San Antonio, Texas – February 27, 2026 – Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) District 6 Director and El Paso, Ill. farmer, Rob Shaffer, met with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins at the Commodity Classic in San Antonio.
New this year, at USDA’s booth at the Commodity Classic Trade Show, farmers can electronically apply for the Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) program in just a matter of minutes.
Shaffer was one of the first farmers to electronically submit his FBA program application to the Farm Service Agency with Secretary Rollins present.
“Because of this new electronic option, I didn’t have to drive to my local Farm Service Agency office and instead was able to submit my application online in less than three minutes” said Shaffer, who is also co-chair of the 2026 Commodity Classic.
The electronic application for the FBA Program is part of a larger initiative by the USDA to modernize the agency—an effort called “One Farmer, One File.”
“It was awesome that Secretary Rollins made the time to come to Classic to visit to hear directly from farmers,” said Shaffer. “It will be nice to have the FBA funds but because of high input prices, they won’t last for long.”
The FBA enrollment program opened February 23 and closes April 17, 2026.
Farmers can learn more and apply today at fsa.usda.gov/resources/programs/farmer-bridge-assistance-fba-program.
Photo Credit: Rhiannon Branch, Commodities Editor, FarmWeek
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The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) checkoff and membership programs represent more than 43,000 soybean farmers in Illinois. The checkoff funds market development, soybean production and government relations efforts, while the membership program, Illinois Soybean Growers (ISG) and the Illinois Soybean Growers PAC actively advocates for positive and impactful legislation for farmers at local, state and national levels. ISA upholds the interests of Illinois soybean farmers through promotion, advocacy, research and education with the vision of becoming a trusted partner of Illinois soybean farmers to ensure their profitability now and for future generations. For more information, visit the website www.ilsoy.org and www.ilsoygrowers.com.
MEDIA CONTACT
Betsy Osman
Illinois Soybean Association
betsy.osman@ilsoy.org
