Facing Drought? Here’s How USDA Can Help

 

By Richard Fordyce, Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation

Jun 03, 2026

While spring is a time for renewal and the excitement that comes with planting and calving, this year, it can also mean added stress because of drought. Across the United States, widespread, severe drought conditions are impacting farms and ranches. While catastrophic for agriculture, the effects are far reaching, impacting wildlife and increasing the risk of wildfires.

I know that navigating drought can feel overwhelming but be assured that USDA has a team of dedicated people and a suite of programs that can help you recover from losses, reduce future risk or prepare your operation for the future.

 

Assistance for Producers

If you raise livestock, assistance is available through:

• Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP), for grazing losses.
• Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP), for feed losses and transportation costs for feed and water and livestock.  
• Emergency haying and grazing of land enrolled in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), to help in a time of forage shortage. During the primary nesting season, emergency grazing can proceed with a 50% reduction in stocking rate, provided the county where the CRP is located is eligible for LFP.   
• Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) coverage for certain forage and grazing losses if they are classified as NAP-eligible crops.
•  The Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) and Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) provide financial and technical assistance to restore and rehabilitate farmland and nonindustrial private forests and implement water conservation practices during severe drought. 
• Similarly, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) provides financial and technical assistance to implement conservation practices. Common drought recovery includes forest management plans, tree/shrub establishment, brush management, prescribed grazing, pasture and hay planting, wildlife habitat, livestock watering systems, and cover crops. 
• Finally, the Tree Assistance Program (TAP) provides cost share assistance to rehabilitate or replant orchards and vineyards (trees, vines, or bushes). 
• Our disaster assistance programs are designed to complement risk management tools, such as federal crop insurance and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP). Crop insurance provides indemnity payments to growers who purchase crop insurance for production and quality losses related to drought and other weather hazards, including losses caused by inability to plant on time. Meanwhile, NAP covers losses for crops not covered by crop insurance.  
• We also offer low-interest direct and guaranteed operating farm loan options, as well as flexible loan servicing for current borrowers to help you recover. 

Improve Drought Resiliency

Conservation practices can help you use water more efficiently and boost soil health. Healthy soil stores water better for when it’s needed most. The Natural Resources Conservation Service, through programs like EQIP, provides technical and financial assistance for conservation practices like irrigation efficiency, prescribed grazing, reduced- or no-till, cover crops, mulching, and residue management. 

The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) is an online, weekly map showing the location, extent, and severity of drought across the United States, enabling producers to best respond and react to a drought as it develops or lingers.

At USDA, we use the Drought Monitor to determine a producer’s eligibility for certain drought assistance programs. The USDM incorporates varying data, including first-hand information submitted from on-the-ground sources. I strongly encourage you to contribute your local, on-the-farm, observations to the USDM process using the Condition Monitoring Observer Report system or emailing droughtmonitor@unl.edu. 

More Information

To learn more, reach out your local Service Center. Additionally visit these online resources:

• Drought Recovery Webpage;
• Disaster Assistance Programs At-a-Glance fact sheet;
• Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool;
• LFP Eligibility Maps;
• ELAP Drought Eligibility Dashboard. 

Take care of yourselves during these stressful times, and if you or someone you know needs support, please take advantage of farmer and rancher stress resources in your community and stress support resources available through USDA. 

Under the leadership of Secretary Rollins and with the support of the Trump Administration, we’re focused on making sure you have the resources you need during recovery as we continue to put Farmers First and provide the technical and financial support you need, when you need it most.

 

New AFT Podcast on the Future of Farming Premiers

 

LANDED explores how farms and ranches transition from one generation to the next

 

(Washington, D.C.) American Farmland Trust has launched a new podcast focused on the challenges farmers and ranchers face when transitioning land from one generation to the next. LANDED features succession stories of both young and elder producers and focuses on how they plan for the future of their land. 

 

“We hope that this new series will reach farmers and ranchers across the country, as well as urban and suburban people who may not understand the challenges facing agrarian communities,” said AFT Special Advisor for Strategic Communications and co-host Brooks Lamb. “Over the next two decades, more than 300 million acres of American farmland will change hands as current owners retire or die. How that land transfers, and to whom it transfers, will determine the future of rural communities and our food system. This podcast explores these land transitions through grounded stories.” 

 

The series takes listeners from pick-up trucks and packing sheds to cattle pastures and kitchen tables. Each episode introduces the audience to the people who tend the land and sustain our country -- young farmers who are just getting their start, aging ranchers who are ready to slow down, and advisors who support them all. One episode features a fifth-generation farmer who returns to family land with a vision to start a new regenerative grazing business. Another highlights a first-generation vegetable farmer who navigates a long-term lease with herlandlords. Others share moments of triumph - and heartbreak -- that illustrate just why succession planning and generational transitions are so important. 

