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Orange County, NC

Cattle prices near Orange County, North Carolina. The closest sale barn with a recent report is Siler City NC in Siler City, NC, about 30 miles away. The latest report is dated Nov 9 (USDA). Check a bid against your own costs with Ring Price.

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CRP emergency haying & grazing: Orange 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 SevereD2 · most of county Drought pay (LFP) Eligibleup to 5 payments Burn ban Checkcall the county Smithfield NC 5-wt steers $328▼ $20 since last sale

Orange County rain, outlook and forecast

On the Nov 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map, most of Orange County, NC was in severe drought (D2), and D2-or-worse drought has held there 45 weeks running. Over 90 days rain is at 64% of normal, and the last 30 days came in at 27% (well below normal); the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans toward near-normal rain and no day in the 7-day forecast tops a 1% rain chance. FSA's 2026 LFP list includes Orange County with up to 5 monthly payments, and Siler City NC is the closest USDA-reported sale barn at 30 miles.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 27% of normal
  • Last 60 days 50% of normal
  • Last 90 days 64% 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 57°, low 28°, 0% rain, wind 3–8 mph
  2. Monday Sunny, high 57°, low 29°, 0% rain, wind 1–6 mph
  3. Tuesday Sunny, high 61°, low 30°, 0% rain, wind 0–2 mph
  4. Wednesday Sunny, high 64°, low 31°, 0% rain, wind 0–1 mph
  5. Thursday Sunny, high 67°, low 35°, 0% rain, wind 1–2 mph
  6. Friday Sunny, high 69°, low 36°, 1% rain, wind 1–3 mph
  7. Saturday Sunny, high 68°, 1% rain, wind 3 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 Orange 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.

Orange County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Orange County grew about 2,757 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 117% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 2,359 pounds per acre. That was the 5th best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 1999 at 2,888 pounds per acre; worst: 1986 at 1,221.

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 Orange 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

Orange 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
Siler City NC 30 miNov 9–
Smithfield NC 57 miNov 12$328
Norwood NC 80 miNov 11$360
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

Siler City NC 30 mi

Siler City, NC
Sale of Nov 9, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb6319.67$1,440
Heifers 500-599 lb3282.37$1,550
Heifers 600-699 lb1250.00$1,620
Steers 400-499 lb1420.00$1,890
Steers 600-699 lb2313.45$2,040

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

Smithfield NC 57 mi

Smithfield, NC
Sale of Nov 12, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb21321.85$1,450
Heifers 500-599 lb69300.21$1,650
Heifers 600-699 lb14257.85$1,680
Heifers 700-799 lb7243.61$1,830
Steers 400-499 lb12346.51$1,560
Steers 500-599 lb41327.54$1,800
Steers 600-699 lb27314.42$2,040
Steers 700-799 lb6315.20$2,360

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

Norwood NC 80 mi

Norwood, NC
Sale of Nov 11, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb56347.79$1,570
Heifers 500-599 lb41313.63$1,720
Heifers 600-699 lb8284.89$1,850
Heifers 700-799 lb3251.57$1,890
Steers 400-499 lb15367.46$1,650
Steers 500-599 lb24360.00$1,980
Steers 600-699 lb8324.98$2,110
Steers 700-799 lb4315.00$2,360

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

16 more within 200 mi: Moneta VA (82 mi), Rustburg VA (84 mi), Blackstone VA (94 mi), Turnersburg NC (95 mi), Roanoke VA (96 mi), North Wilkesboro NC (113 mi), Dublin VA (113 mi), Chadbourn NC (121 mi), Darlington SC (129 mi), Shelby NC (146 mi), Radiant VA (163 mi), Monterey VA (164 mi), Harrisonburg VA (Shenandoah) (165 mi), Harrisonburg VA (Rockingham) (165 mi), Culpeper VA (177 mi), Laurens SC (196 mi).

Text me Orange County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. Carolina Stockyards Siler City, NC 30 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 9, 2026
  2. Powell Livestock Company Smithfield, NC 57 mi · sells Thursdays · latest USDA report Nov 12, 2026
  3. Stanly County Livestock Market Norwood, NC 80 mi · sells Wednesdays · latest USDA report Nov 11, 2026
  4. Springlake Stockyard Moneta, VA 82 mi · sells Saturdays · latest USDA report Nov 7, 2026
  5. Lynchburg Livestock Rustburg, VA 84 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 9, 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 Orange County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Yes. Orange 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 Orange County this week?

On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of Orange County was in severe drought (D2), and the worst part was severe drought (D2) on 100% of the county. 45 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 Orange 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 Orange County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Siler City NC (30 mi), last report Nov 9, 2026; Smithfield NC (57 mi), last report Nov 12, 2026; Norwood NC (80 mi), last report Nov 11, 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.