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USDA programs assist Hancock, Daviess farmers with construction, reporting and specialty crop aid
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture is reminding Hancock and Daviess County farmers and landowners about several Farm Service Agency programs that support farm ownership and construction, crop acreage reporting, commodity safety net coverage, specialty crop assistance and local office access and committee meetings.
FSA’s Direct Farm Ownership loans can be used not only to purchase farmland but also to construct, purchase or improve farm dwellings, service buildings and other facilities essential to farm and ranch operations. The agency offers regular, down payment and joint financing loans, as well as a Direct Farm Ownership Microloan option for smaller financial needs up to $50,000.
Applicants must provide FSA with an estimate of the total cost of all planned development, including a complete description of the work, before loan approval and must show they have sufficient funds to pay that full cost at or before loan closing. In some cases, FSA may require certified plans, specifications or contract documents. Borrowers cannot incur debts for materials or labor or make expenditures for construction or development with the expectation of being reimbursed from FSA funds before the loan closes.
Construction and development work may be performed under a contract method or a borrower method. Under the contract method, a contractor performs the work according to a written contract with the applicant or borrower. A surety bond that guarantees both payment and performance is required when a contract exceeds $100,000, when an agency official determines a bond is needed to protect the borrower against contractor default or when partial payments would exceed 60% of the value of work in place. Under the borrower method, the applicant performs the work, which is allowed only when FSA determines the borrower has or can arrange for the necessary skills and managerial ability and when the work will not interfere with the farming schedule.
Producers are encouraged to visit with FSA early in the project planning process to ensure environmental compliance. For more information about Direct Farm Ownership loans, contact the Hancock County USDA Service Center at 270-927-6336 or the Daviess County USDA Service Center at 270-684-9286, or visit fsa.usda.gov.
After spring planting is complete, producers in Hancock and Daviess counties should make an appointment with their local FSA office to complete crop acreage reports before the applicable deadline. A crop acreage report documents what crop is grown on a farm or ranch, its intended use and location, and producers should file an accurate report for all crops and land uses, including failed acreage and prevented planted acreage.
For 2026, the acreage reporting deadline is July 15 for all perennial forage, Conservation Reserve Program acres, soybeans, corn, tobacco and hemp. When filing a crop acreage report, producers should be prepared to provide the crop and type or variety, intended use, number of crop acres, a map with approximate field boundaries, planting dates, planting pattern when applicable, producer shares, irrigation practices, acreage prevented from planting when applicable and other required information.
Certain exceptions apply to the standard reporting dates. If a crop has not been planted by the acreage reporting deadline, the acreage must be reported no later than 15 calendar days after planting is completed. If a producer acquires additional acreage after the reporting deadline, that acreage must be reported within 30 calendar days of the purchase or lease, and appropriate documentation must be provided to the county office.
Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program policyholders should note that the acreage reporting date for NAP-covered crops is the acreage reporting date or 15 calendar days before grazing or harvest begins, whichever is earlier. Producers with perennial forage crops should check with their local FSA office to see if their acres are eligible for continuous certification, which allows certified acreage to roll forward each year until a change is made.
Producers can access FSA farm records, maps and common land units through the farmers.gov customer portal. The portal allows users to export field boundaries as shapefiles and import and view other shapefiles, such as precision agriculture boundaries, within farm records mapping. Producers can view, print and label maps for acreage reporting purposes.
A Login.gov account that is linked to a USDA customer record is required to use the portal. Producers who have authority to act on behalf of another customer, through an FSA‑211 Power of Attorney, Business Partner Signature Authority or as a member of a business with signature authority, also can access information for that business in the portal.
Producers who use precision agriculture planting boundaries may file acreage reports electronically with an approved insurance provider or authorized third party, who will then share the file with FSA. Producers should notify their local FSA office if they submitted an electronic geospatial acreage report and want to use it as part of their FSA acreage report. For more information, producers should contact the Hancock County FSA office at 270-927-6336 or the Daviess County FSA office at 270-684-9286.
USDA has also announced that eligible landowners have from June 1 through Aug. 31, 2026, to review and consider base acre increases on farms enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage safety-net programs, as authorized by the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The law allows landowners to increase base acres in preparation for ARC and PLC enrollment beginning with the 2026 crop year and beyond, with up to 30 million new base acres available nationwide.
