To help ensure that all existing and potential USDA customers are being properly served in local offices, federal law and USDA regulations require that a Receipt for Service be provided to any current or prospective agricultural producer or landowner who requests, in person or in writing, a benefit or service from the Farm Service Agency (FSA), the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Rural Development (RD). With the barriers to in-person visits created by COVID-19, some USDA agencies have temporarily extended Receipt for Service to telephone requests as well.
If you are a landowner or agricultural producer, all USDA representatives of the agencies listed above must provide you a Receipt for Service to document any approved, denied or requested services. If you are not given a Receipt for Service at the end of your visit or transaction, be sure to ask for one, as it is your right.
USDA is currently working on reviewing and improving Receipt for Service to ensure it is carried out in the most effective way possible.
Anyone who experiences any problems obtaining a Receipt for Service can contact the USDA Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement at 202-720-6350 or partnerships@usda.gov.
Another resource is USDA’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights.