Custer County Conservation District 88

Advancing Markets for Producers (AMP) Applications Now Open, 2026: June 1 - July 31, Scan the QR code on flyer to apply or go to: okconservation.org/amp

For more program information contact: Jean Lam (405) 207-7260; [email protected]

Greetings from the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts!

On behalf of the OACD Board of Directors and staff, we are honored to officially announce the launch of the Advancing Markets for Producers (AMP) Initiative. As of June 1, applications are now open.

This project is particularly meaningful to me because it seeks to reconcile two ideas that have too often been viewed as competing priorities: environmental stewardship and economic sustainability.

For years, conservation outreach and education have focused on proving that conservation practices work. While education and science are essential, knowledge alone does not always create change. Producers must also have the autonomy, resources, and market opportunities necessary to implement new approaches in a way that makes sense for their operation, their family, and their future.

AMP represents an opportunity to move beyond simply encouraging practice adoption through incentivizing implementation and toward creating systems that reward stewardship while strengthening profitability. Real systems change does not happen overnight, but Oklahoma has long been a national leader in conservation because we understand the power of locally led, grassroots solutions. I am confident that through AMP we can demonstrate how healthy natural resources, resilient agricultural operations, and strong markets can work together, not as competing goals, but as complementary outcomes.

What makes AMP different?

AMP is not a traditional cost-share program. We are not paying producers to install individual practices or rewarding acres alone. Instead, AMP focuses on helping producers build functional, profitable systems that improve the way their operation works over time.

Participants will work with technical advisors to develop a multi-year system pathway plan that aligns conservation goals with operational objectives, risk management, and market opportunities. Whether through grazing management, soil health cropping systems, or agroforestry and pecan production, AMP focuses on the pathway—not just the practice.

We're moving beyond thinking about a fence as simply a boundary line or a means of maintaining a civil relationship with a neighbor. Instead, we're asking how that fence fits into a grazing system that improves forage utilization, animal performance, soil health, and profitability. We are looking at conservation practices not as isolated activities, but as tools that work together to strengthen entire operations.

AMP is an opportunity to invest in your land, strengthen your operation, and build your market.

If you're a producer who is ready to take your operation to the next level, I encourage you to learn more and consider applying. Whether you're just beginning your conservation journey or already implementing advanced management practices, AMP is designed for producers who are willing to invest in improvement and innovation.

Thank you for your continued commitment to conservation as a shared Oklahoma value. We look forward to working alongside producers across the state as we build profitable and diverse market pathways, from soil to sales.

Applications close July 31st!

Sincerely,
Jean Lam
OACD Executive Director

Scan the QR code to apply or go to: okconservation.org/amp

For more program information contact: Jean Lam (405) 207-7260; [email protected]

Facing Drought? Here’s How USDA Can Help
By Richard Fordyce, Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation ~ Jun 03, 2026

While spring is a time for renewal and the excitement that comes with planting and calving, this year, it can also mean added stress because of drought. Across the United States, widespread, severe drought conditions are impacting farms and ranches. While catastrophic for agriculture, the effects are far reaching, impacting wildlife and increasing the risk of wildfires.

I know that navigating drought can feel overwhelming but be assured that USDA has a team of dedicated people and a suite of programs that can help you recover from losses, reduce future risk or prepare your operation for the future.

Assistance for Producers
If you raise livestock, assistance is available through:

Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP), for grazing losses.

Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP), for feed losses and transportation costs for feed and water and livestock.

Emergency haying and grazing of land enrolled in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), to help in a time of forage shortage. During the primary nesting season, emergency grazing can proceed with a 50% reduction in stocking rate, provided the county where the CRP is located is eligible for LFP.

Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) coverage for certain forage and grazing losses if they are classified as NAP-eligible crops.

The Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) and Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) provide financial and technical assistance to restore and rehabilitate farmland and nonindustrial private forests and implement water conservation practices during severe drought.

Similarly, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) provides financial and technical assistance to implement conservation practices. Common drought recovery includes forest management plans, tree/shrub establishment, brush management, prescribed grazing, pasture and hay planting, wildlife habitat, livestock watering systems, and cover crops.

