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Cherokee County, NC

Cattle prices near Cherokee County, North Carolina. The closest sale barn with a recent report is Athens TN in Athens, TN, about 38 miles away. On Nov 10, 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) averaged $385.13 per hundredweight on 30 head (USDA). Check a bid against your own costs with Ring Price.

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Change county
CRP emergency haying & grazing: Cherokee 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 No droughtNone · most of county Drought pay (LFP) Eligibleup to 4 payments Burn ban Checkcall the county Athens TN 5-wt steers $385per cwt

Cherokee County rain, outlook and forecast

The Nov 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map shows most of Cherokee County, NC with no drought, though 41% at abnormally dry (D0); four weeks earlier 1% of the county was in moderate drought (D1) or worse, now 0%. Cherokee County has had 72% of its normal rain in the past 30 days and 88% over 90 days; no day in the 7-day forecast tops a 1% rain chance and the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans toward near-normal rain. FSA's 2026 LFP list includes Cherokee County with up to 4 monthly payments, and Athens TN is the closest USDA-reported sale barn at 38 miles.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 72% of normal
  • Last 60 days 92% of normal
  • Last 90 days 88% 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 toward near-normal rain
  • 8-14 day outlook (Nov 22–28) Leans wetter than normal (40% chance of above-normal rain)

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

Next 7 days

  1. Today Sunny, high 55°, low 27°, 0% rain, wind 0–5 mph
  2. Monday Sunny, high 59°, low 30°, 0% rain, wind 0 mph
  3. Tuesday Sunny, high 62°, low 32°, 0% rain, wind 0 mph
  4. Wednesday Sunny, high 65°, low 36°, 0% rain, wind 0 mph
  5. Thursday Sunny, high 67°, low 38°, 0% rain, wind 0 mph
  6. Friday Sunny, high 68°, low 39°, 0% rain, wind 0 mph
  7. Saturday Sunny, high 67°, low 41°, 1% rain, wind 0–5 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 Cherokee 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.

Cherokee County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Cherokee County grew about 2,906 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 114% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 2,557 pounds per acre. That was the 3rd best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2012 at 2,930 pounds per acre; worst: 1986 at 580.

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 Cherokee 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

Cherokee 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
Athens TN 38 miNov 10$385
Sweetwater TN 40 miNov 13$397
Knoxville TN 58 miNov 10$376
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

Athens TN 38 mi

Athens, TN
Sale of Nov 10, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb42374.57$1,690
Heifers 500-599 lb25327.15$1,800
Heifers 600-699 lb120326.62$2,120
Heifers 700-799 lb13296.97$2,230
Steers 400-499 lb12410.83$1,850
Steers 500-599 lb30385.13$2,120
Steers 600-699 lb25328.67$2,140
Steers 700-799 lb12323.16$2,420

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

Sweetwater TN 40 mi

Sweetwater, TN
Sale of Nov 13, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb13361.00$1,620
Heifers 500-599 lb86336.03$1,850
Heifers 600-699 lb44316.03$2,050
Heifers 700-799 lb33286.64$2,150
Steers 400-499 lb17435.87$1,960
Steers 500-599 lb63396.58$2,180
Steers 600-699 lb77361.72$2,350
Steers 700-799 lb47320.66$2,400

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

Knoxville TN 58 mi

Knoxville, TN
Sale of Nov 10, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb57361.35$1,630
Heifers 500-599 lb114335.40$1,840
Heifers 600-699 lb51320.42$2,080
Heifers 700-799 lb13298.76$2,240
Steers 400-499 lb30426.98$1,920
Steers 500-599 lb65376.00$2,070
Steers 600-699 lb66353.23$2,300
Steers 700-799 lb49327.75$2,460

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

46 more within 200 mi: Eastanollee GA (62 mi), Calhoun GA (66 mi), Carnesville GA (70 mi), Canton NC (74 mi), Crossville TN (78 mi), Athens GA (90 mi), Williamston SC (97 mi), Greeneville TN (100 mi), McMinnville TN (104 mi), Greensboro GA (120 mi), Carrollton GA (122 mi), Washington GA (123 mi), Albany KY (123 mi), Laurens SC (124 mi), Jackson GA (128 mi), Kilpatrick AL (129 mi), Carthage TN (131 mi), Somerset KY (138 mi), Fayetteville TN (141 mi), Shelby NC (142 mi), Russell Springs KY (144 mi), Unionville TN (145 mi), Lafayette TN (146 mi), Arab AL (149 mi), Saluda SC (Stockyards) (152 mi), Saluda SC (Exchange) (152 mi), Ashville AL (155 mi), Thomaston GA (156 mi), Roanoke AL (157 mi), Lineville AL (159 mi), Glasgow KY (166 mi), Pulaski TN (168 mi), Campbellsville KY (169 mi), Stanford KY (169 mi), Cullman AL (171 mi), Columbia TN (171 mi), North Wilkesboro NC (179 mi), Richmond KY (180 mi), Bowling Green KY (United) (184 mi), Bowling Green KY (Cattleman) (184 mi), Moulton AL (188 mi), Springfield KY (188 mi), Upton KY (190 mi), Turnersburg NC (191 mi), Dickson TN (197 mi), Hawkinsville GA (199 mi).

Text me Cherokee County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. Athens Livestock Market Athens, TN 38 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 2026
  2. East Tennessee Livestock Center, Inc. Sweetwater, TN 40 mi · sells Fridays · latest USDA report Nov 13, 2026
  3. Knoxville Livestock Auction Center Inc. Knoxville, TN 58 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 2026
  4. Eastanollee Livestock Eastanollee, GA 62 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 9, 2026
  5. Calhoun Stockyard Calhoun, GA 66 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 North Carolina): Tennessee

Common questions and nearby counties

Is Cherokee County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Yes. Cherokee County is on FSA's 2026 Livestock Forage Disaster Program county list, with up to 4 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 Cherokee County this week?

On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of Cherokee County was in no drought, and the worst part was abnormally dry (D0) on 41% of the county. 0 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 Cherokee County?

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

What sale barns are near Cherokee County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Athens TN (38 mi), last report Nov 10, 2026; Sweetwater TN (40 mi), last report Nov 13, 2026; Knoxville TN (58 mi), last report Nov 10, 2026.

Source: USDA AMS Market News reports

What are the upcoming FSA and farm deadlines?

Next: Nov 20, 2026: Micro Farm 2027: last day to buy crop insurance; Nov 20, 2026: Whole Farm Revenue Protection 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.