Farm operators have until Friday, December 11, 2026, to enroll in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s two main commodity safety nets, Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC). Missing the date has a concrete cost: no 2026 payments from either program for the farm.
The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) lists the 2026 election and enrollment period as September 16 through December 11, 2026. The agency says that producers who do not submit a 2026 election by that date keep the same election they made for 2025, and the farm is ineligible for payments for the 2026 program year.
For anyone who farms land with base acres, the task is to make the 2026 ARC or PLC election and finish enrollment before the window closes. FSA’s instruction is to contact the local FSA office. Eligible participants are agricultural producers with an interest in a commodity grown on a farm that has base acres.
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Who can enroll in ARC and PLC?
FSA says eligible participants include agricultural producers who have an interest in a commodity grown on a farm with base acres. Base acres are the historic acreage tied to a farm’s covered commodities, and the farm, not the individual, is what carries them.
Landowners are not automatically in. FSA states that landowners cannot enroll in either program unless they have a share interest in the crops on the farm. A landlord who rents ground for a fixed cash payment and has no stake in the crop does not qualify on that basis alone.
What happens to farms that miss December 11?
The default is spelled out on the FSA page. A farm with no 2026 election on file by December 11 stays with its 2025 election for its crops, and it cannot be paid under either program for the 2026 program year.
That makes the deadline a one-way door. A farm that had signed up under one program in 2025 does not lose its coverage choice by missing the date, but it does lose the 2026 payments, which is the money the programs exist to provide when prices or revenue fall short.
Why does December 11 show up elsewhere in Washington?
ARC and PLC are not the only items on that date. A law-firm review of year-end deadlines lists several federal authorities that lapse on December 11, 2026, including surface transportation authorities, the EPA’s authority to collect certain fees and the National Flood Insurance Program.
The same date marks the end of the current stopgap spending bill. A Holland & Knight analysis published October 9, 2026, by a team of the law firm’s attorneys led by Rich Gold, says the current continuing resolution funds the government through December 11, 2026, and that it funds USDA operations through that date.
The same analysis states the enrollment dates directly: USDA began 2026 ARC and PLC enrollment on September 16, 2026, and will continue enrollment through December 11, 2026. It adds that the 2025 reconciliation law expanded commodity support, including authority to allocate up to 30 million additional base acres. The firm says year-end outcomes could include another continuing resolution or a hybrid package.
What should a farm have ready when it calls FSA?
FSA’s page tells producers to contact the local FSA office to make elections and complete enrollment, and the page links a tool to find the nearest office. A farm that shares crops with a landlord or tenant needs every person with an interest in the crops accounted for, since FSA ties eligibility to that interest.
With seven weeks between Sunday, October 25, and the December 11 close, there is time for a visit. Waiting until the final week leaves no room for a missing signature or a question about base acres.
Self-employed and on a tight income this winter?
The ARC and PLC deadline shows how a single missed date can close off a year of payments. Many other opt-in programs work the same way: nothing arrives unless the application is filed, and income limits decide who gets in.
The Benefits Checklist is not a farm-program guide and does not handle ARC or PLC. It scans 11 benefit programs retirees most often miss, with the 2026 income limits and a 50-state phone directory, so a farm family can see which programs are worth setting up. A printable tracker comes with the download.
Check the 2026 income limits in The Benefits Checklist before another deadline slips by →
More Financial Reading
- 21 Ways to Stretch a $2,087 Social Security Check
- 15 Places to Find Your Share of the $4.25 Billion States Give Back
- The New $6,000 Senior Deduction and 14 More Tax Moves for Retirees
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
