
USDA Update – July 19, 2025
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:
- July 16 - August 1, 2025 - COC Nomination deadline, interested candidates need to complete an FSA-669A form. Contact the local FSA Office and one can be emailed.
- GRASSLANDS CRP SU 207 - July 14th - August 8th
- August 15, 2025 - Deadline to submit E-CAP application.
- SDRP - Supplemental Disaster Relief Program – Stage 1 - applications mailed to producers with crop insurance losses in 2023 and/or 2024.
SDRP - Supplemental Disaster Relief Program – Stage 1
Producers who had crop losses in 2023 and/or 2024 and received a crop insurance indemnity were mailed an application the week of July 7th. It’s important that producers read the letter that is enclosed with the application as the letter gives the instructions in completing the application. This application IS NOT as simple as just signing your name and returning to the FSA office.
Producers must complete items 16, 17 and 18 in Part C of the application.
- Item 16 - Shares are not the normal crop shares of the unit, in the majority of all cases, the share will be 100% to the primary insured on the unit. The application will list primary insured, and SBI – substantial beneficial interest for the policy. For married couples, crop insurance has one policy with the husband normally being the primary policyholder and the wife listed as an SBI. If the husband and wife share FSA payments 50/50, the application will need to be completed the same way.
- Item 17 - Agree to purchase crop insurance or NAP policy. To be eligible for an SDRP application, producers must agree to purchase a crop insurance policy on the same crop(s) payment is received at a 60% level of coverage for the next 2 years.
- Item 18 - Disaster Event - this will be part of the application process that the applicant may need to contact the operator or crop insurance agent. Qualifying disaster events include hurricanes, floods, derechos, excessive heat, tornadoes, winter storms, freeze, smoke exposure, excessive moisture, and qualifying drought occurring in calendar year 2023 and/or 2024. Qualifying drought includes only those counties in which the drought intensity was rated the U.S. Drought Monitor as D2 for eight consecutive weeks or D3 or higher level at any point during the applicable calendar year. A list of counties that experienced a qualifying drought in calendar years 2023 and 2024 is available at your local FSA Service Center or online at https://www.fsa.usda.gov/resources/programs/supplemental-disaster-relief-program.
The following Colorado surrounding counties were listed on the qualifying drought list for
2023
- Baca, Bent, Cheyenne, Crowley, Kiowa, Kit Carson, and Prowers Counties.
2024
- Baca, Kiowa and Prowers Counties
In addition to submitting the FSA-526, SDRP application, producers must have the following forms on file with FSA:
- CCC-902 – Farm operating plan.
- CCC-901 – Member information for legal entities
- FSA-510 – request for an exception to the 125,000 payment limitation for certain programs. This form must be on file for all applicable crop years to be eligible for the payment limitation exception.
- SF-3881, direct deposit
- AD-1026, highly erodible land conservation and wetland conservation certification.
For more information on the program visit Farmers.gov
GRASSLANDS CRP SIGNUP 207
Grasslands CRP signup 207 was announced on Monday, July 14th. FSA will accept offers for eligible land beginning July 7th through Friday, August 8th.
Rental rates have dropped since last year, the maximum rental rate per acre for land physically located in Kiowa County land is $11.00 per acre and physically located in Cheyenne County is $13.00 per acre. Contract length can be 10 or 15 years. Payment limitation is $50,000, whether payment is received directly or indirectly. All payments are attributed to the producer’s social security number.
Duplication of Benefits
Cropland enrolled in grassland CRP cannot receive a payment under the ARC or PLC program. Grassland CRP is potentially eligible for grazing losses because of natural disasters under NAP, LFP, or ELAP if all eligibility requirements in 1-NAP, 1-LFP or 1-ELAP are met.
Eligible land –
For grassland CRP is land on a tract or a portion of a tract that:
• is classified according as:
• cropland if the land use or land cover is an improved pasture or hay-land established to a permanent vegetative cover
- rangeland including native pasture or native land.
• contains forbs or shrubland (including improved rangeland and improved pastureland) for which grazing is the predominant use
• is expiring CRP
Note: Expiring CRP devoted to tree practices are not eligible.
• land that was previously enrolled in NRCS EQIP and the contract is currently expired, however the land is currently within the EQIP practice lifespan.
Eligible producer –
An owner is eligible to offer land for enrollment in CRP if the owner meets the following requirements:
• owned the land for 12 months before the close of signup grassland CRP offers.
Exception: Owners of land under expiring CRP-1 may reoffer such land for enrollment regardless of the length of ownership if all other eligibility requirements are met.
An operator is eligible to offer land for enrollment in CRP when the operator meets all the following requirements:
• operated the land for 12 months before the close of current of signup for general CRP and grassland CRP.
• provides satisfactory evidence, as determined by COC, that control of the land will continue uninterrupted for the CRP-1 period.
Note: Satisfactory evidence may include any of the following:
• statement signed by the owner
• written lease for the appropriate period.
• owner’s signature on CRP-1
Ranking factors – maximum of 175 points.
All offers submitted nationally will be ranked according to the following 7 ranking factors.
F1 - Expiring CRP and practice. Maximum of 30 points.
F3 – A - offer in risk of conversion area – maximum of 10 points.
B - 50% of offer in national threat of conversion – maximum of 20 points.
C - 15-year contract offered - maximum of 5 points.
F4 – Vegetation cover – maximum of 30 points.
- Permanent native grasses, forbs, or legumes
- Monoculture stand - 10 points
- Existing stand (minimum of 5 species) of at least 3 native grasses – 30 points.
- Existing stand (minimum of 3 species) of at least 2 native grasses species – 20 points
F5 – A- 50% of the offer is in a current CRP general signup wildlife zone - maximum.
15 points.
B – 50% of the offer is in the State grassland CRP zone - maximum of 15 points.
C – 50% of the offer is in the national priority zone - maximum of 15 points.
F6 – If the producer certifies they are eligible for small-scale livestock option on form CRP-2G-1 – maximum of 10 points.
F7 – A – if the maximum grassland CRP rental rate for a county is less than or equal.
to $15.00 the offer will receive 15 points.
B - cost factors, not to exceed 25 points. FSA will award each offer 2 points for each percentage the producer voluntarily lowers the offered rental rate.
After the national ranking, FSA will notify producers if their offer(s) were accepted or rejected. Producers with accepted offers will be sent a letter and if choose to move forward with the offer will need to work with NRCS on developing a conservation plan. Producers can withdraw the offer without liquidated damages at any time before signing the conservation plan.
Producers who are interested in submitting an offer contact the FSA office to schedule an appointment and begin the offer process. FSA offices are short-staffed and are extremely busy, so be patient and be prepared to submit any documents that are required.