Farm Programs

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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FARM SERVICE AGENCY FACT SHEET

September 2017

Acreage Reporting

OVERVIEW

A crop acreage report is a record of crops of a crop 

year on a farm. The crop acreage report (FSA-578) is 

filed annually with the Farm Service Agency (FSA). 

The FSA-578 is used by producers to document all 

crops and intended uses, including failed acreage 

and acres that may have been prevented from being 

planted. The crop acreage report must be filed by the 

crop’s applicable final reporting date. Acreage reports 

provide information necessary for:

• Eligibility for current or future U.S. Department 

of Agriculture (USDA) programs;

• Determining highly erodible land conservation 

and wetland conservation compliance; and

• History purposes.

WHO CAN FILE

Any farm operator, owner or producer with a share 

interest in crop acreage on the farm may file an 

acreage report.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION

Acreage reporting maps are used to illustrate 

where crops are located on the farm and to provide 

information to the county office. The county FSA 

office can provide maps of the land you are reporting 

to complete prior to filing your acreage report. The 

following information must be included on the map:

• Farm number;

• Tract number;

• Field (common land unit)/subfield number;

• Crop;

• Intended use;

• Numbers of acres or other applicable unit of 

measurement;

• Approximate boundaries of the crop (if different 

than the common land unit);

• Planting pattern, when applicable;

• Irrigation practice;

• Planting date, when applicable; and

• Producer shares.

FINAL ACREAGE REPORT DATE (ARD)

Fall-planted and perennial crops are reported in the 

fall, generally around Nov. 15.

Spring-planted crops are reported in the summer, 

generally around July 15.

Crops must be filed by the final ARD regardless of 

program participation. Program application, contract 

or signup deadlines have no bearing on the deadline 

for filing an acreage report by the ARD.

Contact your local county office for the applicable 

ARD for the crops you wish to report.

Exception: Persons or legal entities who acquire a 

share interest in crop acreage after the ARD have 

30 days from the date they acquire that interest to 

either update the crop acreage report with that interest 

or to report the acreage (if not already reported).

LATE-FILED REPORT OF ACREAGE

Late-filed acreage report may be filed after the ARD 

if the person filing the late-filed crop acreage report 

pays the cost of a farm visit to determine the crop 

acreage, type, use and practice. Physical existence or 

residue of the late-filed reported crop acreage for the 

crop must exist to enable FSA to verify and determine 

the crop acreage, crop type, use and practice. Because 

of physical existence and evidence requirements in a 

crop year to support verification of late-filed 

FSA-578s, late-filed reports of acreage are permitted 

after a crop’s ARD up until the subsequent year’s 

ARD for the crop.

PREVENTED PLANTED REPORT OF 

ACREAGE

Producers can report prevented planting when 

they are unable to plant the intended crop acreage 

by the final planting date because of a natural 

disaster. It is a producer’s responsibility to provide 

proper documentation of the prevented planting. 

Additionally, under some programs FSA administers, 

prevented planting must be reported in various ways 

and within 15 days of when it occurred.
FACT SHEET

Acreage Reporting September 2017

MEASUREMENT SERVICE

Most programs FSA administers require accurate 

acreage reporting. Producers who want assistance 

in determining crop acreage can seek an FSA 

measurement service. Producer-requested and paid 

for FSA measurement services are official and 

guaranteed. Producers must file a request with the 

county office staff and pay the cost of a field visit 

to have stake and referencing or measurement after 

planting is done on the farm. Measurement service is 

available using digital imagery. If an on-site visit is 

not required, producers are charged a reduced rate.

REPORTING COVER CROPS

Grass, legume and forbs crops that are primarily used 

for erosion control, soil health or water quality can 

also be reported with an intended use of cover only.

If a cover crop is harvested for any use other than 

forage or grazing and is not terminated according to 

policy guidelines, then that crop will no longer be 

considered a cover crop and the acreage report must 

be revised according to FSA policy for revisions. FSA 

program eligibility for cover crops that are hayed or 

grazed will be determined by each specific program 

administered by FSA.

REPORTING ORGANIC CROPS

Crops are not required to be reported as organic; 

however, when an acreage report is filed for an 

organic crop, the producer must provide the following 

to FSA:

• Current organic plan, including map of certified 

organic acreage, transitional acreage, and buffer 

strip, as applicable; and

• Organic certificate (written certificate) or 

documentation from a certifying agent indicating 

an organic plan is in effect.

For more information on organic certification, please 

visit https://www.ams.usda.gov.

CONTINUOUS CERTIFICATION

Selected crops are eligible to be reported on a 

continuous basis. This includes select perennial crops 

and acreage enrolled under the Conservation Reserve 

Program (CRP).

Continuous certification allows crops to be reported 

once and that crop data and certification will remain 

in effect until a change has been made to that crop 

data or the CRP contract has expired.

These will meet the requirement for reporting by the 

applicable ARD for the crop.

SAVE TIME - MAKE AN APPOINTMENT

You can reduce the time it may take to file crop 

acreage reports by calling your servicing county FSA 

office before your visit to discuss any records or 

documentation that you may need to have with you 

and to possibly make an appointment for your visit. 

For local FSA service center contact information, 

please visit http://offices.usda.gov.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

This fact sheet is for informational purposes 

only; other restrictions may apply. To find more 

information about acreage reporting, visit 

https://www.ams.usda.gov or contact your local 

FSA office. To find your local FSA office, visit 

http://offices.usda.gov.

_________________________________________

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of 

Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its 

Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or 

administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based 

on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including 

gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, 

family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, 

political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in 

any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply 

to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program 

or incident.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication 

for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American 

Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA’s 

TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA 

through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program 

Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at http://www.

ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office or write 

a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information 

requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 

632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary

 for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C.

 20250-9410;

2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or

3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

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