FSA Program Highlights
Taken From An Interview with David Schemm, Kansas Farm Service Agency State Executive Director
Earlier this Spring Tom and I had the opportunity to record a podcast with David Schemm, Kansas Farm Service Agency State Executive Director. A concern Kansas Rural Center (KRC) shares with Schemm is the lack of information farmers have about the Farm Service Agency (FSA). If farmers and landowners are unaware, then they could be leaving money on the table and perhaps not stewarding their soil as well as they could.
Beginning Farmers
After comparing Kansas Rural Center’s initiatives with FSA’s we dove into a topic dear to us all, beginning farmers. David was pleased to highlight some of the programs available to beginning farmers - defined as someone who has farmed less than 10 years and has management experience.
When it comes to beginning farmer loans, FSA offers two types of loans that are below market rates. With direct loans, FSA is the lender. A guaranteed loan is where a commercial bank lends the money and FSA backs it. These loans can cover real estate, land, livestock, equipment, and operating costs and are not specific to conventional farming. Schemm pointed out that nontraditional businesses can also receive loans as long as their business plan shows a positive cash flow. These loans generally cap at around $1.4 million, which for most beginning farmers is reached when buying land.
Micro Loans and Farm Storage Facility Loans
If the above amount seems far more than what you currently need, FSA also offers micro loans that can be up to $50,000. They can cover infrastructure and equipment. There’s also the Farm Storage Facility Loan (FSFL), a lower-interest loan available in 7 to 14-year terms that covers a wide range of ag-related storage and handling needs like grain bins, grain trucks and cold storage for produce.
Transition Incentive Program
For beginning farmers who aren’t landowners, the Transition Incentive Program works with farmers looking to be paired with landowners who have expiring Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres. The landowner receives three additional years of CRP payments as an incentive, while the beginning farmer gets to start working those acres. This is something to consider adding to your farm succession toolbox.
Conservation Reserve Programs
The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA), is a voluntary program that encourages agricultural producers and landowners to convert highly erodible and other environmentally sensitive acreage to vegetative cover, such as native grasses, trees, and riparian buffers.
By enrolling in CRP, participants receive annual rental payments and cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource-conserving vegetative covers. The program helps to improve water quality, control soil erosion, and enhance wildlife habitat, contributing to the overall health of the environment and sustainability.
Nationally, CRP enrollment sits at about 26.2 million acres under a 27 million acre cap. This means there’s room for both expiring acres to re-enroll and new acres to come in. Enrollment scoring is based on environmental benefit, so not every acre will qualify, but it’s worth a chat with your county office. CRP remains one of FSA’s flagship programs. Below are the three programs we discussed during our conversation. To learn more about Conservation Programs available, visit www.fsa.usda.gov/resources/programs.
General CRP FSA provides participants with rental payments and cost-share assistance. Contract duration is between 10 and 15 years. General CRP helps landowners and operators establish long-term resource-conserving plant species, such as approved grasses or trees (known as “covers”) to control soil erosion, improve water quality and develop wildlife habitat.
Continuous CRP is a land conservation program administered by FSA. In exchange for a yearly rental payment, farmers enrolled in the program agree to remove environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production and plant species that will improve environmental health and quality. Contracts for land enrolled in CRP are 10-15 years in length. The long-term goal of the program is to re-establish valuable land cover to help improve water quality, prevent soil erosion, and reduce loss of wildlife habitat. These are not usually whole-field practices but targeted interventions.
Grassland CRP helps landowners and operators protect grassland, rangeland, pastureland, and certain other lands - while maintaining the areas for grazing, forage or seed harvest, or wildlife habitat. Producers follow a grazing plan and receive annual indemnity payments in return. Open for sign-up now through the end of May.
Disaster and Emergency Programs
USDA offers a variety of programs to help farmers, ranchers, communities, and businesses that have been hard hit by natural disaster events. FSA plays a critical role when drought, wildfire, or other disasters hit. Key programs include:
Livestock Forage Program (LFP) — Triggered by extended drought, this program is particularly active in western Kansas.
Emergency Livestock Assistance Program
Livestock Indemnity Program — Often activated after wildfires.
Emergency Conservation Program
Farmer Bridge Assistance Program — A recent program designed to help producers cope with high input costs and lost trade revenue. FSA delivered over $770 million to Kansas producers through this program in just eight weeks.
Supplemental Disaster Relief — Covering disasters in 2023 and 2024.
One Farmer, One File
On the note of efficiency, Secretary Brooke Rollins has rolled out the “one farmer, one file” initiative, creating a centralized data hub where FSA, NRCS, and the Risk Management Agency (RMA) can share information, with the idea that farmers will have less redundancy when working within these agencies. This can also be used by the farmer themselves to find and access their important documents digitally.
Producers with complex entity structures (trusts, LLCs, joint ventures, power of attorney arrangements) are encouraged to visit their county office for help setting up login.gov access. Those with simpler situations can often do it on their own at farmers.gov, which is powered by Palantir.
Staffing Update
Following a wave of retirements under the Deferred Resignation Program in 2025, many Kansas FSA county offices saw staffing reductions. Schemm said the agency has responded by redistributing workloads and deploying experienced staff where they were needed most and that Kansas offices are currently authorized to hire additional staff in several locations, based on workload assessments through FSA’s Optimally Productive Office (OPO) tool.
Schemm praised county office staff for their flexibility in delivering these programs even amid staffing challenges following a federal retirement incentive program in 2025.
Whether you’re a multigenerational operation or someone just getting started, FSA has tools that can help. Schemm’s parting advice is “get into your county office, ask what’s available, and explore whether programs like CRP, beginning farmer loans, or storage facility loans make sense for your operation.”These programs can help farmers keep farming and provide the next generation with more opportunities for returning to the farm.”
David, and his wife, Lisa own Arrow S Farms where they focus on conservation, no til, and technology to ensure that they leave the land even better than they received it. Their operation has received awards for Outstanding Farm by the local Chamber of Commerce and Banker’s Soil Conservation Award. Their son Clay has taken over the reins and continues to focus on preserving and building the land and heritage as the fourth generation.
Getting a farm number is the first step in being able to access United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs. We recommend this video from RAFI to walk you through the process - www.rafiusa.org/events/farm-number/ .
To find your local Kansas FSA office or learn more about available programs, visit farmers.gov.
Rafi: How and Why to Get a Farm Number – www.rafiusa.org/events/farm-number/
Beginning Farmers - www.fsa.usda.gov/resources/beginning-farmers-and-ranchers-loans
Disaster Assistance Programs – www.fsa.usda.gov/resources/programs/disaster-assistance-programs
Find more information on conservation programs – www.fsa.usda.gov/conservation-programs
Use One Farmer One File at https://login.gov