USDA Modernizes Crop Reporting to Save Farmers Time and Reduce Paperwork

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) today announced an acreage reporting modernization pilot program that is a foundational part of the administration’s One Farmer, One File effort. FSA is focused on creating a more efficient, consistent, and customer-focused acreage reporting experience for producers and FSA employees. After spring planting is complete, agricultural producers should make an appointment with their FSA county office to complete crop acreage reports before the applicable deadline. July 15 is a major deadline for most crops, but acreage reporting deadlines may vary by county and by crop.      

“Acreage reporting is a major task that producers complete each year, and we owe it to the producers we serve to make it as painless and seamless as possible,” said FSA Administrator Bill Beam. “Our goal is to move away from paper maps to an electronic interface that simplifies the process for producers and saves time for county office staff, which increases operational efficiencies across the board. I encourage producers who have acreage located in these pilot counties to be patient with their local FSA office as they learn the system and solicit meaningful feedback from producers based on their experience with the simplified reporting process.”  

Pilot Program 

The following counties are participating in the acreage reporting pilot program. Producers with acreage in these counties will use the streamlined acreage reporting process for spring planted crops ahead of the major July 15, 2026, reporting deadline:   

• Georgia                       Tift County   

• Kentucky                    Union County  

•  Maryland                    All Counties  

• Michigan                     Van Buren County   

• Minnesota                  La Qui Parle County   

• Missouri                      Harrison County   

• Nebraska                    Seward County   

• North Dakota           All Counties    

• Oklahoma                   Canadian County   

• Pennsylvania             Lancaster County   

• Texas                              Fisher County   

Producers with acreage located outside of the pilot program counties will complete their crop acreage reports as usual.   

How to File a Report  

To file a crop acreage report, producers need to provide:     

• Crop and crop type or variety     

• Intended crop use     

• Number of crop acres     

• Map with approximate crop boundaries     

• Planting date(s)     

• Planting pattern, when applicable     

• Producer share(s)     

• Irrigation practice(s)     

• Acreage prevented from planting, when applicable  

• Failed acres, if applicable     

• Other required information