In This Issue:
Severe weather events create significant challenges and often result in catastrophic loss for agricultural producers. Despite every attempt to mitigate risk, your operation may suffer losses. USDA offers several programs to help with recovery.
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides financial resources through our Environmental Quality Incentives Program to help producers with immediate needs and long-term support to help recover from natural disasters and conserve water resources. Assistance may also be available for emergency animal mortality disposal from natural disasters and other causes https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/getting-assistance/disaster-recovery.
The Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program, a federal emergency recovery program, helps local communities recover after a natural disaster strikes. The EWP Program offers technical and financial assistance to help local communities relieve imminent threats to life and property caused by floods, fires, windstorms and other natural disasters that impair a watershed. EWP does not require a disaster declaration by federal or state government officials for program assistance to begin.
On March 31, severe weather and tornadoes hit several areas in Arkansas. An EF-3 went through the cities of Little Rock, North Little Rock, Sherwood, and Jacksonville. A second EF-3 tornado cut through the city of Wynne. NRCS conducted damage survey reports (DSR), or case-by-case investigations of the work requested or damages reported. Four DSRs were approved for debris removal and streambank stabilization.
- Total funding: $3,057,300
- Rock Creek 1 (Pulaski Co.) - $295,100
- Rock Creek 2 (Pulaski Co.) - $551,200
- Burns Park (Pulaski Co.) - $2 million
- Fisher Ditch (Cross Co.) - $211,000
EWP Program restoration work may include removing debris from stream channels, road culverts and bridges; reshaping and protecting eroded streambanks; repairing damaged drainage facilities, levees and associated structures; reseeding damaged areas; or purchasing floodplain easements.
NRCS partners with diverse sponsors to complete EWP Program projects. To begin the process, a potential local sponsor submits a Request for Assistance that includes information on the nature, location and scope of the problem for which assistance is requested. The letter, considered the application, must be signed by an official of the requesting entity. NRCS staff is available to assist with the letter preparation and offer additional information on EWP Program eligibility. The letter must be sent to your local NRCS office or to the NRCS State office. Sponsors must submit a formal request for assistance within 60 days of the disaster occurrence, or 60 days from the date when access to the sites becomes available.
For More information on EWP, contact State Conservation Engineer Stephen Smedley at stephen.smedley@usda.gov or log on to https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/ewp-emergency-watershed-protection or https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/resources/guides-and-instructions/ewp-sponsor-resources.
NRCS serves all agriculture – large to small, conventional to organic, rural to urban. As Arkansas agriculture continues to grow, NRCS conservation assistance is growing along with it. By bringing technical and financial assistance, cultivation and opportunity, to both rural and urban areas, we can address many conservation needs. We’re here to provide one-on-one support to our customers at our 61 USDA Service Centers statewide. NRCS staff can help guide farmers to the best USDA assistance based on their conservation goals.
Greetings
The financial assistance application process, for those that are eligible and experienced discrimination in USDA farm lending programs prior to January 2021, is now open. 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 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.
Urban producers, innovative producers, and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit comments for and virtually attend a public meeting of the Federal Advisory Committee for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (Committee) on Aug. 1, 2023. The Committee will deliberate and vote on proposed recommendations and address public comments during the meeting. Topics for the upcoming meeting will include addressing public comments and discussing the following recommended topics: Food waste prevention and food recovery, Surplus food recovery, and Compostable food packing standards. The virtual meeting runs from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Eastern on August 1, 2023. To attend virtually, register by August 1, 2023 on the Committee’s webpage. To submit comments, send by11:59 p.m. ET on Aug. 15, 2023 through the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Docket NRCS-2023-0014. USDA will share the agenda between 24 to 48 hours prior to the meeting on the following site - https://www.usda.gov/partnerships/federal-advisory-committee-urban-ag.
USDA has announced that it will expand its work on wildlife conservation by investing at least $500 million over the next five years and by leveraging all available conservation programs, including the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), through its Working Lands for Wildlife (WLFW) effort. The new funding includes $250 million from the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) and $250 million from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).
