Enroll Now for Dairy Margin Coverage

Producers are able to enroll for 2024 Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC), an important safety net program offered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that provides producers with price support to help offset milk and feed price differences. This year’s DMC signup are open and end April 29, 2024. For those who sign up for 2024 DMC coverage, payments may begin as soon as March 4, 2024, for any payments that triggered in January 2024.

2024 DMC Coverage and Premium Fees 

FSA has revised DMC regulations to extend coverage for calendar year 2024, which is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2024, and to provide an adjustment to the production history for dairy operations with less than 5 million pounds of production. In previous years, smaller dairy operations could establish a supplemental production history and receive Supplemental Dairy Margin Coverage. For 2024, dairy producers can establish one adjusted base production history through DMC for each participating dairy operation to better reflect the operation’s current production.

DMC offers different levels of coverage, even an option that is free to producers, minus a $100 administrative fee. The administrative fee is waived for dairy producers who are considered limited resource, beginning, socially disadvantaged or a military veteran. To determine the appropriate level of DMC coverage for a specific dairy operation, producers can use the online dairy decision tool.  

DMC Payments 

DMC payments are calculated using updated feed and premium hay costs, making the program more reflective of actual dairy producer expenses. These updated feed calculations use 100% premium alfalfa hay.   

USDA Announces April 2024 Lending Rates for Agricultural Producers

USDA announced loan interest rates for April 2024, which are effective April 1, 2024. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans provide important access to capital to help agricultural producers start or expand their farming operation, purchase equipment and storage structures or meet cash flow needs.  

Operating, Ownership and Emergency Loans:  FSA offers farm ownership, operating and emergency loans with favorable interest rates and terms to help eligible agricultural producers, whether multi-generational, long-time, or new to the industry, obtain financing needed to start, expand or maintain a family agricultural operation. For many loan options, FSA sets aside funding for underserved producers, including, beginning, women, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and Hispanic farmers and ranchers.  

Commodity and Storage Facility Loans: Additionally, FSA provides low-interest financing to producers to build or upgrade on-farm storage facilities and purchase handling equipment and loans that provide interim financing to help producers meet cash flow needs without having to sell their commodities when market prices are low. Funds for these loans are provided through the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and are administered by FSA. 

Emergency Loans Available to 22 Washington Counties After Secretarial Disaster Designation

Secretary Vilsack declared 22 counties in Washington State as primary and contiguous disaster areas due to excessive heat that occurred between March 15, 2023 and July 31, 2023. A Secretarial disaster designation allows farmers and ranchers in primary and contiguous disaster counties to be considered for emergency loans through the Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided all other eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible counties have until November 14, 2024 to apply.

The primary disaster counties are Adams, Benton, Chelan, Douglas, Franklin, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat, Okanogan, Walla Walla, and Yakima. The contiguous counties also eligible for emergency loans are Columbia, Ferry, King, Lewis, Lincoln, Pierce, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish, Whatcom, and Whitman. 

Value Added Producer Grant

The Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program helps agricultural producers enter value-added activities to generate new products, create and expand marketing opportunities, and increase producer income.



You may receive priority if you are:

• Beginning farmer or rancher.
• Socially-disadvantaged farmer or rancher.
• Small or medium-sized farm.
• Ranch structured as a family farm.
• Farmer or rancher cooperative.
• Proposing a mid-tier value chain.

Who may apply for this program?

Independent producers (includes harvesters and steering committees), agricultural producer groups, farmer- or rancher-cooperatives, and majority-controlled producer-based business ventures, as defined in the program regulation, are eligible to apply for this program.

How may funds be used?

Grant and matching funds can be used for planning activities or for working capital expenses related to producing and marketing a value-added agricultural product. Examples of planning activities include conducting feasibility studies and developing business plans for processing and marketing the proposed value-added product. Examples of working capital expenses include:

• Processing costs.
• Marketing and advertising expenses.
• Some inventory and salary expenses.

WSDA LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM INFRASTRUCTURE GRANTS NOW OPEN

The purpose of the Local Food System Infrastructure Grant program is to support local food supply chains and market access for farms, ranches, food processors, and food distributors. The intention is to fund projects that expand and strengthen collaboration across linkages in the regional food supply chain. This includes planning, equipment, and facilities that support on-farm post-harvest handling, aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, distribution, and sale of Washington grown, caught, and raised foods.

