It’s County Fair Season in Indiana. Every county is abuzz with parades on Main Street, livestock in town, the carnival in full swing, and friends and family members making memories. As I travel the state, I am constantly in awe of how the county fair is the one place that unites farm and city/town life and gives those in agriculture a chance to tell their story – in person! Take the time to share a fun fact. For example, there are over 94,000 farmers in Indiana; more than 80 percent of land in Indiana is devoted to farms, forest, and woodland; the average farmer can feed 155 people; and that Indiana ranks 2nd in the production of ice cream! The sky’s the limit on how we educate those not a part of Indiana agriculture.
The County Fair also is a place where the best of the best in local agriculture are found. The nomination period for FSA County Committee members is open until August 1. If you or someone you know is interested in serving on your local FSA County Committee, please put a nomination forward! County Committees serve as a critical body to ensure policy implantation is informed at the local level and is equitable to all farmers. Find your next County Committee member at the County Fair and nominate them today!
So, from the county fair to the county FSA office, July is a busy month for farm families. I wish all Indiana 4-Hers the best of luck at their county fairs this summer, and I wish for gentle and ample rainfall for the crops you are raising for harvest this fall.
Proudly Serving Agriculture,
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 State Executive Director
 The nomination period for the USDA Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) annual county committee (COC) elections began June 15 and continues through Aug. 1, 2023. Throughout the nomination period, we’ll be introducing county committee members from across the nation. This week, meet Chris Linville of Osgood, Indiana.
Generations Farming Together
Chris grew up farming with his father, and never questioned what career path he would choose. He knew from a young age that agriculture and farming would be his lifelong career.
Chris and his wife Tammy operate Linville Farms. They began farming in 1987, the year they were married. Their operation has expanded over the years, and they now farm 2,800 acres of corn, soybeans and wheat and raise beef cattle, while Chris also works as a seed specialist for a seed company. In his spare time, he restores tractors for neighbors and friends.
Serving FSA and Ripley County Producers
Having a background in working with customers, Chris was honored when he was approached about running for the FSA County Committee in Ripley County. As a county committee member, Chris feels he is an advocate for Ripley County producers by being their voice with FSA.
“I get questions from my customers about FSA programs and what my role on the committee entails so I have the opportunity to do public relations on behalf of the agency,” Chris said.
Each committee member provides different views and knowledge of farming. As a seed salesman, Chris visits with numerous farmers and sees crops throughout his sales area during various stages of the planting, growing and harvest seasons. He shares this knowledge of crop conditions and yields with other members of the committee.
“We learn from each other and broaden our perspectives,” he said. “This allows our decisions as a committee to be fair and equitable.”
Be a Voice
Chris encourages farmers to get involved and run for their local committee.
“We need good solid people to make decisions - farmers with agriculture and community knowledge,” Chris said. “We are the personal liaison between the producer and FSA.”
County committee members are farmers elected by their peers to serve as a direct link between the agricultural community and USDA. Producers on the committee help deliver FSA farm programs at the local level and work to make federal farm programs serve the needs of local producers.
Each year, FSA accepts nominations for a certain Local Administrative Area and the LAA up for election rotates each year.
“There are times when you have to make some tough decisions, however you will enjoy the rewards of building relationships and working with fellow COC members, the office staff and the producers you serve,” he said.
More Information
For more information on FSA county committee elections, contact your local FSA office or visit fsa.usda.gov/elections. Additional Lead Your FSA blog stories are located at farmers.gov/blog/tag/lead-your-fsa.
To assist Farm Storage Facility Loan (FSFL) borrowers experiencing financial hardship from the pandemic and other challenges in production agriculture, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is offering a one-time annual installment payment deferral option. No fees or prepayment penalties apply for borrowers who choose this FSFL loan flexibility option.
Eligible borrowers can request a one-time only annual installment payment deferral for loans having terms of three, five, seven or ten years. The installment deferral option is not available for 12-year term loans.
The FSFL installment payments will remain the same, except for the last year. The original loan interest rate and annual payment due date will remain the same. However, because the installment payment deferral is a one-year loan term extension, the final payment will be higher due to additional accrued interest.
Borrowers interested in exercising the one-time annual installment deferral option should contact FSA to make the request and to obtain, complete and sign required forms.
FSFLs provide low-interest financing for producers to store, handle and transport eligible commodities.