 

LANDED released its prologue episode on May 19. The podcast will publish its full-length episodes once per week for six straight weeks, starting in early June. For the podcast’s creators, the launch feels like a long time in the making. 

 

“We are so excited for LANDED to air,” said AFT Outreach and Resource Senior Manager and co-host Megan Faller. “We created this series because we see the challenges farm families face and wanted to show them that they are not alone. There are resources and people available to support them. Hopefully this show can reinforce that - and show listeners of all backgrounds why succession planning and farm transfer matters.” 

 

To learn more and listen, visit www.farmland.org/landed-podcast or search for LANDED on your favorite podcast platform. Radio stations are welcome to contact AFT about airing this show at no cost. Get in touch at landed@farmland.org.

 

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American Farmland Trust is the only national organization that takes a holistic approach to agriculture, focusing on the land itself, the agricultural practices used on that land, and the farmers and ranchers who do the work. AFT launched the conservation agriculture movement and continues to raise public awareness through our No Farms, No Food message. Since our founding in 1980, AFT has helped permanently protect over 8 million acres of agricultural lands, advanced environmentally-sound farming practices on millions of additional acres and supported thousands of farm families.

 

USDA Urges Farmers and Ranchers to Take Action Ahead of the 2026 Hurricane Season

By Lauren Moore, USDA

May 11, 2026

USDA is here to help you prepare for and recover from hurricanes and related tropical weather activity. The 2026 hurricane season begins on June 1, and USDA is asking producers to prepare their operations for potential impacts and explore recovery resources.

Hurricane Preparation

While USDA offers a suite of disaster assistance programs to help you recover, we encourage you to first take precautions to prepare and protect your family and operation:

• Develop an Emergency Plan: Make sure your employees and members of your household know your plan, including meeting points, emergency contact lists, and alternate evacuation routes in case of infrastructure damage.
• Remove Debris and Secure Large Objects: Minimize the presence of equipment, supplies, and debris that may become airborne during high winds or encountered in floodwaters. Clean out culverts, ditches, and other drainage areas, especially before and during peak hurricane season to reduce water damage.
• Document Inventory and Secure Important Records: Documentation is critical for insurance compensation and recovery assistance. We recommend keeping an inventory of farm buildings, vehicles, equipment, and livestock before a disaster occurs.  You’ll likely need thorough records of any damage and losses sustained on your farm as well as documentation of your cleanup and recovery efforts.
• Know Your Insurance Options: Regularly review your insurance policies with your agent to be sure you have adequate coverage, including flood insurance, for your facilities, vehicles, farm buildings, equipment, crops and livestock. Note, there are limitations on how soon insurance coverage will take effect. Generally, insurance policies will not cover damage if the policy was not in place before a disaster.
• Gather Supplies: Have drinking water, canned food, a generator, batteries, a flashlight, and fuel available in case you lose power. Have cash on hand in cases of widespread outages, when credit and debit cards may not work.
• Access Real-time Emergency Information: Download the FEMA app for free on the App Store and Google Play for safety tips on what to do before, during, and after disasters.
• USDA Assistance for Hurricane Recovery. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Risk Management Agency (RMA) offer a number of options to offset losses and help get you back on your feet. Once you’re safely able to assess your operation, contact your local USDA Service Centerto report losses or ask questions about available programs.
• Disaster Assistance Programs.  FSA offers several disaster programs to help producers recover from crop, livestock and infrastructure losses, including low-interest emergency loans. 
• For livestock producers, FSA’s Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) and Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) reimburse producers for a portion of the value of livestock, poultry and other animal death as a result of certain natural disaster events, like hurricanes, or for loss of grazing acres, feed and forage. LIP is also available to producers who have to sell injured livestock at a reduced rate. For LIP and ELAP, producers will need to provide acceptable documentation of loss or evidence of reduced sales resulting from an eligible adverse event, including a hurricane. More information can be found in the LIP Verifiable and Reliable Documentation and ELAP Verifiable and Reliable Documentation fact sheets.
• The Tree Assistance Program (TAP) provides cost-share assistance to replant or rehabilitate trees, bushes or vines lost during the natural disaster. TAP complements both NAP and crop insurance coverage, which often cover the crop but not the plants or trees.
• The Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) and Emergency Forest Restoration Program(EFRP) provide financial and technical assistance to restore conservation practices like fencing, damaged farmland or nonindustrial private forests. These programs are administered by FSA state and county committees and county offices. Producers should contact their local FSA county office regarding enrollment periods and eligibility.
• FSA also offers a variety of loan options to eligible producers to help meet credit needs. These options include emergency loans, which are triggered by disaster declarations, and offer crucial financial support to help producers recover swiftly and maintain the viability of their operations during and after disaster recovery. FSA loans can replace essential property, purchase inputs like livestock, equipment, feed and seed, or refinance farm-related debts and other needs. For existing FSA loan borrowers, loan servicing options may be available if scheduled payments cannot be made on farm loan debt due to circumstances beyond their control. 
• NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to producers through its Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to help producers plan and implement conservation practices on land impacted by natural disasters. EQIP can help address immediate needs and provide long-term support to help you recover from natural disasters and conserve environmental resources. The program can assist with restoring livestock infrastructure, emergency animal mortality disposal, and immediate soil erosion protection. 
• Additionally, NRCS offers help to communities through its Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program which provides assistance to landowners and project sponsors following a natural disaster. EWP is designed to help people and conserve natural resources by relieving imminent hazards to life and property caused by floods, fires, windstorms, and other natural occurrences. 
• More information, including a full list of programs, can be found on the farmers.gov Hurricane webpage. 

