The USDA has launched the Farm Bridge Assistance Program, and Montana farmers say the money is already making a difference as they prepare for the spring planting season.
"The Farm Bridge Assistance Program is, actually it's just a sum of money that Congress put aside. They put aside $11 billion, in December of last year, and they allocated to the major crops in the country," president of the Montana Grain Growers Association Steve Sheffels said.
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"We farmers would really rather not have it, but it's a significant kind of shot in the arm for us at this point in time. It's going to allow a lot of farmers in Montana to be able to, get a loan from the bank and be able to plant their spring crops," Sheffels said.
"The FBA payment that our farm received was pretty much exactly 30% of my fertilizer bill for the year. So it's it's just enough to help. Offset some of those high input prices that we're seeing," Sheffels said.
Ron Johnson, a Conrad resident and farmer, said the program is providing financial relief.
"It feels pretty good to be able to pay to pay some bills and, hopefully get through the year a little bit easier," Johnson said.
For Johnson, the money is already making a difference, going toward existing bills and upcoming expenses.
"Last fall's fertilizer bills things like that. And we're getting started now buying seed and fertilizer for this spring. So it'll be used for that," Johnson said.
"It helps us out to keep going until we get the payments that we'll probably we'll get from the, farm program payments, or at least from the one big, beautiful bill," Johnson said.
The Montana Grain Growers Association said applying for the program is straightforward. The amount a farmer receives is calculated based on what they planted last year.
