Disaster Assistance for Livestock Producers Affected by Ice, Cold and Heavy Snowfall

Administrator Reminds Affected Farmers and Ranchers of FSA Programs

USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Jonathan Coppess today issued a reminder to livestock producers throughout the Plains states and the Midwest that FSA programs may be available to assist them. Many are dealing with harsh winter weather, which is causing serious harm to livestock and forage due to heavy snow, ice and extremely cold temperatures.

“This is turning out to be a tough winter for many ranchers and farmers in the nation’s heartland, and learning about our FSA programs is an important step for producers to take,” said Coppess. “We need producers to document the number and kind of livestock that have died as a direct result of these winter storms and timely notify their local FSA office of these losses. There may be situations where producers are transporting feed to their livestock. Producers should document these additional costs.”

FSA administers several programs that help producers recover from livestock deaths that are beyond normal mortality rates, losses of purchased and/or harvested forage, and with the additional costs of providing or transporting feed. Among the key programs are the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) and the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP). For livestock death losses to be eligible under LIP, producers must file a notice of loss with their local FSA office within 30 calendar days from when the loss is apparent to the producer.

Fact sheets for these two programs can be found at http://www.fsa.usda.gov ; click on Newsroom, then Fact Sheets.

Coppess also encouraged producers to use Hay Net on the FSA website (www.fsa.usda.gov/haynet ), an online service that allows producers with hay and those who need hay to post ads so they can make connections. Hay Net is a popular site for farmers and ranchers who have an emergency need, such as the one caused by the current wintry conditions. Individual ads can be posted free of charge by producers who complete a simple online registration form the first time they use the site.

“We encourage all who have suffered a disaster due to the recent cold weather and blizzards to read the fact sheets and visit with their local FSA county office staff so they get a quick start in the recovery process,” added Coppess.

Vilsack: CRP May Need Change in Next Farm Bill

USDA Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, said Friday the Conservation Reserve Program wants farmers to place 4 million acres into the program this year. That reflects about how many acres will be coming out of the program due to expired contracts.

However, he also said he thinks that in the next farm bill, the program could need some major changes.

“We’re looking at whether it makes sense to use CRP land for biofuel,” Vilsack said.

He made the comments as he announced the new sign-up period for the CRP. It begins March 14 and ends April 15 for contracts that begin in October.

Click here for the full story from the Associated Press.

USDA Disaster Assistance Signup Begins Monday

Oklahoma farmers and ranchers who were adversely affected by natural disasters in 2009 can apply for the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments Program (SURE) starting Monday, January 10, 2011. Eligible producers should apply at their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office to receive financial relief, according to Francie Tolle, State Executive Director.

“SURE is one of five disaster related programs in the FSA portfolio,” Tolle said. “This program provides a tremendous amount of assistance to producers who have suffered from natural disasters, and is part of the ‘safety net’ designed to assist farmers and ranchers who feed America and the world.”

The SURE program provides benefits for farm losses accrued in 2008 through 2011 due to natural disasters. A producer is eligible for the program when a secretarial disaster designation has been made for their county and they have production losses of at least 10 percent, or when actual production is less than half of the normal established production. Producers are eligible for payment when they have crop insurance or a Non-insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) policy.

“NAP or crop insurance serves as a prerequisite to receiving SURE payments, so we urge producers to factor that into their risk management planning,” Tolle said. “The SURE payment is a bonus payment as insurance and NAP coverage doesn’t usually cover all losses.”

Several groups of producers: socially disadvantaged, beginning farmers or ranchers, and limited resource producers may be eligible without crop insurance or NAP.

Oklahoma FSA paid out more than $20 million in SURE assistance for the 2008 crop year. This is part of the more than $2 billion paid out nation-wide for 2008. The program is new under the 2008 Farm Bill.

The signup period for the 2009 benefits is scheduled to close on July 29, 2011 and producers are encouraged to call their local offices to schedule an appointment. Farm Service Agency has offices throughout Oklahoma; local offices are listed in the United States Government section of the phone book or can be found by visiting http://www.fsa.usda.gov/ok.

For more information on SURE and other FSA programs, visit your local County FSA office or visit online at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/ok.

Yellow Bluestem Found to Outcompete Weeds

Stacey Gunter with the Agricultural Research Service at the Southern Plains Research Station in Woodward, OK worked with a former ARS colleague now at Kansas State University to find out how best to deal with weed control on yellow bluestem pastures.

Three methods were used: Herbicides, controlled burning and untreated control. The surprising results showed that the yellow bluestem was able to control the weeds quite well by itself.

Click here for the full story!

USDA Seeks Applications from Producers to Conduct Renewable Energy Feasibility Studies

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the availability of funding under the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) to conduct feasibility studies for renewable energy systems for agriculture producers and rural small businesses.

“Renewable energy production represents a promising revenue source for America’s producers while meeting the nation’s need for new sources of renewable energy,” Vilsack said. “These grants will help encourage the development of viable renewable energy projects across the nation and help small business owners, farmers, ranchers and agriculture producers conduct feasibility studies that identify renewable energy opportunities.”

Eligible feasibility studies for renewable energy systems include projects that will produce energy from wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, hydro power and hydrogen-based sources. The energy to be produced includes heat, electricity or fuel. For all projects, the system must be located in a rural area, must be technically feasible and must be owned by the applicant. More information is available by visiting http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/BCP_ReapGrants.html .

Under this notice, USDA is making $3 million available to conduct feasibility studies. Grants are limited to $50,000 per study and the application deadline is October 5, 2010. The funding announced today is authorized under the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008. More information on how to apply for funding is available in the August 6, 2010 Federal Register, page 47525.

