Five things to know about working with a local USDA Service Center

1. Every county has a U.S. Department of Agriculture Service Center that houses Farm Service Agency and National Resource Conservation Services. This is where farmers and landowners go to access their programs. As a renter, you can still work with these agencies.

2. With FSA and NRCS, you can access financial assistance through conservation programs, farming loans and disaster assistance.

3. What are farm numbers? As a farmer, renter or landowner, you need a farm number to access NRCS or FSA programs. Farm numbers are free, there is no minimum acreage requirement and they allow you to vote in...