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As the New Year approaches, we often hear about new year resolutions and change. And change is what I will be experiencing when I retire at the end of 2021 from my position as the County Executive Director (CED) for the Floyd County Farm Service Agency (FSA) Office. The new year will usher in Tom Abbas as the Acting CED who is also the Butler County CED until a replacement is hired in Floyd County. I am grateful for having the opportunity to serve the Floyd County agricultural community and work alongside remarkable county staff and county committee members.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a new program to assist hog producers who sold hogs through a negotiated sale during the period in which these producers faced the greatest reduction in market prices due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Spot Market Hog Pandemic Program (SMHPP) is part of USDA’s Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative and addresses gaps in previous assistance for hog producers. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will accept applications Dec. 15, 2021 through Feb. 25, 2022.
SMHPP provides assistance to hog producers who sold hogs through a negotiated sale from April 16, 2020 through Sept. 1, 2020. Negotiated sale, or negotiated formula sale, means a sale of hogs by a producer to a packer under which the base price for the hogs is determined by seller-buyer interaction and agreement on a delivery day. USDA is offering SMHPP as packer production was reduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic due to employee illness and supply chain issues, resulting in fewer negotiated hogs being procured and subsequent lower market prices.
The Department has set aside up to $50 million in pandemic assistance funds through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act for SMHPP.
SMHPP Program Details
Eligible hogs include hogs sold through a negotiated sale by producers between April 16, 2020, and Sept. 1, 2020. To be eligible, the producer must be a person or legal entity who has ownership in the hogs and whose production facilities are located in the
United States, including U.S. territories. Contract producers, federal, state and local governments, including public schools and packers are not eligible for SMHPP.
SMHPP payments will be calculated by multiplying the number of head of eligible hogs, not to exceed 10,000 head, by the payment rate of $54 per head. FSA will issue payments to eligible hog producers as applications are received and approved.
Applying for Assistance
Eligible hog producers can apply for SMHPP starting Dec. 15, 2021, by completing the FSA-940, Spot Market Hog Pandemic Program application. Additional documentation may be required. Visit farmers.gov/smhpp for a copy of the Notice of Funds Availability, information on applicant eligibility and more information on how to apply.
Applications can be submitted to the FSA office at any USDA Service Center nationwide by mail, fax, hand delivery or via electronic means. To find your local FSA office, visit farmers.gov/service-locator. Hog producers can also call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to offer assistance.
For questions, please call the Floyd County FSA office at 641-426-4230.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will begin issuing additional payments next week for dairy producers who enrolled in 2020 and 2021 coverage through the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC). USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) updated the feed cost calculation by using 100% premium alfalfa hay rather than 50% premium hay in determining the monthly margin, which means an additional $8,052,000 for dairy producers in Iowa. Payments will be retroactive to Jan. 1, 2020. Dairy operations with 2020 and 2021 contracts will be paid automatically for the applicable months. In addition to updating the feed cost, USDA announced other dairy-related updates, including the start of the 2022 DMC signup as well as the new Supplemental DMC. Both will run from Dec. 13, 2021 to Jan. 18, 2022. DMC is an important safety-net program. So far in 2021, DMC payments have triggered for January through October for more than $1.0 billion.
More Information To learn more or to participate in DMC, producers should contact their local USDA Service Center. To determine the appropriate level of DMC coverage for a specific dairy operation, producers can also use the online dairy decision tool on Service Center staff continue to work with agricultural producers via phone, email and other digital tools. Because of the pandemic, some USDA Service Centers are open to limited visitors. Producers should contact their Service Center to set up an in-person or phone appointment. Additionally, more information related to USDA’s response and relief for producers can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.
Floyd County U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced that County Committee elections are over and the ballots have been counted. Gary Osterman of rural Charles City was elected to represent local administrative area (LAA) # 3.
Daniel Miller of rural Charles City will serve as the first alternate. County committee members are a critical component of the day-to-day operations of FSA. They help deliver programs at the county level and work to serve the needs of local producers. All recently elected county committee members will take office in January 2022 and will be joining the existing committee.
Every FSA office is required to have a county committee, which are made up of local farmers, ranchers and foresters elected by local producers.
County committee members impact the administration of FSA within a community by applying their knowledge and judgment to help FSA make important decisions on commodity support programs, conservation programs, indemnity and disaster programs, emergency programs and eligibility.
