USDA Announces $10 Billion in Direct Assistance to Farmers Through ECAP

In celebration of National Agriculture Day, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide up to $10 billion in direct payments to agricultural producers through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) for the 2024 crop year. Administered by the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), ECAP aims to help producers offset rising input costs and declining commodity prices.

Authorized by the American Relief Act of 2025, these economic relief payments are determined based on planted and prevented planted acres for eligible commodities in the 2024 crop year. To simplify the process, FSA will soon send pre-filled applications to producers who have already submitted acreage reports for eligible ECAP commodities.

The application period opens on March 19, 2025, but producers don’t need to wait for their pre-filled applications to apply. They can visit fsa.usda.gov/ecap to apply online using a login.gov account or contact their local FSA office to request an application.

For more details, visit fsa.usda.gov.

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Also in USDA news..........

According to an email from Brooke Raffaele, Agricultural producers who have not yet enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2025 crop year have until April 15, 2025, to revise elections and sign contracts. Both safety net programs, delivered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), provide vital income support to eligible farmers who experience substantial declines in crop prices or revenues for the 2025 crop year. In California, producers have completed 2826 contracts to date, representing 39% of the more than 7423 expected contracts. 

Land Access & Land Capital Hybrid Workshop 

April 24, 2025

10:00 - 11:00 a.m. PT

The American Farmland Trust (AFT), the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA), U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and the USDA Office of Partnerships & Public Engagement (OPPE) are partnering to host this hybrid workshop that will cover information on USDA FSA and SBA loans and the following topics:

• Buying land
• Different terms and requirements
• Guidance on secure financing to purchase land
• Details on different types of land loans
• Eligibility criteria
• Application processes
• Strategies to access capital for land acquisition.  

We look forward to you joining us for this hybrid workshop. Please feel free to share this invitation with others who may be interested in joining.*

**In-person registration option is no longer available as we are at max capacity.

For more information on this event, please contact Juan Alvarez at Juan.Alvarez@usda.gov.

Ingredients

Chimichurri:

2 bunches flat leaf parsley, chopped

1 cup chopped fresh mint 

2 bunches cilantro, chopped

1 large shallot, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. chili flakes

Zest and juice of 2 lemons

2 cups canola oil 

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper, to taste

Lamb:

2 lamb racks, cut into chops

3 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. chopped garlic

Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Combine chimichurri ingredients in a large bowl and set aside for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours to let flavors develop. (Can be refrigerated up to 1 week.)

In a large bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Place lamb chops in bowl to marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour at room temperature.

Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill lamb chops for 2 to 3 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Remove from heat and let rest for 2 to 3 minutes.

Place lamb chops on individual plates and spoon over chimichurri. For a heartier meal, serve with your favorite version of cheesy polenta.

Serves 4 as an entrée or 6 as an appetizer.