Contact:
Jaia Fischer
DES MOINES, IOWA, DEC. 1, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is temporarily restricting in-person visits for most Service Centers in Iowa because of elevated rates of coronavirus community spread, but USDA employees will continue to assist agricultural producers with programs and services.
USDA is using a phased, data-driven approach to determine which Service Centers are open for in-person appointments. Field work, including conservation planning assistance, will continue with appropriate social distancing.
“While most of our Service Centers across Iowa will be physically closed to visitors, we remain open for business,” said Jon Hubbert, State Conservationist for USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Iowa. “Throughout the pandemic, our work with producers has continued and we remain committed to serving our customers.”
All USDA Service Centers are for open for business, and Service Center staff members from FSA and NRCS will continue to work with producers by phone, email, and digital tools like Microsoft Teams, Box, and OneSpan. Producers can learn more about how to leverage these digital offerings by visiting https://www.farmers.gov/mydocs.
Producers wishing to conduct business with NRCS, or any other Service Center agency, should call ahead to confirm and schedule appointments. More information about Service Center status can be found at https://www.farmers.gov/coronavirus/service-center-status, and contact information for local Service Centers is available at https://www.farmers.gov/service-center-locator.
