USDA’s recently announced Farmer Bridge Assistance Program will provide a one-time payment to eligible farmers to mitigate market disruptions and increased input costs. See this CALT blog post USDA Announces Bridge Payments for Farmers for a summary of the program and a list of eligible crops. Of immediate concern is this week’s deadline to file crop acreage reports with the USDA to be eligible for bridge payments.
Farmer bridge payments will be based on the crop acreage reports filed with the USDA as of December 19, 2025. USDA directs farmers to “ensure their 2025 acreage reporting is factual and accurate by 5pm ET on December 19, 2025.” Those who filed or updated their crop acreage reports earlier in the year should verify their accuracy. Farmers who have not filed an acreage report should contact their county Farm Service Agency office to report by the December 19th deadline in order to be eligible for payments under the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program. USDA guidance on how to report can be found here - Crop Acreage Reporting Information . Local FSA office locations can be found using this search tool - USDA Service Center Locator