Illinois - 2022 May FPAC Newsletter

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US Department of Agriculture

Illinois 2022 May FPAC Newsletter  -  May 2022

In This Issue:


U.S. President Joe Biden and U.S. Secretary Vilsack visits Illinois

Photo

On Wednesday last week Illinois was very fortunate to have U.S. President Joe Biden and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, along with Robin Kelly, U.S. Representative, visit the Jeff and Gina O’Connor farm in Kankakee County. Amongst the topics discussed during the Illinois farm visit was the plan to extend crop insurance coverage for farmers who practice double cropping (growing soybeans and wheat as two separate crops in the same field, in the same year). Many agriculture leaders were in attendance from several agriculture organizations as well as Erika Rae Allen and Ben Curtin – USDA/FSA State Committee members; Brian Frieden – Regional Director at USDA/Risk Management Agency; Ivan Dozier - State Conservationist at USDA/Natural Resources Conservation Service; Betsy Dirksen Londrigan - State Director at USDA/Rural Development; myself and my family. 

Pictured front row, left to right; Scott Halpin – State Executive Director (SED); Sarah Halpin – Scott’s wife; Deb Halpin – retired FSA employee of 30 years (Grundy county office) and mother of SED Scott Halpin; and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.  Back row left to right are Scott and Sarah Halpin’s children Ty, Cale, Grace Halpin and Frank Halpin – father of SED Scott Halpin.

As you begin to complete your spring planting season, I am pleased to say that all FSA county offices continue to remain open for walk in customers - no masking required, when visiting offices in person.  Please be mindful that county office in person business operations may change day to day, due to Covid-19 case number increases, so please be sure you telephone your FSA local county office, before visiting in person.

I would like to encourage those who have not yet completed their crop acreage reports to make an appointment with their local County (FSA) Office before the applicable deadline (July 15, 2022).

An acreage report documents a crop grown on a farm or ranch and its intended uses.  Filing an accurate and timely acreage report for all crops and land uses, including failed acreage and prevented planted acreage, can prevent the loss of benefits.

Service Center staff continue to work with Illinois producers via phone, email, and other digital tools.  Please contact your local County FSA office to set up an in-person or phone appointment.

To file a crop acreage report, you will need to provide:

  • Crop and crop type or variety.
  • Intended use of the crop.
  • Number of acres of the crop.
  • Map with approximate boundaries for the crop.
  • Planting date(s).
  • Planting pattern, when applicable.
  • Producer shares.
  • Irrigation practice(s).
  • Acreage prevented from planting, when applicable.
  • Other information as required.

The following exceptions apply to acreage reporting dates:

  • If the crop has not been planted by the acreage reporting date, then the acreage must be reported no later than 15 calendar days after planting is completed.
  • If a producer acquires additional acreage after the acreage reporting date, then the acreage must be reported no later than 30 calendar days after purchase or acquiring the lease. Appropriate documentation must be provided to the county office.

Producers should also report crop acreage they intended to plant, but due to natural disaster, were unable to plant.  Prevented planting acreage must be reported on form CCC-576, Notice of Loss, no later than 15 calendar days after the final planting date as established by FSA and USDA’s Risk Management Agency.

Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) policy holders should note that the acreage reporting date for NAP-covered crops is the earlier of the dates listed above or 15 calendar days before grazing or harvesting of the crop begins.  For questions, please contact your local County FSA office.

This month I have two important dates for everyone to remember:

May 30, 2022 - Memorial Day Holiday - FSA Offices will be closed
May 31, 2022 – Last Date to Request 2021 Crop Corn, Soybean and Grain Sorghum Marketing Assistance Loan (MAL)

Always remember safety is an important part of everyday life on the farm.  Please take an extra step today, to make sure everything and everyone remains safe, on and around your farm.

