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Hernando County, FL

Cattle prices near Hernando County, Florida. The closest sale barn with a recent report is Lakeland FL in Lakeland, FL, about 49 miles away. On Nov 10, 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) averaged $355.63 per hundredweight on 8 head (USDA). Check a bid against your own costs with Ring Price.

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Drought Abnormally dryD0 · most of county Drought pay (LFP) Eligibleup to 4 payments Burn ban Checkcall the county Lakeland FL 5-wt steers $356per cwt

Hernando County rain, outlook and forecast

As of the Nov 10 Drought Monitor, most of Hernando County, FL was abnormally dry (D0); 77% of the county is abnormally dry (D0) or worse, down from 100% four weeks earlier. Hernando County has had 64% of its normal rain in the past 30 days and 148% over 90 days, so the past month has been drier than the season so far; the best rain chance this week is 29% on Monday (high 76°) and the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans wetter than normal (50% chance of above-normal rain). FSA's 2026 LFP list includes Hernando County with up to 4 monthly payments, and Lakeland FL is the closest USDA-reported sale barn at 49 miles.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 64% of normal
  • Last 60 days 130% of normal
  • Last 90 days 148% 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 (50% 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 72°, low 53°, 0% rain, wind 6–10 mph
  2. Monday Partly Sunny, high 76°, low 59°, 29% rain, wind 8–13 mph
  3. Tuesday Chance Rain Showers, high 76°, low 60°, 26% rain, wind 9–16 mph
  4. Wednesday Mostly Sunny, high 79°, low 62°, 15% rain, wind 9–18 mph
  5. Thursday Isolated Rain Showers, high 81°, low 63°, 19% rain, wind 9–18 mph
  6. Friday Scattered Rain Showers, high 80°, low 62°, 26% rain, wind 8–16 mph
  7. Saturday Isolated Rain Showers, high 81°, low 61°, 18% 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 Hernando 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.

Hernando County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Hernando County grew about 4,071 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 111% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 3,665 pounds per acre. That was the 8th best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2020 at 4,324 pounds per acre; worst: 1986 at 2,065.

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 Hernando 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

Hernando 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)

Where it is, with barns within 200 mi

Dots are sale barns USDA reports on. Tap one for its latest prices.

Who owns this land? Open the county property map

Grass grown on rangeland and pasture

Grass grown in 2025: 4,071 lb per acre, a little above normal (111% of the 1991-2020 average of 3,665).

How to read this

Each bar is one year's grass (darker = perennial grasses, lighter = annuals). The dashed line is the 1991-2020 average. A county average with cropland excluded, not your pasture.

How we got this

Satellite estimate of new above-ground growth of grasses and forbs for the year (annual + perennial, lb/acre), averaged over the county's grassland, pasture and shrubland (17% of the county in USDA's 2025 cropland map; farm fields are left out because the estimate isn't valid there, and the same 2025 map is used for every year). About about 120 m (RAP overview). Source: Rangeland Analysis Platform biomass v3 (data, Jones et al. 2021, CC0) and USDA NASS Cropland Data Layer.

Source: Rangeland Analysis Platform, 2025 season. Fetched Nov 13, 2026.

Text me Hernando County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. Cattlemen's Livestock Auction Lakeland, FL 49 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 2026
  2. Arcadia Livestock Auction Arcadia, FL 101 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 9, 2026
  3. Columbia Livestock Auction Lake City, FL 113 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 9, 2026
  4. Okeechobee Livestock Auction Okeechobee, FL 138 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 9, 2026
  5. Townsend Livestock Auction Madison, FL 143 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 Florida): Alabama

Common questions and nearby counties

Is Hernando County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Yes. Hernando 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 Hernando County this week?

On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of Hernando County was in abnormally dry (D0), and the worst part was abnormally dry (D0) on 77% 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 Hernando 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 Hernando County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Lakeland FL (49 mi), last report Nov 10, 2026; Arcadia FL (101 mi), last report Nov 9, 2026; Lake City FL (113 mi), last report Nov 9, 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.