Farm Money Guide for Mississippi Farmers
Federal and state money set aside for Mississippi farmers, the deadlines that already passed, the ones still open, and the conditions you agree to when you take the money. Every item links to the official source. Updated October 25, 2026.
See the MS Farmers & Growers hub for every program by type of farm.
The disaster program that closed Sept. 30, 2026
VerifiedSupplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP). Congress set aside billions of dollars to repay farmers for crop losses from natural disasters in 2023 and 2024. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) ran it. The last day to apply for both Stage 1 and Stage 2 was September 30, 2026.
USDA and FEMA certified that Mississippi had freezes, tornadoes, severe storms, flooding, high winds and drought in 2023 and 2024, and USDA declared all 82 Mississippi counties disaster areas for the 2023 drought.
Question raisedRoach Roundup told Mississippi farmers about this program before the deadline. The farmers we reached did not know it existed or how to apply. In our search we found no announcement of SDRP from the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC). SDRP is a federal FSA program, so MDAC was not the agency running it.
What SDRP paid and who qualified
- Stage 1 covered losses already paid under federal crop insurance or the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP). FSA mailed pre-filled applications on July 9, 2025. Check your mail from that summer.
- Stage 2 covered shallow losses, uncovered losses and quality losses. FSA did not mail these applications. Farmers had to ask their county FSA office for one.
- Payment limit: $125,000 per person or entity for each year, or $250,000 if at least 75% of your income comes from farming.
- Drought losses counted only in counties that hit D3 drought, or D2 for eight weeks in a row.
The string attached to SDRP
VerifiedAnyone who took an SDRP payment must buy federal crop insurance or NAP coverage, at 60% coverage or more, for the next two crop years on that crop in that county. If you do not, you must pay the SDRP money back to USDA with interest (7 CFR 760.2216). The rule is waived only if you quit farming or your farm entity dissolves.
If you missed it
- Call your county FSA office anyway. Ask whether a late-filed application can still be accepted and get the answer in writing.
- If you received a Stage 1 pre-filled application in 2025 and never returned it, tell FSA that.
- If you were paid, check that you bought the required crop insurance or NAP coverage, so you do not owe it back.
Still open now
| Program | Who runs it | Deadline | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARC / PLC enrollment, 2026 crop year | USDA FSA | Dec 11, 2026 | Price and revenue safety-net payments on base acres. Enroll every year or you get nothing for that year. |
| Dairy Margin Coverage, 2027 | USDA FSA | Dec 18, 2026 | Pays dairy farmers when the milk-to-feed margin drops. |
| NAP coverage | USDA FSA | Varies by crop | Disaster coverage for crops that crop insurance does not cover. Sign up before your crop’s deadline. |
| EQIP and CSP conservation contracts | USDA NRCS | State ranking cutoffs | Cost-share for conservation work. Applications are taken all year and ranked at cutoff dates. |
| Specialty Crop Block Grant, next round | MDAC (federal money) | Watch MDAC; 2026 round closed Apr 1, 2026 | Grants for projects that help Mississippi fruit, vegetable, nut and nursery crops. |
Closed in 2026: check whether you missed these
| Program | Who ran it | Closed |
|---|---|---|
| Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) | USDA FSA | Apr 17, 2026 |
| Value Added Producer Grants | USDA Rural Development | Apr 22, 2026 |
| Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) | USDA NRCS | May 29, 2026 |
| Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) | USDA FSA | Aug 7, 2026 |
| Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) | USDA FSA | Sept 30, 2026 |
Strings attached: what you agree to when you take the money
Most farm grants do not take ownership of your farm. Some do put lasting conditions on your land, your equipment or your future insurance. Read the contract before you sign.
Conservation easements (ACEP and Wetland Reserve Easements)
VerifiedThis is the one that comes closest to giving up part of your property. You keep title to the land, but you sell the United States (or a land trust) a permanent or 30-year easement that is recorded on your deed. It binds your heirs and anyone who buys the land. No new permanent structures without government approval, existing structures may have to be removed at your cost, the crop base on those acres is retired permanently, and the land cannot get other USDA program payments. Any lender with a lien on the land must agree to it.
