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Baxter County, AR

Cattle prices near Baxter County, Arkansas. The closest sale barn with a recent report is Ash Flat AR in Ash Flat, AR, about 40 miles away. On Nov 13, 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) averaged $369.08 per hundredweight on 10 head (USDA). Check a bid against your own costs with Ring Price.

Check a bid with Ring Price

Change county
CRP emergency haying & grazing: Baxter County is on FSA's list (since Sep 29, 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 Ash Flat AR 5-wt steers $369per cwt

Baxter County rain, outlook and forecast

On the Nov 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map, most of Baxter County, AR was in moderate drought (D1), with 23% at severe drought (D2); some part has been in severe drought (D2) or worse for 7 straight weeks. Rain has run 39% of normal over the last 30 days (well below normal); the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans wetter than normal (40% chance of above-normal rain) and Saturday carries the week's highest rain chance at 33% (high 71°). FSA's 2026 LFP list includes Baxter County with up to 5 monthly payments, and Ash Flat AR is the closest USDA-reported sale barn at 40 miles.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 39% of normal
  • Last 60 days 52% of normal
  • Last 90 days not read yet

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 toward near-normal rain

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

Next 7 days

  1. Today Mostly Sunny, high 55°, low 30°, 0% rain, wind 0–5 mph
  2. Monday Sunny, high 58°, low 32°, 0% rain, wind 0 mph
  3. Tuesday Sunny, high 60°, low 35°, 0% rain, wind 0–5 mph
  4. Wednesday Sunny, high 64°, low 45°, 3% rain, wind 0–10 mph
  5. Thursday Partly Sunny, high 67°, low 48°, 6% rain, wind 0–5 mph
  6. Friday Mostly Sunny, high 70°, low 49°, 2% rain, wind 0–10 mph
  7. Saturday Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Rain Showers, high 71°, low 47°, 33% rain, wind 5–15 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 Baxter 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.

Baxter County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Baxter County grew about 3,438 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 114% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 3,013 pounds per acre. That was the 2nd best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2016 at 3,505 pounds per acre; worst: 1986 at 2,060.

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 Baxter 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

Baxter 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)

5-wt steers, nearest barns

Steers 500–599 lb, $/cwt, weekly average.

BarnLast sale5-wt steers
Ash Flat AR 40 miNov 13$369
West Plains MO 41 miNov 10$399
Heber Springs AR 57 miNov 9$372
How to read this

Each line is one barn's head-weighted average for 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) in that week; gaps are weeks with no sale or no lots that size. Past sales, not a bid.

Dollars per hundredweight ($/cwt, per 100 lb), calculated from USDA AMS Market News sale reports (Medium & Large 1 and 1-2). Not a USDA-published average. ≈ $/head = $/cwt × the middle of the weight class ÷ 100.

Guide: How to read a USDA sale barn report

Price history · Barn map · Fed vs feeder cattle

All weights at the 3 nearest barns

Ash Flat AR 40 mi

Ash Flat, AR
Sale of Nov 13, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb15358.08$1,610
Heifers 500-599 lb29341.35$1,880
Heifers 600-699 lb20323.94$2,110
Heifers 700-799 lb3298.53$2,240
Steers 400-499 lb8423.01$1,900
Steers 500-599 lb10369.08$2,030
Steers 600-699 lb7349.68$2,270
Steers 700-799 lb3335.00$2,510

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

West Plains MO 41 mi

West Plains, MO
Sale of Nov 10, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb201375.43$1,690
Heifers 500-599 lb270344.51$1,890
Heifers 600-699 lb90315.81$2,050
Heifers 700-799 lb74314.04$2,360
Steers 400-499 lb185454.02$2,040
Steers 500-599 lb219399.46$2,200
Steers 600-699 lb192352.52$2,290
Steers 700-799 lb46318.10$2,390

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

Heber Springs AR 57 mi

Heber Springs, AR
Sale of Nov 9, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb9366.15$1,650
Heifers 500-599 lb13339.89$1,870
Heifers 600-699 lb19307.79$2,000
Heifers 700-799 lb5301.04$2,260
Steers 400-499 lb8420.50$1,890
Steers 500-599 lb14371.94$2,050
Steers 600-699 lb29331.04$2,150
Steers 700-799 lb12317.84$2,380

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

21 more within 200 mi: Green Forest AR (61 mi), Searcy AR (79 mi), Springfield MO (83 mi), Phillipsburg MO (92 mi), Exeter (93 mi), Ozark AR (101 mi), Ratcliff (110 mi), Siloam Springs (123 mi), Vienna MO (133 mi), Cuba MO (134 mi), Osceola MO (143 mi), Farmington MO (148 mi), Jackson MO (166 mi), Windsor MO (169 mi), Butler MO (176 mi), Como MS (182 mi), Kingdom City MO (186 mi), Trenton TN (190 mi), Hope (194 mi), Kingsville MO (195 mi), Tulsa (199 mi).

Text me Baxter County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. Ash Flat Livestock Ash Flat, AR 40 mi · sells Fridays · latest USDA report Nov 13, 2026
  2. Ozarks Regional Stockyards (feeder cattle) West Plains, MO 41 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 2026
  3. Cleburne County Livestock Heber Springs, AR 57 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 9, 2026
  4. Green Forest Stockyards Green Forest, AR 61 mi · sells Wednesdays · latest USDA report Nov 11, 2026
  5. Arkansas Cattle Auction LLC Searcy, AR 79 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 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 Arkansas): Missouri, Oklahoma

Common questions and nearby counties

Is Baxter County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Yes. Baxter 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 Baxter County this week?

On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of Baxter County was in moderate drought (D1), and the worst part was severe drought (D2) on 23% of the county. 7 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 Baxter County?

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

What sale barns are near Baxter County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Ash Flat AR (40 mi), last report Nov 13, 2026; West Plains MO (41 mi), last report Nov 10, 2026; Heber Springs AR (57 mi), last report Nov 9, 2026.

Source: USDA AMS Market News reports

What are the upcoming FSA and farm deadlines?

Next: Nov 20, 2026: Apply for NRCS conservation cost-share (EQIP, CSP, ACEP) to be considered for 2027 money; 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.