Welcome to the Rhode Island Farm Service Agency (FSA) Home Page
Rhode Island Farm Service Agency
60 Quaker Lane
Warwick, RI 02886
State Office, Suite 62
Phone: 401-828-3120 Option 3
State Committee
Al Bettencourt
The Rhode Island State Committee meets the second Wednesday of every month subject to change.
County Office, Suite 49
Phone: 401-828-3120 Option 1
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.
For information on the latest USDA Farm Programs and services, visit Farmers.gov.
Farm Loan Team, Suite 49
Phone: 401-828-3120 Option 2
District Director: Matthew Richter
Farm Loan Analyst: Patricia Sullivan
Farm Loan Specialist: Emma Schlam
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 click here.
RI Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)
60 Quaker Lane
Warwick RI, 02886
Phone: 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/
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.
Receive Text Messages
You can also subscribe to text alerts from the Name County USDA Service Center by texting RIKent Keyword to 372-669. Standard text messaging rates apply. Contact your wireless carrier for details associated with your particular data plan. Participants may unsubscribe at any time.
Language Interpretation Available at USDA Service Centers
Farm Service Agency Accepting Nominations for County Committees June 15 through Aug. 1
The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting nominations for county committees now through Aug. 1, 2022. Elections will take place starting in November.
County committees are unique to FSA and serve as a direct link between agricultural communities across the country and USDA.
This year the following Counties are up for election in Rhode Island;
o Kent County LAA #2
o Newport County LAA # 4
o Bristol County LAA # 5
For more information on FSA county committees, visit fsa.usda.gov/elections or contact the RI FSA County Office at 401-828-3120 Option 2.
Gear Up for the 2022 Hurricane Season
Hurricane season is officially underway, and it lasts until November 30. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts that the 2022 hurricane season will be above normal in the Atlantic and produce 14 to 21 named storms with six to 10 hurricanes and three to six major hurricanes. Additionally, NOAA predicts that the eastern Pacific hurricane season will produce 10 to 17 named storms, with four to eight hurricanes and zero to three major hurricanes.
Take precautions to prepare and protect your family and agricultural operation.
Develop an Emergency Plan - Ensure your household and employees know your hurricane plan, including meeting points, emergency contact lists, and alternate evacuation routes in case infrastructure is damaged.
- Remove Debris and Secure Large Objects - Clean out culverts, ditches, and other drainage areas, especially before and during peak hurricane season to reduce water damage. Most injuries to animals, people, or structures during a hurricane are caused by flying objects. To lessen the risk, minimize the presence of equipment, supplies, and debris that may become airborne during high winds or encountered in floodwaters.
- Secure Important Records and Documents- Pre- and post-hurricane documentation is extremely important for insurance compensation and recovery assistance. You’ll want to have thorough records of damages and losses sustained on your farm as well as documentation of your cleanup and recovery efforts.
- It is critical to document inventory of farm buildings, vehicles, equipment, and livestock before a disaster occurs. Take photos, videos, or make written lists with descriptions. Keep copies of this inventory in multiple places: computer, off-site in a safe location, and on a cloud-based server where information is transmitted and saved weekly.
- Know Your Insurance Options- Regularly review your insurance policies with your agent to be sure you have adequate coverage, including flood insurance, for your facilities, vehicles, farm buildings, crops and livestock. Note, there are limitations on how soon insurance coverage will take effect. Generally, insurance policies will not cover damage if the policy was not in place before a disaster.
- Gather Supplies - Have drinking water, canned food, a generator, batteries, a flashlight, and fuel available in case you lose power. For widespread outages, credit and debit cards may not work, so have cash handy.
- Access Real-time Emergency Information- Download the FEMA app for free on the App Store and Google Play for safety tips on what to do before, during, and after disasters. Subscribe to the USDA’s Farm Production and Conservation text message and email service to receive real-time, local operational and recovery information from the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Risk Management Agency.
On farmers.gov, the Hurricane Webpage, Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Farm Loan Discovery Tool can help producers and landowners determine program or loan options. For assistance with a crop insurance claim, producers and landowners should contact their crop insurance agent. For RI FSA Programs, contact the RI FSA County Office at 401-828-3120 Option 2. For RI NRCS Programs, contact RI NRCS at 401-828-1300.
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
- May 31st Ornamental Nursery
- July 15th, Annuals, Grass, Mixed Forage, Alfalfa, Fruit and Nut Trees and Perennial Crops and Perennial Forage (except Apples, Cranberries, Grapes and Peaches)
- September 30th, Value Loss Crops such as Aquaculture, Oysters, Floriculture, Turf grass sod, Christmas Trees, Floriculture (except Chrysanthemums) Mushrooms, Ginseng
- January 2nd, Honey (beehive colonies)and Maple Sap
- January 15th, Apples Cranberries, Grapes and Peaches
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!
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