Check in with your crop insurance agents ahead of the Sep. 30 deadline for fall-planted crops. That date is key for reporting and ensuring coverage before chopping silage or moving forward with fall planting. This advice comes directly from USDA Risk Management Agency Administrator Patricia Swanson.
This year also brings changes under the federal budget, otherwise referred to as the One Big Beautiful Bill. One major update extends the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program from five years to 10.
“For those farmers that might be in that gap, they need to talk to their agent about getting an amended or an additional beginning farmer-rancher application signed by Sep. 30,” Swanson tells Mid-West Farm Report’s Stephanie Hoff.
The program provides premium discounts ranging from 15 percent in the first two years to 10 percent from years five through 10.
Acreage reporting dates also vary depending on the crop. For winter wheat, reporting is due Nov. 15, depending on location, making it critical for producers to verify with their agents. Swanson stresses the importance of early communication to avoid missing coverage.
Despite weather challenges across Wisconsin this year, crop insurance claims have remained relatively low. Swanson says prevent plant claims totaled about 9,200 acres or roughly 1 percent of planted crops statewide. She notes that the full impact won’t be known until harvest.
Swanson also reminds Wisconsin growers of a program that’s pretty unique to them. Through the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, producers can apply for $5 per acre on cover crops. The signup window starts Dec. 1.
She recommends reporting cover crop acres to local FSA offices as they’re planted, since that documentation can help you apply for the premium assistance. Review rules for your area, including termination dates for cover crops next spring, to ensure compliance.
On the crop insurance side, producers will see a new option this fall, Swanson says. The Margin Coverage Option is an area-based product designed to protect spring-planted crops by considering yield, price, and input costs. If input costs rise, the policy could trigger a claim, providing added protection for farm revenues.
“The One Big Beautiful added a lot of things to help our farmers with their premiums to help keep them planting for another year or so,” Swanson says. “And farmers, even though you might have a fairly good yield or a normal yield, it’s important to talk to your agent to find out if there is a lower price still this fall. On Nov. 1, when that price is set, you may still have a claim, even though your yields were pretty good because of the fallen price. So, please talk to your agent and make sure you don’t miss out on that opportunity to receive that claim.”
As she settles into the role as RMA Administrator, Swanson says her main goal is to keep the crop insurance program strong and sustainable for the next generation of farmers, including her own grandson, who just turned five and already dreams of farming.
Looking ahead, she says she hasn’t heard of any specific tariff relief measures on the horizon, but emphasized that the administration remains focused on supporting farmers. While trade challenges may cause short-term strain, she hopes they will translate into long-term benefits for U.S. agriculture.
