As the 2025 harvest winds down, the expected low returns for Midwestern corn and soybean farmers have been making national news. As farmers begin to think about 2026, cash flow is an issue for many, but federal commodity support has been and will continue to help. Farms in counties triggering ARC payments can expect payments to come soon after USDA Farm Service Agency offices fully reopen.
In March, farmers began receiving Emergency Commodity Assistance Payments triggered by low margins for 2024 crops. Most of this funding has been distributed, with Wisconsin farmers receiving around $235 million. In July, farmers begin receiving stage 1 disaster payments for losses in 2023 and 2024 through the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP). So far, Wisconsin farmers have received about $130 million in SDRP payments; stage 2 was to begin in October but was delayed by the shutdown. Farmers can expect more information about SDRP payments once USDA Farm Service Agency offices reopen. Nationally, less than $6 billion of the $21 billion in SDRP payments authorized have been paid.
With these ad hoc programs, farmers may have forgotten about Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC), the traditional Farm Bill commodity support program. County ARC will trigger payments for many Wisconsin farmers due to low revenue for the 2024 crop. Final payment details were not determined until the 2024 marketing year ended on August 31, 2025. Payments would normally have been made in October of 2025, but were delayed by the shutdown. Farms in those counties triggering ARC payments can expect payments to come soon after USDA Farm Service Agency offices fully reopen.
The maps in this article display the distribution of ARC payment rates for all Wisconsin counties for corn, soybean, wheat, and oat base acres. Payment rates for corn and soybeans are estimates, as the USDA has yet to announce the official final payment rates, but these are the approved payment rates for wheat and oat base acres. Large ARC payments have been triggered for many counties for corn and soybeans due to both low yields and low prices, resulting in low county revenue.
ARC payment rates vary a lot across Wisconsin counties and crops. Corn generally receives the highest payment rates, with several counties showing rates above $80/acre. Some counties have significantly lower corn payment rates, with several receiving no payment at all.
Overall, eastern and north central Wisconsin tend to show higher corn and soybean payment rates compared to other regions. Soybean payment rates also vary significantly, ranging from zero to over $50/acre in some counties.
Payment rates for oats and wheat are significantly lower and stay in a tighter range, generally between $5 and $30/acre.
To be eligible for ARC payments, farmers had to enroll base acres in county ARC by the March 15 deadline in 2024. Also, note that farmers are only paid on 85% for their base acres. For example, if a farmer has 50 corn base acres enrolled in a county with a $40/ac payment rate, they will receive a total payment of 85% x 50 acres x $40 per acre = $1,700.
The One Big Beautiful Bill contained many commodity support changes, including increases in the reference prices used to determine ARC and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) payments. For the 2025 crop, farmers will receive the higher of ARC and PLC payments for their acres; these will come in October of 2026 if triggered. Signup for the 2026 crop year should be on schedule to be completed by March 15, 2026. As a result of increased reference prices, the choice between county ARC and PLC will likely not be as clear as in past years. We have yet to analyze the options to develop signup recommendations for 2026, but Wisconsin farmers can expect outreach materials from Extension to provide guidance, as in past years.