Investments that strengthen linkages along the regional food supply chain create new economic opportunities for farmers, ranchers, and food businesses. Expanding local market access with improvements in the regional food supply chain allows small and mid-sized farms, ranches, and food businesses to retain more of the value chain dollar. Ultimately, this grant program benefits Washington consumers by enhancing the resiliency of the local food supply.

Allowable Costs

Grant expenses must directly support the grant purpose to improve local food supply chains and market access for farms, ranches, food processors, or food distributors. This includes planning, equipment, and facilities that support on-farm post-harvest handling, aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, distribution, and sale of locally and regionally produced food products.

• Facility improvements must comply with all applicable license and permit requirements by the state, county, or other local jurisdiction.
• No self-dealing in contracting or purchasing of goods and services is allowed.
• Applicants who rent their facilities must ensure approval for the project from the facility owner.

Purina Animal Nutrition Scholarship

Land O’Lakes, Inc. has established a scholarship program for students who plan to continue their education in college or vocational school programs.

The program is administered by Scholarship America®, the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarships and other education support programs for corporations, foundations, associations, and individuals. Eligibility for individual programs is determined at the sole discretion of the sponsor and eligible applications are reviewed by Scholarship America’s evaluation team.

Applicants to the Purina Animal Nutrition Scholarship must:

• Be high school seniors, graduates, or current college undergraduates residing and studying in the United States (U.S.).
• Plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two- or four-year college,
• university or vocational-technical school for the entire upcoming academic year.
• Have experience showing or caring for large/small livestock animals, equine, or poultry (not
• house pets).

Dairy Margin Coverage Program

Dairy producers are able to enroll for 2024 Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC), an important safety net program offered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that provides producers with price support to help offset milk and feed price differences. For those who sign up for 2024 DMC coverage, payments may begin as soon as March 4, 2024, for any payments that triggered in January 2024.

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has revised the regulations for DMC to allow eligible dairy operations to make a one-time adjustment to established production history. This adjustment will be accomplished by combining previously established supplemental production history with DMC production history for those dairy operations that participated in Supplemental Dairy Margin Coverage during a prior coverage year. DMC has also been authorized through calendar year 2024. Congress passed a 2018 Farm Bill extension requiring these regulatory changes to the program.

2024 Dairy Scholarships

The Dairy Farmers of Washington are happy to announce that the Washington Dairy community scholarships are officially open for applications!

Dairy Farmers of Washington is committed to empowering the next generation of dairy leaders and industry professionals to achieve their educational goals and strengthen the Washington dairy industry.

The winning scholarship recipients will be leaders amidst their peers and committed to strengthening the Washington dairy community. The winning recipient for each scholarship will receive $5,000. Two runners-up for each scholarship will each receive $1,500.

To learn more about the scholarship criteria and application process, please visit our website. The deadline for submissions is May 1, 2024, so make sure to submit your application before then.

Rural Energy For America Program

The program provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements. Agricultural producers may also apply for new energy efficient equipment and new system loans for agricultural production and processing.

How may the funds be used?

Funds may be used for the purchase and installation of renewable energy systems, such as:

• Biomass (for example: biodiesel and ethanol, anaerobic digesters, and solid fuels).
• Geothermal for electric generation or direct use.
• Hydropower below 30 megawatts.
• Hydrogen.
• Small and large wind generation.
• Small and large solar generation.
• Ocean (tidal, current, thermal) generation.

Funds may also be used for the purchase, installation and construction of energy efficiency improvements, such as:

• High efficiency heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC).
• Insulation.
• Lighting.
• Cooling or refrigeration units.
• Doors and windows.
• Electric, solar or gravity pumps for sprinkler pivots.
• Switching from a diesel to electric irrigation motor.
• Replacement of energy-inefficient equipment.

Energy Efficiency Improvement applications must contain an Energy Audit, or Energy Assessment (depending on Total Project Costs) that complies with Appendix A to RD Instructions 4280-B

Agricultural producers may also use guaranteed loan funds to install energy efficient equipment and systems for agricultural production or processing.