. These events include adverse weather conditions, diseases, and attacks by federally protected animals. LIP helps mitigate the financial impact of these losses, enabling producers to recover and continue their operations. Producers must apply by March 3, 2025 for 2024 losses.
The deadline for producers, including dairy producers impacted by H5N1, to apply for financial assistance through the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP) is March 3, 2025, for losses due to specific adverse conditions that occurred in 2024.