Finally, the Tree Assistance Program (TAP) provides cost share assistance to rehabilitate or replant orchards and vineyards (trees, vines, or bushes).

Our disaster assistance programs are designed to complement risk management tools, such as federal crop insurance and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP). Crop insurance provides indemnity payments to growers who purchase crop insurance for production and quality losses related to drought and other weather hazards, including losses caused by inability to plant on time. Meanwhile, NAP covers losses for crops not covered by crop insurance.

We also offer low-interest direct and guaranteed operating farm loan options, as well as flexible loan servicing for current borrowers to help you recover.

Improve Drought Resiliency
Conservation practices can help you use water more efficiently and boost soil health. Healthy soil stores water better for when it’s needed most. The Natural Resources Conservation Service, through programs like EQIP, provides technical and financial assistance for conservation practices like irrigation efficiency, prescribed grazing, reduced- or no-till, cover crops, mulching, and residue management.

Reporting Conditions
The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) is an online, weekly map showing the location, extent, and severity of drought across the United States, enabling producers to best respond and react to a drought as it develops or lingers.

At USDA, we use the Drought Monitor to determine a producer’s eligibility for certain drought assistance programs. The USDM incorporates varying data, including first-hand information submitted from on-the-ground sources. I strongly encourage you to contribute your local, on-the-farm, observations to the USDM process using the Condition Monitoring Observer Report system or emailing [email protected].

More Information
To learn more, reach out your local Service Center. Clinton USDA Service Center (580) 323-0366.

Take care of yourselves during these stressful times, and if you or someone you know needs support, please take advantage of farmer and rancher stress resources in your community and stress support resources available through USDA.

Under the leadership of Secretary Rollins and with the support of the Trump Administration, we’re focused on making sure you have the resources you need during recovery as we continue to put Farmers First and provide the technical and financial support you need, when you need it most.

USDA NRCS Chief Aubrey Bettencourt Highlights Soil Health and Resilience in Oklahoma Visit ~ 5/11/26, Oklahoma Farm Report

NRCS Chief Aubrey Bettencourt recently visited Oklahoma to witness the state’s ongoing conservation efforts and engage with over 900 youth participants at a national land judging contest. Farm director KC Sheperd was on hand with Bettencourt who described the state as the “birthplace of the service,” Bettencourt emphasized that the agency’s primary mission is to remove “friction points” and provide the technical expertise necessary to keep producers sustainable. “I need to hear from them what it would take to keep them in this industry,” Bettencourt said, highlighting a department-wide focus on ensuring that local staff have the flexibility to address the unique challenges facing Oklahoma producers today.

Cultivating Leadership and Soil Health
A major focus of Bettencourt’s visit was the intersection of youth education and the practical application of soil health principles. She observed that while soil health has occasionally become a “buzzword,” seeing hundreds of students actively studying the landscape provides a more profound perspective on the industry’s future. “It was fun to watch folks from different parts of the country all of a sudden just be shocked that like, ‘we don’t have anything like this back home,'” she remarked, noting the high level of commitment shown by the competitors.

Bettencourt believes the value of these programs extends far beyond the farm gate. “They learn what it means to function in the real world—what it means to, if you don’t show up, something suffers and dies,” she stated. Whether these students become doctors, lawyers, or members of the military, she noted that they carry a unique brand of leadership developed through their connection to the land. “To take what they learn here as leaders and they learn to lead where they stand, that’s what gives me hope,” she added.

Managing Through “Flaming Red” Disasters
During the event, Sheperd asked Bettencourt about the agency’s concern regarding the current weather patterns. Bettencourt expressed vital concern for the drought across the plains and the country, noting that the drought monitor is currently “flaming red” from Georgia through the Oklahoma panhandle. She highlighted that many producers are facing a “double hit” of recovering from wildfires and moving directly into an extended drought, and emphasized that the NRCS is prioritizing flexibility for local staff to ensure they have the resources to meet producer needs during these sequential disasters.

She praised the resilience of producers who are prioritizing long-term land health even in the wake of total loss. She specifically recalled a conversation with a local woman who had lost nearly everything but remained steadfast in her commitment to stewardship. “Her biggest concern wasn’t just how do I find places to feed my cows, but I don’t want to overfeed or graze on something that’s been burned and not allowed the landscape to heal,” Bettencourt shared.