Sincerely,
Scott Halpin
State Executive Director


Communication is Key in Lending

Farm Service Agency (FSA) is committed to providing our farm loan borrowers the tools necessary to be successful.  FSA staff will provide guidance and counsel from the loan application process through the borrower’s graduation to commercial credit.  While it is FSA’s commitment to advise borrowers as they identify goals and evaluate progress, it is crucial for borrowers to communicate with their farm loan staff when changes occur. It is the borrower’s responsibility to alert FSA to any of the following:

  • Any proposed or significant changes in the farming operation
  • Any significant changes to family income or expenses
  • The development of problem situations
  • Any losses or proposed significant changes in security

If a farm loan borrower can’t make payments to suppliers, other creditors, or FSA on time, contact your farm loan staff immediately to discuss loan servicing options.

For more information on FSA farm loan programs, contact your local County USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov.


USDA Updates Crop Insurance to Respond to Producer Needs, Support Conservation and Climate Mitigation Efforts

RMA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is making updates to crop insurance to respond to the needs of agricultural producers, including organic producers, as well as to support conservation of natural resources on agricultural land.   

Specifically, USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) is making permanent a new provision that allows producers to hay, graze or chop cover crops and still receive a full prevented planting payment.  To accommodate the different farming practices across the country, RMA is also increasing flexibility related to the prevented planting “1 in 4” requirement, as well as aligning crop insurance definitions with USDA’s National Organic Program.  

Haying, Grazing, and Chopping of Cover Crops  

In July, RMA announced producers can hay, graze, or chop cover crops for silage, haylage, or baleage at any time and still receive 100% of the prevented planting payment. Previously, cover crops could only be hayed, grazed or chopped after November 1. Otherwise, the prevented planting payment was reduced by 65% if producers took those actions on the cover crop.  

RMA added this flexibility starting with the 2021 crop year as part of a broader effort to encourage producers to use cover crops, an important conservation and good farming practice.  Cover crops are especially important on fields prevented from being planted because they cover ground that would otherwise be left bare, which helps reduce soil erosion, boost soil health and increase soil carbon sequestration.  

This change builds on the advanced research and identified benefits cover crops have supporting healthy soils and cropland sustainability efforts.  Studies also show that cover crops provide increased corn and soybean yields.  While results vary by region and soil type, cover crops are proven to reduce erosion, improve water quality and increase the health and productivity of the soil while building resilience to climate change.  Additionally, RMA provided a premium benefit to producers who planted cover crops through the Pandemic Cover Crop Program to help producers maintain cover crop systems amid the financially challenging pandemic.  

“1 in 4” Requirement Flexibilities  

For the 2020 crop year, RMA implemented a policy stating that for land to be eligible for prevented planting coverage, the acreage must meet the “1 in 4” requirement, which means the land must be planted, insured and harvested in at least one of the four most recent crop years.  Now, RMA is adding flexibilities to recognize different farming practices and crops grown, as well as the availability of risk management options.  

New flexibilities allowed in order to meet the “1 in 4” requirement include:  

  • The annual regrowth for an insured perennial crop, such as alfalfa, red clover, or mint, to be considered planted. 
  • Allow a crop covered by the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) to meet the insurability requirement. 
  • If crop insurance or NAP coverage was not available, allow the producer to prove the acreage was planted and harvested using good farming practices in at least two consecutive years out of the four previous years to meet the insurability requirement.  

Aligning Organic Terms  

RMA is revising four organic definitions to be consistent with USDA’s National Organic Program.  Consistency across USDA programs is important to eliminate the potential for confusion between the various programs that USDA is committed to providing to the producers.  

This change builds on other RMA efforts to expand and improve current options for organic producers.  In Sept. 2021, RMA announced several updates to Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP), including increasing farm operation growth limits for organic producers to the higher of $500,000 or 35% over the five-year average allowable income, and to allowing a producer to report acreage as certified organic, or as acreage in transition to organic, when the producer has requested an organic certification by the acreage reporting date.  In addition, RMA announced it will be offering the new Micro Farm policy through WFRP that specifically targets coverage for small, diversified farmers, including organic growers.  

