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Alachua County, FL

Cattle prices near Alachua County, Florida. The closest sale barn with a recent report is Lake City FL in Lake City, FL, about 39 miles away. On Nov 9, 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) averaged $370.30 per hundredweight on 8 head (USDA). Check a bid against your own costs with Ring Price.

Check a bid with Ring Price

Change county
CRP emergency haying & grazing: Alachua County is on FSA's list (since Sep 1, 2026). Check with your FSA county office first. Details · FSA list as of Nov 5, 2026.
Drought ModerateD1 · most of county Drought pay (LFP) Eligibleup to 5 payments Burn ban Checkcall the county Lake City FL 5-wt steers $370per cwt

Alachua County rain, outlook and forecast

Most of Alachua County, FL was in moderate drought (D1) on the Nov 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map, with a sliver (<1%) at severe drought (D2); some part has been in severe drought (D2) or worse for 46 straight weeks. Over 90 days rain is at 122% of normal, and the last 30 days came in at 45% (well below normal); the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans wetter than normal (40% chance of above-normal rain) and the NWS forecast peaks at a 29% rain chance on Tuesday (high 73°). Alachua County is on FSA's 2026 LFP list with up to 5 monthly payments, and Lake City FL is the closest USDA-reported sale barn at 39 miles.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 45% of normal
  • Last 60 days 119% of normal
  • Last 90 days 122% of normal

NOAA river forecast center rain (radar plus gauges) at the county center, Nov 15, 2026. Source.

Rain outlook

  • 6-10 day outlook (Nov 20–24) Leans wetter than normal (40% chance of above-normal rain)
  • 8-14 day outlook (Nov 22–28) Leans wetter than normal (50% chance of above-normal rain)

NOAA Climate Prediction Center precipitation outlook, issued Nov 14, 2026. Source.

Next 7 days

  1. Today Sunny, high 67°, low 47°, 0% rain, wind 9 mph
  2. Monday Partly Sunny, high 71°, low 57°, 26% rain, wind 8–14 mph
  3. Tuesday Chance Rain Showers, high 73°, low 58°, 29% rain, wind 14–16 mph
  4. Wednesday Chance Rain Showers, high 76°, low 60°, 25% rain, wind 12–17 mph
  5. Thursday Slight Chance Rain Showers, high 78°, low 62°, 19% rain, wind 14–17 mph
  6. Friday Slight Chance Rain Showers, high 77°, low 60°, 22% rain, wind 10–17 mph
  7. Saturday Slight Chance Rain Showers, high 78°, low 59°, 23% rain, wind 7–15 mph

National Weather Service forecast for the county center, updated Nov 15, 2026. Wind, warnings and burn bans.

PRF pasture insurance: sign up by Dec 1, 2026

The 2027 Pasture, Rangeland, Forage (PRF) insurance sales closing date for Alachua County is Dec 1, 2026, 16 days from today. PRF (Rainfall Index) pays on a rainfall index for your grid, not on your own rain gauge. You buy it through a crop insurance agent.

How PRF works · PRF 2027 sign-up · Find your grid on RMA's PRF tool

Date from USDA RMA's actuarial data, read Aug 28, 2026 · RMA dates map. Your agent confirms the date for your policy.

Alachua County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Alachua County grew about 3,417 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 125% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 2,730 pounds per acre. That was the 2nd best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2024 at 3,567 pounds per acre; worst: 1986 at 1,058.

Pounds per acre of new grass and forbs each year on rangeland and pasture, from the Rangeland Analysis Platform (satellite-based estimates). See every year on the Land tab.

Open loss windows

No open loss windows in Alachua County right now. A 30-day window opens when the county first hits severe drought (D2), jumps to D3 or D4, or after a blizzard, extreme heat or cold, flood or ice warning, a wildfire, or a USDA disaster designation. Keep a Drought Ledger.

Information only; not financial, tax or legal advice. FSA decides eligibility. Cownty sends nothing to FSA.

Drought-sale tax flag IRS list

Alachua County is on IRS Notice 2026-54 (severe or worse drought, Sep 1, 2025 to Aug 31, 2026).

Why it matters: if you sold breeding, dairy or draft livestock because of drought, the tax code may let you put off the gain (more time to buy replacement animals, or report the extra-sale income a year later). Your tax preparer decides whether either applies.

Work out your numbers and print a page for your preparer

Information only; not financial, tax or legal advice. Ask your tax preparer. FSA decides program eligibility. IRS Notice 2026-54 (PDF)

Next 7 days · National Weather Service

Weather for Alachua County

Forecast for the center point of Alachua County.