FSA has been notifying eligible landowners by direct mail that Base Allocation Summaries outlining potential base acre increases are available for review beginning June 1. These summaries can be accessed at fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc using a Login.gov account, or landowners can contact their local FSA county office to obtain their Base Allocation Summary. Landowners should review the summary and complete any necessary actions by Monday, Aug. 31, 2026.
To be eligible for new base acres, a current covered commodity must have been planted or prevented from being planted on the farm in one or more years from 2019 through 2023. The farm’s average planted and prevented planted acres during that period must exceed the total existing base acres for all covered commodities in effect on Sept. 30, 2024, excluding unassigned base acres, and total base acres on the farm cannot exceed the total cropland acres. If eligible requests exceed the nationwide cap of 30 million acres, USDA will apply an across‑the‑board, prorated reduction to all approved new base acres. For additional information, producers should contact their local FSA county office or visit fsa.usda.gov/state-offices.
In addition, USDA has set payment rates and the enrollment period for the Assistance for Specialty Crops Farmers program, which will provide $1.625 billion in payments to eligible specialty crop producers facing elevated input costs and market disruptions driven by unfair foreign trade practices during the 2025 growing season. Payments are authorized under the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act and administered by FSA.
Producers who have a Login.gov account and who timely filed their 2025 crop acreage report for eligible specialty crops can access and submit a pre‑filled ASCF application online starting June 1, 2026, at fsa.usda.gov/ascf. Beginning June 8, producers without a Login.gov account or those who prefer to enroll in person can request their pre‑filled application from their FSA county office. The ASCF enrollment period closes Aug. 7, 2026, and payments will be issued as applications are submitted and approved, beginning as early as the first week of signup.
Specialty crop acres of eligible crops reported to FSA as an initial, double crop, repeat crop or subsequent crop by April 24, 2026, will be used to determine ASCF program payments. Acreage reported as a cover crop, prevented planted, or with an intended use of grazing, left standing, green manure, silage, forage, volunteer or experimental will not be used to determine payments. Specialty crops grown in controlled environments are not eligible, except for mushrooms. A list of eligible specialty crops is available online at fsa.usda.gov/ascf.
Payment rates are based on national average revenue per crop. Tier 1 crops, with average annual revenue of more than $10,000 per acre, will receive $650 per acre. Tier 2 crops, with average annual revenue of more than $2,300 and up to $10,000 per acre, will receive $225 per acre. Tier 3 crops, with average annual revenue of up to $2,300 per acre, will receive $65 per acre. Beans and peas that were not eligible for the FBA program will receive $25 per acre. The ASCF payment limitation is $250,000 per producer.
Crop insurance coverage is not required to participate, but USDA is encouraging producers to consider new risk management tools provided in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act to help protect against future price risk and volatility. For more information on ASCF, producers can visit fsa.usda.gov/ascf or contact their local FSA county office.
Login.gov serves as a single, secure account for access to multiple federal agencies, including FSA. Producers can create an account through fsa.usda.gov/ascf or use an existing Login.gov account to work with FSA online, including viewing, completing, certifying and submitting applications and tracking application and payment status. Help with creating a Login.gov account is available at login.gov/help.
From June 1 through Oct. 1, 2026, the Hancock County FSA Service Center will serve customers by appointment only. Appointments are available Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and may be scheduled by calling 270-684-9286 or emailing [email protected].
Hancock County FSA customers also may receive service from the Daviess County FSA Service Center, which is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 3100 Alvey Park Drive W in Owensboro. Customers needing farm loan assistance can contact the Daviess County office to schedule an appointment. Those with questions about other options for service locations should call the Daviess County FSA office at 270-684-9286.
Upcoming committee meetings
The Hancock County FSA Committee is scheduled to meet in July 2026 at 8 a.m. at the Hancock County FSA office, 240 Monroe St. in Hawesville, with the exact date to be announced.
The Daviess County FSA Committee will meet at 8 a.m. June 23, 2026, at the Daviess County FSA Service Center, 3100 Alvey Park Drive in Owensboro.
