In This Issue:
 In spring, many of you shared with us photos and videos of the seeds and seedlings you sowed, and your hopes for the coming season. (View the storymap: https://arcg.is/0Lq1z5)
This fall as you reap the rewards of your work, we want to hear from you once again. Did the year go as you expected, or did you experience some surprises? Is your harvest bountiful, or were you impacted by conditions like drought, flood, or pests? Did our pandemic or farm programs benefit your operation this year? Did you try any new tactics or equipment, and if so, how did it go?
Send photos and videos of your operation’s harvest activities, along with a few sentences reflecting your thoughts on the above questions by October 27 to SM.FP.Social@usda.gov. You may be featured on FarmersGov national social media channels, a national storymap, and/or our wrap-up blog scheduled to publish in late October. For more details and examples, read our short blog story: https://go.usa.gov/xMUan.
 Click here to hear a CFAP testimonial from Asbury Park NJ, Good Feeling Farms.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is updating the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP 2) for contract producers of eligible livestock and poultry and producers of specialty crops and other sales-based commodities. CFAP 2, which assists producers who faced market disruptions in 2020 due to COVID-19, is part of USDA’s broader Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative. Additionally, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has set an Oct. 12 deadline for all eligible producers to apply for or modify applications for CFAP 2.
Commodity eligibility was established on the national level and therefore you did not have to have personally experienced a loss to be eligible for payments.
Updates for Sales-Based Commodities
Applicants for sales based commodities can now complete or revise their application using 2018 sales data instead of 2019.
USDA is amending the CFAP 2 payment calculation for sales-based commodities, which are primarily comprised of by specialty crops, to allow producers to substitute 2018 sales for 2019 sales. Previously, payments for producers of sales-based commodities were based only on 2019 sales, with 2019 used as an approximation of the amount the producer would have expected to market in 2020. Giving producers the option to substitute 2018 sales for this approximation, including 2018 crop insurance indemnities and 2018 crop year Noninsured Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) and Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+) payments, provides additional flexibility to producers of sales-based commodities who had reduced sales in 2019.
Grass seed has also been added as an eligible sales commodity for CFAP 2. A complete list of all eligible sales-based commodities can be found at farmers.gov/cfap2/commodities. Producers of sales-based commodities can modify existing applications.
Assistance for Contract Producers
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, provides up to $1 billion for payments to contract producers of eligible livestock and poultry for revenue losses from Jan. 1, 2020, through Dec. 27, 2020. Contract producers of broilers, pullets, layers, chicken eggs, turkeys, hogs and pigs, ducks, geese, pheasants and quail may be eligible for assistance. This update includes eligible breeding stock and eggs of all eligible poultry types produced under contract.
Payments for contract producers were to be based on a comparison of eligible revenue for the periods of Jan. 1, 2019, through Dec. 27, 2019, and Jan. 1, 2020, through Dec. 27, 2020. Today’s changes mean contract producers can now elect to use eligible revenue from the period of Jan. 1, 2018, through Dec. 27, 2018, instead of that date range in 2019 if it is more representative. This change is intended to provide flexibility and make the program more equitable for contract producers who had reduced revenue in 2019 compared to a normal production year. The difference in revenue is then multiplied by 80% to determine a final payment. Payments to contract producers may be factored if total calculated payments exceed the available funding and will be made after the application period closes.
Additional flexibilities have been added to account for increases to operation size in 2020 and situations where a contract producer did not have a full period of revenue from Jan. 1 to Dec. 27 for either 2018 or 2019. Assistance is also available to new contract producers who began their farming operation in 2020.
Applying for Assistance
Newly eligible producers who need to submit a CFAP 2 application or producers who need to modify an existing one can do so by contacting their local FSA office. Producers can find their local FSA office by visiting farmers.gov/service-locator. Producers can also obtain one-on-one support with applications by calling 877-508-8364. All new and modified CFAP 2 applications are due by the Oct. 12 deadline.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is now accepting FY2022 applications for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) program and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) through October 22.
Through EQIP, NRCS provides agricultural producers with one-on-one help and financial assistance to plan and implement conservation practices to address a variety of issues such as water quality degradation, soil erosion, soil quality degradation and inadequate habitat for fish and wildlife.
Special initiatives include Conservation Activity Plans (CAP), Working Lands for Wildlife (WLFW) and the National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI).
AMA is a voluntary conservation program available to beginning and limited resource farmers, small farms, and producers who have had limited participation in other USDA financial assistance programs. Producers eligible for AMA can apply for financial and technical assistance to voluntarily address resource issues such as water management, water quality, and erosion control by incorporating conservation into their farming operations.
