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Mercer County, KY

Cattle prices near Mercer County, Kentucky. The closest sale barn with a recent report is Springfield KY in Springfield, KY, about 20 miles away. On Nov 10, 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) averaged $385.96 per hundredweight on 54 head (USDA). Check a bid against your own costs with Ring Price.

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Drought No droughtNone · most of county Drought pay (LFP) Eligibleup to 3 payments Burn ban Checkcall the county Springfield KY 5-wt steers $386per cwt

Mercer County rain, outlook and forecast

Most of Mercer County, KY showed no drought on the Nov 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map, though 16% at abnormally dry (D0); 16% of the county is abnormally dry (D0) or worse, down from 100% four weeks earlier. Mercer County has had 79% of its normal rain in the past 30 days and 65% over 90 days; the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans toward near-normal rain and no day in the 7-day forecast tops a 7% rain chance. Mercer County is on FSA's 2026 LFP list with up to 3 monthly payments, and Springfield KY is the closest USDA-reported sale barn at 20 miles.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 79% of normal
  • Last 60 days not read yet
  • Last 90 days 65% 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 toward near-normal rain

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

Next 7 days

  1. Today Partly Sunny, high 51°, low 27°, 0% rain, wind 1–7 mph
  2. Monday Patchy Fog then Sunny, high 55°, low 27°, 0% rain, wind 1–6 mph
  3. Tuesday Sunny, high 59°, low 28°, 0% rain, wind 2–3 mph
  4. Wednesday Sunny, high 63°, low 33°, 0% rain, wind 3 mph
  5. Thursday Mostly Sunny, high 65°, low 39°, 0% rain, wind 2–8 mph
  6. Friday Sunny, high 67°, low 39°, 1% rain, wind 2–3 mph
  7. Saturday Sunny, high 69°, low 44°, 7% rain, wind 3–8 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 Mercer 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.

Mercer County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Mercer County grew about 3,061 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 101% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 3,029 pounds per acre. That was the 20th lowest of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2012 at 3,646 pounds per acre; worst: 1986 at 1,407.

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 Mercer 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

Mercer 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: 3,061 lb per acre, about normal (101% of the 1991-2020 average of 3,029).

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 (54% 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.

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Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. Washington Co. Livestock Springfield, KY 20 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 2026
  2. Blue Grass South Stockyards Stanford, KY 23 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 9, 2026
  3. Blue Grass Stockyards Lexington, KY 26 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 9, 2026
  4. Blue Grass Stockyards Richmond, KY 32 mi · sells Fridays · latest USDA report Nov 13, 2026
  5. Blue Grass Stockyards Campbellsville, KY 41 mi · sells Saturdays · latest USDA report Nov 14, 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 · Hay prices in Kentucky

Common questions and nearby counties

Is Mercer County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Yes. Mercer County is on FSA's 2026 Livestock Forage Disaster Program county list, with up to 3 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 Mercer County this week?

On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of Mercer County was in no drought, and the worst part was abnormally dry (D0) on 16% 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 Mercer County?

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

What sale barns are near Mercer County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Springfield KY (20 mi), last report Nov 10, 2026; Stanford KY (23 mi), last report Nov 9, 2026; Lexington KY (26 mi), last report Nov 9, 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.