|
Reminders:
-Don't forget to report wheat and small grains by December 15, 2021 to avoid late fee
-Please report any changes to your farm operation, address changes or Direct Deposit changes to Scotland County FSA Office
-Time to signup for 2022 ARC/PLC Elections and Enrollment
USDA is expanding our online communications platform that the Farm Service Agency (FSA) has used for years to now include local information from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Risk Management Agency (RMA), and other USDA agencies.
Subscribers will now receive important information on FSA, NRCS and RMA programs, eligibility requirements, deadlines, and more.
You’re currently subscribed to the Scotland County USDA Service Center newsletter and updates. News will continue to be sent via e-mail right to your home or farm office, or to your smartphone – allowing you to receive immediate notification of USDA news that applies to your agricultural operation.
You can also subscribe to text alerts from the Scotland County USDA Service Center by texting MOScotland to 372-669 (FSANOW). Standard text messaging rates apply. Contact your wireless carrier for details associated with your particular data plan. Participants may unsubscribe at any time.
For more information visit farmers.gov/working-with-us/stay-connected or for subscription assistance contact the Scotland County FSA at 660-465-8517.
Producers can elect coverage and enroll in ARC-CO or PLC, which are both crop-by-crop, or ARC-IC, which is for the entire farm. Although election changes for 2022 are optional, producers must enroll through a signed contract each year. Also, if a producer has a
multi-year contract on the farm and makes an election change for 2022, it will be necessary to sign a new contract.
If an election is not submitted by the deadline of March 15, 2022, the election remains
the same as the 2021 election for crops on the farm. Farm owners cannot enroll in
either program unless they have a share interest in the farm.
Covered commodities include barley, canola, large and small chickpeas, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, dry peas, rapeseed, long grain rice, medium and short grain rice, safflower seed, seed cotton, sesame, soybeans, sunflower seed, and wheat.
Web-Based Decision Tools
In partnership with USDA, the University of Illinois and Texas A&M University offer web-based decision tools to assist producers in making informed, educated decisions using crop data specific to their respective farming operations. Tools include:
- Gardner-farmdoc Payment Calculator, a tool available through the University of Illinois allows producers to estimate payments for farms and counties for ARC-CO and PLC.
-
ARC and PLC Decision Tool, a tool available through Texas A&M tallows producers to estimate payments and yield updates and expected payments for 2022.
Crop Insurance Considerations
ARC and PLC are part of a broader safety net provided by USDA, which also includes crop insurance and marketing assistance loans.
Producers are reminded that ARC and PLC elections and enrollments can impact eligibility for some crop insurance products.
Producers on farms with a PLC election have the option of purchasing Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) through their Approved Insurance Provider; however, producers on farms where ARC is the election are ineligible for SCO on their planted acres for that crop on that farm.
Unlike SCO, the Enhanced Coverage Option (ECO) is unaffected by an ARC election. Producers may add ECO regardless of the farm program election.
Upland cotton farmers who choose to enroll seed cotton base acres in ARC or PLC are ineligible for the stacked income protection plan (STAX) on their planted cotton acres for that farm.
More Information
For more information on ARC and PLC, visit the ARC and PLC webpage or contact your local USDA Service Center.
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting offers for specific conservation practices under the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Continuous Signup.
In exchange for a yearly rental payment, farmers enrolled in the program agree to remove environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production and to plant species that will improve environmental health and quality. The program’s long-term goal is to re-establish valuable land cover to improve water quality, prevent soil erosion, and reduce loss of wildlife habitat. Contracts for land enrolled in CRP are 10-15 years in length.
Under continuous CRP signup, environmentally sensitive land devoted to certain conservation practices can be enrolled in CRP at any time. Offers for continuous enrollment are not subject to competitive bidding during specific periods. Instead they are automatically accepted provided the land and producer meet certain eligibility requirements and the enrollment levels do not exceed the statutory cap.
For more information, including a list of acceptable practices, contact Scotland County USDA Service Center at 660-465-8517 or visit fsa.usda.gov/crp.
The Farm Loan team in Clark County is already working on operating loans for spring 2022 and asks potential borrowers to submit their requests early so they can be timely processed. The farm loan team can help determine which loan programs are best for applicants.
FSA offers a wide range of low-interest loans that can meet the financial needs of any farm operation for just about any purpose. The traditional farm operating and farm ownership loans can help large and small farm operations take advantage of early purchasing discounts for spring inputs as well expenses throughout the year.
Microloans are a simplified loan program that will provide up to $50,000 for both Farm Ownership and Operating Microloans to eligible applicants. These loans, targeted for smaller and non-traditional operations, can be used for operating expenses, starting a new operation, purchasing equipment, and other needs associated with a farming operation. Loans to beginning farmers and members of underserved groups are a priority.
Other types of loans available include:
Marketing Assistance Loans allow producers to use eligible commodities as loan collateral and obtain a 9-month loan while the crop is in storage. These loans provide cash flow to the producer and allow them to market the crop when prices may be more advantageous.
Farm Storage Facility Loans can be used to build permanent structures used to store eligible commodities, for storage and handling trucks, or portable or permanent handling equipment. A variety of structures are eligible under this loan, including bunker silos, grain bins, hay storage structures, and refrigerated structures for vegetables and fruit. A producer may borrow up to $500,000 per loan.
Whether you rent or own your land, a conservation plan is critical to maintain and improve farm productivity. Plans of any kind are important as they set goals and outline how to reach them. Conservation plans are roadmaps for improving your operation while conserving natural resources. They provide proven strategies that landowners can use to solve identified natural resource concerns and take advantage of conservation opportunities.
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service can help you develop a conservation plan. This technical assistance from NRCS is free, and it can help you reduce soil loss from erosion, solve issues with soil, air and water quality, reduce potential damage from excess water and drought, enhance the quality of wildlife habitat, address waste management concerns, and improve the long-term sustainability of the country’s natural resources.
How does conservation planning work? You’ll meet with a planner from NRCS for a science-based evaluation of your problems and opportunities on your land. The NRCS staff member, often a district conservationist or conservation planning technician, then analyzes the findings and recommends the best strategies to address your problems and achieve valuable opportunities.
If you’re interested in conservation planning, contact your Scotland County USDA Service Center at 660-465-8517 or visit nrcs.usda.gov.
On January 28th, the Ralls County SWCD will host the 4th Annual Soil Health Workshop. This workshop will again be held at the Monroe City Knights of Columbus Hall,
8:30am-4:30pm, and will be FREE to attend. We are back after taking a year off. There
is no cost to attend the workshop and lunch is provided at no charge. Sponsors will be
on hand and in the room to visit with you about their products. This years’ main speakers include Jimmy Emmons, Keith Berns, and Russ Jackson. Breakout speakers will include David Otte and Andrew Rueschel with grazing and cropping topics. If you are interested
in attending or want to know more please contact the Ralls County SWCD office at
573-985-8611, ext. 3 for more details. It is never to early to reserve your spot. We look forward to seeing you there. REGISTER HERE
|
