The Farm Service Agency county office typically determines the stocking rate for eligibility in USDA Livestock Forage Disaster Programs. The Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association carried a resolution to the policy meetings at CattleCon to seek changes to that policy. “The problem we had was we have so many members who have gone ahead and used programs like EQIP and improved their best management practices by rotational grazing,” said MSCA State President Jake Thompson. Despite making improvements to the land, stocking rates have not changed and the FSA said producers were overgrazing. “For NCBA or even the Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association, we’re all about keeping the government out of our affairs, but when we do need help, we do need help.”
