USDA’s WHIP Program You May Qualify for Payments

This afternoon I received an email from Jeff Schultz Farm Business Management Instructor at the South Central College in Faribault about the USDA's WHIP Program. WHIP (the Federal Government loves acronyms) stands for Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program. I remember hearing about the program and thinking it did not apply to farmers in Minnesota.  We did not have hurricanes or wildfires in Southern Minnesota.

However, Jeff's email pointed out the WHIP program provides disaster payments "to producers to offset losses from hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, typhoons, volcanic activity, snowstorms and wildfire. WHIP is specifically targeted to losses of crops, trees, bushes and vines that occurred in 2028 and 2019." Farmers are eligible if your county received  a Presidential Emergency Disaster Declaration, or Secretarial Disaster Declaration.

Jeff's email also included the counties in Minnesota that were eligible. My three counties Faribault, Waseca and Freeborn were on the list. So, when you are at your Farm Service Agency Office signing up for the New Farm Bill be sure to ask about the WHIP Program. Maybe your yields were low enough or you had losses to buildings that you may qualify for a payment?