 Knox/Anderson/Campbell Updates - January 16, 2026 Knox/Anderson/Campbell Farm Service Agency County Committee meet monthly on the second Thursday at 9:30 a.m. at the USDA Service Center in Knoxville. Next Scheduled COC Meeting - Thursday, February 12, 2026 Subject to change - Please call the office for status of meeting Knox/Anderson/Campbell Office is open Monday - Friday from 8:00 to 4:30 except for Federal Holidays. Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates - January 19 - Office Closed in Observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday
- February 2 - COC Election Deadline
- February 15 - NAP Application Closing Date for Hay and Pasture
- February 16 - Office Closed in Observance of Washington's Birthday
- March 15 - NAP Application Closing Date for Corn and Soybeans
In This Issue:  The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has mailed ballots for the Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committee elections to eligible farmers and ranchers across the country. To be counted, ballots must be returned to the Name County FSA office or postmarked by Feb. 2, 2026. Each committee is comprised of three to 11 elected members who serve three-year terms. Newly elected committee members will take office March 2, 2026. Knox/Anderson/Campbell County committee members play a key role in how FSA delivers disaster recovery, safety-net, conservation, commodity and price support programs, as well as making decisions on county office employment and other FSA program delivery issues. The following producer have been nominated and is running in the election in LAA 3, which includes Farragut, Hardin Valley and Karns, in Knox County is William Gordon. Gordon is nominated to serve as a committee member for a 3-year term. Gordon resides in Karns and has produced hay, pasture and cattle for 40 years. He is an active member of Farm Bureau. The following producers have been nominated and are running in the election in LAA 4, which includes Clinton, Heiskell, Oak Ridge, Oliver Springs and Rocky Top, in Anderson County are Charles Allen Giles and Paul D. Saunders. Giles has also been nominated to serve as a committee member for a 3-year term. Giles resides in Heiskell and has produced hay, pasture and cattle for 43 years and a logger since 1988. He is an active member of Farm Bureau and serves as Director. Saunders has also been nominated to serve as a committee member for a 3-year term. Saunders resides in Clinton and has produced hay, pasture and cattle for 46 years. He is an active member Anderson County Cattlemen Association and Farm Bureau. The following producer have been nominated and is running in the election in LAA 6, which includes Caryville, Elk Valley, Jacksboro, Jellico and Newcomb, in Campbell County is Brandon T. VanEtten. VanEtten is nominated to serve as a committee member for a 3-year term. VanEtten resides in Jacksboro and has produced hay, pasture and cattle for 7 years. He is an active member of Farm Bureau. To be eligible to vote in the county committee elections, producers must participate or cooperate in a USDA program and be assigned to the LAA that is up for election. Each year, at least one Local Administrative Area (LAA) in each COC jurisdiction is up for election on a three-year rotation, and each producer is assigned to vote in a single LAA. A cooperating producer is someone who has provided information about their farming or ranching operation to FSA, even if they have not applied or received program benefits. Producers can identify LAAs up for election through a geographic information system locator tool available at fsa.usda.gov/elections and may confirm their LAA by contacting their local FSA office. Eligible voters who do not receive a ballot in the mail can request one from the Knox/Anderson/Campbell County FSA office at 4730 New Harvest Ln, Knoxville, TN or call (865) 523-3338 option 2 or toll free at 1-855-728-0741, option 2. |  USDA announced the next phase in the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program (FBA), the eligible commodity per-acre payment rates. In 2026, $12 billion will be paid to American farmers. Of that amount, $11 billion consists of one-time FBA program payments. Eligible Row Crop Commodities and Payment Rates: Below are the payment rates for the FBA eligible commodities that triggered a payment. Commodity, Per Acre Payment Rates - Barley: $20.51
- Canola: $23.57
- Chickpeas (Large): $26.46
- Chickpeas (Small): $33.36
- Corn: $44.36
- Cotton: $117.35
- Flax: $8.05
- Lentils: $23.98
- Mustard: $23.21
- Oats: $81.75
- Peanuts: $55.65
- Peas: $19.60
- Rice: $132.89
- Safflower: $24.86
- Sesame: $13.68
- Sorghum: $48.11
- Soybeans: $30.88
- Sunflower: $17.32
- Wheat: $39.35
Eligibility, Program Applications, and Crop Insurance Linkage FBA payments are based on 2025 planted acres, Economic Research Service cost of production, and the World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimate Report. Double crop acres, including all initial and subsequently planted crops, are eligible. Prevent plant acres are not eligible. All intended row crop uses are eligible for FBA except grazing, volunteer stands, experimental, green manure, crops left standing and abandoned or cover crops. Crop insurance linkage is not required; however, USDA strongly urges producers to take advantage of the new risk management tools provided for in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) to best protect against future price risk and volatility. The OBBBA federal crop insurance improvements include expanding benefits for beginning farmers and ranchers, increasing coverage options, and making crop insurance more affordable. Specialty Crop Assistance Of the $12 billion being provided by the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act, up to $11 billion is being directed to eligible row crop producers and the remaining $1 billion of the $12 billion in assistance is reserved for specialty crops and sugar. Timelines for payments to producers of these crops are still under development and require additional understanding of market impacts and economic needs. Producers, including specialty crop producers and stakeholder groups, can submit questions to farmerbridge@usda.gov. More information on FBA is available online at https://www.fsa.usda.gov/fba or you can contact your local USDA FSA county office. | Top of page  USDA Name County Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds producers of approaching application deadlines for purchasing risk coverage for some crops through the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP). NAP provides financial assistance to producers of non-insurable crops impacted by natural disasters that result in lower yields, crop losses, or prevented crop planting. NAP covers losses from natural disasters on crops for which no permanent federal crop insurance program is available, including forage and grazing crops, fruits, vegetables, floriculture, ornamental nursery, aquaculture, turf grass and more. Upcoming application deadlines for NAP coverage in Knox, Anderson, Campbell Counties for the 2026 production season include: - Mixed Forage (Hay and Pasture) - February 15, 2026
