What's Up at the USDA Office?
Deadlines/Dates
November 2, 2026 - March 15, 2027: 2027 ARC/PLC Sign Up
December 7: COC Election ballots due
December 11, 2026: Deadline to Complete 2026 ARC/PLC Sign Up
December 18: Deadline to apply for FY2027 DMC
December 31: Deadline to Apply for OCCSP
Conduct Business with USDA Online
Do you want the convenience of conducting business with USDA online? Create your Login.gov account today!
With a Login.gov account, you can view, complete, certify, submit and track applications online for applicable programs.
Login.gov uses one account and password for secure, private access to participating government agencies, including the Farm Service Agency and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. If you already have a Login.gov account, there is no need to create a new account to work with USDA, just link your Login.gov account with your USDA customer record.
To create your Login.gov account, you’ll need:
• U.S. state or government issued photo ID (driver’s license or U.S. passport)
• Email address
• Secure password (at least 12 characters)
• Desktop or mobile device
Create Your Account
Follow the steps below to create your Login.gov account and tie it to your USDA customer record:
1. Create your Login.gov Account
2. Complete Identity Verification
3. Link your USDA Customer Record
Login.gov can verify your identity online using personal information you submit with an approved U.S. state or government issued photo ID. If you cannot verify your identity through the online process, visit an FSA Office to complete the verification process in person.
Linking your USDA Customer Record
If you have worked with FSA or NRCS in the past and have a USDA customer record, the system will attempt to automatically link your Login.gov account to your existing USDA Customer Record.
If you are new to working with USDA, you will need to have a USDA Customer Record created. This record is sometimes called a Business Partner ID, BPID, or Business Partner Customer Record. After you verify your identity online, you will be taken to a page to fill out and submit a form to begin that process.
If you run into issues linking your customer record, we may need to update existing forms or your contact information on file. Please reach out to your FSA county office for assistance.
For assistance in creating your Login.gov account, refer to the Login.gov Quick Reference Guide. For troubleshooting, visit login.gov/help/ or contact your FSA county office.
USDA Improves Access to Credit by Streamlining and Modernizing Farm Loans
USDA is improving access to credit for farmers and ranchers by making farm loan policy and technology improvements, reducing administrative burdens and strengthening financial security. These updates will increase efficiency by expediting the application process for direct loans, streamlining the process for certain guaranteed lenders who partner with USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) and laying the groundwork for an electronic interface for guaranteed loans.
FSA makes direct and guaranteed loans to farmers and ranchers who are unable to obtain sufficient commercial credit at reasonable rates and terms. FSA farm loans can be used to purchase personal property or farmland, finance agricultural production expenses, or address day-to-day operational needs. The Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act authorizes most farm loans including farm ownership, farm operating, and emergency loans.
Fast Tracking Direct Loan Applications
Following a successful pilot program, FSA is permanently implementing the Application Fast Track (AFT) process to expedite the loan application and approval process for low-risk direct loan applicants. AFT expedites the underwriting process for direct loan applicants who are least likely to default on their loans based on financial benchmarks and historical repayment data.
Since the pilot started in 2023, an average of 23% of direct loan customers qualified for the streamlined process, which decreased the application processing time by approximately eight calendar days. This resulted in improved access to credit for borrowers and increased efficiency for FSA staff.
AFT is currently available to all qualifying producers nationwide, and these changes simply transition AFT from a pilot program into a permanent part of FSA’s regulations and policies. In addition to AFT, FSA is also making several changes to the direct loan collateral valuation process, which will expedite loan closings.
Streamlining for Preferred Lenders
FSA partners with credit unions, commercial banks, and farm credit organizations to deliver Guaranteed Loans, which help borrowers who cannot secure credit without a federal guarantee.
Through Guaranteed Loans, the financial institution makes the loan, but FSA guarantees the farm loan against possible financial loss, reducing the lender’s risk. FSA is further streamlining the process for lenders in the Preferred Lender Program, which includes the most experienced and highest-performing lending institutions. These lenders will have delegated authority to certify that applicants meet FSA lending requirements for creditworthiness, financial feasibility, and adequacy of collateral in place of a more detailed agency review. This streamlined process reduces documentation requirements and expedites loan processing. Preferred lenders will receive more information and guidance on exercising delegated authority in the new electronic system before it goes live in early 2027. However, preferred lenders can begin exercising delegated authority through traditional loan narratives starting Oct. 1, 2026.
