If you've been hit by drought, fire, or severe weather this year, there is federal money for you. The programs already exist. You don't have to make a case for why you deserve help — you just have to document what happened and file on time. This guide tells you what to claim, what to gather, and what to do this week. Free. Not affiliated with USDA. Not a substitute for talking to your local FSA office.
The four programs to know
The main drought program. Pays you for the forage your pasture didn't produce because of drought. If your county is rated D2 (severe) or worse on the U.S. Drought Monitor — or has been rated D1 (moderate) for eight straight weeks — you likely qualify automatically. Most ranchers in the Plains and West will qualify in 2026.
Pays 75% of the average fair market value of livestock that died above normal mortality due to weather, disease, fire, or predators. Rates updated each May. All categories covered — newborn calves, yearlings, mature cows, bulls. Even shortly-after-event deaths can count with documentation (a calf with scours after a storm, for example).
The catch-all. Reimburses roughly 60% of the additional cost (above a normal year) of hauling feed or water to your cows, or moving cows to feed. National rate of $6.60 per loaded mile for livestock transportation in 2026, up to 1,000 miles per truckload above the first 25 miles. Also covers honey bee and farm-raised fish losses.
A separate Congressional appropriation for older disaster losses. If you already received ELAP, LIP, or LFP payments for 2023 or 2024, you may automatically qualify for more. Application deadline for SDRP Stage 1 and Stage 2 was extended to August 12, 2026. Check with FSA if you haven't been notified.
Is filing worth your time? Run the math.
Fill in what you know about your operation. The numbers update as you type. None of your data leaves this page — there's no submit button and no tracking.
Pairs you'd have to consider selling if you can't find or afford feed.
Rough estimate is fine. Include hay you wouldn't normally have to buy, trucking, water hauling.
2026 prices are at record highs. A typical 600-lb feeder calf is worth $2,000 – $2,400. Use your best guess for your area.
Estimate
These are conservative estimates only. Your actual payment depends on documentation, county drought status, prior-year baselines, and current FSA rates. The point of this calculator is just to tell you whether a phone call to FSA is worth your time. Spoiler: it usually is.
What to do this week
- Call or visit your local FSA office. Find yours at farmers.gov/working-with-us/service-center-locator. Tell them you have drought (or fire) losses and you want to know which programs you qualify for. Ask specifically about LFP, LIP, ELAP, and SDRP. If they're short-staffed, ask for a callback time.
- File a Notice of Loss within 30 days of the loss event, or within 30 days of when you became aware of it. Form CCC-851 for ELAP — your FSA office has the right forms for LIP and LFP. Filing the Notice doesn't lock you in; it preserves your right to a payment if you decide to apply later.
- Start a documentation folder. See the checklist below. Receipts, invoices, mileage logs, photos, normal-year baseline records. This is the part that decides whether you get paid quickly, or paid at all.
- If 2023 or 2024 losses haven't been topped up, ask about SDRP. The August 12, 2026 deadline is the one that closes soonest. Don't miss it.
Documentation checklist
Bring what you have, even if it's incomplete — FSA staff can help you fill gaps. But the more of this you bring, the faster and larger your payment.
- Inventory. Head count by category — cows, bulls, heifers, yearlings, calves on the ground. Brand inspection records, sale receipts, and herd records all help.
- Acreage report (FSA-578). If you've been in the system before, it's on file. If not, the office can help you file one. This is what ties your operation to the drought-designated counties.
- Normal-year feed records. What you'd typically buy, where from, at what rates, and what you'd typically haul. This is the baseline against which "additional cost" gets measured. Tax records, prior invoices, or a notarized written statement all work.
- Drought-year feed and freight receipts. Every invoice, every load, every mile. Dates matter. Origin and destination addresses matter — they're how miles get counted.
- Mortality records. For LIP claims. Photographs with date stamps, veterinary records, rendering records, third-party witness statements. A neighbor's signed statement counts.
- Drought designation status for your county. Check droughtmonitor.unl.edu. FSA also has this on file.
Common mistakes that cost producers money
- Assuming you don't qualify. Most cattle operations in the drought belt qualify in 2026. The default assumption should be "you're probably eligible — find out for sure."
- Missing the 30-day Notice of Loss window. You don't have to have all your records ready. Just file the Notice. The full application can come later.
- Selling pairs before you check. Producers who sell in a panic in summer lose twice — to the depressed market, and to programs that would have helped them keep the herd together. A 15-minute phone call to FSA before you call the sale barn is worth it.
- Skipping the baseline records. ELAP pays for costs above a normal year. With no record of a normal year, claims get short-paid or denied. If you can't find paperwork, write down what you remember and sign it — that's admissible.
- Filing late. The standing deadline is March 1 of the year after the loss for ELAP, LIP, and LFP. For SDRP Stage 1 and 2 (2023–24 losses), it's August 12, 2026.
Where to get help if you're stuck
- Your local FSA office. First stop. Find yours at farmers.gov.
- Your state Cattlemen's Association. Most have a member-services line that will walk you through paperwork.
- FarmRaise. Free educational hub at farmraise.com that explains FSA disaster programs in plain language.
- Farm Aid hotline. 1-800-FARM-AID (1-800-327-6243). Confidential, free, no judgment. They refer you to local resources and listen to producers under stress.
- U.S. Drought Monitor. droughtmonitor.unl.edu. Check your county's current rating.
- Cooperative Extension office. Your land-grant university's county extension agents know the programs and can help with documentation.
About this guide
Why this exists. Federal disaster programs for cattle producers already exist and are funded. They go materially underused because the paperwork is opaque and many producers assume they don't qualify. This site translates the programs into plain English and runs the math so you can decide whether filing is worth your time. It is.
What this is not. Not affiliated with USDA. Not legal or financial advice. Not a substitute for talking to your local FSA office, where actual payment amounts get calculated based on your specific situation and current rates. Rates and procedures are accurate as of May 2026 but change annually — always confirm with FSA.
Who built this. Hugh Murphy, an outsider to ranching with a personal interest in regenerative agriculture and the resilience of American family ranching. Built as a volunteer project, free, for free use. Inspired by Zach Ducheneaux's writing on the actual return-on-investment of well-used federal ag programs. Share freely.
Found something wrong, outdated, or missing? The fastest way to fix it is to tell us: [email protected].