USDA Farm Service Agency Approves Emergency Conservation Assistance for Florida Producers Impacted by Recent Winter Weather

(Gainesville, Fla., Feb. 26, 2026) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Florida is accepting applications statewide for the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) to address damages from winter weather that occurred Jan. 25 through Jan. 27, 2026. ECP provides cost-share and technical assistance to producers to restore farmland to pre-disaster conditions following a qualifying natural disaster. ECP signup begins on March 2, 2026, and ends April 30, 2026.

"Florida agriculture was greatly impacted by recent freezes, and the Farm Service Agency is here to help producers in the recovery process," said Marcinda Kester, State Executive Director for FSA in Florida. "If you have an immediate need to clean up and restore your operation, please call your local office to see if restoration practice approval is needed before you take any action."

Approved ECP applicants can receive up to 75% of the allowable cost of the approved restoration activity with a maximum cost share of $500,000 per natural disaster event.

Approved ECP practices include:

• Debris removal

• Grading, shaping and releveling

• Fence restoration

• Irrigation system restoration

• Windbreak and shelterbelt restoration

Check with FSA before beginning other work such as:

• Repairing dams, ponds, irrigation field ditches, lined waterway or underground outlet

• Grading, shaping or releveling

• Repairing grade stabilization structures, grassed waterways or terraces

ECP cost-share assistance can provide advance payments for up to 25% of the total allowable cost for all ECP practices before the restoration is carried out. The advance payment must be spent within 60 days.

Producers who lease federally owned or managed lands, including tribal trust land, as well as state land, are eligible to participate in ECP.

Conservation concerns present on the land prior to the qualifying natural disaster event are not eligible for ECP assistance.

Eligibility and Environmental Requirements

To allow producers to begin their recovery efforts sooner, FSA is offering flexibilities that apply to certain non-ground disturbing practices.

FSA is not requiring the onsite inspection for certain ECP practices to remove surface debris and repair fencing.

FSA is streamlining environmental compliance reviews due to the impacts of this disaster event. However, FSA will continue to complete on-site environmental reviews for applicants who do not meet the required conditions.

More Information

To learn more about ECP, producers should contact their local FSA county office.

Additional USDA disaster assistance information can be found on farmers.gov, including USDA resources specifically for producers impacted by winter weather. Those resources include the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster-at-a-Glance fact sheet, Loan Assistance Tool, and Natural Disasters and Crop Insurance fact sheet.

Additionally, FarmRaise offers an FSA educational hub with LIP and ELAP decision tools as well as farm loan resource videos. For FSA and NRCS programs, producers should contact their local USDA Service Center. For assistance with a crop insurance claim, producers and landowners should contact their crop insurance agent.