In This Issue:

• Message from the State Director
• USDA Announces Assistance for On-Farm Food Safety Expenses for Specialty Crop Growers 
• USDA Expands Farmers.gov to Include Farm Records
• Update Your Records
• USDA Updates Farm Loan Programs to Increase Equity
• USDA and SCORE Joining Forces to Find MentorsClick to edit this heading.
• Interest Rates for September 2022
• Dates to Remember

Message from the State Director

Greetings from Delaware Farm Service Agency!  We’re going to try something new for our monthly newsletter by adding a brief, general update about what is going on around the state.  For this inaugural issue, I’ll start with a quick recap.  The USDA Farm Service Agency delivered over $54.6 million in federal program payments and loans to Delaware farmers during fiscal year 2021.  Nearly half of that amount was important pandemic assistance to support family farm operations.  To date, nearly $21.5 million of loans and program payments have been delivered in fiscal year 2022 and Farm Service Agency continues to deliver significant disaster, pandemic, commodity support, and loan assistance.  Delaware agriculture benefits greatly from the efforts of our dedicated employees and locally elected County Committees. Prolonged hot, dry weather made 2022 a difficult growing season.  Producers with coverage under the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) are reminded to file a notice of loss as soon as damage is apparent and to keep in touch with the office as harvest progresses.  For hand-harvested or rapidly deteriorating crops, it’s especially important to also notify FSA within 72 hours of when harvest is complete so the crop can be inspected.  The Emergency Relief Program is being rolled out in phases to producers impacted by natural disaster events in 2020 and 2021.  To date, over $2.5 million has been distributed to Delaware farmers who had received crop insurance indemnities and Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) payments for qualifying losses.  The next phase will be aimed at filling gaps and provide assistance to producers who did not participate or receive payments through the existing risk management programs that are being leveraged for phase one implementation.  We’ll provide more information as program details are made available. October is the month that payments are issued to Conservation Reserve Program and Ag Risk Coverage/Price Loss Coverage (if triggered) participants.  If you are enrolled in either of these programs, expect more information in the next few weeks. Lastly, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced that the Biden-Harris Administration, through USDA, is investing up to $2.8 billion in 70 selected projects under the first pool of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities funding opportunity.  These pilot projects will create market opportunities for American commodities produced using climate-smart production practices.  Seven of the projects will be open to Delaware farmers and span the diversity of First State agriculture.  Look for more information on these opportunities in the coming months.  Until next month, take care and stay safe!   Robin Talley State Executive Director Farm Service Agency - Delaware

USDA Announces Assistance for On-Farm Food Safety Expenses for Specialty Crop Growers 

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) plans to provide up to $200 million in assistance for specialty crop producers who incur eligible on-farm food safety program expenses to obtain or renew a food safety certification in calendar years 2022 or 2023. USDA’s new Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops (FSCSC) program will help to offset costs for specialty crop producers to comply with regulatory requirements and market-driven food safety certification requirements, which is part of USDA’s broader effort to transform the food system to create a more level playing field for small and medium producers and a more balanced, equitable economy for everyone working in food and agriculture.  

Specialty crop operations can apply for assistance for eligible expenses related to a 2022 food safety certificate issued on or after June 21, 2022, beginning June 27, 2022. USDA is delivering FSCSC to provide critical assistance for specialty crop operations, with an emphasis on equity in program delivery while building on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain disruptions. Vilsack made the announcement from Hollis, N.H., where he toured a local, family-owned farm and highlighted USDA’s efforts to help reduce costs for farmers and support local economies by providing significant funding to cut regulatory costs and increase market opportunities for farmers in New Hampshire and across the nation.

Program Details 

FSCSC will assist specialty crop operations that incurred eligible on-farm food safety certification and related expenses related to obtaining or renewing a food safety certification in calendar years 2022 and 2023. For each year, FSCSC covers a percentage of the specialty crop operation’s cost of obtaining or renewing their certification, as well as a portion of their related expenses. 