FSA is reminding producers of the July 14 deadline to apply for the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) Phase 2 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.
Agricultural producers in Arkansas who have not yet completed their crop acreage reports after planting should make an appointment with their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) Office 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.
NOTE: Producers may prepare maps for acreage reporting as well as manage farm loans and view other farm records data and customer information by logging into their farmers.gov account. If you don’t have an account, sign up today.
Again, for more information on USDA and FSA, contact your local USDA service center or visit www.farmers.gov.
Until next time…
The Biden-Harris Administration recently announced the availability of $500 million in funding to advance partner-driven solutions to conservation on agricultural land through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). RCPP leverages a voluntary approach to conservation that expands the reach of conservation efforts and climate-smart agriculture through public-private partnerships. Increased funding for fiscal year 2023 is made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, and this year’s funding opportunity reflects a concerted effort to streamline and simplify the program. Program improvements will enable USDA to efficiently implement the $4.95 billion in Inflation Reduction Act funding for the program while improving the experience for partners, agricultural producers, and employees.
“The Regional Conservation Partnership Program leverages the collective power and resources of public-private partnerships to deliver meaningful results for agriculture and conservation,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Thanks to the additional resources unlocked by the Inflation Reduction Act, as well as the improvements being made to the program, more farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners than ever before will be able to access and deploy conservation and climate-smart practices that will combat the climate crisis, enhance water and soil quality, protect vulnerable wildlife habitat and more.”
Arkansas has a successful history of RCPP, boasting 20 approved RCPP projects since the program inception in 2014. These projects have brought to the State a combined federal investment of more than $84 million leveraged by $77 million in non-federal resources.
“We want to see this success continue and have staff available to meet with interested partners to discuss new RCPP project ideas,” said Arkansas Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Conservationist Mike Sullivan.
RCPP Improvement Effort
The improvements included in this year’s RCPP funding opportunity are part of an ongoing effort to streamline NRCS conservation programs and efficiently implement the Inflation Reduction Act. The RCPP improvement effort identified problems and central issues associated with the program and is working to develop meaningful and actionable improvements.
Based on partner listening sessions and employee and partner surveys, NRCS identified seven key focus areas for improvement, each with a dedicated team working to address identified issues and provide recommendations:
1. Simplifying and Reducing the Number of Agreements
2. Reducing Lengthy RCPP Easement Transactions
3. Improving the RCPP Portal
4. Consistent Guidance and Training for Employees and Partners
5. Simplifying the Technical Assistance Structure
6. Improving the Conservation Desktop
7. Simplifying the Partner Reimbursement Process
For more information about RCPP and a list of frequently asked questions, visit the NRCS website.
Notice of Funding Opportunity
The application period is now open for RCPP Classic and RCPP Alternative Funding Arrangements (AFA). RCPP Classic projects are implemented using NRCS contracts and easements with producers, landowners and communities, in collaboration with project partners. Through RCPP AFA, the lead partner must work directly with agricultural producers to support the development of new conservation structures and approaches that would not otherwise be available under RCPP Classic.
This RCPP Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) showcases a number of program improvements including the increase of project funding ceilings, the simplification of financial assistance and technical assistance structures, a stronger emphasis on locally led conservation, and easement deed flexibilities.
Up to $500 million will be available through the RCPP for fiscal year 2023, of which up to $50 million will prioritize AFAs with Indian Tribes.
Projects selected under this NOFO may be awarded funding through either the Inflation Reduction Act or Farm Bill 2018. Applications for RCPP climate-related projects will receive priority consideration for Inflation Reduction Act funding. The 2023 RCPP priorities are climate-smart agriculture, urban agriculture and projects and, as a Justice40 covered program, projects that serve underserved farmers and ranchers.
NRCS will accept applications now through August 18, 2023, via the RCPP portal. Please note that to request access to the portal, you must have a level Two verified eAuthentication account with USDA. This can be obtained by following the instructions on the USDA eAuthentication page.
