Do you have cattle, sheep, goats, or equine animals? Were your commercial livestock animals grazing on land physically located in DeKalb County on May 11, 2026, or Cannon County on May 18, 2026? If so, you could be eligible to receive payment from the DeKalb/Cannon County Farm Service Agency. According to Donny Green, County Executive Director, signup for the Livestock Forage Program (LFP) is now underway and will continue through March 1, 2027.
The LFP has been approved for DeKalb and Cannon countiesdue to recent and extreme drought conditions that have affected livestock grazing during the 2026 normal grazing period. LFP provides compensation to eligible livestock producers that have suffered grazing losses for covered livestock on land with permanent vegetative cover or planted specifically for grazing.
According to the U. S. Drought Monitor:
- DeKalb County’s drought eligibility date is May 11, 2026
- Cannon County’s drought eligibility date is May 18, 2026
Both counties have been designated as D2 (Severe Drought intensity). This designation qualifies eligible livestock producers in both counties for one monthly payment for calculated feed loss.
Cannon County livestock producers can schedule an appointment to meet FSA staff at the Woodbury USDA Service Center on Thursday, September 10. Appointments are available on this date only in Woodbury from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
Livestock producers operating in DeKalb and Cannon counties are urged to call the Smithville USDA Service Center at 615-597-8225, Ext. 2 to schedule an appointment to complete the Livestock Forage Program application before the March 1, 2027 application filing deadline.