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Prairie County, AR

Cattle prices near Prairie County, Arkansas. The closest sale barn with a recent report is Searcy AR in Searcy, AR, about 30 miles away. On Nov 10, 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) averaged $389.79 per hundredweight on 38 head (USDA). Check a bid against your own costs with Ring Price.

Check a bid with Ring Price

Change county
CRP emergency haying & grazing: Prairie 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 ExceptionalD4 · most of county Drought pay (LFP) Eligibleup to 5 payments Burn ban Checkcall the county Searcy AR 5-wt steers $390▼ $6 since last sale

Prairie County rain, outlook and forecast

As of the Nov 10 Drought Monitor, most of Prairie County, AR was in exceptional drought (D4), and D2-or-worse drought has held there 44 weeks running. Over 90 days rain is at 36% of normal, and the last 30 days came in at 23% (well below normal); the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans wetter than normal (33% chance of above-normal rain) and the best rain chance this week is 28% on Saturday (high 75°). FSA's 2026 LFP list includes Prairie County with up to 5 monthly payments, and Searcy AR is the closest USDA-reported sale barn at 30 miles.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 23% of normal
  • Last 60 days 23% of normal
  • Last 90 days 36% 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 (33% chance of above-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 Mostly Sunny, high 60°, low 38°, 1% rain, wind 0–10 mph
  2. Monday Sunny, high 63°, low 35°, 0% rain, wind 5 mph
  3. Tuesday Sunny, high 66°, low 39°, 0% rain, wind 0–5 mph
  4. Wednesday Sunny, high 69°, low 45°, 0% rain, wind 0–5 mph
  5. Thursday Mostly Sunny, high 72°, low 48°, 1% rain, wind 0–5 mph
  6. Friday Mostly Sunny, high 75°, low 50°, 1% rain, wind 0–5 mph
  7. Saturday Sunny, high 75°, low 53°, 28% rain, wind 5–10 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 Prairie 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.

Prairie County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Prairie County grew about 2,672 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 108% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 2,468 pounds per acre. That was the 7th best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2016 at 2,878 pounds per acre; worst: 1986 at 1,219.

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 Prairie 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

Prairie 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
Searcy AR 30 miNov 10$390
Heber Springs AR 53 miNov 9$372
Como MS 94 miNov 11$391
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

Searcy AR 30 mi

Searcy, AR
Sale of Nov 10, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb33379.92$1,710
Heifers 500-599 lb21349.27$1,920
Heifers 600-699 lb17319.47$2,080
Heifers 700-799 lb1307.50$2,310
Steers 400-499 lb25450.28$2,030
Steers 500-599 lb38389.79$2,140
Steers 600-699 lb23353.72$2,300
Steers 700-799 lb6321.29$2,410

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

Heber Springs AR 53 mi

Heber Springs, AR
Sale of Nov 9, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb9366.15$1,650
Heifers 500-599 lb13339.89$1,870
Heifers 600-699 lb19307.79$2,000
Heifers 700-799 lb5301.04$2,260
Steers 400-499 lb8420.50$1,890
Steers 500-599 lb14371.94$2,050
Steers 600-699 lb29331.04$2,150
Steers 700-799 lb12317.84$2,380

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

Como MS 94 mi

Como, MS
Sale of Nov 11, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb32362.13$1,630
Heifers 500-599 lb13328.18$1,800
Heifers 600-699 lb10297.23$1,930
Heifers 700-799 lb1292.00$2,190
Steers 400-499 lb4398.75$1,790
Steers 500-599 lb7390.54$2,150
Steers 600-699 lb7340.42$2,210
Steers 700-799 lb7322.16$2,420

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

18 more within 200 mi: Ash Flat AR (97 mi), Grenada MS (123 mi), West Plains MO (133 mi), Ratcliff (136 mi), Ozark AR (138 mi), Winona MS (140 mi), Hope (141 mi), Green Forest AR (148 mi), Houston MS (159 mi), Kosciusko MS (166 mi), Trenton TN (167 mi), Exeter (185 mi), West Point MS (186 mi), Springfield MO (190 mi), Savannah TN (190 mi), Siloam Springs (192 mi), Huntingdon TN (194 mi), Philadelphia MS (199 mi).

Text me Prairie County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. Arkansas Cattle Auction LLC Searcy, AR 30 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 2026
  2. Cleburne County Livestock Heber Springs, AR 53 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 9, 2026
  3. Lipscomb Brothers Livestock Como, MS 94 mi · sells Wednesdays · latest USDA report Nov 11, 2026
  4. Ash Flat Livestock Ash Flat, AR 97 mi · sells Fridays · latest USDA report Nov 13, 2026
  5. Glenwild Stockyard Inc. Grenada, MS 123 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 Arkansas): Missouri, Oklahoma

Common questions and nearby counties

Is Prairie County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Yes. Prairie 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 Prairie County this week?

On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of Prairie County was in exceptional drought (D4), and the worst part was exceptional drought (D4) on 99% of the county. 44 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 Prairie County?

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

What sale barns are near Prairie County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Searcy AR (30 mi), last report Nov 10, 2026; Heber Springs AR (53 mi), last report Nov 9, 2026; Como MS (94 mi), last report Nov 11, 2026.

Source: USDA AMS Market News reports

What are the upcoming FSA and farm deadlines?

Next: Nov 20, 2026: Apply for NRCS conservation cost-share (EQIP, CSP, ACEP) to be considered for 2027 money; 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.