Webinar for Interested Applicants
NRCS encourages interested applicants to participate in an upcoming webinar that will provide general information about this funding announcement. The webinar will take place on June 7, 2023, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Central Time. Join via the links posted on the RCPP How to Apply website. Additional webinars may be announced as needed.
For additional information on RCPP, contact Assistant State Conservationist for Partnerships Amanda Mathis at amanda.mathis@usda.gov.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will invest $300 million through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to improve measurement, monitoring, reporting and verification of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration in climate-smart agriculture and forestry. The new investments, made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, will advance priorities set by the broader Federal Strategy to Advance Greenhouse Gas Measurement and Monitoring for the Agriculture and Forest Sectors, which was also released as draft for public input and outlines a strategic framework and priority actions for improving accuracy and reducing uncertainty in greenhouse gas estimates. The Inflation Reduction Act provided nearly $20 billion in overall investments to advance climate-smart agriculture and forestry practices. This announcement and the broader federal strategy will support the effective implementation of these climate and conservation investments and help further President Biden’s bold goal of achieving a 50-52 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, compared to 2005 levels.
“Since day one, the Biden-Harris Administration has taken bold steps in climate-smart agriculture by making programs as strong and effective as possible,” Vilsack said. “To do this, we have to improve the scientific backbone of our programs. This new investment by USDA in improving data and measurement of greenhouse gas emissions – made possible by through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda – is unmatched in its scope and potential to increase accuracy, reduce uncertainty and enhance overall confidence in these estimates. We’re data driven, and we seek continuous improvement in our climate-smart agriculture and forestry efforts.” “One of the big remaining technological challenges for tackling the climate crisis is ensuring that natural solutions in agriculture and forestry are working well,” said John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation. “Today’s USDA announcement of $300 million from the Inflation Reduction Act to measure and verify emissions from those sectors is a big step in the right direction.” President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act– the single largest investment in climate and clean energy solutions in American history – tasked the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) with quantifying and tracking carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions and gathering field-based data to evaluate the effectiveness of climate-smart mitigation practices in reducing these emissions. To carry out these tasks, USDA has identified seven key focus areas that reflect the framework outlined by the federal strategy and are based on substantial input from stakeholders:
- Establish and advance a Soil Carbon Monitoring and Research Network with a perennial biomass component;
- Establish and advance a Greenhouse Gas Research Network;
- Expand data management, infrastructure and capacity;
- Improve models and tools for assessing greenhouse gas outcomes at operational, state, regional, and national scales;
- Improve NRCS conservation practice standards and implementation data to reflect greenhouse gas mitigation opportunities;
- Improve temporal and spatial coverage of national conservation activity data; and
- Strengthen the Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Assessment Program of USDA.
See fact sheet for additional details. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2023-07/nrcs-ira-mmrv-factsheet-23.pdf USDA is continuing to engage stakeholders and technical experts to help inform this effort. Those interested in learning more about the effort are encouraged to register for a webinar that USDA is holding at 12 p.m. Central Daylight Time on July 21, 2023. Additionally, USDA is currently seeking comment on the draft Federal Strategy published today, on behalf of the Biden-Harris Administration. The strategy was prepared by USDA, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Department of the Interior, National Aeronautics and Space Administration and others on behalf of the Greenhouse Gas Monitoring and Measurement Interagency Working Group. The draft Federal Strategy presents a federal plan to enhance measurement, monitoring, reporting and verification in agriculture and forestry through five areas. These include improved greenhouse gas and soil carbon monitoring, alignment and enhancement of related research, utilization of advanced models and tools for better estimations, and prompt and accurate collection of conservation data including through better use of remote sensing data.