County committee members serve local producers through their decision making and help shape the culture of a local FSA office. They also ensure the fair and equitable administration of FSA farm programs in their counties and are accountable to the Secretary of Agriculture. Members conduct hearings and reviews as requested by the state committee, ensure underserved farmers, ranchers and foresters are fairly represented, make recommendations to the state committee on existing programs, monitor changes in farm programs and inform farmers of the purpose and provisions of FSA programs. They also assist with outreach and inform underserved producers, such as beginning farmers, ranchers and foresters, about FSA opportunities.
For more information, visit the FSA website at fsa.usda.gov/elections or contact the Floyd County FSA office at 641-426-4230.
USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has implemented pre-authorized debit (PAD) for Farm Loan Program (FLP) borrowers. PAD is a voluntary and alternative method for making weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual payments on loans. PAD payments are pre-authorized transactions that allow the National Financial and Accounting Operations Center (NFAOC) to electronically collect loan payments from a customer’s account at a financial institution. PAD may be useful if you use nonfarm income from regular wages or salary to make payments on loans or adjustment offers or for payments from seasonal produce stands. PAD can only be established for future payments.
To request PAD, customers, along with their financial institution, must fill out form RD 3550-28. This form has no expiration date, but a separate form RD 3550-28 must be completed for each loan to which payments are to be applied. A fillable form can be accessed on the USDA Rural Development (RD) website at rd.usda.gov/publications/regulations-guidelines. Click forms and search for “Form 3550-28.” This form needs to be completed by the borrower and their bank and submitted to your local FSA office for processing and setup.
PAD is offered by FSA at no cost. Check with your financial institution to discuss any potential cost. Preauthorized debit has no expiration date, but you can cancel at any time by submitting a written request to your local FSA office. If a preauthorized debit agreement receives three payment rejections within a three-month period, the preauthorized debit agreement will be cancelled by FSA. The payment amount and due date of your loan is not affected by a cancellation of preauthorized debit. You are responsible to ensure your full payment is made by the due date.
For more information about PAD, contact your Farm Loan staff at 641-394-5929, ext. 180.
Healthy soil and plentiful nutrients are key ingredients to productive farms and ranches. But when they move off farms and ranches, they can harm streams and rivers. High concentrations of nutrients in water, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, can be harmful to humans, animals and plants. When the runaway nutrients reach estuaries, they can lead to hypoxic zones, or oxygen-depleted waters.
You can take proactive steps to keep nutrients and soil in their proper places – on the land and out of waterways. Many producers implement filter strips – a belt of plants – at the edge of crop fields and pastures. Producers station these strips in environmentally sensitive areas on a farm or ranch, especially near ditches and other waterways. The strips slow the speed of water flowing over fields following a rainstorm, allowing for the plants to capture sediment and nutrients. The best plants for filter strips have stiff stems and are dense near the ground.
Filter strips not only help the environment, but they can help the producer, too. They provide habitat for wildlife and pollinators. It’s always helpful to lure pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, to a farm because the more pollinators – the better the harvest.
NRCS can help you incorporate conservation practices like filter strips on your farm or ranch. For more information, contact Floyd County USDA Service Center at 641-426-4231or visit nrcs.usda.gov.
Nutrients can help or harm, either leading to bountiful harvests or contributing to water quality issues. How we manage nutrients affects how much is taken up by plants and how much is lost from our farm fields. Farmers and ranchers play an important role in finding solutions to prevent nutrients from making their way into our streams, rivers and other water bodies, including the Winnebago, Shell Rock, Cedar River and their tributaries.
You can help improve water quality by managing nutrients, using the right kind, the right amount, applied at the right time, and using the proper method of application. NRCS can help you use nutrients wisely – through a conservation practice called nutrient management. Nutrient management allows you to achieve optimal agricultural and economic outcomes while improving the quality of air, soil and water.
Through nutrient management, you perform a soil or plant tissue test to determine nutrient needs and apply only the amount needed to optimize crop yields. To improve timing, nutrients should be applied when plants can best absorb them, while considering factors like weather, irrigation events and crops that will follow. Sometimes it’s best to split nutrient applications to increase the chances of nutrient uptake by the crop while minimizing losses through runoff and leaching.
Managing nutrients comes with benefits for you, too. You can see cost savings from lower inputs and potential yield increases, thus creating a win-win situation. For more information, contact your Floyd County USDA Service Center at 641-426-4231or visit nrcs.usda.gov.
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