What's Up at the USDA Office?
Deadlines/Dates
September 16 – December 11: Fiscal-Year 2026 ARC/PLC Sign Up
October 1: Fiscal-Year 2027 Mid-Contract Management on CRP Opens
November 2, 2026 - March 15, 2027: FY27 ARC/PLC Sign Up
December 7: COC Election ballots due
December 18: Deadline to apply for FY2027 DMC
December 31: Deadline to Apply for OCCSP
USDA Announces 2027 Dairy Margin Coverage Enrollment
USDA announced that dairy producers starting next Monday can enroll for 2027 Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC), a voluntary risk management program that was recently strengthened by the Working Families Tax Cuts Act with greater risk protection for dairy producers. DMC enrollment for 2027 starts October 5 and runs through December 18, 2026.
DMC provides financial protection when the difference between the national all-milk price and average feed cost falls below a producer-selected coverage level.
The Working Families Tax Cut Act reauthorized DMC through 2031 and strengthened the program to provide dairy producers with greater risk protection. These improvements took effect beginning with the 2026 program year and expanded the amount of production eligible for Tier 1 protection from five to six million pounds, updated production histories to better reflect current dairy operations, and provided producers with an opportunity to secure coverage through 2031 at a 25% reduced premium cost.
By protecting against periods of tighter margins, DMC provides an additional measure of financial stability and helps producers manage cash flow when milk prices, feed costs or a combination of the two put pressure on their operations. DMC payments trigger when the national dairy margin falls below a participating operation’s selected coverage level.
2027 Enrollment
Producers can select DMC coverage levels ranging from $4.00 to $9.50 per hundredweight. DMC includes a catastrophic level of coverage available at no premium cost, although an annual $100 administrative fee generally applies. Producers may also purchase higher levels of coverage to provide additional protection against declining margins.
Dairy producers should evaluate their operation’s risk management needs when selecting a coverage level. USDA provides an online dairy decision tool. Producers should contact their local FSA county office to enroll in DMC for the 2027 program year.
Producers who previously elected the multi-year DMC option for 2026 through 2031 are reminded that they must still certify to commercially market milk, sign a DMC contract, and pay the $100 administrative fee for each program year to maintain coverage. These producers will continue at the coverage level and percentage selected under their multi-year election and receive the 25% premium discount.
For more information about DMC, including current program information and DMC margins, dairy producers can visit fsa.usda.gov/dmc or contact their local FSA county office.
FSA Outlines MAL and LDP Policy
Marketing Assistance Loans (MALs) and Loan Deficiency Payments (LDPs) provide financing and marketing assistance for wheat, feed grains, soybeans, and other oilseeds, pulse crops, rice, peanuts, cotton, wool and honey. MALs provide you with interim financing after harvest to help you meet cash flow needs without having to sell your commodities when market prices are typically at harvest-time lows. A producer who is eligible to obtain a loan, but agrees to forgo the loan, may obtain an LDP if such a payment is available.
FSA is now accepting requests for 2026 MALs and LDPs for all eligible commodities after harvest. Requests for loans and LDPs shall be made on or before the final availability date for the respective commodities.
Commodity certificates are available to loan holders who have outstanding nonrecourse loans for wheat, upland cotton, rice, feed grains, pulse crops (dry peas, lentils, large and small chickpeas), peanuts, wool, soybeans and designated minor oilseeds. These certificates can be purchased at the posted county price (or adjusted world price or national posted price) for the quantity of commodity under loan, and must be immediately exchanged for the collateral, satisfying the loan. MALs redeemed with commodity certificates are not subject to Adjusted Gross Income provisions.
To be considered eligible for an LDP, you must have form CCC-633EZ, Page 1 on file at your local FSA Office before losing beneficial interest in the crop. Pages 2, 3 or 4 of the form must be submitted when payment is requested.
Marketing loan gains (MLGs) and loan deficiency payments (LDPs) are no longer subject to payment limitations, actively engaged in farming and cash-rent tenant rules.
Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) provisions state that if your total applicable three-year average AGI exceeds $900,000, then you’re not eligible to receive an MLG or LDP. You must have a valid CCC-941 on file to earn a market gain of LDP. The AGI does not apply to MALs redeemed with commodity certificate exchange.