The Chief emphasized that the USDA’s role is to support this mindset of investment amid crisis. “She was thinking through the changes she learned from the fire… she wanted to invest in the face of crisis so that she’s more resilient,” Bettencourt explained. She reiterated that the agency must be more than a contract-signing entity: “It shouldn’t be about how to sign a contract and get the program out the door; it needs to be about what is best for the producer and having that relationship to address those resource concerns”.

Supporting Industry Innovation with Historic Support
Bettencourt confirmed that the NRCS is currently operating with its largest baseline funding in history, which she views as a vital tool for keeping the agency in sync with modern agricultural technology and producer needs. “There’s this feeling of needing to catch up with industry… making sure the agency is keeping up with where industry and where producers want to go,” she noted. This includes a push to ensure that programs like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) are as accessible and effective as possible.

Ultimately, Bettencourt sees the NRCS’s success as a direct result of its presence in local communities. “It’s really a testament to that relationship that we have been one of the forward-most facing agencies of the federal government,” she said, concluding that the agency’s strength lies in empowering “those closest to the problem to have the tools they need to address it”. This collaborative approach between national leadership and local producers remains the cornerstone of Oklahoma’s agricultural success.

Hope for the Next Generation
When asked what gives her hope after witnessing the contest, Bettencourt pointed to the massive turnout of over 900 young people. She noted that regardless of whether they stay in production agriculture, the leadership and responsibility they are learning now will serve them in any profession. “What gives me hope is that there are over 900 kids here. And not all of them will end up in farming. But they’re all a part of agriculture,” she said. She highlighted that these students are learning to “lead where they stand” and understand the real-world consequences of stewardship at a young age, “And thats what gives me hope.”

https://www.oklahomafarmreport.com/2026/05/11/usda-nrcs-chief-aubrey-bettencourt-highlights-soil-health-and-resilience-in-oklahoma-visit/

USDA Opens Enrollment (May 4-29, 2026) for Grassland Conservation Reserve Program

(Washington, D.C., April 30, 2026) –The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that agricultural producers and private landowners can enroll in the Grassland Conservation Reserve Program (Grassland CRP) starting May 4, 2026, through May 29, 2026. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) administers Grassland CRP, a voluntary working lands conservation program that enables participants to conserve grasslands while also continuing most grazing and haying practices.

Grassland CRP emphasizes support for grazing operations, plant and animal biodiversity, and grasslands and land with shrubs and forbs under the greatest threat of conversion.

“Our Grassland CRP enrollment will be competitive just like our previous enrollment periods since we are very close to the 27-million-acre statutory cap,” said FSA Administrator Bill Beam. “Grassland CRP is designed to strike a balance between the importance of continued agricultural productivity and prioritizing the stewardship of America’s ecologically significant grasslands. USDA continues to put Farmers First by providing viable economic incentives while preserving working lands.”

CRP is USDA’s flagship conservation program, providing financial and technical support to agricultural producers and landowners who place unproductive or marginal cropland under contract for 10-15 years and who agree to voluntarily convert the land to beneficial vegetative cover to improve water quality, prevent soil erosion and support wildlife habitat. The Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026, extends FSA’s authority to administer CRP through Sept. 30, 2026.

Currently, more than 26.2 million acres are enrolled in CRP, with nearly 10.3 million acres in Grassland CRP. FSA recently closed the enrollment period for General CRP and Continuous CRP closes May 1, 2026. FSA is reviewing submitted offers and will announce accepted offers at a later date. Due to the 27-million-acre statutory cap, only 1.9 million acres are available for all CRP enrollment this fiscal year.

More Information
Producers and landowners interested in participating in CRP should contact their local FSA county office (Clinton USDA Service Center, 1725 S Hwy 183, Clinton, OK - (580) 323-0366) before the May 29 deadline.

Signed into law in 1985, CRP is one of the largest voluntary private-lands conservation programs in the United States. Originally intended to primarily control soil erosion and potentially stabilize commodity prices by taking marginal lands out of production, the program has evolved over the years, providing many conservation and economic benefits.