More Information
The Inflation Reduction Act is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda and Bidenomics strategy to grow the American economy from the middle out and bottom up, by rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, driving over $500 billion in private sector manufacturing investments to date, creating good-paying jobs, and building a clean energy economy to tackle the climate crisis and make our communities more resilient. The Inflation Reduction Act provided $19.5 billion for USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service conservation programs, including this $300 million investment for measurement, monitoring, reporting and verification efforts. This announcement builds on USDA’s ongoing efforts to support climate-smart agriculture, including through innovative projects being funded by USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities opportunity. USDA is investing more than $3.1 billion in 141 projects through the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities effort, all with a plan to measure, monitor, report and verify greenhouse gas benefits. This Inflation Reduction Act investment will connect to other ongoing efforts, including an $8 million investment by NRCS in outreach for soil carbon sampling and a $10 million investment by USDA’s Farm Service Agency in climate outcomes of the Conservation Reserve Program.
$500 Million from Farm Bill Is Part of Broader Commitment from FSA and NRCS to Working Lands Conservation that Benefits Wildlife and Supports Agriculture and Rural Communities
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced that that it will expand its work on wildlife conservation by investing at least $500 million over the next five years and by leveraging all available conservation programs, including the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), through its Working Lands for Wildlife (WLFW) effort. These commitments, which align with President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, will ramp up the conservation assistance for farmers, ranchers, private forest owners and tribes with a focus on working lands in key geographies across the country as well as hiring for key conservation positions. The funding will help deliver a series of cohesive Frameworks for Conservation Action, which establish a common vision across the partnership of public and private interests and goals for delivering conservation resources in a given ecosystem, combining cutting-edge science with local knowledge.
The new funding includes $250 million from the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) and $250 million from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). This announcement builds off more than a decade of growing Farm Bill investments in wildlife habitat, and serves as a roadmap to leveraging both Farm Bill funding and the historic investments from the Inflation Reduction Act to guide conservation efforts. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Farm Service Agency (FSA) will coordinate this work through WLFW, which focuses on voluntary, locally-led efforts that benefit wildlife and agricultural communities.
“When you find a conservation approach that works, double down—and that’s what we’re doing with Working Lands for Wildlife,” said Robert Bonnie, USDA’s Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation. “America’s farmers, ranchers, forest owners and tribes steward the majority of our nation’s wildlife habitat, and our work with them has yielded enormous gains for sage grouse, longleaf pine, and other species and ecosystems. Working Lands for Wildlife is ready to go to the next level, and today’s incorporation of the Conservation Reserve Program into its vision is a major leap forward. We pledge to keep building the policy, funding, and human capacity to deliver large-scale, working-lands conservation well into the future.”
USDA is committed to investing a range of resources to implement WLFW Frameworks, including traditional Farm Bill and newly available funds from the Inflation Reduction Act. The Frameworks are an important part of NRCS’s work to implement the Inflation Reduction Act, as wildlife habitat conservation in forests, grasslands and sagebrush can also provide important carbon storage opportunities and climate-mitigation benefits. These dedicated funds will be invested alongside other USDA resources like CRP and leveraged by hundreds of conservation partners across the country.
This announcement will immediately benefit two of WLFW’s newest priorities. In the western U.S., at least $40 million of EQIP and ACEP funding will go toward USDA’s ongoing efforts to help conserve migratory big game habitat, allowing a continuation of an existing partnership with the state of Wyoming and an expansion to the neighboring states of Idaho and Montana. In 25 central and eastern U.S. states, an additional $14 million in new EQIP funding will be dedicated to conservation of bobwhite quail and associated species in the grasslands and savannas of the central and eastern U.S. Additionally, Inflation Reduction Act funding will also build outcomes for northern bobwhite recovery as over 3.5 million acres will help mitigate greenhouse gases.
Science and Staff Support
Successful delivery of WLFW hinges on developing Frameworks and, with their guidance, delivering enough of the right conservation in the right places to generate desired outcomes. This requires scientists to help identify priorities, develop planning tools, and have enough staff available to work with producers to develop customized conservation plans while recognizing that each producer’s operation is unique.