- Corn - March 15, 2026
- Soybeans - March 15, 2026
NAP basic coverage is available at 55% of the average market price for crop losses that exceed 50% of expected production. Buy-up coverage is available in some cases. NAP offers higher levels of coverage, ranging from 50% to 65% of expected production in 5% increments, at 100% of the average market price. Producers of organic crops and crops marketed directly to consumers also may exercise the "buy-up" option to obtain NAP coverage of 100% of the average market price at coverage levels ranging between 50% and 65% of expected production. Buy-up coverage is not available for crops intended for grazing. For all coverage levels, the NAP service fee is the lesser of $325 per crop or $825 per producer per county, not to exceed a total of $1,950 for a producer with farming interests in multiple counties. Premiums apply for buy-up coverage. If a producer has a Socially Disadvantaged, Limited Resource, Beginning and Veteran Farmer or Rancher Certification (form CCC-860) on file with FSA, it may serve as an application for basic coverage for all eligible crops beginning with crop year 2022. These producers will have all NAP-related service fees for basic coverage waived. These producers may also receive a 50% premium reduction if higher levels of coverage are elected on form CCC-471, prior to the application closing date for each crop. To learn more about NAP visit fsa.usda.gov/nap or contact your local USDA Service Center at (865) 523-3338, option 2. | The Farm Service Agency (FSA) makes loans to youth to establish and operate agricultural income-producing projects in connection with 4-H clubs, FFA and other agricultural groups. Projects must be planned and operated with the help of the organization advisor, produce sufficient income to repay the loan and provide the youth with practical business and educational experience. The maximum loan amount is $10,000. Youth Loan Eligibility Requirements: - Be a citizen of the United States (which includes Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) or a legal resident alien
- Be 10 years to 20 years of age
- Comply with FSA's general eligibility requirements
- Conduct a modest income-producing project in a supervised program of work as outlined above
- Demonstrate capability of planning, managing and operating the project under guidance and assistance from a project advisor. The project supervisor must recommend the youth loan applicant, along with providing adequate supervision.
For help preparing the application forms, contact your Knox/Anderson/Campbell County USDA Service Center at 865.523.3338 option 2 or visit fsa.usda.gov.  The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) is sometimes misunderstood. It is perceived by some as complicated or not for small operations, and neither of those perceptions is true. CSP is designed to help you take your existing conservation efforts on your operation to the next higher level while maintaining your current ones. It's supposed to help you add to what you're already doing, either by enhancing your current practices or adding new ones. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) works one-on-one with you to develop a conservation plan under CSP to implement these additions or enhancements and help strengthen your operation. Under CSP, you receive annual payments to help you maintain your existing conservation efforts and enhance them using new conservation practices or activities. CSP contracts last five years, with the opportunity to compete for a contract renewal if you successfully fulfill the initial contract and agree to achieve additional conservation objectives. CSP is often misunderstood, so here are a few "myths" about the program that we want to dispel. Myth #1: The deadline to apply for CSP in my state has already passed, so I don't need to think about applying until next year. Don't wait to apply! We accept applications year-round, but funding decisions are made locally at specific times and that "ranking date" may be coming up soon in your area. If we already have your application, it will be considered at the next ranking date. Plus, if you start planning now, you will be ready for application ranking dates as they approach. See program application ranking dates for all states at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/ranking-dates. Myth #2: Enrolling land in CSP is complicated and time-consuming. If you have a farm and tract number (available from USDA's Farm Service Agency) and have kept good farm records, you're already well on your way. You just need to complete a three-page NRCS-CPA-1200 form, see Applications and Forms. You can even complete this form online if you create a farmers.gov account at https://www.farmers.gov/account. Read more myths. | Top of page | Knox/Anderson/Campbell USDA Service Center 4730 New Harvest Lane
Knoxville, TN 37918 Phone: 865-523-3338
Toll Free: 855-728-0741
Fax: 855-494-6730 | Farm Service Agency
Stacey D. Simpson, CED
865-523-3338 ext. 9512
stacey.simpson@usda.gov | Knox NRCS District Conservationist Addison Davidson, DC
865-523-3338 extension 9517 Addison.Davidson@usda.gov | | Farm Service Agency
Farm Loan Officer Please contact Kaylan Hixon 865-291-9537 | Anderson/Campbell NRCS District Conservationist
Haydee Thillet, DC 865-494-2343, extension 3 haydee.thillet@usda.gov | | FSA Program Analyst Sara Patty 865-523-3338 ext. 9547
sara.dean@usda.gov FSA Farm Loan Analyst Kaylan Hixon 865-291-9537
kaylan.hixon@usda.gov | Knox County Soil Conservation Board
Bill Hill ~ Richard Neal
Broadus Hubbs ~ Bill Benziger
Calvin Thompson
| | Knox/Anderson/Campbell FSA
County Committee
Ancel Galloway - Knox
Don Gordon - Knox
Kim Holden - Knox
Larry Bacon - Anderson
Floyd Grisham - Anderson
Benny Harris - Campbell
Noah Lay - Campbell | Anderson County Soil Conservation Board
Amanda Evans ~ Tim George
Donny Gray ~ Michelle Hoefer
Kathy Turpin Campbell County Soil Conservation Board Don Claiborne ~ Elmo Goins
David Greene ~ Joe Nelson
Dennis Potter | | | | | | | |
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