Soil: Where It All Begins

Happy Earth Day 2026!

LFP drive thru today until noon at the Clinton USDA Service Center!
Swing by and pick up your packets from the FSA ladies!
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LIVESTOCK FORAGE PROGRAM 2026
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We are here again, drought conditions are prevalent across the region. Custer County has triggered for the LFP for fiscal year 2026 for both cool season and warm season pastures.

Wednesday, April 15, 2026, 9-12 noon, the Custer County FSA staff will host their LFP drive thru. LFP packets are ready and available to all potentially eligible LFP producers. Drive thru the parking lot, get your paperwork and a free donut (while they last).

Complete the paperwork and return to the office. FSA will process your application and provide the application for signature via the method you choose, email, onespan or in person.

Producers in Custer County are eligible to apply for 2026 Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) benefits on [small grain, native pasture, improved pasture, annual ryegrass.]

LFP provides compensation if you suffer grazing losses for covered livestock due to drought on privately owned or cash leased land or fire on federally managed land.

You must complete a CCC-853 and the required supporting documentation no later than March 1, 2027 for 2026 losses.

For additional information about LFP, including eligible livestock and fire criteria, contact the Custer County USDA Service Center at 580-323-0366 or visit fsa.usda.gov.

Emergency Drought Assistance Program (ED4), APPLICATION PERIOD: The application period begins on March 9, 2026, at 8:30 a.m., and ends June 30, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. Applications will not be available until Monday!

An application will be considered incomplete if all documents listed below are not included:
• EDAP Application Form, signed and dated (pages 1 and 2 only)
-GPS coordinates: Latitude, -Longitude are required at time of application!
• IRS Form W-9, signed and dated
• If not the landowner, the applicant must provide:
− Landowner Consent Form
− Documentation sufficient to demonstrate control of the farm after August 10, 2025, and for the full duration of EDAP which ends December 31, 2026. Such documentation may include written leases, grazing agreements, deeds, or other legally enforceable instruments establishing the applicant’s right to conduct agricultural production activities.

APPLICANT APPROVALS ARE ON A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE BASIS! An application will not be considered accepted and complete until all EDAP application pages 1 and 2 signed and dated, IRS W-9 form signed and dated, and if not landowner; you also need a landowner consent form signed and dated along with land control documentation if you have a verbal lease then a signed letter outlining your lease rent and control period from landowner.

All applicants must attest Principal operator responsible for the day-to-day management decisions and production risk of the farm. Only one application per farm will be accepted.
• A farm includes all land, whether contiguous or noncontiguous, within the conservation district that is under common management and operated as a single agricultural enterprise.
• The farm must be under the operational control of the applicant.
• A farm is any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold or normally would have been sold during the year.
• Livestock includes beef cattle, dairy cattle, swine, poultry, goats, bison, sheep, and horses.
• Land used solely for residential, recreational, or speculative purposes, and not devoted to the production of agricultural commodities, shall not constitute a farm.

Applicants may apply for and be approved for multiple practices; however, Heavy Use Area Protection cannot be applied for as a standalone practice. Eligible drought practices completed or started between August 10, 2025, and March 9, 2026.
• Watering Facility (can include pumping plant, pipeline, and HUAP)
• Pumping Plant (as standalone practice if installed on an existing watering facility or well)
• Pipeline (as standalone practice if installed to an existing watering facility or well)
• Pond Cleanout (limited to one per pasture, with a maximum of three per applicant)
• Water Well (can include pumping plant; no payment will be made for dry holes)
• Pasture Tap

All applications are due in the conservation district office by June 30, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. Only one application per farm will be accepted.

There are three options for submitting applications to the conservation district office:
• In person, before June 30, 2026, at 4:00 p.m.
• By email, it must be received by June 30, 2026, at 4:00 p.m.
• By mail, it must be postmarked by June 30, 2026, and received by July 7, 2026.

