Like many of you, I’m wondering when the summer weather is going to show up. It’s been unseasonably cold, cloudy and wet in Palmer. I did notice that the patch of Alaska Forget Me Nots in my backyard is thriving better than ever, but I would sure appreciate more sunshine.
I believe our Alaska FSA team has been providing timely, dedicated service to our industry continuously, but did you know that we’ve not been fully staffed in over three years? This month we get one step closer as we welcome a new County Executive Director to the Palmer Office. Hazen Kazaks is joining our team after serving in various California field offices the past six years. Hazen will be training with California County offices through mid July; we are excited to welcome him to the team.
Have you visited the USDA Build Back Better website recently? Food system transformation is a focal point of this Administration and millions of dollars are available through a wide variety of our sister agencies. The State Division of Agriculture here in Alaska administers many of the funding streams including the Micro Grants for Food Security, the Specialty Crop Block Grant and the newly announced Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program. Stay tuned to their website for grant announcements, deadlines, and more information.
Are you a member of the Alaska Farm Bureau? They are currently in the planning process for this years Food & Farm Festival – cohosted with the Alaska Food Policy Council (AFPC) and scheduled for November 10-12 in Anchorage. If you’re interested in joining one of the planning committees, get in touch with Farm Bureau Executive Director Amy Seitz at Amy.Seitz@gmail.com or AFPC Executive Director Robbi Mixon at info@alaskafoodpolicycouncil.org
Back in February USDA Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack appointed three Alaskans to serve on our FSA State Committee. Over the next couple of newsletters, we will introduce each of the members. This month we spotlight Christine St. Pierre of Goosefoot Farm.
Goosefoot Farm is a regenerative diversified vegetable, fruit, berry, honey and hay farm in Fairbanks, Alaska. We sell primarily through the Tanana Valley Farmer's Market and our CSA. Goosefoot Farm has been in operation for ten years. I wanted to serve on the FSA State Committee because I think that it's important that the voices of Alaska farmers are heard. I have many farmer mentors; I've learned a lot from all the farmers I worked for before starting my own farm, including Gretchen Kerndt of Basically Basil and Mike Emers of Rosie Creek Farm here in Fairbanks and Jim McGinn and Jennifer Belknap from Rising River farm in Rochester, WA. Pete and Lynn Mayo from Spinach Creek Farm and John Dart from Dart AM farm have been indispensable to us as mentors as well. Having a strong farming community is really important for young and beginning farmers, and I'm grateful that the Fairbanks community has a strong farmer's market and a history of producers to learn from and be a part of. I am very concerned about the impact of climate change on Alaskan agriculture. In the last twelve years of working on farms and farming on my own in Fairbanks, I've seen lots of changes that are concerning, including permafrost lenses melting at increasing rates in people's fields, drier springs and wetter falls making hay growing and harvesting even more challenging as well as presenting a challenge to other types of farms, and more outlier type weather events. I've also seen an increasing number of farms lost due to development or high land prices, which prices farmers out. Despite these challenges, I am optimistic that farming in Alaska has a lot of potential. There is plenty of space for new and beginning farmers to be able to sell their goods in Alaska, and a lot of customer demand. The fact that our produce stands out so much from produce shipped to Alaska from thousands of miles away really makes our products shine. Increasing support of small farms and young and beginning farmers, and efforts to preserve farmland close to cities gives me a lot of hope that Alaskan agriculture will continue to grow and support the building of strong, healthy and close knit communities.
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Agricultural producers in Alaska who have not yet completed their crop acreage reports after planting should make an appointment with their U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) service center before the applicable deadline.
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.
How to File a Report
The following acreage reporting dates are applicable in Alaska:
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July 17, 2023
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All other spring planted crops, CRP, Perennial Forage
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November 2, 2023
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Value-loss crops (including Peonies) and controlled environment crops (except nursery)
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December 15, 2023
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Fall-Seeded Small Grains
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January 2, 2024
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Honey
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May 31, 2024
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Nursery
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Acreage reporting dates vary by crop and by county. Contact your local FSA office for a list of acreage reporting deadlines by crop.
To file a crop acreage report, producers 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.
Acreage Reporting Details
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.
· If crops are covered by the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program, acreage reports should be submitted by the applicable state, county, or crop-specific reporting deadline or 15 calendar days before grazing or harvesting of the crop begins.
Producers should also report crop acreage they intended to plant, but due to natural disaster, were unable to because of a natural disaster.
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.
FSA offers continuous certification for perennial forage. This means after perennial forage is reported once and the producer elects continuous certification, the certification remains in effect until a change is made. Check with FSA at the local USDA Service Center for more information on continuous certification.