Anyone needing to request an accommodation or alternative format materials for the meetings, such as an interpreter, translator, seating arrangements, Braille, large print, audiotape or captioning, should contact Hancock County Executive Director Jared Stephens at 270-684-9286 or by email at [email protected].
FSA’s Direct Farm Ownership loans can be used not only to purchase farmland but also to construct, purchase or improve farm dwellings, service buildings and other facilities essential to farm and ranch operations. The agency offers regular, down payment and joint financing loans, as well as a Direct Farm Ownership Microloan option for smaller financial needs up to $50,000.
Applicants must provide FSA with an estimate of the total cost of all planned development, including a complete description of the work, before loan approval and must show they have sufficient funds to pay that full cost at or before loan closing. In some cases, FSA may require certified plans, specifications or contract documents. Borrowers cannot incur debts for materials or labor or make expenditures for construction or development with the expectation of being reimbursed from FSA funds before the loan closes.
Construction and development work may be performed under a contract method or a borrower method. Under the contract method, a contractor performs the work according to a written contract with the applicant or borrower. A surety bond that guarantees both payment and performance is required when a contract exceeds $100,000, when an agency official determines a bond is needed to protect the borrower against contractor default or when partial payments would exceed 60% of the value of work in place. Under the borrower method, the applicant performs the work, which is allowed only when FSA determines the borrower has or can arrange for the necessary skills and managerial ability and when the work will not interfere with the farming schedule.
Producers are encouraged to visit with FSA early in the project planning process to ensure environmental compliance. For more information about Direct Farm Ownership loans, contact the Hancock County USDA Service Center at 270-927-6336 or the Daviess County USDA Service Center at 270-684-9286, or visit fsa.usda.gov.
After spring planting is complete, producers in Hancock and Daviess counties should make an appointment with their local FSA office to complete crop acreage reports before the applicable deadline. A crop acreage report documents what crop is grown on a farm or ranch, its intended use and location, and producers should file an accurate report for all crops and land uses, including failed acreage and prevented planted acreage.
For 2026, the acreage reporting deadline is July 15 for all perennial forage, Conservation Reserve Program acres, soybeans, corn, tobacco and hemp. When filing a crop acreage report, producers should be prepared to provide the crop and type or variety, intended use, number of crop acres, a map with approximate field boundaries, planting dates, planting pattern when applicable, producer shares, irrigation practices, acreage prevented from planting when applicable and other required information.
Certain exceptions apply to the standard reporting dates. If a crop has not been planted by the acreage reporting deadline, the acreage must be reported no later than 15 calendar days after planting is completed. If a producer acquires additional acreage after the reporting deadline, that acreage must be reported within 30 calendar days of the purchase or lease, and appropriate documentation must be provided to the county office.
Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program policyholders should note that the acreage reporting date for NAP-covered crops is the acreage reporting date or 15 calendar days before grazing or harvest begins, whichever is earlier. Producers with perennial forage crops should check with their local FSA office to see if their acres are eligible for continuous certification, which allows certified acreage to roll forward each year until a change is made.
Producers can access FSA farm records, maps and common land units through the farmers.gov customer portal. The portal allows users to export field boundaries as shapefiles and import and view other shapefiles, such as precision agriculture boundaries, within farm records mapping. Producers can view, print and label maps for acreage reporting purposes.
A Login.gov account that is linked to a USDA customer record is required to use the portal. Producers who have authority to act on behalf of another customer, through an FSA‑211 Power of Attorney, Business Partner Signature Authority or as a member of a business with signature authority, also can access information for that business in the portal.
Producers who use precision agriculture planting boundaries may file acreage reports electronically with an approved insurance provider or authorized third party, who will then share the file with FSA. Producers should notify their local FSA office if they submitted an electronic geospatial acreage report and want to use it as part of their FSA acreage report. For more information, producers should contact the Hancock County FSA office at 270-927-6336 or the Daviess County FSA office at 270-684-9286.
USDA has also announced that eligible landowners have from June 1 through Aug. 31, 2026, to review and consider base acre increases on farms enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage safety-net programs, as authorized by the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The law allows landowners to increase base acres in preparation for ARC and PLC enrollment beginning with the 2026 crop year and beyond, with up to 30 million new base acres available nationwide.
