By Morgan Graham

A new mobile-friendly website will yield easier access for farmers to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) online resources and programs.

Through Farmers.gov, producers can obtain conservation forms, request disaster relief and locate a crop insurance agent without visiting their local USDA office.

While speaking with Alabama farmers in Marion County in May, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue discussed the new website and combining work of USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) and National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

“I want our farmers to be able to say USDA is the most efficient and most customer-focused agency in the federal government,” Perdue said. “Our goal at USDA is to provide you with seamless service across our agencies.”

As the Farmers.gov site grows, additional features will be added, according to a release from Perdue’s office earlier this week. Those features include an interactive calendar, online appointment feature, digital forms and data dashboard. Once the farm bill is signed into law, a plain-language description and other tools will help farmers determine assistance eligibility.

The Alabama Farmers Federation’s Mitt Walker said streamlining this process will better serve farmers.

“Programs like FSA and NRCS help our farmers daily,” said Walker, the Federation’s National Legislative Programs director. “Having this information at their fingertips will help farmers be more productive and efficient.”

Learn more at Farmers.gov.