CUSTER COUNTY OKLAHOMA: 12/15/2025

In This Issue:

ACREAGE REPORTING-2026
INSURANCE LINKAGE REQUIREMENTS
OFFICE HOURS
ACREAGE REPORTING-2026


Maps are now available at the Custer County FSA Office for acreage reporting purposes. If you wish to receive your maps by e-mail, please email staff and make that request; [email protected] or [email protected]. Please see the following acreage reporting deadlines for Custer County:

[January 15, 2026: canola, small grains, alfalfa]
[May 15, 2026: oats, white potatoes]
[July 15, 2026: all other crops not listed above plus grass and idle acres]

Please contact the office to schedule appointment to make report in person, 580-323-0366.

Information required:

name of crops

plant dates

intended use

shares

In order to maintain program eligibility and benefits, you must file timely acreage reports. Failure to file an acreage report by the crop acreage reporting deadline may cause ineligibility for future program benefits. FSA will not accept acreage reports provided more than a year after the acreage reporting deadline.

Producers are encouraged to file their acreage reports as soon as planting is completed.

Cover Crop Guidelines

The Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Risk Management Agency (RMA) worked together to develop consistent, simple and a flexible policy for cover crop practices.

Cover crops, such as grasses, legumes and forbs, can be planted: with no subsequent crop planted, before a subsequent crop, after prevented planting acreage, after a planted crop, or into a standing crop.

Termination:

The cover crop termination guidelines provide the timeline for terminating cover crops, are based on zones and apply to non-irrigated cropland. To view the zones and additional guidelines visit nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/landuse/crops/ and click “Cover Crop Termination Guidelines.”

The cover crop may be terminated by natural causes, such as frost, or intentionally terminated through chemical application, crimping, rolling, tillage or cutting. A cover crop managed and terminated according to NRCS Cover Crop Termination Guidelines is not considered a crop for crop insurance purposes.

Reporting:

The intended use of cover only will be used to report cover crops. This includes crops

that were terminated by tillage and reported with an intended use code of green manure. An FSA policy change will allow cover crops to be hayed and grazed. Program eligibility for the cover crop that is being hayed or grazed will be determined by each specific program.

If the crop reported as cover only is harvested for any use other than forage or grazing and is not terminated properly, then that crop will no longer be considered a cover crop.

Crops reported with an intended use of cover only will not count toward the total cropland on the farm. In these situations, a subsequent crop will be reported to account for all cropland on the farm.

Reporting Organic Crops

If you want to use the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) organic price and you select the "organic" option on your NAP application, you must report your crops as organic.

When certifying organic acres, the buffer zone acreage must be included in the organic acreage.

You must also provide a current organic plan, organic certificate or documentation from a certifying agent indicating an organic plan is in effect. Documentation must include:

name of certified individuals
address
telephone number
effective date of certification
certificate number
list of commodities certified
name and address of certifying agent
a map showing the specific location of each field of certified organic, including the buffer zone acreage
Certification exemptions are available for producers whose annual gross agricultural income from organic sales totals $5,000 or less. Although exempt growers are not required to provide a written certificate, they are still required to provide a map showing the specific location of each field of certified organic, transitional, and buffer zone acreage.

INSURANCE LINKAGE REQUIREMENTS

Producers who received an Emergency Relief Program (ERP) payment need to meet ERP insurance linkage requirements by purchasing crop insurance, or Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) coverage where crop insurance is not available.

Purchase coverage must be at the 60/100 coverage level or higher for insured crops or at the catastrophic coverage level or higher for NAP crops for the next two available crop years, which will be determined from the date you received an ERP payment and may vary depending on the timing and availability of coverage. The insurance coverage requirement applies to the physical location of the county where the crop was located and for which an ERP payment was issued.

Contact your crop insurance agent or local FSA county office as soon as possible to ask about coverage options. Producers who do not obtain the applicable coverage by the sales/application closing date will be required to refund the ERP benefits received on the applicable crop, plus interest. To determine which crops are eligible for federal crop insurance or NAP, visit the RMA website.

OFFICE HOURS
Custer County USDA Service Center is fully open for business. Office hours are 8:00 am to 4:30 pm daily, Monday through Friday excluding federal holidays. Telephone and email contacts are in the footer of this newsletter. The office is located at 1725 S Hwy 183, Clinton OK 73601.

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