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FSA is cleaning up our producers record database and needs your help. Please report any changes of address, zip code, phone number, email address or an incorrect name or business name on file to our office. You should also report changes in your farm operation, like the addition of a farm by lease or purchase. You should also report any changes to your operation in which you reorganize to form a Trust, LLC or other legal entity.
FSA and NRCS program participants are required to promptly report changes in their farming operation to the County Committee in writing and to update their Farm Operating Plan on form CCC-902.
To update your records, contact your St. Croix County USDA Service Center at 340-773-9146 or your local FSA office. https://www.farmers.gov/working-with-us/service-center-locator
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At USDA, we are committed to helping farmers complete loan applications, environmental reviews, and other paperwork free of charge. One-on-one support is available at more than 2,300 USDA Service Centers nationwide. USDA’s Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service staff are usually co-located at these Service Centers and can help guide farmers to the best USDA assistance based on their unique goals, whether it is loans, conservation programs, or insurance.
Service Center staff can guide farmers through the process of preparing and submitting required paperwork on their own, with no need to hire a paid preparer. Language translation service is available in all USDA Service Centers, so one-on-one assistance with a Service Center employee can be translated in real time for farmers requiring it. And while some program and loan applications do have an administrative fee for filing, there is never a charge for preparation services provided by USDA staff.
Farmers who work with the USDA Service Center can:
- Establish their farm by registering for a farm number, which is required for USDA programs and assistance.
- Learn how to meet conservation compliance provisions.
- Verify eligibility for USDA programs.
- Discuss their business and conservation goals.
- Create a conservation plan.
- Fill out and file loan and program applications.
We are committed to delivering USDA programs and services to America’s farmers and ranchers while taking safety measures in response to COVID-19. We encourage you to check the status of your local USDA Service Center and make an appointment to discuss your business needs.
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Farmers can use USDA farm ownership microloans to buy and improve property. These microloans are especially helpful to beginning or underserved farmers, U.S. veterans looking for a career in farming, and those who have small and mid-sized farming operations.
Microloans have helped farmers and ranchers with operating costs, such as feed, fertilizer, tools, fencing, equipment, and living expenses since 2013.
Microloans can also help with farmland and building purchases and soil and water conservation improvements. FSA designed the expanded program to simplify the application process, expand eligibility requirements and expedite smaller real estate loans to help farmers strengthen their operations. Microloans provide up to $50,000 to qualified producers and can be issued to the applicant directly from the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA).
To learn more about the FSA microloan program, visit fsa.usda.gov/microloans.
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USDA announces significant investments to support urban agriculture, including $43.1 million for grants and cooperative agreements. These actions support USDA’s efforts to strengthen the food supply chain and transform the food system to be fairer, more competitive, and more resilient. Specifically, USDA is investing $10.2 million in new cooperative agreements to expand compost and food waste reduction efforts and $14.2 million in new grants to support the development of urban agriculture and innovative production projects. Additionally, $18.7 million will fund 75 worthy grant proposals from the 2021 application cycle, which was oversubscribed, including the first Urban Ag grant in the Caribbean Area. The Cañaboncito Urban Agriculture and Innovation Production Program submitted by the Corporación Juvenil Para el Desarrollo de Comunidades Sosten and will address the limited access to fresh and nutritious foods in the suburbs of Cañaboncito, Puerto Rico. Learn more …
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Did you know that 70% of the world’s crop species depend on Pollinators?
NRCS offers technical and financial assistance to help farmers and forest landowners apply conservation practices to provide habitat for pollinators and critical wildlife species. NRCS helps farmers prepare conservation plans and apply practices to benefit soil, water, air, plants, and animals for productive farms and healthy ecosystems.
You can improve pollinator and wildlife habitat on your farm through NRCS conservation practice Wildlife Habitat Planting. NRCS provides cost-share to farmers and landowners to plant flower or shrub seeds or seedlings to provide essential food, refuge and cover for pollinators and wildlife. These plantings are particularly valuable when converting cropland or pastureland to dedicated wildlife habitat.
The Wildlife Habitat Planting practice is also used to convert degraded habitat, like abandoned areas covered by exotic plant species, to high quality habitat with more native plant species variety. This practice is very commonly used to provide habitat rich flowering plants for pollinators and monarch butterflies.
Other NRCS conservation practices that can be applied with Wildlife Habitat Planting include Upland Wildlife Habitat Management or Wetland Wildlife Habitat Management, Hedgerow Planting, Riparian Forest Buffers, Structures for Wildlife, and Tree and Shrub Establishment. For more information on our programs to help pollinators, contact your local NRCS Field Office.
