Specialty crop growers can now apply for financial assistance under a $1.625 billion program announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) was established in response to elevated input costs and market disruptions resulting from foreign competitors engaging in unfair trade practices that impeded specialty crop exports, USDA said.

The total funds for the program are $625 million above the originally announced $1 billion. USDA allocated $11 billion for the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program for row crop farmers.

Payments will be administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA).

Payment calculation
Assistance will range from $25 to $650 per acre across four different tiers:

  • Tier 1 ($650 per acre): includes eligible specialty crops with an average annual revenue of more than $10,000 per acre.
  • Tier 2 ($225 per acre): includes eligible crops with an average annual revenue of more than $2,300 per acre and up to $10,000 per acre.
  • Tier 3($65 per acre): includes eligible crops with an average annual revenue of up to $2,300 per acre.
  • Beans and Peas ($25 per acre): includes all types of beans and peas that were not eligible for the bridge assistance program.

The maximum any farmer can receive is $250,000.

For more information on how revenue per acre was calculated, visit fsa.usda.gov/ascf.

USDA said specialty crop payments are intended to provide financial support to allow farmers to pay for production and marketing inputs in the face of significant market disruptions during the 2025 growing season.

Eligibility
Specialty crop acres of eligible crops reported to FSA as an initial, double crop, repeat crop, or subsequent crop by April 24, 2026, will be used to determine ASCF program payments.

Acreage that is reported as a cover crop, prevented planted or with an intended use of grazing, left standing, green manure, silage, forage, volunteer or experimental will not be used to determine ASCF program payments.

For a list of eligible specialty crops visit fsa.usda.gov/ascf.

Specialty crops grown in a controlled environment are not eligible, except for mushrooms.

How to apply
Pre-filled applications will be available online to farmers with a Login.gov account who timely filed their 2025 crop acreage report for eligible specialty crops.

Starting on June 1, 2026, farmers who have a Login.gov account can access and submit their pre-filled application from fsa.usda.gov/ascf.

Beginning June 8, 2026, farmers can request their pre-filled ASCF application from their FSA county office.

The deadline to submit completed ASCF applications is Aug. 7, 2026.

Farmers can complete their applications online or submit them to their FSA county office.

Payments will be issued as applications are submitted and approved, beginning as early as the first week of signup.

Login.gov
Login.gov is the public’s one account for government. Producers can use one account and password for secure, private access to participating government agencies, including FSA.

To apply for ASCF online, producers can start by visiting fsa.usda.gov/ascf to create their Login.gov account. Producers who have an existing Login.gov account can work with FSA using their existing account.

With a secure Login.gov account, producers can be amongst the first to apply for ASCF, allowing them to view, complete, certify, and submit their application as well as track their application and payment status.

For assistance creating a Login.gov account, visit login.gov/help.

More information
More information on ASCF is available online at fsa.usda.gov/ascf.

Farmers can also contact their local FSA county office.