After our meeting with Secretary Rollins this week and multiple discussions with the White House, I’m pleased that the Department of Ag will be reopening Farm Service Agency offices for a few days each week during the shutdown.

We received word from the South Dakota FSA offices that they will be reopening all county FSA offices beginning on Thursday, October 23 with limited staff available. Two employees will be in the office processing CRP payments and offering Marketing Assistance Loans. Employees who are authorized to endorse checks will be available daily but for very limited time due to funding constraints caused by the government shutdown.

The FSA is encouraging producers to contact their local county office to find out when checks can be endorsed before coming into the office. We understand that this is not a perfect solution, but we are hoping it offers some relief for producers during this government shutdown.

Please be patient with the FSA staff and thank them for working during this difficult time. They are working without a paycheck and have also endured financial stress during this government shutdown.