# Farmer's Navigator
> Free agricultural intelligence platform providing USDA program guides, calculators, and daily market data for U.S. farmers and ranchers. Every guide is free — no login, no paywall. Built and maintained by Doug McCarty of Spencer Shadow Ranch (Eugene, OR), based on firsthand experience applying for USDA programs.

## About
Farmer's Navigator helps producers understand and access USDA conservation programs, crop insurance, disaster assistance, and FSA loans. Coverage spans all 50 states and 3,103 counties with county-specific program data, local NRCS/FSA office contacts, and commodity-mix-aware program recommendations. Editorial provenance: https://farmersnavigator.com/authors/doug

## Program Guides
- [EQIP](https://farmersnavigator.com/programs/eqip): Environmental Quality Incentives Program — eligibility, payment rates, application process
- [EQIP Brush Management](https://farmersnavigator.com/programs/eqip-brush-management): EQIP for juniper, mesquite, and invasive woody species removal
- [EQIP Fencing](https://farmersnavigator.com/programs/eqip-fencing): Practice 382 — what cost-share rates EQIP can pay per foot
- [EQIP Prescribed Grazing](https://farmersnavigator.com/programs/eqip-prescribed-grazing): Practice 528 — rotational grazing planning and cost-share
- [EQIP Water Development](https://farmersnavigator.com/programs/eqip-water-development): Wells, pipelines, tanks, springs — EQIP-funded livestock water
- [CSP](https://farmersnavigator.com/programs/csp): Conservation Stewardship Program — enrollment, enhancements, payment structure
- [CRP](https://farmersnavigator.com/programs/crp): Conservation Reserve Program — rental rates, sign-up periods, obligations
- [ACEP](https://farmersnavigator.com/programs/acep): Agricultural Conservation Easement Program — selling development rights
- [Crop Insurance](https://farmersnavigator.com/programs/crop-insurance): Federal crop insurance — Revenue Protection vs Yield Protection, coverage levels
- [WFRP](https://farmersnavigator.com/programs/wfrp): Whole-Farm Revenue Protection — diversified-operation insurance
- [Livestock Insurance](https://farmersnavigator.com/programs/livestock-insurance): LRP, PRF, and how they work together
- [Disaster Assistance](https://farmersnavigator.com/programs/disaster-assistance): SDRP, ELAP, LIP, LFP, TAP — livestock and crop disaster programs
- [SDRP](https://farmersnavigator.com/programs/sdrp): Supplemental Disaster Relief Program for 2023 and 2024 crop losses
- [FBA](https://farmersnavigator.com/programs/fba): Farmer Bridge Assistance — per-acre payments for 20 covered row-crop commodities
- [ASCF](https://farmersnavigator.com/programs/ascf): Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers
- [FSA Loans](https://farmersnavigator.com/programs/fsa-loans): Operating loans, ownership loans, microloans, emergency loans
- [NAP](https://farmersnavigator.com/programs/nap): Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program
- [Predator Management](https://farmersnavigator.com/programs/predator-management): LIP for predator losses + Wildlife Services
- [Beginning Farmer](https://farmersnavigator.com/programs/beginning-farmer): Set-asides, higher payment rates, priority access for new operations
- [ARC & PLC](https://farmersnavigator.com/programs/arc-plc): Farm bill commodity programs — ARC-CO vs PLC decision guide
- [DMC](https://farmersnavigator.com/programs/dmc): Dairy Margin Coverage
- [OBBB Guide](https://farmersnavigator.com/programs/obbb): One Big Beautiful Bill Act (2025) — what changed for farmers and ranchers
- [Program Stacking](https://farmersnavigator.com/programs/program-stacking): Combining EQIP, CSP, FSA loans, and disaster payments
- [Public Lands Grazing](https://farmersnavigator.com/programs/public-lands-grazing): BLM and Forest Service permits + how USDA programs fit in
- [Working Lands for Wildlife](https://farmersnavigator.com/programs/working-lands-for-wildlife): Enhanced EQIP/CSP in priority landscapes
- [Regenerative Pilot](https://farmersnavigator.com/programs/regenerative-pilot): FY2026 whole-farm conservation pilot bundling EQIP and CSP
- [Preconditioning](https://farmersnavigator.com/programs/preconditioning): Premium capture for cow-calf operations through preconditioning protocols
- [Ranch Succession](https://farmersnavigator.com/programs/ranch-succession): Easements, estate tax, keeping the operation in the family

