Georgia News Releases

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 2023— The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds specialty crop producers of available assistance to help cover certain costs of complying with regulatory and market-driven food safety certification requirements.

ATHENS, Ga., Jan. 17, 2023 – USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Executive Director, Arthur Tripp, recently attended the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference to speak with members of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association. Additionally, Tripp visited with Savannah State University administration and met with Savannah producers and agricultural leaders at Ottawa Farms to discuss FSA resources and assistance available to fruit and vegetable producers.

ATHENS, Ga., Dec. 13, 2022 – USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Executive Director (SED), Arthur Tripp, recently attended the Farmer Appreciation Breakfast in Valdosta, Georgia where he delivered remarks and provided farm program updates to local producers in attendance. The breakfast event and Tripp’s remarks honored local farmers in Lowndes and Echols counties for their significant contributions to the success of Georgia’s agriculture industry.

ATHENS, Ga., Dec. 7, 2022 – USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Executive Director, Arthur Tripp, recently participated in a roundtable discussion with producers in Cochran to discuss available FSA assistance, including the Farm Storage Facility Loan Program (FSFL), Microloans, and the Noninsured Crop Disaster
Assistance Program (NAP).

ATHENS, Ga., Oct. 20, 2022 – Agricultural producers can now change election and enroll in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage programs for the 2023 crop year, two key safety net programs offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17, 2022 – Dairy producers can now enroll for 2023 coverage through the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) Program, an important safety net program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that helps producers manage changes in milk and feed prices. Last year, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) took steps to improve coverage, especially for small- and mid-sized dairies, including offering a new Supplemental DMC program and updating its feed cost formula to better address retroactive, current and future feed costs. These changes continue to support producers through this year’s signup, which begins today and ends Dec. 9, 2022.

WASHINGTON, October 18, 2022 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that distressed borrowers with qualifying USDA farm loans have already received nearly $800 million in assistance, as part of the $3.1 billion in assistance for distressed farm loan borrowers provided through Section 22006 of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The IRA directed USDA to expedite assistance to distressed borrowers of direct or guaranteed loans administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) whose operations face financial risk.

Athens, GA, Aug. 5, 2022 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing in two outreach and education efforts for farmers and ranchers, including those who are new to farming or who have been historically underserved by USDA programs. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is investing $10 million for agriculture-oriented taxpayer education as well as $4.5 million in outreach for the Conservation Reserve Program’s Transition Incentives Program (CRP TIP), which helps with access to land for beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. Both efforts help advance equity and access to USDA programs and agriculture.

ATHENS, Ga., July 18, 2022 – With the 2022 Hurricane season officially underway, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Executive Director, Arthur Tripp, invites agricultural producers and industry stakeholders to join him in a virtual meeting to discuss what producers need to do before, during, and after the impact of a hurricane. Tripp and FSA program specialists will provide an overview of current disaster assistance programs, required loss of documentation, and related information needed when conducting business with FSA following a natural disaster event. The virtual meeting is free, open to the public, and can be attended on Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 10 a.m. eastern by joining the meeting online. To RSVP and receive the virtual meeting link for this event, please email GASED@usda.gov.

ATHENS, Ga., JULY 5, 2022 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced, agricultural producers nationwide have already received more than $4 billion through the Emergency Relief Program (ERP), representing nearly 67% of the more than $6 billion projected to be paid through this phase of the program. Eligible producers in Georgia have received $106.8 Million in funding to date. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) mailed out pre-filled applications in late May to producers with crop insurance who suffered losses due to natural disasters in 2020 and 2021. Commodity and specialty crop producers have until July 22 to complete applications.

Georgia, June 2, 2022 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will allow Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) participants who are in the final year of their CRP contract to request voluntary termination of their CRP contract following the end of the primary nesting season for fiscal year 2022. Participants approved for this one-time, voluntary termination will not have to repay rental payments, a flexibility implemented this year to help mitigate the global food supply challenges caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and other factors. Today, USDA also announced additional flexibilities for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP).

WASHINGTON, May 16, 2022 – The U. S Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that commodity and specialty crop producers impacted by natural disaster events in 2020 and 2021 will soon begin receiving emergency relief payments totaling approximately $6 billion through the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) new Emergency Relief Program (ERP) to offset crop yield and value losses. 

GA, Jan. 26, 2022 – Agricultural producers and landowners can sign up soon for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), a cornerstone conservation program offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and a key tool in the Biden-Harris Administration effort to address climate change and achieve other natural resource benefits. The General CRP signup will run from Jan. 31 to March 11, and the Grassland CRP signup will run from April 4 to May 13. 

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21, 2021— The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has extended the deadline for agricultural producers who are certified organic, or transitioning to organic, to apply for the Organic and Transitional Education and Certification Program (OTECP). This program provides pandemic assistance to cover certification and education expenses. The deadline to apply for 2020 and 2021 eligible expenses is now Feb. 4, 2022, rather than the original deadline of Jan. 7, 2022.  

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4, 2021— The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide pandemic assistance to cover certification and education expenses to agricultural producers who are certified organic or transitioning to organic. USDA will make $20 million available through the new Organic and Transitional Education and Certification Program (OTECP) as part of USDA’s broader Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative, which provides new, broader and more equitable opportunities for farmers, ranchers and producers.    

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2021— The Biden Administration recently appointed Arthur Tripp as the new State Executive Director (SED) for the USDA Georgia Farm Service Agency (FSA). Tripp joined the Georgia FSA team on Oct. 11, 2021.

Athens, Georgia, August 11, 2020 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced Rachel McLocklin Santos as the new State Executive Director for the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Georgia, serving as an appointee of President Donald J. Trump. FSA State Executive Directors help implement USDA policies in planning, organizing and administering FSA programs in their respective states. They are also responsible for running the day-to-day activities of the state FSA office.

Athens, GA, July 7, 2020 – USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds Georgia producers to complete crop acreage reports by the applicable deadline for their county. Acreage reporting dates vary by crop and by county. Contact your FSA county office for a list of acreage reporting deadlines by crop.

WASHINGTON, June 10, 2020 – USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will begin accepting nominations for county committee members on Monday, June 15, 2020. Elections will occur in certain Local Administrative Areas (LAA) for these members who make important decisions about how federal farm programs are administered locally. All nomination forms for the 2020 election must be postmarked or received in the local FSA office by Aug. 1, 2020.

WASHINGTON, May 21, 2020 – USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will broaden the use of the Disaster Set-Aside (DSA) loan provision, normally used in the wake of natural disasters, to allow farmers with USDA farm loans who are affected by COVID-19, and are determined eligible, to have their next payment set aside. In some cases, FSA may also set aside a second payment for farmers who have already had one payment set aside because of a prior designated disaster.

Athens, GA, May 7, 2020 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds producers that FSA offers farm ownership and farm operating loans to agricultural producers who may not find success obtaining loans from their traditional financial institutions because of COVID-19. Farmers who cannot obtain commercial credit from a bank can apply for FSA direct or guaranteed loans.

WASHINGTON, May 4, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has started making payments through the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program – Plus (WHIP+) to agricultural producers who suffered eligible losses because of drought or excess moisture in 2018 and 2019. Signup for these causes of loss opened March 23, and producers who suffered losses from drought (in counties designated D3 or above), excess moisture, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, typhoons, volcanic activity, snowstorms or wildfires can still apply for assistance through WHIP+.

Athens, GA., Jan. 28, 2020 – USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) encourages agricultural producers to enroll now in the Agriculture Risk Loss (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs. March 16, 2020 is the enrollment deadline for the 2019 crop year.