More Information
In addition to offering flexibilities for FSFLs, FSA has also made other flexibilities to help producers impacted by the pandemic, including relaxing the loan-making process for farm operating and ownership loans and implementing the Disaster Set-Aside provision that enables an upcoming installment on a direct loan to be set aside for the year. More information on these flexibilities can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus. For more information, contact your local USDA Service Center. To locate your local FSA office, visit farmers.gov/service-center-locator.
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 USDA Service Center, FSA Regional Farm Loan Office or visit fsa.usda.gov.
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USDA announced the opening of the financial assistance application process for eligible farmers and forest landowners who experienced discrimination in USDA farm lending programs prior to January 2021. Section 22007 of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) directs USDA to provide this assistance. Since the law’s passage, USDA has worked diligently to design the program in accordance with significant stakeholder input.
The program website, 22007apply.gov, is now open. The website includes an English- and Spanish-language application that applicants can download or submit via an e-filing portal, information on how to obtain technical assistance in-person or virtually, and additional resources and details about the program.
Farmers and forest landowners who experienced discrimination by USDA in its farm loan programs prior to January 1, 2021 and/or are currently debtors with assigned or assumed USDA farm loan debt that was the subject of USDA discrimination that occurred prior to January 1, 2021, are eligible for this program.
To apply, borrowers have the option to apply via the e-filing portal at 22007apply.gov or submit paper-based forms via mail or in-person delivery to the program’s local offices. The application process will be open from July 7 to October 31, 2023. Under the planned timeline, applications will be reviewed in November and December, with payments reaching recipients soon thereafter. Importantly, applicants should know that the application process is not on a first come, first served, basis. All applications received or postmarked before the October 31 deadline will be considered.
To support producers throughout the application process, USDA is ensuring that organizations with extensive experience conducting outreach to farm organizations are able to support individuals who may be eligible for the program. These groups include AgrAbility, Farmer Veteran Coalition, Farmers’ Legal Action Group, Federation of Southern Cooperatives, Intertribal Agriculture Council, Land Loss Prevention Program, National Young Farmers Coalition, and Rural Coalition.
Vendors operating four regional hubs are also providing technical assistance and working closely with these and other community-based organizations to conduct outreach using digital and grassroots strategies, to ensure potential applicants are informed about the program and have the opportunity to apply. These hubs are operating a network of brick-and-mortar program offices and will conduct extensive outreach about the program. Windsor Group serves farmers in the eastern regions of the U.S. and Analytic Acquisitions serves the western regions. A national administrator, Midtown Group, is responsible for program oversight and integrity, and will lead a national call-center, operate the application website - 22007apply.gov, which is now open – and review and process applications and payments. All vendors have experience in professional services, supporting government contracts, and complex program operations.
On March 1, 2023, USDA shared initial details on how the Section 22007 program will work, including that the Inflation Reduction Act specifies the Secretary of Agriculture is responsible for providing this assistance through qualified nongovernmental entities, under standards set by USDA. USDA entered into agreements with vendors and cooperators in May.
In addition to the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP) opening today, the Inflation Reduction Act also created several other programs that are helping USDA rebuild trust, address systemic issues and improve service to people who may have been underserved by USDA in the past. Information about USDA’s equity agenda and progress is available at www.usda.gov/equity.
In standing up this program, USDA has become aware of some lawyers and groups spreading misleading information about the discrimination assistance process, pressuring people to sign retainer agreements, and asking people to fill out forms with private and sensitive information. As of today, the official application process has begun and filling out an application is free.
No attorneys’ fees will be paid to applicants or their counsel by USDA or by any other agency or department of the United States. The amount of financial assistance will not be increased for those claimants who are represented by an attorney. Applicants are not required to retain an attorney. USDA, the national administrator, and the regional hub vendors will neither recommend that any applicant retain counsel or retain a specific attorney or law firm, nor discourage an applicant from obtaining counsel or using a specific attorney or law firm. For more information, read our fact sheet about the program timeline and ways to protect against possible scams.
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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.
If you take out marketing assistance loans and use the farm-stored grain as collateral, remember that you are responsible for maintaining the quality of the grain through the term of the loan.
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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.
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting offers for specific conservation practices under the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Continuous Signup.
In exchange for a yearly rental payment, farmers enrolled in the program agree to remove environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production and to plant species that will improve environmental health and quality. The program’s long-term goal is to re-establish valuable land cover to improve water quality, prevent soil erosion, and reduce loss of wildlife habitat. Contracts for land enrolled in CRP are 10-15 years in length.