## Tools and Calculators
- [Navigator Pulse](https://farmersnavigator.com/pulse): Daily agricultural intelligence dashboard — weather, commodity prices, drought status, deadlines, personalized by zip code
- [Program Screener](https://farmersnavigator.com/screener): Find USDA programs that fit your operation
- [USDA Deadlines](https://farmersnavigator.com/tools/deadlines): Upcoming program deadlines, sortable by program type
- [Deadlines Explained](https://farmersnavigator.com/tools/deadlines-explained): Plain-English guide to what each USDA deadline means
- [Application Timeline](https://farmersnavigator.com/tools/application-timeline): Month-by-month USDA application calendar
- [Program Comparison](https://farmersnavigator.com/tools/compare): Side-by-side EQIP, CSP, FSA Loans, disaster, crop insurance
- [Action Packets](https://farmersnavigator.com/tools/action-packets): Pre-filled application packets and checklists by program
- [Application Checklist](https://farmersnavigator.com/tools/checklist): Cross-program documentation requirements
- [Scripts for FSA/NRCS Calls](https://farmersnavigator.com/tools/scripts): What to say when you call your county office
- [Stacking Calculator](https://farmersnavigator.com/tools/stacking): Estimate combined payments from multiple USDA programs
- [State Programs Browser](https://farmersnavigator.com/tools/state-programs): State-level cost-share programs that stack with federal USDA
- [Changes for 2026](https://farmersnavigator.com/tools/changes-2026): What's new for the 2026 program year
- [OBBB Provisions](https://farmersnavigator.com/tools/obbb): Plain-English guide to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act agriculture provisions
- [Drought & Disaster Dashboard](https://farmersnavigator.com/tools/drought): County drought status + qualifying USDA disaster programs
- [Emergency Programs Guide](https://farmersnavigator.com/tools/emergency): Disaster filing, ECP, EFRP, what to file when
- [PRF Rainfall Analysis](https://farmersnavigator.com/tools/prf): Pasture, Rangeland, Forage insurance — county-level rainfall index analysis
- [LRP Calculator](https://farmersnavigator.com/tools/lrp): Livestock Risk Protection premium estimator
- [LRP Historical Performance](https://farmersnavigator.com/tools/lrp-backtest): 20+ years of LRP premium-vs-indemnity backtest
- [LFP Calculator](https://farmersnavigator.com/tools/lfp-calculator): Livestock Forage Disaster Program payment estimator
- [APH Calculator](https://farmersnavigator.com/tools/aph-calculator): Actual Production History yield calculator
- [ARC vs PLC Decision Tool](https://farmersnavigator.com/tools/arc-plc): Compare ARC-CO and PLC program payments
- [ARC/PLC Estimator](https://farmersnavigator.com/tools/arc-plc-estimator): Project ARC and PLC payments under different scenarios
- [Coverage Explorer](https://farmersnavigator.com/tools/coverage-explorer): Compare crop insurance coverage levels and premiums
- [Unit Comparison](https://farmersnavigator.com/tools/unit-comparison): Basic, optional, and enterprise units side by side
- [Payment Estimator](https://farmersnavigator.com/tools/payment-estimator): Estimate combined federal payments by operation
- [EQIP Cost Estimator](https://farmersnavigator.com/tools/eqip-estimator): Estimate out-of-pocket cost for EQIP conservation practices
- [EQIP Scoring Guide](https://farmersnavigator.com/tools/eqip-scoring): How NRCS ranks EQIP applications and what raises your score
- [EQIP Rejected Playbook](https://farmersnavigator.com/tools/eqip-rejected): What to do after an EQIP application is denied
- [Grazing Calculator](https://farmersnavigator.com/tools/grazing-calculator): Stocking-rate planning + AUMs for prescribed grazing
- [Cow-Calf Breakeven](https://farmersnavigator.com/tools/cowcalf-breakeven): Operation-level breakeven by weaning weight and price
- [Retained Ownership](https://farmersnavigator.com/tools/retained-ownership): Cow-calf vs retained-ownership return analysis

## State and County Guides
50 state guides at https://farmersnavigator.com/states. Sample state hubs:
- [Texas](https://farmersnavigator.com/states/texas) — 254 counties; brush management, livestock water, drought aid
- [Missouri](https://farmersnavigator.com/states/missouri) — 114 counties; row crops, cattle, conservation
- [Iowa](https://farmersnavigator.com/states/iowa) — 99 counties; corn, soybeans, hog operations
- [California](https://farmersnavigator.com/states/california) — 58 counties; irrigation efficiency, dairy, specialty crops
- [Nebraska](https://farmersnavigator.com/states/nebraska) — 93 counties; row crops, cattle, irrigation

3,103 county guides — full URL list at https://farmersnavigator.com/sitemap-counties.xml. Each county guide includes local NRCS/FSA service center contact, NASS farm count and ag acres, top commodities by sales, EQIP/CSP/FSA program guidance for that county's commodity mix, and neighbor-county cross-links.

## Methodology and Provenance
- Editorial: https://farmersnavigator.com/about — built by a rancher applying for these programs himself
- Author: https://farmersnavigator.com/authors/doug
- Voice and content principles: plain English, conditional language on USDA payment claims, primary-source citation
- Data sources: NRCS, FSA, RMA, USDA NASS, NOAA, USDM, FEMA, USGS — all primary government data
- Privacy: https://farmersnavigator.com/privacy