Calls for flexibility with the haying and grazing of cover crops on prevented planting acres have USDA exploring its options and lawmakers trying to make it easier for them to do so.

The Trump administration’s announcement of a new trade assistance package, plus congressional agreement on disaster relief for prevented plantings, will put billions of dollars into the struggling farm economy, but the prospective aid is injecting new uncertainty into the planting decisions facing growers across the soggy Plains and Midwest.

Spring planting is likely to be delayed in many parts of the country and some growers may be prevented from planting altogether. But assessing options can be complicated.

Advocates for dairy farmers pressed USDA officials at a farm bill listening session to move quickly to get payments to financially strapped producers, while other groups urged the department to put a priority on removing barriers to cover crops and scheduling signups for major conservation programs.

Ask a farmer about the most important farm bill provisions for his or her operation and you’ll likely hear the words “crop insurance.” The public-private partnership continued to expand last year, covering more than 334 million acres of farmland in 2018 — a 20 million-acre increase over 2017.

The new farm bill expected to head to President Donald Trump’s desk within days is making history with the breadth of support inside and outside Congress. The reason is plain to see in its 540 pages.