USDA - Nebraska Department of Agriculture and Local FSA Office  

Producers that have been impacted by the blizzard and flooding and are now in need of hay, feed stuffs, fencing materials, volunteer help, equipment, etc. should call the Nebraska Department of Agriculture at 1-800-831-0550.  Be prepared to share your name, contact information, type and number of livestock; location (including county), what assistance you are seeking and how urgent your need is.  http://www.nda.nebraska.gov/resources/

https://www.fsa.usda.gov/state-offices/Nebraska/index

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Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP)

LIP is a USDA-FSA disaster assistance program that is available to help producers recoup losses experienced by adverse weather events.  As producers assess their individual situations, whether it be the blizzard in the West or the flooding in the East.

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1. If you have suffered a loss of livestock, you need to report those losses to your FSA county office within 30 days of when those losses become apparent. This 30-day notification window is critical. A phone call to the county office works for this notification. Keep in mind, outside of the immediate situations, some producers had some extreme weather in February where folks suffered livestock losses, so depending on when those losses occurred in February, that notification window is closing.

2. Documentation of losses also is critical. FSA will need some sort of supporting evidence of your losses, and this can include things such as: veterinarian certification, other independent third party certification, rendering receipts, dated photos or video. Those things are an important part of the application process.

3. FSA will also need to know the type or weight of the animals lost. Adult animals, so bulls and cows, vs. calves or yearlings, are broken out differently in the LIP program, so that part of the record is important.

4. Information about the specific weather conditions that caused the losses also is important.

 

(Fact Sheet) https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/disaster-assistance-program/livestock-indemnity/index

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Emergency Livestock Assistance Program (ELAP)

ELAP, another USDA-FSA disaster assistance program, covers some livestock losses that do not fall under LIP.  Specific to the current adverse weather situations in Nebraska, ELAP may be applicable as it can, in certain situations, financially assist with livestock feed losses, such as bales that may have been destroyed in the flood. (Fact Sheet) 

https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/disaster-assistance-program/emergency-assist-for-livestock-honey-bees-fish/index

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Emergency Conservation Program (ECP)

ECP can provide some cost-share assistance to rehabilitate farmland and pasture damaged by natural disasters.  It also can provide cost-share assistance to help restore fences damaged or lost due to natural disaster.  There is quite a bit to this program, and it doesn’t trigger automatically.  FSA county committees will need to make a request for this program in their local areas.  It is critical that producers, if they think they may want to access this cost-share resource, contact their local FSA county office about this program before taking any action to repair damages.

http://nebraskacattlemen.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/nc-disaster-assistance.pdf

 

Nebraska Farm Bureau 

Disaster Relief Fund

Nebraska Farm Bureau established a Disaster Relief Fund at the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation to provide emergency aid to Nebraska farmers, ranchers, and rural communities affected by recent storms and flooding.

https://www.nefb.org/get-involved/disaster-assistance

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Local John Deere Agriculture Dealers

The John Deere agricultural dealers in Nebraska have teamed up to contribute $60,000 for disaster relief. The donations are being distributed to a variety of programs aiding farmers, ranchers and rural communities. In addition to the contributions, the dealers are each providing additional relief including much needed supplies and equipment. 

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John Deere dealerships pulling together for the relief effort included Landmark Implement, AgriVision Equipment Group, Green Line, Platte Valley Equipment, Stutheit Implement Co., Plains Equipment Group, Grossenburg Implement, and 21st Century Equipment LLC.

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More Resources

https://www.farmaid.org/blog/resources-for-farmers-affected-by-the-midwest-floods/