Coronavirus Food Assistance Program provided direct relief through two waves of funding for agricultural producers facing market disruptions and associated costs because of COVID-19. Most recently, USDA’s Farm Service Agency accepted CFAP 2 applications from September 21 through December 11, 2020. Learn more at farmers.gov/cfap.

USDA provides crop insurance for producers through the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation. The Federal crop insurance program is designed to provide a robust and reliable farm safety net, regardless of the size and scope of natural disasters. Visit USDA Risk Management Agency’s website for crop insurance information and use the Agent Locator to find a crop insurance agent near you.

The USDA Farm Service Agency's Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program  or NAP helps producers to manage risk through coverage for both crop losses and crop planting that was prevented due to natural disasters. The eligible or “noninsured” crops include agricultural commodities not covered by federal crop insurance.   

Producers must be enrolled in the program and have purchased coverage for the eligible crop in the crop year in which the loss occurred to receive program benefits following a qualifying natural disaster.

The Agriculture Risk (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs provide financial protections to farmers from substantial drops in crop prices or revenues and are vital economic safety nets for most American farms.

Visit the Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage Programs page to learn more.

The Dairy Margin Coverage Program, a voluntary program managed by USDA Farm Service Agency, provides financial assistance to participating farmers when the difference between the price of milk and feed costs falls below the coverage level selected by the farmer. Estimate your coverage needs with USDA’s Dairy Margin Coverage Program decision tool, or learn more with the Dairy Margin Coverage Stakeholder Toolkit.

Through Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage, USDA Farm Service Agency offers financial assistance to producers of major row crops when either commodity prices or revenues are below certain levels.

USDA Risk Management Agency provides several livestock insurance policy options for your business.

Visit the Ag Risk and Farm Management Library, regional extension risk-management education centers, and the USDA Risk Management Agency website to learn more about risk management.

Are you a farmer or rancher whose commodities have been directly impacted by unjustified foreign retaliatory tariffs, resulting in the loss of traditional export markets? The Market Facilitation Program was created for producers just like you.

Visit the Market Facilitation Program page to learn more.

If you are a U.S. fisherman impacted by retaliatory tariffs, you may qualify for funding through the Seafood Trade Relief Program (STRP).

Visit the Seafood Trade Relief Program page to learn more.

Are you a farmer who needs seasonal or temporary workers for planting, cultivating, and harvesting crops but domestic workers are in short supply?

The H-2A temporary agricultural workers program – often called the H-2A visa program - helps American farmers fill employment gaps by hiring workers from other countries.

Learn about hiring agricultural workers through the H-2A Visa Program.

Already started an H-2A visa application? Check the approval status of your cases with the Department of Labor or U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. To track the status of your cases over time, sign in or sign up for a farmers.gov H-2A dashboard account through login.gov.

Find health and safety requirements and resources for employees on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s website.

Find your local office through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s interactive map.

The US Department of Labor administers laws that protect several types of farm workers, including:

• Fair Labor Standards Act
• Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act

Plan your crop planting, harvesting, and management in between with USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service’s Usual Planting and Harvesting Dates for US Field Crops information and the Fieldprint® Calculator for corn, cotton, rice, wheat, potato, and soybean growers, provided by Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture.

Time to report crop acreage? Crop acreage reports filed with USDA document the crops grown on your farm or ranch and their intended uses. You must file timely acreage reports to be eligible for many USDA programs. Learn more at farmers.gov/crop-acreage-reports.

Whether you manage beef or dairy cattle, sheep, or horses, good forage offers the key to success. Check out these resources to maximize your forage potential:

• Society for Range Management resources for land managers, scientists, educators and students, producers, and conservationists
• Sustainable Rangelands Roundtable, including the Ranch Sustainability Assessment Framework and Guidebook

Face the unique management challenges of animal feeding operations with a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan.

Visit the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s website for information about animal diseases. And explore One Health, a collaborative effort of the human health, veterinary health, and environmental health communities.

For many USDA Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Risk Management Agency programs, land owners must comply with highly erodible lands and wetlands requirements. Get started with these 5 Steps to Meet Conservation Compliance.

Cut input costs, maintain production, protect natural resources, and save money through on-farm energy efficiency programs and tools, including USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s energy estimating tools and USDA Rural Development’s Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvement Loans and Grants.

USDA and partners offer resources for healthy and economically beneficial private forest land. Visit USDA's National Agroforestry Center and Forest Stewardship Program for forest-related resources and tools. 

Browse the short list of popular resources below. Visit the USDA website for a full list of agencies and services.

Auditing and Accreditation services – provided by USDA Agricultural Marketing Service – are recognized nationally and internationally, assuring customers of consistent quality products or services and offering producers a unique way to market their products.

USDA's National Organic Program offers Organic Certification that allows a farm or processing facility to sell, label and represent their products as organic. Visit the USDA website for a full list of agencies and resources.

USDA Certification for Small and Very Small Producers of grass-fed beef addresses the needs of small-scale livestock producers and the growing grass-fed beef industry.

USDA's Local Food Directories help consumers locate farmers markets, on-farm markets, CSAs, and food hubs. Managers and owners of local food entities are invited to enter and/or update their business information in the directories.

USDA Agricultural Marketing Service’s Compass Map offers a visual and searchable list of local and regional food sources and resources, including farmers markets, food hubs, and meat processors.

Learn about selling food to USDA. USDA Agricultural Marketing Service purchases a variety of 100% domestically produced and processed commodity food products. The wholesome, high-quality products purchased by USDA—collectively called USDA Foods—are delivered to schools, food banks, and households in communities across the country.

Track agricultural economics that affect land and products through:

• USDA Agricultural Marketing Service’s Market News
• USDA Economic Research Service’s Commodity Outlook Reports and Data and Environmental Food Atlas
• USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service’s agricultural statistics by state