The Department of Agriculture announced July 12 it will implement steps to better support farmers.

Many farmers are facing challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to a USDA news release.

"In May, I joined President (Joe) Biden at the O’Connor farm in Kankakee, Illinois, to announce a series of actions to help farmers do what they do — grow food for American families and the world," U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, said in the release. " Today, USDA is making good on one of those commitments and making it easier to plant double crops and sharing some of the financial risk by making crop insurance more available in over 1,500 counties."

This measure is part of a larger package of pledges made earlier this year by Vilsack and Biden to boost domestic food production in the face of probable global food shortages brought on by the invasion of Ukraine, the release stated.

The department’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) is increasing double crop insurance options in counties where double cropping is feasible to lessen the risk associated with growing two crops on the same land in a single year, according to the release.         

“We live in a challenging time, but I put my trust in the American farmer and U.S. agriculture to help keep the food we need affordable and available," Vilsack said. "The Biden administration and USDA will continue to find ways to ease burdens on American farmers and lower costs for American families such as expanded double crop options through crop insurance.”