·       Our Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster Assistance at a Glance fact sheet, and Farm Loan Assistance Tool can help you determine program or loan options. Additionally, the FarmRaise educational hub can also help with disaster recovery program decisions. 

·       To report losses or ask questions about available programs, contact your local USDA Service Center.     

Lauren Moore is a public affairs specialist with USDA’s Farm Production and Conservation Business Center.

USDA Opens Enrollment for Grassland Conservation Reserve Program

 (Washington, D.C., April 30, 2026) –The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that agricultural producers and private landowners can enroll in the Grassland Conservation Reserve Program (Grassland CRP) starting May 4, 2026, through May 29, 2026. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) administers Grassland CRP, a voluntary working lands conservation program that enables participants to conserve grasslands while also continuing most grazing and haying practices. 

Grassland CRP emphasizes support for grazing operations, plant and animal biodiversity, and grasslands and land with shrubs and forbs under the greatest threat of conversion.    

“Our Grassland CRP enrollment will be competitive just like our previous enrollment periods since we are very close to the 27-million-acre statutory cap,” said FSA Administrator Bill Beam. “Grassland CRP is designed to strike a balance between the importance of continued agricultural productivity and prioritizing the stewardship of America’s ecologically significant grasslands. USDA continues to put Farmers First by providing viable economic incentives while preserving working lands.” 

CRP is USDA’s flagship conservation program, providing financial and technical support to agricultural producers and landowners who place unproductive or marginal cropland under contract for 10-15 years and who agree to voluntarily convert the land to beneficial vegetative cover to improve water quality, prevent soil erosion and support wildlife habitat. The Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026, extends FSA’s authority to administer CRP through Sept. 30, 2026.   

Currently, more than 26.2 million acres are enrolled in CRP, with nearly 10.3 million acres in Grassland CRP. FSA recently closed the enrollment period for General CRP and Continuous CRP closes May 1, 2026.  FSA is reviewing submitted offers and will announce accepted offers at a later date. Due to the 27-million-acre statutory cap, only 1.9 million acres are available for all CRP enrollment this fiscal year.      

More Information       

Producers and landowners interested in participating in CRP should contact their local FSA county office before the May 29 deadline.  

Signed into law in 1985, CRP is one of the largest voluntary private-lands conservation programs in the United States. Originally intended to primarily control soil erosion and potentially stabilize commodity prices by taking marginal lands out of production, the program has evolved over the years, providing many conservation and economic benefits.

USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Veterans Webinar Series

 

Erica Govednik - U.S. Coast Guard veteran.

Register for a free webinar series for military veterans and transitioning service members on how to work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to prepare for a career in production agriculture. This webinar series is designed to provide information about USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher programs and resources for the military community.

Tuesday, April 21 
2:00–4:30 p.m. Eastern

• Farm Service Agency – Farm Loan Programs
• Natural Resources Conservation Service - Regenerating Land, Empowering Veterans

Register Here - Webinar Registration - Microsoft Teams 

Wednesday, April 22 
2:00–4:00 p.m. Eastern

• Rural Development - Value-Added Producer Grants (VAPG)
• Risk Management Agency – Beginners Guide to Crop Insurance

Register Here - Webinar Registration - Microsoft Teams

Most of the U.S. Rented Farmland is Owned by Non-Farmers

(Washington, D.C., March 12, 2026) – Over 2.0 million landowners rented out 348 million acres of farmland, according to the results of the 2024 Tenure, Ownership, and Transition of Agricultural Land (TOTAL) survey results released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Of these acres, 79% are owned by non-farming landlords.