Through RCPP, NRCS seeks to co-invest with partners to implement projects that demonstrate innovative solutions to conservation challenges and provide measurable improvements and outcomes tied to the resource concerns they seek to address. New Jersey’s two new RCPP land management projects are:
-
Protecting Source Water Protection in the Raritan Basin: In partnership with the New Jersey Water Supply Authority, conservation systems and practices on farms in the project area will be implemented to promote source water protection.
-
Salem River Bog Turtle Protection and Restoration – Lead partner, New Jersey Audubon, will help private landowners increase wildlife habitat and habitat suitability for the endangered Bog Turtle population in the Upper Salem River Watershed by offering financial incentives to install and maintain conservation practices.
Applications are available through your local USDA Service Center and online at www.nrcs.usda.gov/GetStarted. NRCS accepts applications for conservation programs year-round and they’re processed when funding becomes available. Interested producers can learn more about New Jersey Farm Bill programs on the NRCS NJ website.
|
A permanent, full time County Program Technician position is now available at the Columbus, NJ office. the position is posted in USAJobs and will close on October 12, 2021. Applicants must meet all of the conditions of employment outlined in the employment announcement.
Major responsibilities for this position are as follows:
- Carrying out office activities and functions pertaining to one or more of the program areas administered in the county.
- Interpreting and explaining procedures, program regulations and forms to producers and other agency personnel.
- Utilizing various web-based software applications to maintain producer data and processing automated forms. Using a high degree of initiative and judgment in planning and carrying out assigned tasks and resolving problems encountered.
The full vacancy announcement may be found at:
https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/PrintPreview/615477800
|
Farmers and ranchers rely on crop insurance to protect themselves from disasters and unforeseen events, but not all crops are insurable through the USDA’s Risk Management Agency. The Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) provides producers another option to obtain coverage against disaster for these crops. NAP provides financial assistance to producers of non-insured crops impacted by natural disasters that result in lower yields, crop losses, or prevents crop planting.
Commercially produced crops and agricultural commodities for which crop insurance is not available are generally eligible for NAP. Eligible crops include those grown specifically for food, fiber, livestock consumption, biofuel or biobased products, or be commodities such as value loss crops like Christmas trees and ornamental nursery, honey, maple sap, and many others. Contact your FSA office to see which crops are eligible in your state and county.
Eligible causes of loss include drought, freeze, hail, excessive moisture, excessive wind or hurricanes, earthquake, flood. These events must occur during the NAP policy coverage period, before or during harvest, and the disaster must directly affect the eligible crop. For guidance on causes of loss not listed, contact your local FSA county office.
Interested producers must apply for coverage using FSA form CCC-471, “Application for Coverage,” and pay the applicable service fee at the FSA office where their farm records are maintained. These must be filed by the application closing date. Closing dates vary by crop, so it is important to contact your local FSA office as soon as possible to ensure you don’t miss an application closing date.
Upcoming Closing Dates:
-
September 30 - NAP Coverage Deadline for 2022 Small Grains, Grasses, Mixed Forage, Aquaculture, Christmas trees, Flowers, Sod, and Garlic
-
November 20 - NAP Coverage Deadline for 2022 Fruit trees, Caneberries, Grapes, and Blueberries
- Click here for a complete list of NAP closing deadlines, by closing date or by crop name.
At the time of application, each producer will be provided a copy of the NAP Basic Provisions, which describes how NAP works and all the requirements you must follow to maintain NAP coverage. NAP participants must provide accurate annual reports of their production in non-loss years to ensure their NAP coverage is beneficial to their individual operation.
Basic NAP coverage is free and buy-up coverage is 50% off for beginning, limited resource, minority and women farmers. This includes entities whose membership is at least 50% beginning, limited resource, minority and women farmers.
Producers are required to pay service fees which vary depending on the number of crops and number of counties your operation is located in. The NAP service fee is the lesser of $325 per crop or $825 per producer per administrative county, not to exceed a total of $1,950 for a producer with farming interests in multiple counties. Premiums also apply when producers elect higher levels of coverage with a maximum premium of $15,750 per person or legal entity depending on the maximum payment limitation that may apply to the NAP covered producer. The service fee can be waived for beginning, qualifying veteran, and limited resource farmers and rancher. These farmers and ranchers can also receive a 50 percent reduction in the premium.
For more detailed information on NAP, download the NAP Fact Sheet. To get started with NAP, we recommend you contact your local USDA service center
|
|