To meet these needs, USDA is committing new funding and human resources, including $30 million over five years to help implement the Farm Bill investments by bolstering the WLFW team’s science and coordination capacity through partnerships. Additionally, WLFW will benefit from NRCS’ hiring initiative meant to increase boots on the ground to assist producers, states, tribes and other partners to meet their climate and conservation goals.
Frameworks for Conservation Action
WLFW Frameworks establish a common vision and conservation goals for a given ecosystem, combining cutting-edge science with the deep local knowledge held by landowners, states and tribes. With key priorities and threats identified, the Frameworks are then used to align and funnel multiple funding streams to maximize outcomes at large scales across state boundaries. Whereas historically NRCS has delivered WLFW, today’s commitment unites NRCS and FSA to seamlessly deliver this focused, win-win approach to wildlife conservation.
As an illustration of the Frameworks’ utility and impact, in the Sagebrush and Great Plains Grasslands ecosystems identified residential development, cropland conversion, invasive species, and woodland encroachment as key threats, and committed to addressing them across 11.5 million acres—an area five times the size of Yellowstone. Similarly, the Northern Bobwhite, Grasslands, and Savannas framework identified woodland encroachment, loss of prescribed burning, and climate change as major threats and WLFW set a goal of 7 million acres by 2027 across 25 central and eastern states.
Specifically, USDA will update three existing WLFW frameworks in the Sagebrush Biome, Great Plains Grasslands, and Northern Bobwhite, Grasslands and Savannas to newly integrate FSA’s Conservation Reserve Program. USDA will also work with partners on the ground to develop four new frameworks to be released in 2024-25:
· Western Migratory Big Game: A strategy to maintain large and connected working lands in the West to help sustain some of our nation’s iconic wildlife migrations.
· Eastern Deciduous Forest: A strategy to achieve forest health and habitat restoration that benefits declining wildlife dependent on young forests.
· Eastern Aquatic Connectivity: A strategy to guide restoration of rivers and wetlands to support habitat connectivity in watersheds with significant at-risk species.
· Southeastern Pine Ecosystems: A strategy to establish and maintain native pines with cultural, ecological and economic value.
“The Conservation Reserve Program gives producers the tools and support to help integrate wildlife habitat and wildlife-friendly practices into the agricultural landscape,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “We’re excited to partner with our sister agency and offer CRP’s signup options as part of this broader, strategic effort to support long-term wildlife conservation.”
“Working Lands for Wildlife is living proof that we can do better work when we work with our partners,” said NRCS Chief Terry Cosby. “Partnerships have been the building blocks of success over the years, and we look forward to our continued work with partners to help grow and shape voluntary conservation on private lands.”
“NRCS provides assistance to help farmers and landowners plan and implement conservation practices to improve water quality, build healthier soil, improve grazing and forest lands, conserve energy, enhance organic operations, establish or improve wildlife habitat and achieve other environmental benefits on the landscape,” said Arkansas NRCS State Conservationist Mike Sullivan.
About USDA’s Working Lands for Wildlife
WLFW is USDA’s premier approach for conserving American working lands to benefit people, wildlife and rural communities. While NRCS and FSA work every day at all levels to assist producers, states, tribes and other conservation partners with their conservation priorities, WLFW steps in to facilitate their work on cross-cutting, national priorities that can only be addressed through coordination at an ecosystem scale.
Established in 2010, WLFW has teamed up with leading scientists and conservation partners as well as more than 8,400 producers to conserve or restore nearly 12 million acres of working lands, with tremendous benefits. WLFW has helped many sensitive species in their recovery, including the greater sage-grouse in the West, New England cottontail in the Northeast, golden-winged warbler in Appalachia and gopher tortoise in the Southeast. In large part because of the voluntary conservation efforts on private lands though WLFW, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has in some cases determined that species listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was no longer warranted thanks to recoveries made possible by these WLFW efforts.
Through WLFW, NRCS also partners with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to provide participants with regulatory predictability under ESA. Similar to an insurance policy, predictability provides participating landowners with peace of mind that no matter the future legal status of a species, they can keep their working lands working with an approved conservation plan in place.