Other Changes  

RMA made other changes to Common Crop Insurance Policy Basic Provisions, Area Risk Protection Insurance Regulations, Coarse Grains Crop Insurance Provisions, and other insurance provisions, which published today:  

  • RMA is providing an option for producers to delay measurement of farm-stored production for 180-days through the Special Provisions, similar to flexibilities already available to grain crop producers. 
  • RMA added earlage and snaplage as an acceptable method of harvest for coarse grains.  During the 2020 Derecho, many producers salvaged their damaged corn crop by harvesting as earlage or snaplage instead of grain or silage. 

Crop insurance is sold and delivered solely through private crop insurance agents.  A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA Service Centers and online at the RMA Agent Locator.  Learn more about crop insurance and the modern farm safety net at rma.usda.gov


USDA Encourages Producers to Enroll in Grassland CRP

image of grasslands

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) encourages producers and landowners to enroll in the Grassland Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) through May 13, 2022.  Grassland CRP provides a unique opportunity for farmers, ranchers, and agricultural landowners to keep land in agricultural production and supplement their income while improving their soils and permanent grass cover.   The program had its highest enrollment in history in 2021 and is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s broader effort to equip producers with the tools they need to help address climate change and invest in the long-term health of our natural resources.

Grassland CRP is a federally funded voluntary working lands program.  Through the program, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) provides annual rental payments to landowners to maintain and conserve grasslands while allowing producers to graze, hay, and produce seed on that land.  Maintaining the existing permanent cover provides several benefits, including reducing erosion, providing wildlife habitat and migration corridors, and capturing and maintaining carbon in the soil and cover.    

FSA provides participants with annual rental payments and cost-share assistance.  The annual rental rate varies by county with a national minimum rental rate of $13 per acre for this signup.  Contract duration is 10 or 15 years. 

Grassland CRP National Priority Zones 

Because Grassland CRP supports not only grazing operations but also biodiversity and conserving environmentally sensitive land such as that prone to wind erosion, FSA created two National Priority Zones in 2021: the Greater Yellowstone Migration Corridor and Dust Bowl Zone.   As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s focus on conservation in important wildlife corridors and key seasonal ranges, for this year’s signup, FSA is expanding the Greater Yellowstone Wildlife Migration Corridor Priority Zone to include seven additional counties across Montana, Wyoming, and Utah, to help protect the big-game animal migration corridor associated with Wyoming elk, mule deer, and antelope.  

Offers within one of these National Priority Zones will receive an additional 15 ranking points and $5 per acre if at least 50% of the offer is located in the zone. 

Alongside Grassland CRP, producers and landowners can also enroll acres in Continuous CRP under the ongoing sign up, which includes projects available through the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE).    

Broadening Reach of Program 

As part of the Agency’s Justice40 efforts, producers and landowners who are historically underserved, including beginning farmers and military veterans, will receive 10 additional ranking points to enhance their offers. 

Additionally, USDA is working to broaden the scope and reach of Grassland CRP by leveraging the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) to engage historically underserved communities.  CREP is a partnership program that enables states, Tribal governments, non-profit, and private entities to partner with FSA to implement CRP practices and address high priority conservation and environmental objectives. Interested entities are encouraged to contact FSA. 

More Information on CRP   

Landowners and producers interested in Grassland CRP should contact their local USDA Service Center to learn more or to apply for the program before the May 13, 2022 deadline.   Additionally, fact sheets and other resources are available at fsa.usda.gov/crp.       

Signed into law in 1985, CRP is one of the largest voluntary private-lands conservation programs in the United States.  The working lands signup announced today demonstrates how much it has evolved from the original program that was primarily intended to control soil erosion and only had the option to take enrolled land out of production.  The program has expanded over the years and now supports a greater variety of conservation and wildlife benefits, along with the associated economic benefits.    


Maintaining ARC/PLC Acreage

If you’re enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs, you must protect all cropland and noncropland acres on the farm from wind and water erosion and noxious weeds.  By signing ARC county or individual contracts and PLC contracts, you agree to effectively control noxious weeds on the farm according to sound agricultural practices.  If you fail to take necessary actions to correct a maintenance problem on your farm that is enrolled in ARC or PLC, the County Committee may elect to terminate your contract for the program year.