To be eligible for FSCSC, the applicant must be a specialty crop operation; meet the definition of a small business or very small business; and have paid eligible expenses related to the 2022 (issued on or after June 21, 2022) or 2023 certification. 

Specialty crop operations may receive assistance for the following costs: 

• Developing a food safety plan for first-time food safety certification.
• Maintaining or updating an existing food safety plan.
• Food safety certification.
• Certification upload fees.
• Microbiological testing for products, soil amendments and water.
• Training.

FSCSC payments are calculated separately for each category of eligible costs. A higher payment rate has been set for socially disadvantaged, limited resource, beginning and veteran farmers and ranchers. Details about the payment rates and limitations can be found at farmers.gov/food-safety.

Applying for Assistance 

The FSCSC application period for 2022 is June 27, 2022, through January 31, 2023, and the application period for 2023 will be announced at a later date. FSA will issue payments at the time of application approval for 2022 and after the application period ends for 2023. If calculated payments exceed the amount of available funding, payments will be prorated. 

Interested specialty crop producers can apply by completing the FSA-888, Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops Program (FSCSC) application. The application, along with other required documents, can be submitted to the FSA office at any USDA Service Center nationwide by mail, fax, hand delivery or via electronic means.

Producers can visit farmers.gov/food-safety for additional program details, eligibility information and forms needed to apply. 

USDA Expands Farmers.gov to Include Farm Records

Producers with farmers.gov accounts can now access farm records and maps online, the latest self-service feature added to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) website. You can quickly and easily access your land information in real time by desktop computer, tablet or phone. Capabilities include: View, print and export detailed farm records such as cropland, base acres, yields, CRP acres, land ownership details, and much more; View, print and export farm/tract maps that can be provided to lenders, chemical or fertilizer providers, and FSA for reporting acreage and crop insurance agents; and Export common land unit (field) boundaries as ESRI shapefiles. The ability to access these records on demand without a visit to the service center saves you time and money. Farmers.gov now includes the most popular functionalities from FSAFarm+, the FSA portal for producers, while providing enhanced functionality and an improved user experience. A new enhancement expands the scope of accessibility to include farmers and ranchers who are members of an entity, as well as people with a power of attorney form (FSA-211) on file with FSA. Managing USDA Business Online Using farmers.gov, producers, entities and those acting on their behalf can also: View, upload, download, and e-sign conservation documents. Request financial assistance, including submitting a program application. View and submit conservation requests. View technical references and submit questions. Access information on current and past conservation practices, plans and contracts. Report practice completion and request practice certification. View farm loan and interest information (producers only) Future plans include adding the ability to import and view other shapefiles, such as precision agriculture planting boundaries. To access your information, you’ll will need a USDA eAuth account to login to farmers.gov. After obtaining an eAuth account, producers should visit farmers.gov and sign into the site’s authenticated portal via the Sign In/Sign Up link at the top right of the website. Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Microsoft Edge are the recommended browsers to access the feature. In addition to the self-service features available by logging into farmers.gov, the website also has ample information on USDA programs, including pandemic assistance, farm loans, disaster assistance, conservation programs and crop insurance. Recently, USDA updated the navigation and organization of the site as well as added some new webpages, including “Get Involved,” “Common Forms,” and “Translations.” Learn more about these changes.

Update Your Records

FSA is cleaning up our producer 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 local service center.

USDA Updates Farm Loan Programs to Increase Equity

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is updating its farm loan programs to better support current borrowers, including historically underserved producers. These improvements are part of USDA’s commitment to increase equity in all programs, including farm loans that provide important access to capital for covering operating expenses and purchasing land and equipment.  

The 2018 Farm Bill authorized FSA to provide equitable relief to certain direct loan borrowers, who are non-compliant with program requirements due to good faith reliance on a material action of, advice of, or non-action from an FSA official. Previously, borrowers may have been required to immediately repay the loan or convert it to a non-program loan with higher interest rates, less favorable terms, and limited loan servicing.  