    1. Today Sunny 67° 47° NE 9 mph 0% rain
    2. Mon Partly Sunny 71° 57° NE 8–14 mph 26% rain
    3. Tue Chance Rain Showers 73° 58° NE 14–16 mph 29% rain
    4. Wed Chance Rain Showers 76° 60° NE 12–17 mph 25% rain
    5. Thu Slight Chance Rain Showers 78° 62° NE 14–17 mph 19% rain
    6. Fri Slight Chance Rain Showers 77° 60° NE 10–17 mph 22% rain
    7. Sat Slight Chance Rain Showers 78° 59° NE 7–15 mph 23% rain

    Forecast from the National Weather Service, updated Nov 15, 2026. Wind arrows point where the wind is going; the letters say where it comes from. Windy = 25 mph or more; freeze = a low of 32°F or less. Open the full forecast.

    Burn ban

    Data pending. Cownty doesn't read an official statewide burn-ban list for Florida; county commissions, sheriffs and fire districts post local fire restrictions, so check your county's own notices

    No official ban list to check here, so Cownty shows the National Weather Service fire-weather alerts for the county instead: none right now.

    Guide: Burn bans: where to check and what they mean

    Weather warnings right now

    None right now

    National Weather Service active alerts for this county, as of Nov 15, 2026 (source). Fetched Nov 15, 2026.

    Rainfall vs normal

    Oct 2026
    6.60 in 224% of normal
    Last 12 months
    42.36 in 81%
    How to read this

    Bars are the rain that fell each month; the dashed line is a normal month (1991-2020 average). Bars below the line = drier than normal.

    County-average precipitation, Nov 2025 to Oct 2026. Normal = NCEI's own 1991-2020 average for each month (Oct 2026 normal 2.94 in; same month last year 2.45 in). NCEI posts each month around the 8th of the next and may revise recent months. Source: NOAA NCEI Climate at a Glance. Fetched Nov 14, 2026.

    Wildfires

    No current fire perimeter in the county

    No current perimeter within 100 mi of the county center (48 mapped nationally).

    See the fire map

    Interagency fire outlines. Small or brand-new fires are often not mapped yet; call 911 for a fire you can see. Layer updated Nov 15, 2026. Source: National Interagency Fire Center. Fetched Nov 15, 2026.

    Frost dates

    Frost and freeze dates

    Data pending. NCEI normals not loaded yet for this county
    Text me Alachua County changes

    Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

    1. Columbia Livestock Auction Lake City, FL 39 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 9, 2026
    2. Townsend Livestock Auction Madison, FL 84 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 2026
    3. Cattlemen's Livestock Auction Lakeland, FL 115 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 2026
    4. Thomasville Stockyard Thomasville, GA 126 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 2026
    5. South Central Livestock Fitzgerald, GA 150 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Oct 12, 2026

    Miles are straight-line from the county center. Sale days come from the barns' recent USDA AMS reports; call the barn to confirm. All barns

    Printable county brief (PDF) · Everything on one page · Nearest USDA hay reports (none for Florida): Alabama

    Common questions and nearby counties

    Is Alachua County eligible for LFP in 2026?

    Yes. Alachua County is on FSA's 2026 Livestock Forage Disaster Program county list, with up to 5 monthly payments for some pasture types. FSA decides each operation's eligibility; apply at your county FSA office by March 1 after the loss year.

    Source: FSA LFP county file of Nov 5, 2026

    What is the drought level in Alachua County this week?

    On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of Alachua County was in moderate drought (D1), and the worst part was severe drought (D2) on a sliver (<1%) of the county. 46 straight weeks with some severe drought (D2) or worse.

    Source: U.S. Drought Monitor, map of Nov 10, 2026

    Is there a burn ban in Alachua County?

    No official statewide list to check: Cownty doesn't read an official statewide burn-ban list for Florida; county commissions, sheriffs and fire districts post local fire restrictions, so check your county's own notices.

    What sale barns are near Alachua County?

    The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Lake City FL (39 mi), last report Nov 9, 2026; Madison FL (84 mi), last report Nov 10, 2026; Lakeland FL (115 mi), last report Nov 10, 2026.

    Source: USDA AMS Market News reports

    What are the upcoming FSA and farm deadlines?

    Next: Nov 20, 2026: Blueberries 2027: last day to buy crop insurance; Nov 20, 2026: Micro Farm 2027: last day to buy crop insurance. FSA program dates not posted officially are marked "confirm at source" on the calendar.

    Source: official agency pages (see Calendar)

    Information only; not financial or legal advice. FSA decides eligibility. Always check the linked official source.