Guaranteed Loan Modernization
USDA is modernizing outdated technology systems with the goal of expediting loan delivery. This multi-year effort will begin with the guaranteed loan program and later extend to all loan types.
The new modernized system will allow guaranteed loan applications, lender notifications and supporting documents to be electronically submitted, replacing the agency’s largely paper-based process. Paper applications will still be accepted, and FSA will provide notifications consistent with the submission method.
FSA is making regulatory changes ahead of implementing the new modernized system and will provide more information and training for guaranteed lenders before transitioning to the electronic interface in early 2027.
For more information on farm loans, producers can visit fsa.usda.gov, view the Federal Register notice or use the Loan Assistance Tool to check eligibility requirements and find the right loan for their operation. Producers can also make an appointment online with their local FSA farm loan office for assistance.
Revenue Safety Net
Programs, Completes First Base Acre Increase in Two Decades
Agricultural producers can begin enrolling in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently updated to include more than 30 million new base acres. This expansion, the first in 20 years, was made possible by the Working Families Tax Cuts Act and is part of USDA’s efforts to put Farmers First.
Now that the base allocation process is complete, producers can make elections and enroll for the 2026 crop year from Sept. 16 through Dec. 11, 2026, and for the 2027 crop year from Nov. 2, 2026, through March 15, 2027. Because eligible acres exceeded the nationwide 30-million-acre cap, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is applying an across-the-board, prorated reduction of 3.69% to all newly allocated base acres.
Base Allocation Notifications
The opportunity for landowners to review their base allocation summaries and take necessary action ended Aug. 31, 2026. This included correcting inaccurate information, designating subsequent acres or opting out of adding base acres. Landowners did not lose base acres through the base allocation process.
If landowners did not notify FSA of changes, the base allocation summary is considered accurate and complete; however, an across-the-board factor will apply. FSA determined the base allocation percentage reduction using all acreage reported as eligible, and new base acres will automatically be allocated to farms after applying the 3.69% reduction.
Base allocation notifications will be available beginning Sept. 16, 2026. Landowners can access notifications online at fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc using a Login.gov account. Landowners who do not currently have a Login.gov account can contact their FSA county office to obtain their base allocation notification beginning Sept. 16, 2026.
Enrollment Period
Producers can now change their election and enroll in ARC-County (ARC-CO) or PLC, which both provide crop-by-crop protection, or ARC-Individual (ARC-IC), which protects the entire farm. Although election changes for 2026 are optional, producers must enroll through a signed contract each year. Existing multi-year contracts ended in 2025, but producers have the option to sign a new multi-year contract for 2026 through 2031. Producers who opt out of a multi-year contract can enroll for the 2027 crop year starting Nov. 2, 2026, through March 15, 2027.
If producers do not submit their 2026 election by Dec. 11, 2026, their election remains the same as their 2025 election for crops on the farm, and the farm is ineligible for payments for the 2026 program year. Landowners cannot enroll in either program unless they have a share interest in the farm.
Covered commodities include barley, canola, large and small chickpeas, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, dry peas, rapeseed, long grain rice, medium and short grain rice, safflower seed, seed cotton, sesame, soybeans, sunflower seed and wheat.
Some land grant universities offer web-based decision tools to help producers make informed election decisions using crop data specific to their respective farming operations.
Producers can make an appointment with their local FSA office to complete ARC and PLC elections and enrollment.
Crop Insurance Considerations
Producers are reminded that ARC and PLC election and enrollment can impact eligibility for some crop insurance products.
Producers can now add SCO coverage or the Enhanced Coverage Option (ECO) regardless of their ARC or PLC election. Previously, producers who elected ARC-CO or ARC-IC were ineligible to purchase the Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) through their Approved Insurance Provider for the same acres, but The Working Families Tax Cuts Act removed this restriction.
Upland cotton farmers who choose to enroll seed cotton base acres in ARC or PLC are ineligible for the Stacked Income Protection Plan (STAX) on their planted cotton acres for that farm.
Crop insurance information is available through USDA’s Risk Management Agency. For more information on ARC and PLC, visit the ARC and PLC webpage or contact your local FSA County Office.