Now, FSA has additional flexibilities to assist borrowers in such situations. If the agency provided incorrect guidance to an existing direct loan borrower, the agency may provide equitable relief to that borrower. FSA may assist the borrower by allowing the borrower to keep their loans at current rates or other terms received in association with the loan which was determined to be noncompliant or the borrower may receive other equitable relief for the loan as the Agency determines to be appropriate.

USDA encourages producers to reach out to their local loan officials to ensure they fully understand the wide range of loan and servicing options available that can assist them in starting, expanding or maintaining their operation.  

Additional Updates  

Equitable relief is one of several changes authorized by the 2018 Farm Bill that USDA has made to the direct and guaranteed loan programs. Other changes that were previously implemented include:  

• Modifying the existing three-year farming experience requirement for Direct Farm Ownership loans to include additional items as acceptable experience. 
• Allowing socially disadvantaged and beginning farmer applicants to receive a guarantee equal to 95%, rather than the otherwise applicable 90% guarantee. 
• Expanding the definition of and providing additional benefits to veteran farmers. 
• Allowing borrowers who received restructuring with a write down to maintain eligibility for an Emergency loan. 
• Expanding the scope of eligible issues and persons covered under the agricultural Certified Mediation Program. 

Additional information on these changes is available in the March 8, 2022 rule on the Federal Register. 

More Background 

FSA has taken other recent steps to increase equity in its programs. Last summer, USDA announced it was providing $67 million in competitive loans through its new Heirs’ Property Relending Program to help agricultural producers and landowners resolve heirs’ land ownership and succession issues. FSA also invested $4.7 million to establish partnerships with organizations to provide outreach and technical assistance to historically underserved farmers and ranchers, which contributed to a fourfold increase in participation by historically underserved producers in the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP 2), a key pandemic assistance program, since April 2021. 

Additionally, in January 2021, Secretary Vilsack announced a temporary suspension of past-due debt collection and foreclosures for distressed direct loan borrowers due to the economic hardship imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Producers can explore available loan options using the Farm Loan Discover Tool on farmers.gov (also available in Spanish) or by contacting their local USDA Service Center. Service Center staff continue to work with agricultural producers via phone, email, and other digital tools. Due to the pandemic, some USDA Service Centers are open to limited visitors. Producers can contact their local Service Center to set up an in-person or phone appointment to discuss loan options.  

USDA and SCORE Joining Forces to Find MentorsClick to edit this heading.

If you are a farmer or rancher, or have agricultural or business experience, join us in supporting the next generation and in investing in your local community. Your experiences and knowledge as a business owner, agricultural professional, or farmer can provide vital support to your community

USDA is collaborating with SCORE – score.org - the nation's largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors in an effort to expand the field of available agricultural mentors and provide free business mentoring to farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural and rural business owners.   SCORE is currently looking for volunteers with experience in an agriculture-related field who would like to become part of an extended field of volunteers. The organization’s Orientation and Mentoring Certification program provides volunteers with everything needed to be a successful volunteer. Training includes background about SCORE’s mission and services, as well as guidance on how to be a business mentor, including enhancement of listening, interviewing and problem-solving skills.

Current mentors have backgrounds in finance, accounting, marketing, operations, business and financial planning. The mentors provide local expertise and free one-on-one business mentoring to new and existing farmers and business owners. Together they work through the process of starting or maintaining agricultural and rural businesses. No matter what stage a business is in, SCORE volunteer mentors can help in developing business plans, navigating financing and legal issues, identifying new markets, and other topics, in order to help their clients succeed.   FSA invites you to learn more and sign up to become a mentor today at newfarmers.usda.gov/mentorship.

Interest Rates for September 2022

Dates to Remember

Deadlines

Important Dates

Delaware Farm Service Agency

1221 College Park Dr., Suite 201
Dover, DE 19904

Phone: 302-678-4250
Fax: (855) 389-2246

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).