Important Dates
View important dates like upcoming USDA program deadlines and events, and ongoing national USDA programs.
Upcoming Important Dates
View important dates like upcoming national USDA program deadlines and events.
Note: This does not include every deadline and only includes federal deadlines. Check with you local USDA Service Center to learn about all available programs, and programs that have local or state level deadlines.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Military veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses: Join our free webinars on May 14, 2:00-4:30 pm Eastern and May 15, 2:00-4:00 pm Eastern to learn how to work with USDA and prepare for a career in agriculture.
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 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 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 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.
USDA’s Farm Service Agency’s Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops Program (FSCSC) assists specialty crop operations that incur eligible on-farm food safety program expenses related to obtaining or renewing a food safety certification in calendar years 2024 and 2025. The deadline to apply for FSCSC assistance for calendar year 2024 is January 31, 2025.
The Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) program provides financial assistance to specialty crop producers to help them expand domestic markets or develop new markets for their crops. MASC is accepting applications from December 10, 2024, through January 10, 2025.
NRCS accepts applications year-round for Agricultural Land Easements (ACEP-ALE) and Wetland Reserve Easements (ACEP-WRE). Interested producers, landowners, and partners should apply by the next two ranking dates, October 4, 2024, or December 20, 2024, at their local NRCS office, to be considered for these two state-led funding cycles.
The Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP) was created to assist certified organic dairy producers facing unique challenges in recent years. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will accept ODMAP applications from September 30, 2024, through December 13, 2024. To apply, producers should contact FSA at their local USDA Service Center.