RMA Extends Crop Insurance Flexibilities to June Due to COVID-19

Because of the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending program flexibilities to Approved Insurance Providers (AIPs) and agricultural producers until June 30, 2022 or later.  Originally, these flexibilities were expiring this month. 

Extended flexibilities include:  

  • Allowing notifications to be sent electronically, including policy related information over the phone or other electronic methods to select policy elections by sales closing, acreage reporting and production reporting dates, including options, endorsements and their forms.   Producers may sign electronically or within 60 calendar days.  
  • Allowing producers to submit a request for a written agreement after the sales closing date.  
  • Allowing producers with inability to physically sign a written agreement because of COVID-19 to do so after the expiration date.  
  • Providing additional time for AIPs to accept Regional Office Determined Yield, Master Yield, and Irrigated Determined Yield requests for Category B (annual) crops.    
  • Allowing AIPs to request a 30-day extension to submit Determined Yield requests for Category C (perennial) crops.  
  • Waiving the witness signature requirement for approval of Assignments of Indemnity.  

Additional details can be found in RMA’s Jan. 20, 2022 Manager’s Bulletin, the frequently asked questions or farmers.gov/coronavirus.    

Crop insurance is sold and delivered solely through private crop insurance agents.  A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA Service Centers and online at the RMA Agent Locator.  Learn more about crop insurance and the modern farm safety net at rma.usda.gov.  


Environmental Review Required Before Project Implementation

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires Federal agencies to consider all potential environmental impacts for federally funded projects before the project is approved.

For all Farm Service Agency (FSA) programs, an environmental review must be completed before actions are approved, such as site preparation or ground disturbance. These programs include, but are not limited to, the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP), Farm Storage Facility Loan (FSFL) program and farm loans.  If project implementation begins before FSA has completed an environmental review, the request will be denied.  Although there are exceptions regarding the Stafford Act and emergencies, it’s important to wait until you receive written approval of your project proposal before starting any actions.

Applications cannot be approved until FSA has copies of all permits and plans.  Contact your local FSA office early in your planning process to determine what level of environmental review is required for your program application so that it can be completed timely.


Foreign Buyers Notification

The Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA) requires all foreign owners of U.S. agricultural land to report their holdings to the Secretary of Agriculture.  Foreign persons who have purchased or sold agricultural land in the county are required to report the transaction to FSA within 90 days of the closing.  Failure to submit the AFIDA form could result in civil penalties of up to 25 percent of the fair market value of the property.  County government offices, realtors, attorneys and others involved in real estate transactions are reminded to notify foreign investors of these reporting requirements.  The data gained from these disclosures is used in the preparation of periodic reports to the President and Congress concerning the effect of such holdings upon family farms and rural communities.  Click here for more information on AFIDA.


Progression Lending from FSA

Farm Service Agency (FSA) farm loans are considered progression lending.  Unlike loans from a commercial lender, FSA loans are intended to be temporary in nature.  Our goal is to help you graduate to commercial credit, and our farm loan staff is available to help borrowers through training and credit counseling.

The FSA team will help borrowers identify their goals to ensure financial success.  FSA staff will advise borrowers on developing strategies and a plan to meet your goals and graduate to commercial credit.  FSA borrowers are responsible for the success of their farming operation, but FSA staff will help in an advisory role, providing the tools necessary to help you achieve your operational goals and manage your finances.

For more information on FSA farm loan programs, contact your local County USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov.


Farm Storage Facility Loans

Silos USDA Flickr

FSA’s Farm Storage Facility Loan (FSFL) program provides low-interest financing to producers to build or upgrade storage facilities and to purchase portable (new or used) structures, equipment and storage and handling trucks.

The low-interest funds can be used to build or upgrade permanent facilities to store commodities.  Eligible commodities include corn, grain sorghum, rice, soybeans, oats, peanuts, wheat, barley, minor oilseeds harvested as whole grain, pulse crops (lentils, chickpeas, and dry peas), hay, honey, renewable biomass, fruits, nuts and vegetables for cold storage facilities, floriculture, hops, maple sap, rye, milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, meat and poultry (unprocessed), eggs, and aquaculture (excluding systems that maintain live animals through uptake and discharge of water).  Qualified facilities include grain bins, hay barns and cold storage facilities for eligible commodities.  