New Option to View, Print and Label Maps on Farmers.gov
Producers with an eAuth account linked to their USDA customer record can now access their FSA farm records, maps and common land units by logging into farmers.gov. A new feature will allow producers to export field boundaries as shapefiles and import and view other shapefiles, such as precision agriculture boundaries. This will allow producers to view, print and label their own maps for acreage reporting purposes.
Producers who have authority to act on behalf of another customer as a grantee via form FSA-211 Power of Attorney, Business Partner Signature Authority, along with other signature types, or as a member of a business can now access information in the farmers.gov portal.
Producers can learn how to use the farmers.gov Farm Records Mapping functionality with this fact sheet and these video tutorials.
More Information
Producers can make an appointment to report acres by contacting their local USDA Service Center
FSA offers direct farm ownership and direct farm operating loans to producers who want to establish, maintain, or strengthen their farm or ranch. Direct loans are processed, approved and serviced by FSA loan officers.
Direct farm operating loans can be used to purchase livestock and feed, farm equipment, fuel, farm chemicals, insurance, and other costs including family living expenses. Operating loans can also be used to finance minor improvements or repairs to buildings and to refinance some farm-related debts, excluding real estate.
Direct farm ownership loans can be used to purchase farmland, enlarge an existing farm, construct and repair buildings, and to make farm improvements.
The maximum loan amount for direct farm ownership loans is $600,000 and the maximum loan amount for direct operating loans is $400,000 and a down payment is not required. Repayment terms vary depending on the type of loan, collateral and the producer's ability to repay the loan. Operating loans are normally repaid within seven years and farm ownership loans are not to exceed 40 years.
Please contact your local FSA office for more information or to apply for a direct farm ownership or operating loan.
Farmers and ranchers rely on crop insurance to protect themselves from disasters and unforeseen events, but not all crops are insurable through the USDA’s Risk Management Agency. The Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) provides producers another option to obtain coverage against disaster for these crops. NAP provides financial assistance to producers of non-insurable crops impacted by natural disasters that result in lower yields, crop losses, or prevents crop planting.
Commercially produced crops and agricultural commodities for which crop insurance is not available are generally eligible for NAP. Eligible crops include those grown specifically for food, fiber, livestock consumption, biofuel or biobased products, or value loss crops such as aquaculture, Christmas trees, ornamental nursery, and others. Contact your local FSA office to see which crops are eligible in your state and county.
Eligible causes of loss include drought, freeze, hail, excessive moisture, excessive wind or hurricanes, earthquake and flood. These events must occur during the NAP policy coverage period, before or during harvest, and the disaster must directly affect the eligible crop. For guidance on causes of loss not listed, contact your local FSA county office.
Interested producers apply for NAP coverage using FSA form CCC-471, “Application for Coverage,” and pay the applicable service fee at the FSA office where their farm records are maintained. These must be filed by the application closing date, which varies by crop. Contact your local FSA office to verify application closing dates and ensure coverage for eligible NAP crops.
At the time of application, each producer acknowledges they have received the NAP Basic Provisions, which describes NAP requirements for coverage. NAP participants must report crop acreage shortly after planting and provide verifiable or reliable crop production records when required by FSA.
Producers are required to pay service fees which vary depending on the number of crops and number of counties your operation is located in. The NAP service fee is the lesser of $325 per crop or $825 per producer per administrative county, not to exceed a total of $1,950 for a producer with farming interests in multiple counties. Premiums also apply when producers elect higher levels of coverage with a maximum premium of $15,750 per person or legal entity.
A producer’s certification on Form CCC-860 Socially Disadvantaged, Limited Resource, Beginning and Veteran Farmer or Rancher Certification may serve as an application for basic NAP coverage for all eligible crops beginning with crop year 2022. These producers will have all NAP-related service fees for basic coverage waived, in addition to a 50 percent premium reduction if higher levels of coverage are elected.
For more detailed information on NAP, download the NAP Fact Sheet. To get started with NAP, we recommend you contact your local USDA service center.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) launched a new online tool to help farmers and ranchers better navigate the farm loan application process. This uniform application process will help to ensure all farm loan applicants receive equal support and have a consistent customer experience with USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) regardless of their individual circumstances.
USDA experiences a high rate of incomplete or withdrawn applications, particularly among underserved customers, due in part to a challenging and lengthy paper-based application process. The Loan Assistance Tool is available 24/7 and gives customers an online step-by-step guide that supplements the support they receive when working in person with a USDA employee, providing materials that may help an applicant prepare their loan application in one tool.
