 Racine-Kenosha-Milwaukee-Walworth - December 30, 2025 In This Issue: January 1, 2026: USDA Service Centers closed in observance of New Year's Day. January 2, 2026: Acreage reporting deadline for honeybee colonies January 15, 2026: Acreage reporting deadline for Apples, Caneberries, Cherries, Cranberries, Currants, Hops, Huckleberries, Pears, Strawberries, Asparagus, Aronia (Chokeberry), Blueberries, Grapes, Gooseberries, and Rhubarb January 15, 2026: NRCS National Batching Deadline for Major Conservation Programs January 19, 2026: USDA Service Centers closed in observance of the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. April 30, 2026: Deadline to apply for Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) for weather related events in 2023 and 2024. Farm Service Agency (FSA) program payments are issued electronically into your bank account. In order to receive timely payments, you need to notify your FSA servicing office if you close your account or if your bank information is changed for any reason (such as your financial institution merging or being purchased). Payments can be delayed if FSA is not notified of changes to account and bank routing numbers. If the bank account was closed due to the death of an individual or dissolution of an entity or partnership before the payment was issued, please notify your local FSA office as soon as possible to claim your payment. 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 2024natural 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 reference resources for both programs are available online at 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 Racine/Kenosha/Milwaukee County FSA Office at 262-878-3353 or the Walworth County FSA Office at 262-723-3216. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) updates to the Farm Service Agency's (FSA) Farm Loan Programs are officially in effect. These changes, part of the Enhancing Program Access and Delivery for Farm Loans rule, are designed to increase financial flexibility for agricultural producers, allowing them to grow their operations, boost profitability, and build long-term savings. These program updates reflect USDA's ongoing commitment to supporting the financial success and resilience of farmers and ranchers nationwide, offering critical tools to help borrowers manage their finances more effectively. What the new rules mean for you: - Low-interest installment set-aside program: Financially distressed borrowers can now defer up to one annual loan payment at a reduced interest rate. This simplified option helps ease financial pressure while keeping farming operations running smoothly.
- Flexible repayment terms: New repayment options give borrowers the ability to increase their cash flow and build working capital reserves, allowing for long-term financial planning that includes saving for retirement, education, and other future needs.
- Reduced collateral requirements: FSA has lowered the amount of additional loan security needed for direct farm loans, making it easier for borrowers to leverage their existing equity without putting their personal residence at risk.
These new rules provide more financial freedom to borrowers. By giving farmers and ranchers better tools to manage their operations, we're helping them build long-term financial stability. It's all about making sure they can keep their land, grow their business, and invest in the future. If you're an FSA borrower or considering applying for a loan, now is the time to take advantage of these new policies. We encourage you to reach out to your local FSA farm loan staff to ensure you fully understand the wide range of loan making and servicing options available to assist with starting, expanding, or maintaining your agricultural operation. To conduct business with FSA, please contact your local USDA Service Center. Top of page A key part of NRCS's 90-year history was the establishment of the conservation planning process by Hugh Hammond Bennett. Bennett was the agency's first chief and is considered the "father of soil conservation." He believed in considering each farm's unique conditions when developing a conservation plan. A conservation plan is a document outlining the strategies and actions that should be taken to protect and manage natural resources on a specific area of land. It serves as a blueprint for achieving conservation goals. To develop a conservation plan, a conservation planner and the customer (farmer, rancher or landowner) collaborate during the conservation planning process. Bennett believed that agency employees must walk the land with the customer and see their natural resource challenges and opportunities firsthand. Bennett also understood that natural resource concerns could not be treated in isolation; soil, water, air, plants, animals, and humans are all part of an integrated system that is inter-dependent. Learn more about how conservation planning has evolved over the years. USDA Service Center
Racine Kenosha Milwaukee County 1012 Vine Street Union Grove, WI 53182 Phone: 1-262-878-3353 Fax 1-855-813-6651 |
Walworth County 225 O'Conner Dr Elkhorn, WI 53121 Phone: 1-262-723-3216 Fax: 1-855-740-5981 |
| Next COC Meeting January 12, 2026, 9:00am | Next COC Meeting January 7, 2026, 9:00am | |
| | Kristin Loock County Executive Director 262-878-3353 Ext. 3012 kristin.loock@usda.gov Nicole Allison Farm Loan Manager 1-608-325-4195 Nicole.Allison@usda.gov | Rhia Holden District Conservationist 262-878-3353 Ext. 3 Rhiannon.Holden@usda.gov RMA Contact Information 30 Seventh Street East Suite 1890 St. Paul, MN 55101 1-651-290-3304 rsomn@rma.usda.gov |
Accommodation Request for County Committee Meeting- If you would need to request an accommodation, please contact Kristin Loock at 262-878-3353 or 262-723-3216 or Kristin.Loock@usda.gov to request accommodations (e.g. an interpreter, translator, seating arrangements, etc.) or materials in an alternative format (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape-captioning etc.) | | 
Comments