Loans up to $50,000 can be secured by a promissory note/security agreement and loans between $50,000 and $100,000 may require additional security.  Loans exceeding $100,000 require additional security.

Producers do not need to demonstrate the lack of commercial credit availability to apply. The loans are designed to assist a diverse range of farming operations, including small and mid-sized businesses, new farmers, operations supplying local food and farmers markets, non-traditional farm products, and underserved producers.

To learn more about the FSA Farm Storage Facility Loan, visit www.fsa.usda.gov/pricesupport  or contact your local FSA county office.  To find your local FSA county office, visit http://offices.usda.gov.


Keeping Livestock Inventory Records

Livestock inventory records are necessary in the event of a natural disaster, so remember to keep them updated.

When disasters strike, the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) can help you if you’ve suffered excessive livestock death losses and grazing or feed losses due to eligible natural disasters.

To participate in livestock disaster assistance programs, you’ll be required to provide verifiable documentation of death losses resulting from an eligible adverse weather event and must submit a notice of loss to your local FSA office within 30 calendar days of when the loss of livestock is apparent.  For grazing or feed losses, you must submit a notice of loss to your local FSA office within 30 calendar days of when the loss is apparent and should maintain documentation and receipts.

You should record all pertinent information regarding livestock inventory records including:

  • Documentation of the number, kind, type, and weight range of livestock
  • Beginning inventory supported by birth recordings or purchase receipts.

Producers are encouraged to file acreage reports which include pasture and hayland acres to ensure eligibility for current and future programs.  For more information on documentation requirements, contact your local County USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov.


USDA Accepting New or Modified Proposals for the State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is welcoming new and modified proposals from conservation partners for the State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) initiative, a part of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) focused on effectively managing wildlife habitat.  USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has expanded available practices under this initiative in response to feedback from partners.

Through SAFE, producers and landowners restore vital habitat in alignment with high-priority state wildlife conservation goals.   Specifically, landowners establish wetlands, grasses, and trees.  These practices are designed to enhance important wildlife populations by creating critical habitat and food sources.  They also protect soil and water health by working as a barrier to sediment and nutrient run-off before they reach waterways.

Expanded Practices

To help improve the planning and implementation of the SAFE initiative, FSA is adding two new practices with the assistance of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), FSA’s sister agency. In partnership with FSA, NRCS employees across the country provide CRP participants with critical conservation planning assistance, which will now include managing for early successional habitat cover establishment or management, as well as wildlife habitat planting.  These additional eligible practices will enable SAFE partners to better target a wide variety of wildlife species, such as the Northern bobwhite, lesser prairie-chicken, and the New England cottontail.

As part of this year’s SAFE signup, FSA will also authorize cost-share assistance for producers who would like to re-enroll acres in CRP but need assistance updating their vegetative cover to align with NRCS practice standards for early successional habitat or wildlife planting.

Submitting Proposals

Eligible entities for SAFE include government entities, non-profits, or private organizations.

Additionally, partners with SAFE projects with both General and Continuous CRP practices must submit modified proposals to continue in the program.  

New and modified proposals for SAFE projects must be submitted to the FSA State Office in Springfield in June. Contact your State Office for the state-specific deadline.  More information on developing proposals is available at fsa.usda.gov/crp.

More Information

SAFE is part of the Continuous CRP signup, and producers can begin enrolling in new or updated SAFE programs beginning October 1, 2022.  Meanwhile, the Continuous and Grassland signups are currently open, and producers can learn more by contacting their local USDA Service Center.   To learn more about SAFE and its benefits, see the initiative’s fact sheet.  

Signed into law in 1985, CRP is one of the largest voluntary private-lands conservation programs in the United States.  It was originally intended to primarily control soil erosion and potentially stabilize commodity prices by taking marginal lands out of production.  The program has evolved over the years, providing many conservation and economic benefits.  