Disaster payments (SDRP)
VerifiedYou must buy crop insurance or NAP for the next two crop years at 60% coverage or more, or repay the payment with interest.
Equipment and building grants (RFSI and similar)
VerifiedFederal grant rules give the government a continuing share in equipment worth $5,000 or more per item bought with grant money ($10,000 for newer awards). If you later sell it or stop using it for the grant’s purpose, the government is owed its percentage of the sale price, and you must report the sale. Mississippi’s RFSI infrastructure grants also required a 50% match from the farmer.
Conservation cost-share (EQIP and CSP)
You sign a contract to install and keep up a practice. If you do not maintain it for its required lifespan, you can be asked to pay the money back.
FSA farm loans
These are loans, not grants. FSA takes a lien on land, equipment or crops, like any lender.
Specialty Crop Block Grants
The money must benefit the specialty crop industry as a whole, not one farm or one company. A single farmer usually takes part through a project led by a university, association or group.
Federal money that went through MDAC
The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, led by Commissioner Andy Gipson, received about $28.5 million in federal grants from 2021 to 2026. Most of it pays for inspectors and pest surveys. These are the programs that were meant to reach farmers:
Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure: $6.2 million, 43% paid out
Question raisedGrants for farmers, processors and food businesses to buy equipment and build facilities. MDAC closed applications March 15, 2024. Federal records show $2.69 million paid out and no recipients reported. The grant ends May 24, 2027. Who got this money, and how were farmers told about it?
Local Food Purchase Assistance: $6.8 million to food banks
VerifiedAll of it went to three food banks: Mississippi Food Network ($4.02 million), Mid-South Food Bank ($1.57 million) and Feeding the Gulf Coast ($1.23 million). They were supposed to buy food from local farmers, especially underserved farmers. A second $7.1 million round for 2025 was cancelled nationwide by USDA.
Specialty Crop Block Grants: about $420,000 to $565,000 a year
VerifiedReported sub-grants for 2021 and 2022 went to Mississippi State University, the Mississippi Farm Bureau Foundation and the Mississippi Sweet Potato Council. No sub-grants were reported for the 2023, 2024 or 2025 awards.
Full detail on MDAC and its commissioner: Andy Gipson report.
Who to call
- Your county FSA office for SDRP, ARC/PLC, NAP, dairy coverage and farm loans. Find it with the USDA Service Center locator.
- Your local NRCS office (same building as FSA) for EQIP, CSP and conservation easements.
- MDAC Market Development for Specialty Crop Block Grants and RFSI.
- An attorney before you sign any easement or anything recorded on your deed.
Did a program never reach you? Tell Roach Roundup.
Sources
- USDA FSA, Supplemental Disaster Relief Program
- USDA FSA, Aug. 10, 2026: SDRP deadline extended to Sept. 30, 2026
- 7 CFR 760.2216, SDRP crop insurance and NAP purchase requirement
- Sen. Hyde-Smith, Mississippi farmers encouraged to apply for disaster aid
- farmers.gov, Important USDA dates for producers
- USDA FSA, Farmer Bridge Assistance Program
- USDA FSA, Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers
- USDA Rural Development, Value Added Producer Grants in Mississippi
- USDA NRCS, Wetland Reserve Easement landowner guide
- 7 CFR 1468.37, easement deed terms
- RFSI equipment rules and disposition (state guidance under 2 CFR 200.313)
- USAspending.gov, MDAC RFSI award 23RFSIMS0039
- USAspending.gov, MDAC Local Food Purchase award and sub-grants
- USDA AMS, RFSI state status
- Mississippi Farm to School Network, MDAC RFSI details and deadline
- MDAC, Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
- MPB, July 2023: farmers want more support from the state
- USDA Service Center locator
Nothing on this page is legal or financial advice. Check every deadline and condition with the agency before you rely on it.
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