FSA has been notifying eligible landowners by direct mail that Base Allocation Summaries outlining potential base acre increases are available for review beginning June 1. These summaries can be accessed at fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc using a Login.gov account, or landowners can contact their local FSA county office to obtain their Base Allocation Summary. Landowners should review the summary and complete any necessary actions by Monday, Aug. 31, 2026.
To be eligible for new base acres, a current covered commodity must have been planted or prevented from being planted on the farm in one or more years from 2019 through 2023. The farm’s average planted and prevented planted acres during that period must exceed the total existing base acres for all covered commodities in effect on Sept. 30, 2024, excluding unassigned base acres, and total base acres on the farm cannot exceed the total cropland acres. If eligible requests exceed the nationwide cap of 30 million acres, USDA will apply an across‑the‑board, prorated reduction to all approved new base acres. For additional information, producers should contact their local FSA county office or visit fsa.usda.gov/state-offices.
In addition, USDA has set payment rates and the enrollment period for the Assistance for Specialty Crops Farmers program, which will provide $1.625 billion in payments to eligible specialty crop producers facing elevated input costs and market disruptions driven by unfair foreign trade practices during the 2025 growing season. Payments are authorized under the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act and administered by FSA.
Producers who have a Login.gov account and who timely filed their 2025 crop acreage report for eligible specialty crops can access and submit a pre‑filled ASCF application online starting June 1, 2026, at fsa.usda.gov/ascf. Beginning June 8, producers without a Login.gov account or those who prefer to enroll in person can request their pre‑filled application from their FSA county office. The ASCF enrollment period closes Aug. 7, 2026, and payments will be issued as applications are submitted and approved, beginning as early as the first week of signup.
Specialty crop acres of eligible crops reported to FSA as an initial, double crop, repeat crop or subsequent crop by April 24, 2026, will be used to determine ASCF program payments. Acreage reported as a cover crop, prevented planted, or with an intended use of grazing, left standing, green manure, silage, forage, volunteer or experimental will not be used to determine payments. Specialty crops grown in controlled environments are not eligible, except for mushrooms. A list of eligible specialty crops is available online at fsa.usda.gov/ascf.
Payment rates are based on national average revenue per crop. Tier 1 crops, with average annual revenue of more than $10,000 per acre, will receive $650 per acre. Tier 2 crops, with average annual revenue of more than $2,300 and up to $10,000 per acre, will receive $225 per acre. Tier 3 crops, with average annual revenue of up to $2,300 per acre, will receive $65 per acre. Beans and peas that were not eligible for the FBA program will receive $25 per acre. The ASCF payment limitation is $250,000 per producer.
Crop insurance coverage is not required to participate, but USDA is encouraging producers to consider new risk management tools provided in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act to help protect against future price risk and volatility. For more information on ASCF, producers can visit fsa.usda.gov/ascf or contact their local FSA county office.
Login.gov serves as a single, secure account for access to multiple federal agencies, including FSA. Producers can create an account through fsa.usda.gov/ascf or use an existing Login.gov account to work with FSA online, including viewing, completing, certifying and submitting applications and tracking application and payment status. Help with creating a Login.gov account is available at login.gov/help.
From June 1 through Oct. 1, 2026, the Hancock County FSA Service Center will serve customers by appointment only. Appointments are available Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and may be scheduled by calling 270-684-9286 or emailing [email protected].
Hancock County FSA customers also may receive service from the Daviess County FSA Service Center, which is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 3100 Alvey Park Drive W in Owensboro. Customers needing farm loan assistance can contact the Daviess County office to schedule an appointment. Those with questions about other options for service locations should call the Daviess County FSA office at 270-684-9286.
Upcoming committee meetings
The Hancock County FSA Committee is scheduled to meet in July 2026 at 8 a.m. at the Hancock County FSA office, 240 Monroe St. in Hawesville, with the exact date to be announced.
The Daviess County FSA Committee will meet at 8 a.m. June 23, 2026, at the Daviess County FSA Service Center, 3100 Alvey Park Drive in Owensboro.
Anyone needing to request an accommodation or alternative format materials for the meetings, such as an interpreter, translator, seating arrangements, Braille, large print, audiotape or captioning, should contact Hancock County Executive Director Jared Stephens at 270-684-9286 or by email at [email protected].
Posted in Breaking News, Local News 2