USDA, through its Rural Development mission area, administers and manages more than 40 housing, business and community infrastructure and facility programs through a national network of 6,100 employees located in the nation’s capital and 500 state and local offices. These programs are designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers and improve the quality of life in rural America. Rural Development has an existing portfolio of more than $142 billion in loans and loan guarantees.

USDA 2010 DCP and ACRE Sign UP Ends June 1, 2010

Francie Tolle, executive director of the Oklahoma USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds producers that June 1, 2010, is the deadline for the 2010 Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) Program or the traditional Direct and Counter-cyclical Program (DCP). Annual contracts are required to be signed to receive program benefits. This is a mandatory deadline for all participants and USDA will not accept any late-file applications.

“It is critical for producers to begin the enrollment process now,” said Tolle. “Now is the time to call the office to make an appointment so you can get everything you need completed and signed by the June 1 deadline.”

All signatures of producers receiving a share in DCP/ACRE payments are required by the June 1, 2010, deadline.

For more information about the DCP/ACRE programs, visit your local county FSA office or visit http://www.fsa.usda.gov.

USDA Offers Incentives for Retiring Farmers

Francie Tolle, State Executive Director for USDA’s Farm Service Agency in Oklahoma announced that sign up starts today for the Transition Incentives Program (TIP) – a new program under the Conservation Title of the 2008 Farm Bill -to encourage retired or retiring owners or operators to transition their land to beginning or socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers.

“Ensuring that our nation’s land is returned to production using sustainable methods is critical not only for our future food supply, but also for the economic future of our rural communities,” said SED, Tolle. “Access to land is one of the greatest challenges faced by new farmers. The Transition Incentives Program is one more tool in the USDA toolkit to protect family farms and support beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers.”

If all program requirements are met, TIP provides annual rental payments to the retiring farmer for up to two additional years after the date of the expiration of the CRP contract, provided the transition is not to a family member. To learn more about program, producers interested in applying and participating in TIP should visit their local USDA Service Center or FSA county office or http://www.fsa.usda.gov.

To be eligible, TIP requires that the retired or retiring farmer or rancher:

• Have land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) that is in the last year of the contract.
• Agree to allow the beginning or socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher make conservation and land improvements.
• Agree to sell, or have a contract to sell, or agree to long-term lease (a minimum of 5 years) the land under CRP contract to a beginning or socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher by Oct. 1 of the year the CRP contract expires.

Supporting local economies and providing opportunities for beginning or socially disadvantaged Americans with a desire to farm or ranch is one of the many ways the Obama Administration and USDA are working to rebuild and revitalize rural America.

USDA Release Data For ACRE Program

USDA today released 2009 actual and 2010 benchmark yields for Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) program for wheat, long grain rice, medium grain rice, oats and barley in a majority of states. USDA will publish data for additional states and other crops as it becomes available.

Actual and benchmark yields are used in calculating payments through ACRE, which provides producers an option to protect themselves against declines in market revenue. The latest benchmark and actual yields, along with detailed information about the ACRE program and ACRE calculations, can be found at: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/dcp.

USDA also reminds producers they have until June 1, 2010, to enroll their farms in either the 2010 Direct and Counter-cyclical Program (DCP) or the ACRE program. The decision to enroll in the ACRE program is irrevocable. Once enrolled, the farm shall be enrolled for that initial crop year and will remain in ACRE through the 2012 crop year. The June 1, 2010, deadline is mandatory for all participants.

USDA Announces Loans For On-Farm Cold Storage Facilities

Yesterday afternoon USDA released a press release announcing a new loan program that will provide loans to producers wishing to build on-farm cold storage facilities. This could be great news for fruit and vegetable producers and could really vitalize our farmers markets and farm to school programs.

The Press Release:
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today said that the Farm Storage Facility Loan program has been amended to allow producers to build cold storage facilities to store their fresh fruits and vegetables. This program is part of USDA’s ‘Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food’ initiative and uses discretionary authority provided by the 2008 Farm Bill authorizing the eligibility of cold storage facilities for fruits and vegetables.

Read More Here

USDA Announces Additional 300,000 Acres for Wildlife Habitat, Intent to Conduct General CRP Signup In 2010

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Saturday that USDA has approved an additional 300,000 acres for conservation projects under the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). These additional areas include 150,000 acres for the State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) Initiative; 50,000 acres for the Duck Nesting Habitat Initiative; and 100,000 acres for the Habitat Buffers for Upland Birds Initiative. Vilsack made this announcement at the Pheasant Fest annual meeting.

“Increasing acreage caps to meet the demand for these critical programs will help us do more for wildlife on the same number of acres,” said Vilsack. “This is part of our efforts to target conservation to give the American taxpayer more bang for the buck in terms of improved water and air quality, reduced erosion, and benefits to the climate.”

Secretary Vilsack also announced that USDA would conduct a general CRP signup later this year, with program details and the specific signup start date to be announced upon completion of an Environmental Impact Statement.

Restoring an additional 50,000 acres of wetland ecosystems for the Duck Nesting Habitat Initiative will provide nesting ducks with critical habitat, food and nesting cover as well as security from predators. This habitat encompasses ecosystems in the Prairie Pothole Region, including parts of Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. The initiative also benefits other wildlife species, filters runoff, recharges groundwater supplies, protects drinking water and reduces downstream flooding. With the additional acres, the initiative is now authorized to cover up to 150,000 acres.

The Habitat Buffers for Upland Birds Initiative was created to provide 250,000 acres of early successional grass buffers along agricultural field borders. With these additional acres, upland bird habitat under the initiative may now total up to 350,000 acres. The initiative partners USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) with landowners, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 32 state fish and wildlife agencies, and numerous conservation and wildlife groups.

For more information on CRP and other FSA programs, visit your local FSA county office or http://www.fsa.usda.gov.