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Gilchrist County, FL

Cattle prices near Gilchrist County, Florida. The closest sale barn with a recent report is Lake City FL in Lake City, FL, about 33 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.

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CRP emergency haying & grazing: Gilchrist 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

Gilchrist County rain, outlook and forecast

On the Nov 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map, most of Gilchrist County, FL was in moderate drought (D1), with 7% at severe drought (D2); week 46 in a row with some severe drought (D2) or worse. Rain has run 54% of normal over the last 30 days (below normal) and 124% over 90 days, so the past month has been drier than the season so far; the best rain chance this week is 32% on Monday (high 69°) and the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans wetter than normal (40% chance of above-normal rain). FSA's 2026 LFP list includes Gilchrist County with up to 5 monthly payments, and the nearest USDA-reported sale barn is Lake City FL, 33 miles away.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 54% of normal
  • Last 60 days 110% of normal
  • Last 90 days 124% 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 45°, 0% rain, wind 8 mph
  2. Monday Mostly Cloudy, high 69°, low 54°, 32% rain, wind 10 mph
  3. Tuesday Slight Chance Rain Showers then Partly Sunny, high 73°, low 55°, 18% rain, wind 13–14 mph
  4. Wednesday Mostly Sunny, high 77°, low 59°, 15% rain, wind 12–15 mph
  5. Thursday Slight Chance Rain Showers, high 79°, low 59°, 15% rain, wind 12–16 mph
  6. Friday Slight Chance Rain Showers, high 78°, low 58°, 16% rain, wind 8–15 mph
  7. Saturday Slight Chance Rain Showers, high 79°, low 57°, 17% rain, wind 5–13 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 Gilchrist 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.

Gilchrist County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Gilchrist County grew about 3,058 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 129% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 2,371 pounds per acre. That was the 3rd best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2024 at 3,137 pounds per acre; worst: 1986 at 959.

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 Gilchrist 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

Gilchrist 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 Gilchrist County

Forecast for the center point of Gilchrist County.

    1. Today Sunny 67° 45° NE 8 mph 0% rain
    2. Mon Mostly Cloudy 69° 54° NE 10 mph 32% rain
    3. Tue Slight Chance Rain Showers then Partly Sunny 73° 55° NE 13–14 mph 18% rain
    4. Wed Mostly Sunny 77° 59° NE 12–15 mph 15% rain
    5. Thu Slight Chance Rain Showers 79° 59° NE 12–16 mph 15% rain
    6. Fri Slight Chance Rain Showers 78° 58° NE 8–15 mph 16% rain
    7. Sat Slight Chance Rain Showers 79° 57° NE 5–13 mph 17% 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
    6.46 in 227% of normal
    Last 12 months
    42.31 in 78%
    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 2.85 in; same month last year 1.72 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 Gilchrist County changes

    Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

    1. Columbia Livestock Auction Lake City, FL 33 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 9, 2026
    2. Townsend Livestock Auction Madison, FL 64 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 2026
    3. Thomasville Stockyard Thomasville, GA 105 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 2026
    4. Cattlemen's Livestock Auction Lakeland, FL 126 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 2026
    5. South Central Livestock Fitzgerald, GA 140 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 Gilchrist County eligible for LFP in 2026?

    Yes. Gilchrist 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 Gilchrist County this week?

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

    The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Lake City FL (33 mi), last report Nov 9, 2026; Madison FL (64 mi), last report Nov 10, 2026; Thomasville GA (105 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.