The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program unveiled by Sonny Perdue, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, is designed to provide $19 billion to support farmers and ranchers while maintaining the integrity of the food supply chain, according to the USDA.

Craig Stehly is a no-tiller who farms 12,000 acres of corn, soybeans, winter wheat and a variety of cover crops around Mitchell, S.D., with his brother, Gene. I caught up with Craig the afternoon of Wednesday, April 8.

Signed into law on March 27, the CARES Act provides more than $2 trillion in economic stimulus. This Market Intel from the Farm Bureau delves into provisions of the CARES Act and explains that the extent to which the legislation will help ag producers depends on how some provisions are interpreted by the Small Business Administration.

The $2 trillion appropriations bill known as the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provides funding to the USDA for salaries and other expenses to cover costs for response efforts as well as reimbursement for funds previously spent in direct assistance to producers. University of Illinois economists explain how the funding will be used.

Using a cloud-based service to help monitor fields and get relevant up-to-date information may help farmers keep priorities in order while minimizing the need to contact off-farm people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To help prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2, USDA Service Centers will be open for business by phone appointment only until further notice. Field work will continue with appropriate social distancing.

New resource page available to provide timely information for member companies and concerned citizens.