Small Specialty Crop Growers Are Opting Out of Federal Farm Aid
March 16, 2026 | Source: Civil Eats | by Rebekah Alvey
Some small-scale fruit and vegetable farmers are skipping out on federal farm aid, citing onerous reporting requirements they say are not compatible with their farms and may not substantially pay off.
In December, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it would provide $12 billion in economic aid for farmers, through the Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) program, largely aimed at addressing market disruptions from shifting trade policy. Nearly all of the aid—$11 billion—was reserved for commodity farmers, or those growing crops like corn and soybeans.
The remaining $1 billion was designated for other crops, including sugar and specialty crops, through the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) program. Farmers were notified on Feb. 13 that they had until March 13 to submit their 2025 acreage reports in order to apply for the aid. Now that the deadline has passed, farmers who submitted acreage reports are expected to receive an application for the aid.