AskUSDA (2024)

FAQs

Is it too late to apply for the Black Farmers Settlement? ›

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture reminds farmers, ranchers and forest landowners that January 13, 2024, is the deadline to apply for the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP). This program is made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, which provided $2.2 billion in funding.

The guidance resource, askFSIS, is a Web-based computer application, designed to respond to technical and policy-related questions from FSIS inspectors, industry, consumers, other stakeholders, and the public.

​​​ AskUSDA is a contact center that answers general inquiries from the public using trained agents and self-service options. To date, AskUSDA has partnered with 19 agencies to improve the customer experience offered to the public.

Black Farmers Lawsuit Settlement Checks

As previously mentioned, $2.2 billion has been set aside by Congress for discrimination experienced by farmers. $500,000 is available for each claim.

These payments help mitigate fluctuations in either revenue or prices for certain crops. Payments for crops that may trigger for the 2023 crop year will be issued in the fall of 2024.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is the public health regulatory agency responsible for ensuring that United States' commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged.

Alternative 3: involves the use of sanitation measures alone to prevent Lm in the processing environment and on the RTE product. There are separate FCS sampling requirements for deli meat and hot dogs produced under this alternative.

FSIS provides for the inspection of each animal or bird at slaughter and processed products during various stages of production. FSIS inspects all raw meat and poultry sold in interstate and foreign commerce, including imported products. It monitors meat and poultry products after they leave federally inspected plants.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.

Who funds the US Department of Agriculture? ›

USDA programs are funded through the annual Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies (Ag-FDA) appropriations bill. USDA-RD operates a broad range of programs vital to rural counties and the communities we serve.

These scammers try to pressure customers into giving them money or personal information. Scam callers can fake or “spoof” the caller identification (ID) on your phone, making it seem the call is legitimate. A USDA caller ID number appearing on your phone does NOT mean the person calling you is actually a USDA employee.

Here's how it works

Send black farmers application via email, link, or fax. You can also download it, export it or print it out. Type text, add images, blackout confidential details, add comments, highlights and more. Draw your signature, type it, upload its image, or use your mobile device as a signature pad.

Section 22007 of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provides financial assistance for farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who experienced discrimination by USDA in USDA's farm lending prior to 2021. The application period closed on January 17, 2024.

Congress provided $2.2 million for the DFAP. The amount of each applicant's payment will depend on the number of eligible people who apply and the consequences of the discrimination. Individual awards will vary and are capped at $500,000; however, nearly all financial assistance awards will be less than that amount.

Where can I check the status of my application? You can check the status of your application by calling 1-800-721-0970 or (if you filed your application online) by visiting forms.22007apply.gov . Having your confirmation ID is helpful to retrieve your application status but not required.