Understanding USDA Agencies, Resources, & Opportunities
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has 18 agencies ranging from the Agricultural Marketing Agency to the Rural Utilities Service (RUS). These agencies offer resources and support for food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition, and related issues. Some agencies have USDA Service Centers where you can typically meet face-to-face with USDA staff. Check out this guide to find a service center and get the most from your visit here.
Find a USDA Service Center in Michigan
Before you dive, explore the resources below!
- Where do I start?
- What resources are available to help me prepare the records needed to participate in USDA programs?
- How does federal crop insurance work?
- What organizations can help me navigate working with the USDA?
- What else can the USDA do for my farm?
Where do I start?
| USDA Small-Scale Producers — U.S. Department of Agriculture |
The USDA Small-Scale Producers website is the home for Federal programs that may fit your farm including loans, conservation, risk management, and market development. |
Learn more |
| How to Start a Farm: Beginning Farmers & Ranchers — U.S. Department of Agriculture | If you are new to farming or want to learn how to start a farm, this USDA website offers dedicated help to beginning farmers and ranchers. | Learn more |
| Finding USDA Service Centers in Michigan — Michigan’s Emerging Farmers | USDA Service Centers are offices where you can typically meet face-to-face with staff from different USDA agencies. | Learn more |
| USDA Fact Sheets in Spanish — U.S. Department of Agriculture | This USDA website contains all of the USDA Fact Sheets that have been translated into Spanish. | Learn more |
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Programs and Support — U.S. Department of Agriculture |
This USDA guide highlights valuable resources and program information for small- and mid-sized producers. |
What resources are available to help me prepare the records needed to participate in USDA programs?
| Farm Number Guide (being updated) — Michigan Food and Farming Systems (MIFFS) | This guide walks farmers through applying for a Farm Service Agency Farm Number, which is necessary to apply for loans, assistance, and insurance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. | Learn more |
| Guide for Completing Form FSA-578: Acreage Reporting — Rural Coalition |
This helpful guide helps farmers understand crop acreage reports, which are filed with USDA to document the crops grown on your farm or ranch and their intended uses. You must file timely acreage reports to be eligible for many USDA programs. |
Learn more |
| Crop Acreage Reports — U.S. Department of Agriculture | This USDA website highlights the requirements and tools for Crop Acreage Reports, a necessary record to report to be eligible for many USDA programs. | Learn more |
| Farm Record YouTube Tutorials — U.S. Department of Agriculture | These video tutorials can help you navigate necessary reporting of your farm records for USDA programs on the Farmers.gov website. | Learn more |
| Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) 101 — FarmRaise | This resource shares what record keeping is necessary and documentation is necessary for participation in the USDA’s Livestock Indemnity Program. | Learn more |
| Service Center Agencies eForms — U.S. Department of Agriculture | eForms allows farmers to search for and complete forms requesting services from Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Conservation Service (NRCS), and Rural Development (RD). eForms uses fillable PDFs which may require Adobe Acrobat. | Learn more |
How does federal crop insurance work?
| Insurance Options for Fruit Growers — Michigan State University Extension | This publication reviews the basics of crop insurance for fruit growers from the USDA and how it can provide protection against yield losses due to natural causes such as weather, disease, and, in some cases, market volatility. | Learn more |
| Crop Insurance 101 — FarmRaise | This page offers an introduction to crop insurance and guidance on the USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) and Farm Service Agency (FSA) resources. | Learn more |
| Crop Insurance Education for Specialty Crop Producers — Organic Farmers Association with Oregon Tilth and the USDA Risk Management Agency | This video provides an overview of USDA crop insurance programs for specialty crop producers. | Learn more |
| Fact Sheet: Crop insurance 101 — Center for Rural Affairs | This fact sheet about federal crop insurance explains what federal crop insurance is, and how to get started. | Learn more |
| Whole Farm Revenue Protection for Diversified Farms — National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition | This resource explores Whole-Farm Revenue Protection, a crop-neutral revenue insurance policy designed to protect a farmer’s entire operation, not just one crop. |
What organizations can help me navigate working with the USDA?
| Farm Commons | Farm Commons provides legal workshops, timely resources, and a community for farmers, ranchers, and their service providers. | Learn more |
| Michigan Food and Farming Systems (MIFFS) | MIFFS is a Michigan nonprofit connecting beginning and historically underserved farmers to resources and peer networks. | Learn more |
| Rural Advancement Foundation International | Working across agricultural sectors and collaboratively through coalitions, RAFI combines on-the-ground practical services and policy advocacy to ensure farmers have access to the tools they need to make the right choices for their farms and families, as well as for their communities and the environment. | Learn more |
What else can the USDA do for my farm?
| Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool — U.S. Department of Agriculture | If your farm has suffered loss of damage due to a natural disaster, use this tool to learn about USDA disaster assistance programs. | Learn more |
| Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) 101 — FarmRaise | The Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program helps farmers by providing emergency assistance covering losses due to an eligible adverse weather or loss condition, including blizzards and wildfires. This guide provides an overview of available assistance, eligibility, and how to apply. | Learn more |
| Farm Loan Discovery Tool — U.S. Department of Agriculture | The USDA’s Farm Service Agency offers loan options for farmers who do not qualify for commercial loans. This tool will allow you to check your farm’s eligibility and to see what programs are available. | Learn more |
| Farm to School Grant Program — U.S. Department of Agriculture | The Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program is designed to increase the availability of local foods and connect students to the sources of their food through education, taste tests, school gardens, field trips, and local food sourcing for meals. | Learn more |
| Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) Overview — FarmRaise | This resource is an overview of the Farm Service Agency’s Non-Insured Assistance Program program, which offers financial support to producers of crops for which federal crop insurance is not available in their county, when natural disasters result in low yields, loss of inventory, or prevented planting. | Learn more |
| FSA farm loans, FAQs answered — Rural Advancement Foundation International – USA (RAFI) | This webinar provides an overview of the FSA Farm Loans process, eligibility requirements, and answers to Frequently Asked Questions. | Learn more |
| Healthy Food Financing Initiative — U.S. Department of Agriculture | The Healthy Food Financing Initiative provides financial and technical assistance, either directly or through other partners and intermediaries, to eligible fresh, healthy food retailers and food retail supply chain enterprises to overcome the higher costs and initial barriers to entry in underserved areas. | Learn more |
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