USDA Details Commodity Economic Assistance Program

Mar 19, 2025

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced today that starting on March 19 farmers can apply for the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program. Corn growers are eligible for the program with a payment rate of $42.91 per acre for the 2024 crop year.

The new program was authorized by Congress through the American Relief Act, which passed in December. The economic assistance comes as growers are facing multiple years of low crop prices paired with high input costs.

“We appreciate USDA making economic assistance a priority and available to farmers who need it most,” said Mark Mueller, Iowa Corn Growers Association Vice President and farmer from Waverly, Iowa.

The sign-up period will run through August 15, and USDA will mail pre-filled applications to producers over the coming days. Growers can also go online, beginning tomorrow or to their local Farm Service Agency to complete the process.

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Video: EP 73 Diversity is Resiliency – Stories of Regeneration Part 6

During the growing season of 2023 as summer turned into fall, the Rural Routes to Climate Solutions podcast and Regeneration Canada were on the final leg of the Stories of Regeneration tour. After covering most of the Prairies and most of central and eastern Canada in the summer, our months-long journey came to an end in Canada’s two most western provinces around harvest time.

This next phase of our journey brought us to Cawston, British Columbia, acclaimed as the Organic Farming Capital of Canada. At Snowy Mountain Farms, managed by Aaron Goddard and his family, you will find a 12-acre farm that boasts over 70 varieties of fruits such as cherries, apricots, peaches, plums, pears, apples, and quince. Aaron employs regenerative agriculture practices to cultivate and sustain living soils, which are essential for producing fruit that is not only delicious but also rich in nutrients.