USDA Offers Montana Farmers and Ranchers Assistance Following Severe Storms
USDA agencies may have resources to help farmers and ranchers mitigate damage caused by severe weather events.
If your farm or ranch is impacted by severe storms, USDA may have opportunities for recovery assistance. Be sure to document and report any damage to your crop insurance agent and contact your local Farm Service Agency for information about disaster assistance programs.
When it comes to mitigating the effects of weather events that cause crop loss or damage to grazing lands, NRCS technical assistance can help. Conservationists can provide voluntary, individualized support to evaluate the extent of the problem, consider solutions, and develop an implementation plan. One concern might be soil erosion. If your soil needs vegetative cover, NRCS can help put together a cover crop seed mix or recommend ideas for adjusting your grazing plan.
Some best management practices to consider following crop loss or grazing land damage include the following.
- Keep the soil covered with live vegetation or vegetative residue. Consider a quick-growing cover or forage crop.
- Maintain any existing cover. Reduce tillage on cropland and consider grazing deferment on your rangeland.
- Increase crop diversity. If you are able to get a cover or forage crop planted, consider a different crop type than your damaged crop or consider a cover crop mix with more than one crop type and species.
Fields left with inadequate vegetative cover or residue are vulnerable to wind and soil erosion. Soil loss represents a significant expense and loss of sustainability to Montana farmers. In addition, soil loss is a significant public health and safety risk. For example, soil was sampled from six inches of wind deposited soil in a road ditch following a 2022 wind erosion event in Liberty County where soil eroded from an adjacent crop field with little cover.
That sample had available nutrient levels of 34 pounds of nitrogen per acre, 26 pounds of phosphorous per acre, and 7 pounds of sulfur per acre. At January 2023 fertilizer prices, that eroded soil represents $630 per acre for every six inches of soil lost, or about $105 for every inch of topsoil. This farmer lost $7,875 of fertility assuming about ¼ inch of topsoil eroded off the 300-acre field. NRCS conservation practices may help you to retain soil and plant resources and investments on your land.
Visit your local USDA Service Center for assistance.