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May 31st was National Dam Safety Awareness Day, when we commemorate the worst dam failure in U.S. history - the 1889 South Fork Dam failure near Johnston, Pennsylvania, where 2,220 people lost their lives.
National Dam Safety Awareness Day was created to encourage and promote individual and community responsibility for dam safety and provide information on how to prevent future dam failures. This day also promotes the benefits dams offer to communities. It serves as a reminder to perform inspections, take necessary precautions for climate change patterns, update emergency action and evacuation plans, and share dam safety information with the communities. Dam safety is a shared responsibility. Know your risk, know your role, know the benefits of dams and take action.
USDA continues to invest in flood control structures in Puerto Rico, the USVI and around the US. Learn more at https://go.usa.gov/xJTWx (photo: Ajies Dam, Añasco, PR).
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NRCS Leadership and St. Croix Field Office staff participated in the 50th Virgin Islands Food & Agriculture Fair – Agrifest – held at the St. Croix Ag Fair grounds over Memorial Day weekend. NRCS took the opportunity to meet with farmers, partners and friends, introduce new programs and partnership opportunities, and celebrate our Farmers of the Year - Alphonso James (Livestock) and Chrisphonte Badeau (Crop).
VI Agrifest has been billed as one of the largest agriculture fairs in the Caribbean. Agrifest took a hiatus in 2021 and was delayed from February this year due to COVID restrictions. The thousands of fairgoers who attended throughout the three-day weekend event shopped for produce, plants, food, pastries, homemade drinks, and a variety of locally produced goods from clothing to soaps and lotions to leather goods and paintings. There were school exhibits and displays from public agencies and private organizations to educate residents about services. It was truly a “Golden Opportunity to Grow!"
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On Friday morning, May 27th, NRCS Utuado District Conservationist Michelle Catoni, Arecibo Soil Conservationist Esteban Padilla, and Agroforestry Specialist Francisco Rivera provided outreach to 22 farmers and individuals at an Academia del Cacao workshop held by the PR Science Trust at Finca Semila in Barceloneta, PR. Michelle and Esteban presented information about NRCS programs and services and described the FSA process for farm registration and eligibility determination.
The goal of Academia del Cacao is to train farmers in cacao cultivation as an agroforestry operation. The Academy curriculum outlines several theoretical and practical topics that complement each other to offer participants an integrated learning experience. Some topics covered include Concepts and Management of an Agroforestry System, Cacao Cultivation, Pruning, Soil Management, Bio Inputs, Conservation Practices, Use of Cover Plants, and Planning of an Agricultural Company. (Photo: left to right Michelle Catoni, Francisco Rivera and Esteban Padilla answer questions from farmers about NRCS programs.)
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Our MLRA Soil Survey Leader, Samuel Rios, hit the beach Saturday, May 21st, participating in Surfrider Puerto Rico's outreach event at Crash Boat Beach in Aguadilla. Sammy told attendees about Puerto Rico's 10 soil orders and used a rain simulator to show how soil erosion harms our water resources and coastal ecosystems. He also spoke about the importance of soil health, practices like cover crops to conserve the soil, and how to find information at Web Soil Survey.
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There's still time to register to join us in San Juan! Hosted in partnership with the Puerto Rico Association of Soil Conservation Districts, this year's meeting will take place from July 16-19 at the Caribe Hilton Hotel. Registration for the 2022 NACD Summer Conservation Forum and Tour is open through June 24, 2022!
With attendance, you will also have the chance to explore the beautiful island of Puerto Rico through a selection of group tours, including through the El Yunque National Forest, the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest Service. On this guided walk, get the chance to see the forest's diverse ecosystem, hosting hundreds of unique plant and animal species, including Puerto Rico’s famous coquí frog. These tours are filling up fast, so register soon!
Information about registration, accommodations, travel, and more can be found on NACD's website at https://www.nacdnet.org/news-and-events/summer-meeting/.
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USDA Rural Development awarded $133,000 to Monte Azul Foundation in Yabucoa to train and educate youth and farmers to “become the sustainable farmers of tomorrow,” Luis R. García, acting state director in Puerto Rico announced.
The investment, under the agency’s Healthy Food Financing Initiative, will support the nonprofit’s “La Canasta Saludable,” a food retail concept that will offer fresh produce and food staples in a engaging and educational way, incorporating a market garden and a greenhouse into the design.
The local allocation is part of a global $22.6 million that the federal agency is making across the US mainland and Puerto Rico to improve access to healthy foods in underserved communities. Learn more…
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