Rhode Island State Office

Welcome to the Rhode Island FSA Home Page

State Office Staff

• Acting State Executive Director: Matthew Richter
• Administrative Officer: Alison Rose
• Administrative Specialist: Leila Naylor
• District Director: Matthew Richter

State Committee

• Ellen Puccetti - Member
• David Frerichs - Member

The Rhode Island State Committee meets the second Wednesday of every month subject to change.

County Office

Phone:

• County Office: (401) 828-3120 Option 2
• Farm Loan Office: (401) 828-3120 Option 3
• Fax: 855-924-4567

Hours: 8:00 am to 4:30 pm

County Office Staff

• County Executive Director: Sheryl Michener
• Program Technician: Nancy Becker
• Program Technician: Anne Belleville
• Program Technician: Lillian Toth
• Temporary Program Technician: Thomas Demers

RI FSA Interns

Emma Schlam

Elle Fremerman

County Committee

• Joseph Polseno- Chairperson
• John Sousa-Vice Chairperson
• George Goulart Jr.- Member
• Kim Coulter - Member
• Gilbert Rathbun Jr.- Member

The County Committee meets the first Thursday of every month subject to change.

Coronavirus and USDA Service Centers

USDA is allowing some Service Centers to have limited visitors by appointment only.  Service Center staff continue to work with agricultural producers via phone, email, and other digital tools. 

Producers can continue to contact staff either by phone or e-mail. The USDA Service Center located at 60 Quaker Lane, Warwick RI phone numbers are as follows;

USDA RI Farm Service Agency

• RI FSA State Office 401-828-3120 Option 1
• RI FSA County Office 401-828-3120 Option 2
• RI FSA Farm Loan Team 401-828-3120 Option 3

USDA RI Natural Resource Conservation Service

• RI NRCS 401-828-1300

A detail list of RI NRCS staff including their contact information can be accessed by visiting; https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/ri/contact/  

More information related to USDA’s response and relief for producers can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.

2021 County Committee Elections

The election of responsible agricultural producers to FSA county committees is important to ALL farmers and ranchers with large or small operations. It is crucial that every eligible producer take part in this election because county committees are a direct link between the farm community and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Committee members are a critical component of the day-to-day operations of FSA. They help deliver FSA farm programs at the local level. Farmers who serve on committees help decide the kind of programs their counties will offer. They work to make FSA agricultural programs serve the needs of local producers.

This year (2021), the following local administrative areas (LAA's) are up for County Committee Elections for Rhode Island;

LAA 1-Providence County

Every eligible agricultural producer should participate in FSA county committee elections–whether you are a beginning or established producer, historically underserved producer (minority and women), or whether you have a large or small operation–because FSA county committees are your link with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Producers may nominate themselves or others as candidates. To become a nominee,
eligible individuals must sign and submit nomination form to the RI FSA County office.

Nomination Forms

• English: 2021 Nomination Form for County FSA Committee Election (PDF)
• Spanish: 2021 Formulario De Nominacion Para Elecciones Para El Comite Del Condado De La FSA (PDF)

Important Election Dates

June 15, 2021

The nomination period begins. Request nomination forms from your local USDA Service Center or download from this site.

Aug. 2, 2021

Last day to file nomination forms at the local USDA Service Center. 

Nov. 1, 2021

Ballots mailed to eligible voters.

Dec. 6, 2021

Last day to return voted ballots to the USDA Service Center.

Jan. 1, 2022

Newly elected county committee members take office.

Get GovDelivery – Receive Instant News, Updates

Producers, owners and others interested in keeping up to date with important FSA program deadlines and information are strongly encouraged to sign up for GovDelivery. This instant communication system allows newsletters, deadline reminders and bulletins to be sent right to your email address.  To subscribe to updates, click here. 

Share Your Planting Season Experience for #Plant2021

Spring has sprung and it’s planting time! For many, 2020 was the first year they’d ever seen an empty shelf at the grocery store. And for the first time, many people realized how much they take farming and the people who make it possible for granted. Let’s change that. Let Farmers.gov showcase your work by participating in the #Plant2021 campaign. We’ll share your stories on social media and our nationwide storymap. Here’s how. 

Visit Farmers.gov

 Information on the latest USDA Farm Programs and services, visit Farmers.gov.

Non Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP)

Sign up Deadlines for Rhode Island

• March 15th Annual Crops including spring or fall-seeded small grains
• September 30th Value Loss Crops; Aquaculture, Oysters, Turf Grass, Christmas trees, Floriculture (except Chrysanthemums)Mushrooms, Ginseng
• November 20th Perennial Crops, Grass, Mixed Forage, Alfalfa, Perennial Forage
• December 31st Specialty Type Crops; Honey, Maple sap

Sign up Deadlines for Crop Insurance Under Risk Management Agency Programs.

• March 15th Corn, Sweet Corn and Potatoes
• November 20th, Apples, Cranberries, Grapes and Peaches

Please contact either RMA or FSA to learn more about your eligibility for these Crop Insurance Coverages. Program eligibility may vary depending on the county in which the crop is grown in.

Acreage Reporting Deadlines

• July 15th, Annual, Grass, Mixed Forage, Alfalfa, Fruit and Nut Trees and Perennial Crops and Perennial Forage(except Apples, Cranberries and Peaches)
• September 30th,  Value Loss Crops such as Aquaculture, Floriculture, Turfgrass sod, Christmas Trees, Floriculture (except Chrysanthemums)Mushrooms, Ginseng
• January 2nd, Honey (beehive colonies)and Maple Sap
• January 15th, Apples Cranberries and Peaches

Farm Loan Programs

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) offers a variety of loan options to help farmers finance their operations. From buying land to financing the purchase of equipment, FSA loans can help. 

For more information about Farm Loan Programs including the current interest rates click here.

Visit the Farm Service Agency Fencepost Blog to view all stories.

To read success stories published for Rhode Island click here.

If you are interesting in submitting a success story, please contact the Rhode Island State Office at 401-828-3120 Option 1.

Sign up for Level 2 eAuthentication Access

Farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers have new online options to access U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs. Through USDA’s new streamlined process, producers doing business as an individual can now register, track and manage their applications for the Market Facilitation Program (MFP) and 2017 Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program (2017 WHIP) on the secure and convenient www.farmers.gov. USDA eAuthentication does not have the mechanism to issue login accounts to businesses, corporations, other entities, or for anyone acting on behalf of another individual or entity. Producers, doing business as an individual, first need to sign up for Level 2 eAuthentication access.

• Step 1: Create and online account at www.eauth.usda.gov
• Step 2: Complete identity verification by either using the online self-service identity verification method or by completing the identity verification in-person at your USDA Service Center.
• Step 3: Contact your local USDA Service Center to have your new Level 2 account linked with your USDA customer record
• Step 4: You’re enrolled and ready to log in

Users with a secure Level 2 eAuthentication ID, linked to their USDA customer record, can apply for select USDA programs, view and print farm maps and farm records data. Enrolling is easy! Visit farmers.gov/sign-in to learn more.

To locate a service center near you or use online services not requiring eAuthentication access, visit www.farmers.gov. For technical assistance, call the eAuthentication help desk at 1-800-457-3642.

ASK USDA

Ask USDA is an online resource that helps you easily find information and answers to your USDA questions in one place. Ask USDA has information about all USDA programs, including USDA loans, farm and conservation programs.

Through Ask USDA you can:

• Access our knowledge base 24/7
• Ask questions through phone, email or online chat
• Receive a timely response from USDA experts

USDA’s self-service assistance anytime, anywhere!