What's Up at the USDA Office?
Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
March 31: Deadline to request Marketing Assistance Loans (MAL) for prior year harvested wheat, barley, canola, crambe, flaxseed, honey, oats, rapeseed, and sesame.
March 31: 2025 Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) Program Sign-up deadline
April 15: 2025 Agriculture Risk Coverage & Price Loss Coverage Program (ARC/PLC) Signup deadline
May 31: Deadline to request a Marketing Assistance Loan (MALs) for 2024 farm stored or warehouse stored grain
USDA Offers Options for Signing & Sharing Documents Online
Farmers and ranchers working with USDA’s Farm Service Agency or Natural Resources Conservation Service can now sign and share documents online in just a few clicks. By using Box or OneSpan, producers can digitally complete business transactions without leaving their homes or agricultural operations. Both services are free, secure, and available for multiple FSA and NRCS programs.
Box is a secure, cloud-based site where FSA or NRCS documents can be managed and shared. Producers who choose to use Box can create a username and password to access their secure Box account, where documents can be downloaded, printed, manually signed, scanned, uploaded, and shared digitally with Service Center staff. This service is available to any FSA or NRCS customer with access to a mobile device or computer with printer connectivity.
OneSpan is a secure eSignature solution for FSA and NRCS customers. Like Box, no software downloads or eAuthentication is required for OneSpan. Instead, producers interested in eSignature through OneSpan can confirm their identity through two-factor authentication using a verification code sent to their mobile device or a personalized question and answer. Once identity is confirmed, documents can be reviewed and e-signed through OneSpan via the producer’s personal email address. Signed documents immediately become available to the appropriate Service Center staff.
Box and OneSpan are both optional services for customers interested in improved efficiency in signing and sharing documents with USDA, and they do not replace existing systems using eAuthentication for digital signature. Instead, these tools provide additional digital options for producers to use when conducting business with FSA or NRCS.
USDA Service Center staff are available to help producers get started with Box and OneSpan through a few simple steps. Please visit farmers.gov/service-locator to find your local office and let Service Center staff know you’re interested in signing and sharing documents through these new features. In most cases, one quick phone call will be all that is needed to initiate the process.
Visit farmers.gov/mydocs to learn more about Box and OneSpan, steps for getting started, and additional resources for conducting business with USDA online.
Producers Can Now Enroll in Dairy Margin Coverage
USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting applications for Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) for the 2025 coverage year from Jan. 29 to March 31. DMC is a voluntary risk management program that offers protection to dairy producers when the difference between the all-milk price and the average feed price (the margin) falls below a certain dollar amount selected by the producer. The American Relief Act, 2025 extended many Farm Bill-authorized programs for another year, including DMC.
DMC offers different levels of coverage, even an option that is free to producers, minus a $100 administrative fee. The administrative fee is waived for dairy producers who are considered limited resource, beginning, socially disadvantaged or a military veteran.
DMC payments are calculated using updated feed and premium hay costs, making the program more reflective of actual dairy producer expenses. These updated feed calculations use 100% premium alfalfa hay. For more information on DMC, visit the DMC webpage or contact your local USDA Service Center.
Implementing Fire Management on CRP Acres
FSA encourages you to be proactive in preventing the spread of wildfire. If you participate in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), you are responsible for fire management on your CRP acreage. The goal is to suppress the amount of fuel in the event of a wildfire while still promoting the diversity of the conservation cover.
One fire management practice includes installing firebreaks, which should be included in the contract support document and installed according to NRCS firebreak standards. Barren firebreaks will only be allowed in high-risk areas, such as transportation corridors, rural communities, and adjacent farmsteads. A conservationist must certify that there will not be an erosion hazard from the barren firebreak. If erosion becomes a problem, remedial action will be taken.
You must complete the necessary management activities outside of the Primary Nesting Season. In Iowa, the Primary Nesting Season is May 15 through August 2 for these activities. Remember that fireguard technical practices should be outlined in your Conservation Plan of Operations (CPO).
USDA Farm Loan Program Changes Now in Effect
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.
2025 ARC/PLC Program Signup
The 2025 Agricultural Risk Coverage & Price Loss Coverage Program (ARC/PLC) signup began January 21, 2025. Our office has worked diligently to mass mail out all 2025 contracts to be signed and returned. We are requesting these be returned by March 31, 2025.
The mailed contracts were run with the same elections and shares as signed up in fiscal year 2024. If nothing has changed and everything is correct as is, please sign, date, and return them to our office.
If you would like to change your election(s) (ARC-CO, PLC, or ARC-IC) on any of the Base Acre commodities (Corn, Soybeans, etc.) on the farm(s) you operate, please contact us right away regarding changing elections. Changing elections is optional, however if changed, all producers with a share of cropland will be required to sign to agree to the election change. Failure to obtain all signatures would result in all producers on the contract not being eligible to receive potential payments for the applicable program year.
Even if you choose to keep your election and shares the same as prior year(s), each shareholder needs to sign the contract for it to be considered enrolled.
ARC provides income support payments on historical base acres when crop revenue declines below a specified guaranteed level. PLC provides income support payments on historical base acres when the effective price for a covered commodity falls below its reference price of $4.26 for Corn, $9.66 for Soybeans, and $2.76 for Oats.
Risk Management Agency (RMA) policies state if a producer has elected ARC-CO, they are not eligible for Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) for that commodity on that farm. We advise you to consult with your insurance agent to ensure all coverage options are in line with your signup choice.
Failure to do so could result in FSA ARC/PLC contracts being cancelled and ineligibility for potential payments.
In addition to the 2025 ARC/PLC contract, if not already on file, an Average Adjusted Gross Income Certification form (CCC-941) was included to be completed and returned.
All documents can be returned to office via mail, email, or in person. We do offer electronic signature if that is more convenient for you to sign any of your documents.
Return documents via email: iawaukon-fsa@usda.gov
Return documents via mail:
Allamakee County FSA
770 11th Ave SW
Waukon, IA 52172
If you have any questions regarding the ARCPLC program, want to check your signup status, or would like to change elections, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 563-568-2148, ext. 2. If you are a multi-county producer, we can sign up those farms at the office as well. We accept all walk-ins or can schedule you an appointment to sign in office, email/mail you the contracts to sign, or offer digital e-signing.