CRP complements other USDA conservation programs, including several programs offered by NRCS for working lands and conservation easements.  Earlier this month, NRCS released its Northern Bobwhite, Grasslands and Savannas Framework for Conservation Action to help guide voluntary conservation work over the next five years across 25 states, including over 7 million acres of new conservation practices on productive, working lands, and will contribute to the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to make our nation a leader on climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience.   The plan will accelerate voluntary conservation efforts for the Northern bobwhite quail and the grassland and savanna landscapes that the species calls home. 


Maintaining the Quality of Farm-Stored Loan Grain

Bins are ideally designed to hold a level volume of grain.  When bins are overfilled and grain is heaped up, airflow is hindered, and the chance of spoilage increases.

Producers who take out marketing assistance loans and use the farm-stored grain as collateral should remember that they are responsible for maintaining the quality of the grain through the term of the loan.


USDA Offers Water Quality-Focused Program That Builds on CRP Contracts

Clear30

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing the signup period for its Clean Lakes, Estuaries, And Rivers initiative (CLEAR30) — a nationwide opportunity for certain landowners and agricultural producers currently implementing water quality practices through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to enroll in 30-year contracts, extending the lifespan and strengthening the benefits of important water quality practices on their land.  

Producers may apply for CLEAR30, a voluntary, incentive-based conservation program, from April 1, 2022, through August 5, 2022

Cropland and certain pastureland currently enrolled in Continuous CRP or the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and dedicated to an eligible water quality practice such as riparian buffers, contour strips, grass waterways or wetland restoration may be eligible if their contracts are expiring by September 30, 2022.  

CLEAR30 contracts will be effective beginning October 1, 2022. These long-term contracts ensure that conservation practices remain in place for 30 years, which improves water quality through reducing sediment and nutrient runoff and helping prevent algal blooms. Conservation in riparian areas also provides important carbon sequestration benefits.  Traditional CRP contracts run from 10 to 15 years. 

About CLEAR30 

CLEAR30 was established in the 2018 Farm Bill to better address water quality concerns. Originally, CLEAR30 was only available in the Great Lakes and Chesapeake Bay watersheds; in 2021, FSA made CLEAR30 available to agricultural producers and landowners nationwide, and participation grew nearly seven-fold from 2020 to 2021. 

Annual rental payments for landowners who enroll in CLEAR30 will be equal to the current Continuous CRP annual payment rate plus a 20 percent water quality incentive payment and an annual rental rate adjustment of 27.5 percent.    

How to Sign Up 

To sign up for CLEAR30, landowners and producers should contact their local USDA Service Center by August 5, 2022.   Contact information can be found at farmers.gov/service-locator.  Additionally, fact sheets and other resources are available at fsa.usda.gov/crp.     

More Information 

CLEAR30 is an option available through CRP, which is one of the largest voluntary private-lands conservation programs in the United States.  CRP was originally intended to primarily control soil erosion and stabilize commodity prices by taking environmentally sensitive lands out of production.  The program has evolved over the years, providing numerous conservation and economic benefits. In addition to CLEAR30, signups are also open for Continuous CRP and Grassland CRP.  


Unauthorized Disposition of Grain

If loan grain has been disposed of through feeding, selling or any other form of disposal without prior written authorization from the county office staff, it is considered unauthorized disposition.  The financial penalties for unauthorized dispositions are severe and a producer’s name will be placed on a loan violation list for a two-year period.   Always call before you haul any grain under loan.


May Interest Rates and Important Dates

May 2022 Interest Rates


Illinois/FPAC 

3500 Wabash Ave.
Springfield, Illinois 62711
Phone: 217-241-6600
Fax: 217-855-800-1760
Natural Resources Conservation Service
2118 W. Park Court
Champaign, Illinois 61821
217-353-6600

Farm Service Agency
Scott Halpin
State Executive Director

Risk Management Agency
Brian Frieden
Regional Director

Natural Resources Conservation Service
Ivan Dozier
State Conservationist

 

   
   

 


USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).