The U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced this week that 46 Iowa counties are now authorized for emergency haying or grazing use of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres for fiscal year 2023. Among those counties are Washington, Henry, Louisa, Jefferson, and Keokuk.

Counties are automatically approved for CRP emergency haying and grazing when they reach severe drought levels and are outside of the primary nesting season, which ended on August 1. CRP participants must receive approval for both emergency haying and grazing from their county FSA Office before any action is taken. The emergency haying authorizations end on August 31, while the emergency grazing period ends on September 30.

For more information, or to request approval for emergency haying or grazing use of CRP acres, click here.