 

Non-operating landlords include entities who rent out agricultural land under a variety of ownership arrangements (privately owned, trust, family entity, non-family entity, or other). Of the land rented out by non-operating landlords, over 251 million acres were rented out by private landowners, trusts, or family entities.

                                                                                                                 

According to the survey results, rented farmland acres, combined with buildings on this land, are valued at more than $1.6 trillion. In 2024, landlords combined received $34.1 billion in rental income while incurring $12.0 billion in total operating expenses.

 

“About 5% of the nearly 900 million U.S. farmland acres, or about 43 million acres, is slated for ownership transfer in the next five years, not including farmland that is in or is expected to be put into wills or trusts,” said Joseph L. Parsons, NASS Administrator.

 

Only 23 million acres of land are expected to be sold to a non-relative, while 20 million acres are expected to be sold to a relative or given as a gift. This means that only a small percentage of farmland will be available for purchase.

 

TOTAL also provides a glimpse into demographic information for 1.8 million non-farming entities, also known as principal landlords. According to the findings, the average age of these landlords is 69.2 years old. This age exceeds that of the average farmer, who is 58.1 years old, according to the 2022 Census of Agriculture. Only 12% of all principal landlords were under 55 years old. Nearly 52% of all the principal landlords have never farmed.

 

“As the only source of detailed information on agricultural land ownership characteristics and economic data, TOTAL provides important statistics to government, academia, the farming industry, and others regarding agricultural land ownership for planning, policymaking, research, and market analysis,” said Parsons.

To access the complete 2024 TOTAL results, in addition to key data highlights, methodology, and Frequently Asked Questions, visit  https://www.nass.usda.gov/Surveys/Guide_to_NASS_Surveys/TOTAL or the Quick Stats database at http://quickstats.nass.usda.gov.

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NASS is the federal statistical agency responsible for producing official data about U.S. agriculture and is committed to providing timely, accurate, and useful statistics in service to U.S. agriculture.

 

 

NCLA Asks Court to End USDA’s Illegal Rule Mandating Electronic ID Eartags for Cattle and Bison

Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America, et al. v. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Sec’y Brooke Rollins, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Administrator Michael Watson

Washington, DC (March 5, 2026) – The New Civil Liberties Alliance asked the U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota for summary judgment today in R-CALF USA, et al. v. USDA. Representing ranchers, farmers, and livestock producers, NCLA urges the court to vacate an unlawful rule promulgated by USDA and its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) that requires electronic identification (EID) eartags for certain cattle and bison transported across state lines, in place of long-used visual tags. The court should end this unauthorized, expensive mandate that USDA instituted in 2024 to replace an already efficient means of cattle identification without explaining why the expensive change is needed nor how it will help reduce animal disease.

After previously agreeing that visual-only eartags were effective in tracing disease in cattle and bison and letting producers choose between visual-only and electronically readable options, USDA changed its mind with this 2024 rule. USDA now says EID tags and electronic records are significantly better for disease tracing, without giving any reasoning or data to support that claim. USDA has not done anything to address alleged problems it claims to have found with visual tag- based tracing. The current rule does not require producers to buy or use electronic eartag readers, so they use the EID tags to track cattle the same way they previously used the far less expensive visual-only tags. This means American ranchers are simply paying more to do what they have done for decades to effectively track and prevent livestock disease.

The unreasonable EID rule says EID eartags are necessary to reduce transcription errors in livestock tracking records due to “human error,” but it also permits EID eartags to be used the same way as visual-only tags. This sort of internal inconsistency is arbitrary and capricious. Having never reasonably justified the EID tag mandate in the first place, USDA also failed to consider the alternative of requiring readability standards for visual-only tags instead. Each of these problems violates the Administrative Procedure Act.

NCLA released the following statements:

“USDA’s EID eartag mandate is a costly solution in search of a nonexistent problem. America’s ranchers and farmers have long used visual-only identification for disease tracing, and this Rule does not change that option. It just makes that process much more expensive.”

— Kara Rollins, Senior Litigation Counsel, NCLA

“The authority behind this regulation is ‘all hat and no cattle.’ The agency has no evidence it will stop, or even help slow, the spread of cattle disease that would support its enormous expense.”

— John Vecchione, Senior Litigation Counsel, NCLA

 

For more information visit the case page here.

 

ABOUT NCLA

 

NCLA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit civil rights group founded by prominent legal scholar Philip Hamburger to protect constitutional freedoms from violations by the Administrative State. NCLA’s public-interest litigation and other pro bono advocacy strive to tame the unlawful power of state and federal agencies and to foster a new civil liberties movement that will help restore Americans’ fundamental rights.