 Pierce & Pepin County USDA Service Center News - December 31st, 2025 In This Issue: The Farm Service Agency (FSA) assists beginning farmers to finance agricultural enterprises. Under these designated farm loan programs, FSA can provide financing to eligible applicants through either direct or guaranteed loans. FSA defines a beginning farmer as a person who: - Has operated a farm for not more than 10 years
- Will materially and substantially participate in the operation of the farm
- Agrees to participate in a loan assessment, borrower training and financial management program sponsored by FSA
- Does not own a farm in excess of 30 percent of the county's average size farm.
For more information contact, contact your local county USDA Service Center at 715-273-5522 or visit fsa.usda.gov. Top of Page USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) is delivering more than $16 billion in total Congressionally approved disaster relief. FSA is now accepting applications for assistance through the second stage of the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) from agricultural producers who suffered eligible non-indemnified, uncovered or quality crop losses due to qualifying natural disasters in 2023 and 2024. Stage Two covers eligible crop, tree, bush and vine losses that were not covered under Stage One program provisions, including non-indemnified (shallow loss), uncovered and quality losses. Although the majority of payments from the first stage are already in the hands of producers helping them prepare for and invest in the next crop year, Stage One assistance, announced in July, remains available to producers who received an indemnity under crop insurance or the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) for eligible crop losses due to qualifying 2023 and 2024 natural disaster events. The deadline to apply for both Stage One and Stage Two assistance is April 30, 2026. Additionally, FSA is taking applications for assistance from producers who had to dump or remove milk from the commercial market and who incurred losses of eligible farm stored commodities due to qualifying disaster events in 2023 and 2024. SDRP Stage Two Program Details SDRP Stage Two provides assistance for eligible crop, tree, bush and vine losses not covered under Stage One, including: - Non-Indemnified Losses (Including Shallow Losses)
- Insured losses through federal crop insurance that did not trigger a crop insurance indemnity.
- Losses with NAP coverage that did not trigger a NAP payment.
- Uncovered Losses (Uninsured Losses)
- Includes losses that were not insured through federal crop insurance or NAP.
- Quality Losses
- Includes quality losses to commodities indicated by:
- A decrease in value based on discounts due to the physical condition of the crop supported by applicable grading factors
- A decline in the nutritional value of forage crops supported by documented forage tests.
- Producers will certify to an SDRP quality loss percentage.
FSA is establishing block grants with Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, and Massachusetts that cover crop losses; therefore, producers with losses on land physically located in these states are not eligible for SDRP program payments. For information on program eligibility and to download an application checklist, visit fsa.usda.gov/sdrp. More information will be provided in early 2026 regarding a separate enrollment period for quality losses covered by SDRP Stage One as well as for insured producers in Puerto Rico who were not included in Stage One because data was not available when pre-filled applications were mailed. Milk and On-Farm Stored Crop Loss Assistance The Milk Loss Program provides up to $1.65 million in payments to eligible dairy operations for milk that was dumped or removed without compensation from the commercial milk market because of a qualifying natural disaster event in 2023 and/or 2024. Producers who suffered losses of eligible harvested commodities while stored in on-farm structures in 2023 and/or 2024 due to a qualifying natural disaster event may be eligible for assistance through the On-Farm Stored Commodity Loss Program, which provides for up to $5 million to impacted producers. The deadline to apply for milk and on-farm stored commodity losses is Jan. 23, 2026. Information and fact sheets for both programs are available online at fsa.usda.gov/mlp for milk loss and fsa.usda.gov/ofsclp for on-farm stored commodity losses. To make an appointment to apply, call the local county FSA Office at 715-273-5522. Top of Page The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Risk Management Agency (RMA) made significant enhancements to federal crop insurance programs by expanding benefits for beginning farmers and ranchers, increasing coverage options, and making crop insurance more affordable and accessible across multiple insurance programs. Putting American Farmers First with Enhanced Support for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Beginning farmers and ranchers will receive substantially increased premium support during their first decade of farming operations, making crop insurance more affordable for the next generation of American agricultural producers. The enhanced benefits mean beginning farmers and ranchers will now receive: - 15 percentage points additional subsidy for the first two crop years
- 13 percentage points for the third crop year
- 11 percentage points for the fourth crop year
- 10 percentage points for years five through ten
These benefits build upon existing support that waives administrative fees and provides base premium subsidies. A beginning farmer or rancher is now defined as an individual who has not actively operated and managed a farm or ranch for more than 10 crop years. Making Crop Insurance More Accessible with Expanded Coverage Options Improvements to area-based crop insurance programs include: - Whole Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) maximum coverage level increase from 85% to 90%, providing producers with enhanced protection for diversified operations.
- Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) premium support increase from 65% to 80%, making this valuable gap coverage more affordable. Additionally, producers can now purchase SCO regardless of their Area Risk Coverage (ARC) elections with the Farm Service Agency, dramatically increasing accessibility.
- Enhanced Coverage Option (ECO) and similar programs including Margin Coverage Option (MCO), Hurricane Insurance Protection Wind Index (HIP-WI), and Fire Insurance Protection Smoke Index (FIP-SI) will also receive the increased 80% in premium support, making comprehensive coverage more affordable than ever.
- SCO coverage will also expand to a coverage level of 90% (from 86%). Producers will have access to this option in 2026 via the ECO product, which has identical coverage at the same cost and premium support levels. USDA will then change the SCO policy for the 2027 crop year.
These changes will be effective for all crops with sales closing dates on or after July 1, 2025. RMA will provide additional guidance on other provisions within the One Big Beautiful Bill Act as implementation details are finalized. Producers should contact their local crop insurance agent or visit the RMA website for more information about how these changes may affect their coverage options. Top of page Join NRCS Chief Aubrey J.D. Bettencourt as she "Dishes the Dirt" on the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree, "Silver Belle" with Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz. For the past 55 years, a tree from American public lands is harvested and transported to the U.S. Capitol – this year, the tree traveled 3,000-miles from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada. As an advocate for private forest owners and Christmas tree producers alike, NRCS is proud to be one of the sponsors of this year's Capitol Christmas tree. Tree farmers can access NRCS financial and technical assistance through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and Conservation Stewardship Program to implement a number of practices to improve the economic and environmental resilience of their operation. Watch the video. Top of Page Pierce & Pepin USDA Service Center 412 W Kinne
Ellsworth, WI 54011 Phone: 715-273-5522 Fax: 855-740-5982 | | | | FSA County Executive Director Blaine Knutson 715-273-5522 ext. 2 blaine.knutson@usda.gov Farm Loan Manager Teresa Engel 608-637-2183 teresa.engel@usda.gov Pierce County Program Analysts Angela Keenan Taylor Huppert Elisabeth Kujala Jillian Rebhahn | District Conservationist KaYing Vang 715-461-6012 kaying.vang@usda.gov Pepin County Program Analysts Kristen Peetz | | Next County Committee Meeting Pierce County January 14th, 2026, at 11 a.m. Pepin County January 15th, 2026, at 11 a.m. Note: Meeting date and time subject to change | | 
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