Farmers can access the Loan Assistance Tool by visiting farmers.gov/farm-loan-assistance-tool and clicking the ‘Get Started’ button. From here they can follow the prompts to complete the Eligibility Self-Assessment and start the farm loan journey. The tool is built to run on any modern browser like Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or the Safari browser, and is fully functional on mobile devices. It does not work in Internet Explorer.
The Loan Assistance Tool is the first of multiple farm loan process improvements that will be available to USDA customers on farmers.gov in the future. Other improvements and tools that are anticipated to launch in 2023 include:
· A streamlined and simplified direct loan application, reduced from 29 pages to 13 pages.
· An interactive online direct loan application that gives customers a paperless and electronic signature option, along with the ability to attach supporting documents such as tax returns.
· An online direct loan repayment feature that relieves borrowers from the necessity of calling, mailing, or visiting a local Service Center to pay a loan installment.
Background
USDA provides access to credit to approximately 115,000 producers who cannot obtain sufficient commercial credit through direct and guaranteed farm loans. With the funds and direction Congress provided in Section 22006 of the Inflation Reduction Act, USDA is taking action to immediately provide relief to qualifying distressed borrowers whose operations are at financial risk while working on making transformational changes to loan servicing so that borrowers are provided the flexibility and opportunities needed to address the inherent risks and unpredictability associated with agricultural operations.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds producers of the July 14 deadline to apply for both the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) Phase Two and the Pandemic Assistance Revenue Program (PARP). These revenue-based programs help offset revenue losses from 2020 and 2021 natural disasters or the COVID-19 pandemic.
ERP and PARP offer a holistic approach to disaster assistance and provide economic support for producers who bear the financial brunt of circumstances beyond their control.
Eligibility
To be eligible for ERP Phase Two, producers must have suffered a decrease in allowable gross revenue in 2020 or 2021 due to necessary expenses related to losses of eligible crops from a qualifying natural disaster event. Assistance will be primarily to producers of crops that were not covered by Federal Crop Insurance or NAP, since crops covered by Federal Crop Insurance and NAP were included in the assistance under ERP Phase One. To be eligible for PARP, an agricultural producer must have been in the business of farming during at least part of the 2020 calendar year and had a 15% or greater decrease in allowable gross revenue for the 2020 calendar year, as compared to a baseline year. FSA offers an online ERP tool and PARP tool that can help producers determine what is considered allowable gross revenue for each respective program. Through cooperative agreements with FSA, nine organizations are also providing free ERP Phase Two application assistance to producers across the United States and territories.
ERP Phase Two Policy Updates
USDA recently updated ERP Phase Two to provide a method for valuing losses and accessing program benefits to eligible producers of certain crops, including grapes grown and used by the same producer for wine production or forage that is grown, stored and fed to livestock, that do not generate revenue directly from the sale of the crop.
The value of the eligible crop intended for on-farm use will be based on the producer’s actual production of the crop and a price for the crop as determined by FSA’s Deputy Administrator for Farm Programs based on the best available data for each crop such as published crop price data or the average price obtained by other producers in the area. Acceptable, published sources including but are not limited to Federal Crop Insurance Corporation established prices, FSA established National Crop Table prices and National Agricultural Statistic Service prices.
Revenue and pricing guidelines for expected revenue for wine grapes and on-farm forage is available online for producer reference and convenience when applying for ERP Phase Two.
Requirement to Purchase Crop Insurance or NAP Coverage
All producers who receive ERP Phase 2 payments must purchase crop insurance, or NAP coverage where crop insurance is not available, in the next two available crop years as determined by the Secretary. Purchased coverage must be at 60/100 level of coverage or higher for insured crops, or at the catastrophic coverage level or higher for NAP crops.
Crops that are not eligible for crop insurance or NAP are still eligible for ERP Phase Two, but producers must obtain Whole Farm Revenue Protection or Micro Farm Program policy to meet linkage requirements.
Maximize FSA Office Visits
Producers should contact their local FSA office to make an appointment to apply for ERP Phase Two and PARP assistance. Producers should also keep in mind that July 15 is a major deadline to complete acreage reports for most crops. FSA encourages producers to complete the ERP Phase Two application, PARP application and acreage reporting during the same office visit.
More Information
For more information, view the ERP Phase Two Fact Sheet, PARP Fact Sheet, the ERP Phase Two-PARP Comparison Fact Sheet, ERP Phase Two application video tutorial, PARP application video tutorial, myth-buster blog or contact your local USDA Service Center.
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