For more information and additional eligibility requirements, contact your Allamakee County USDA Service Center at 563-568-2148 ext.2, or visit fsa.usda.gov
USDA Helps Organic Producers with Certification Costs
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is helping organic producers and handlers cover certification costs as part of the Department’s effort to put Farmers First and Make America Healthy Again. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting applications to help with organic certification costs for the 2025 and 2026 program years through the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP), which covers up to 75% of eligible organic certification costs. Producers and handlers must apply by Dec. 31, 2026, for both program years.
Cost Share Assistance
OCCSP provides cost share assistance to producers and handlers for the costs of obtaining or maintaining organic certification under the National Organic Program, which is administered by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service. Producers and handlers are eligible to receive 75% of the costs, up to $750 for each of the following scopes: crops, wild crops, livestock, processing/handling and state organic program fees.
FSA will make payments as applications are received on a first-come, first-served basis until available funds are depleted.
Eligibility
To be eligible for OCCSP, a producer or handler must have their USDA organic certification for the applicable program year at the time of application and must have paid fees or expenses related to the initial certification or renewal from a certifying agent during the program year. For program year 2025, they must have possessed a USDA organic certification at any time during the program year.
There are four USDA organic regulation recognized scopes that must be individually inspected and certified: crops, livestock, wild crops, and handling. The scopes must be listed on the producer or handler’s organic certificate to be eligible for OCCSP. Eligible costs include:
• Application and administrative fees for USDA organic certification
• Inspection fees for USDA organic certification, including travel and per diem costs for organic inspectors
• USDA organic certification costs, including fees necessary to access international markets with which AMS has equivalency agreements or arrangements
• State organic program fees
• User and sale assessment fees for USDA organic certification
• Postage costs for materials related to obtaining or renewing USDA organic certification.
How to Apply
To apply, producers and handlers should contact their local FSA county office. As part of completing the OCCSP application, producers and handlers will need to provide documentation of their organic certification and eligible expenses. Organic producers and handlers may also apply for OCCSP through participating state agencies.
Opportunity for State Agency Participation
FSA will soon announce a 30-day application period for state agencies to apply through grants.gov to administer OCCSP.
If a state agency chooses to participate in OCCSP, both the state agency and FSA county offices in that state will accept OCCSP applications and make payments to eligible certified operations. However, producers and handlers may not receive OCCSP payments for the same scope through both the state agency and their FSA county office.
For more information, producers and handlers can visit the OCCSP webpage or contact their local FSA county office.
Regular Maintenance Requirements for all CRP Contracts
The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a program administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to conserve farmland for future generations while providing habitat for wildlife, reducing soil erosion, and improving water quality. Regular maintenance on CRP acres is needed to ensure the acreage continues to provide conservation benefits and remains in compliance with the CRP contract.
Regular Maintenance
Producers with CRP contracts are required to control all weeds, insects, pests, and other undesirable species to the extent necessary to ensure that the approved conservation cover is adequately protected and to ensure there is no adverse impact on surrounding land. Mowing is one of the allowable practices for weed control, but mowing for aesthetic purposes is never permitted. The Conservation Plan states the required weed control methods for each site.
Once a stand has been certified as fully established, participants are required to maintain plant diversity and stand density according to the Conservation Plan and offer (CRP-2) for the life of the contract. Stands that do not meet practice specific plant diversity or density requirements may be considered non-compliant. Refer to your conservation plan or contact FSA if you have any questions or concerns about the vegetative cover requirements.
Maintenance activities cannot occur during the primary nesting season for birds without written prior approval from the local county office. The primary nesting season in Iowa is May 15 through August 1.
Mid-Contract Management
Regular maintenance for weed and pest control is separate from the Mid-Contract Management (MCM) requirement. MCM ensures plant diversity and wildlife benefits while ensuring protection of the soil and water resources. Such activities are site-specific and are for the purpose of enhancing the approved cover.
MCM must be completed between years four and six of a 10-year contract and between years seven and nine of a 15-year contract. The Conservation Plan will state what year MCM must take place.
Noncompliance with Maintenance Requirements
Failure to adequately maintain the stand may result in noncompliance with the terms and conditions of the CRP contract. Noncompliance can result in adverse actions up to and including termination of the CRP contract. Contracts that are out of compliance are ineligible to re-enroll, unless the stand is brought back into compliance prior to the enrollment deadline.
For general information about CRP, visit the Conservation Reserve Program webpage. For information about specific contracts, reach out to the local FSA office.
