The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in partnership with FarmRaise, launched a new, online Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP) Decision Tool.

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) tool is designed to assist farmers and ranchers who have been impacted by natural disasters access available program support.

This ELAP Decision Tool, a component of a broader disaster assistance program educational module, further expands the library of online FSA disaster and farm loan program reference resources and decision aids currently available to farmers and ranchers on the FarmRaise FSA educational hub.

The Decision Tool is a resource only and is not an application for benefits or a determination of eligibility.

“The Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees and Farm-raised Fish Program is our most flexible tool for dealing with natural disasters and other qualifying losses. As we continue to enhance this critical program, having the right tool to streamline application processes can expedite assistance,” FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux said. “FarmRaise uses feedback from cooperators and producers to develop the tools they request to more easily navigate our programs, allowing them to maximize assistance available through FSA’s extensive program portfolio. This tool is the next iteration of this important work.”

ELAP is designed to address losses not covered by other FSA disaster assistance programs. The program provides recovery assistance to eligible producers of livestock, honey bees and farm-raised fish losses due to an eligible adverse weather or loss condition, including drought, blizzards, disease, water shortages and wildfires.

ELAP covers grazing and feed losses, transportation of water and feed to livestock and hauling livestock to grazing acres due to an eligible loss condition. ELAP also covers certain mortality losses, due to an eligible condition, for livestock including honey bees and farm-raised fish, as well as honey bee hive losses.

New FarmRaise tools and resources
FarmRaise, in partnership with FSA, recently launched their online, educational hub—the FarmRaise | FSA Educational Hub— comprised of videos, tools and interactive resources that enable USDA cooperators and agricultural producers to learn about and access major FSA programs.

A new addition to the hub, the ELAP Decision Tool helps eligible producers impacted by qualifying natural disasters and other eligible causes of loss better understand program eligibility and application requirements, learn about record-keeping and supporting loss documentation requirements and track the steps needed before applying for program benefits.

The document generated by the ELAP Decision Tool can be used to support the ELAP application process, but it is not a program application. Producers will need to complete and submit the ELAP application to their local FSA county office. Upon request, applicants may be asked to provide additional supporting documentation per the program requirements.

Through use of the ELAP Decision Tool, farmers and ranchers can segment by loss type (honey bee, farm-raised fish and livestock). This enables easier navigation, as guided by the tool, to assistance available to meet specific disaster recovery needs.

After entering the type of loss, identifying the loss condition and entering their inventory and loss information, producers are guided through a worksheet that helps identify required loss documentation. The documentation (i.e., pictures, receipts, truck logs, etc.) can be uploaded through the ELAP tool and sent directly to the producer’s local FSA county office, or producers can provide a copy of the tool-generated worksheet summary document when they visit their local FSA county office to complete and submit the required ELAP application.

“We’re thrilled to expand the resources available on the FarmRaise FSA Educational Hub, with a particular focus on disaster relief and emergency programs,” said Sami Tellatin, the COO of FarmRaise. “It’s imperative that farmers and ranchers have easy access to these much-needed assistance programs, and the newest resources available on the hub will ensure greater empowerment and a smoother process for producers already facing difficult circumstances.”

Additional FarmRaise resources
The previously announced Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) Decision Tool, also available through the  FarmRaise | FSA Educational Hub, assists livestock producers who suffered losses from eligible adverse weather events and other causes of loss, as well as cooperators who are helping disaster-impacted livestock producers navigate available federal disaster assistance programs.

The LIP Decision Tool gives ranchers guidance on what is needed to gather and submit required loss documentation, reducing the amount of time needed to complete applications and enabling FSA county office staff to deliver much-needed assistance faster. Using the LIP Decision Tool is not an application for benefits or a determination of eligibility.

In addition to the new ELAP Decision Tool and the LIP Decision Tool, the FarmRaise | FSA Educational Hub offers several, easily navigated farm loan programs how-to videos designed to introduce producers to FSA’s many farm loan programs options and guide them through the application process.

More FSA program resources and tools will continue to be added to the FarmRaise | FSA Educational Hub. Cooperators and agricultural producers are encouraged to visit the FarmRaise | FSA Educational Hub often to access all available educational resources.