There’s been a lot of turnover at local USDA offices around rural America. Dr. Amy Hagerman, an agricultural and food policy specialist for Oklahoma State University Extension, says farmers will see some of the consequences of those changes.

“So, this administration came in with a stated intention of decreasing the footprint of the federal government and then also decreasing spending in the federal government. Of course, this is going to have a couple of consequences for us out here in the field. The first is that, as we begin to lose USDA employees, this is going to create some openings and some holes across the state that are going to make it harder to get programs out the door. So, I think we need to be conscious of that. We need to be patient with these offices that may find themselves, with relatively short notice, being pretty short-staffed. So, just be patient as you set those appointments with USDA. Try to set your appointment well ahead of when you need it because they may not have as many openings as normal.”

Another step to make the visit smoother involves record keeping.

“Do the best you can to keep track of your records. Know when your deadlines are, like these upcoming deadlines for disaster programs coming out of 2024. As an example, in early March, be aware of those deadlines. Also, be aware the deadlines are a little different this year, so you’re going to have to stay on top of that a little bit more simply because the folks in the offices may not be able to communicate as much as they have in the past.”