Under continuous CRP signup, environmentally sensitive land devoted to certain conservation practices can be enrolled in CRP at any time. Offers for continuous enrollment are not subject to competitive bidding during specific periods. Instead they are automatically accepted provided the land and producer meet certain eligibility requirements and the enrollment levels do not exceed the statutory cap.
For more information, including a list of acceptable practices, contact your local USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov/crp.
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USDA’s Risk Management Agency wants to make sure it gives the nation’s agricultural producers the strongest risk management tools possible, which is why it is expanding the option for enterprise units. This gives producers more choices for how they can protect their operations and themselves best.
An enterprise unit allows a producer to insure all acres of the insured crop in the county together, as opposed to other unit structures that separate the acreage for insurance. Enterprise units are attractive to producers due to lower premium rates offered to recognize the lower risk associated with the geographic diversification. In general, the larger the enterprise unit, the lesser the risk, and the greater the enterprise unit discount.
This furthers RMA’s efforts to improve and expand the insurance program for specialty crops as required by the 2018 Farm Bill. Moreover, this expansion also meets producer requests for enterprise units for other APH crop insurance programs. The initial set of targeted crops can enjoy this new option when it becomes effective on June 30, 2023. RMA plans to expand to dozens more specialty and other APH crop programs with these benefits in the coming months.
The following crops will have enterprise units available beginning with the 2024 crop year:
- Alfalfa seed
- Cultivated wild rice
- Forage production
- Mint*
- Onions*
- Potatoes* (Enterprise units will be available in California for the 2025 crop year)
*Specialty Crop
More Information
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 or by contacting your RMA Regional Office.
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducts hundreds of surveys every year and prepares reports covering virtually every aspect of U.S. agriculture.
If you receive a survey questionnaire, please respond quickly and online if possible.
The results of the surveys help determine the structure of USDA farm programs, such as soil rental rates for the Conservation Reserve Program and prices and yields used for the Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage programs. This county-level data is critical for USDA farm payment determinations. Survey responses also help associations, businesses and policymakers advocate for their industry and help educate others on the importance of agriculture.
NASS safeguards the privacy of all respondents and publishes only aggregate data, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified.
NASS data is available online at nass.usda.gov/Publications and through the searchable Quick Stats database. Watch a video on how NASS data is used at youtube.com/watch?v=m-4zjnh26io&feature=youtu.be.
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Meeting will take place August 1,
3-6pm ET
We’re inviting urban producers, innovative producers, and other stakeholders to virtually attend a public meeting of the Federal Advisory Committee for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production on August 1 from 3-6pm.
Learn more and register.
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USDA announced loan interest rates for July 2023, which were effective July 1, 2023. USDA’s FSA loans provide important access to capital to help agricultural producers start or expand their farming operation, purchase equipment and storage structures, or meet cash flow needs.
FSA also offers guaranteed loans through commercial lenders at rates set by those lenders.
Check your eligibility for FSA loans by utilizing the Farm Loan Assistance Tool. Find out which of these loans may be right for you by using our Farm Loan Discovery Tool.
Producers can explore available options on all FSA loan options at fsa.usda.gov or by contacting your local USDA Service Center.
2023 Indiana FSA Important Deadline Dates
July 26 – Deadline to Sign Up for the Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP)
July 31 – Final Date to Submit an Offer for CLEAR30 CRP Signup
August 1 – Deadline to File COC Election Nomination Forms – Postmarked or Delivered to the Local FSA Office
August 1 – Nesting Season Ends for Conservation Reserve Program Practices
August 1 – Deadline to Request Farm Reconstitutions and Transfers for the 2023 Crop Year
August 15 – Final Acreage Reporting Date for Cucumbers Planted 6/16 – 8/5 in Fulton, LaPorte, Porter and St. Joseph Counties.
Ongoing - Signup for Continuous CRP
Ongoing – Submit an Application for a Farm Storage Facility Loan
Continuous - Submit an Application for FSA Farm Loans
Continuous - Signup for Local County Office FSA Text Alerts - Text Your Service Center Keyword to FSANOW (372-669)
Continuous – Sign up for GovDelivery Newsletters, Bulletins and Indiana Press Releases (Subscribe to USDA Emails for Farmers | Farmers.gov)
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