More Information
To learn more about NRCS and FSA programs including opportunities related to these frameworks, landowners and operators can contact their local USDA Service Center.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit usda.gov and Frameworks for Conservation Action.
The USDA Arkansas Farm Service Agency (FSA) is committed to educating producers on available programs and loans. FSA representatives will be available at the following workshops and conferences. Producers interested in attending these conferences/workshops should follow the registration or RSVP instructions listed below.
Jul 19th – CCC-860 Disadvantage Certification – 3:00-4:00 pm Central Time
Flower Hill Institute will be hosting “Office Hours” with Farm Service Agency (FSA), to answer questions regarding CCC-860 Disadvantage Certification. This one-hour Q&A session will be held through Zoom and is open to the general public. Interested attendees can use the following link to register:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYrdu-uqzwvHdMI19jDvOcWZiXqRAJ9yqAP
Jul 21st – University of Arkansas Native Youth in Food and Agriculture Leadership Summit
The University of Arkansas is hosting its annual Native Youth in Food and Agriculture Leadership Summit July 18 – 21, 2023. Rhonda O’Guinn, Outreach Coordinator, will present on FSA Youth Loans, 1994 Tribal Scholars Program, Internships, and Career Opportunities. The USDA-FSA Session will be held Friday, July 21, 2023 at 1:00pm. Campus location will be forthcoming. For additional information, please visit Native Youth Programs | Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative.
Aug 29th & 30th – 3rd Annual Sustainable Forestry and African American Land Retention Program (SFLR) Joint Conference
Please join the 3rd Annual Sustainable Forestry and African American Land Retention Program (SFLR) Joint Conference in partnership with the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Prairie View A&M University. The FREE Virtual Conference supports the SFLR mission, which focuses on assisting African American forest landowners with addressing heir’s property issues and forest management planning to retain land and build wealth. This conference will host prominent speakers, including local, state, and USDA officials. The conference will be held on August 29, 2023 from 9am – 4pm and on August 30, 2023 from 9am – 1:30pm. To register please visit the following link: https://www.pvamu.edu/.../small.../programs/sflr/program/. Should you experience difficulty registering for the SFLR Joint Regional Conference, please contact Ms. Angela Moore at almoore@pvamu.edu or Ms. Kandi Williams at williamska@uapb.edu.
USDA is now accepting nominations for county committee members for elections that will occur later this year. Additionally, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is unveiling a new GIS tool to make it easier for producers to participate in the nomination and election processes for county committee members, who make important decisions on how federal farm programs are administered locally. All nomination forms for the 2023 election must be postmarked or received in the local FSA office by Aug. 1, 2023.
Elections will occur in certain Local Administrative Areas (LAA) for members. LAAs are elective areas for FSA committees in a single county or multi-county jurisdiction and they may include LAAs that are focused on an urban or suburban area. Customers can locate their LAA through a new GIS locator tool available at fsa.usda.gov/elections.
Agricultural producers may be nominated for candidacy for the county committee if they:
- Participate or cooperate in a USDA program; and
- Reside in the LAA that is up for election this year.
A cooperating producer is someone who has provided information about their farming or ranching operation to FSA, even if they have not applied or received program benefits. Individuals may nominate themselves or others and qualifying organizations may also nominate candidates. USDA encourages minority producers, women and beginning farmers or ranchers to nominate, vote and hold office.
Nationwide, more than 7,700 dedicated members of the agricultural community serve on FSA county committees. The committees are made up of three to 11 members who serve three-year terms. Committee members are vital to how FSA carries out disaster programs, as well as conservation, commodity and price support programs, county office employment and other agricultural issues.
More Information
Producers should contact their local FSA office today to register and find out how to get involved in their county’s election, including if their LAA is up for election this year. To be considered, a producer must be registered and sign an FSA-669A nomination form. Urban farmers should use an FSA-669-A-3 for urban county committees.
Nomination forms and other information about FSA county committee elections are available at fsa.usda.gov/elections. Election ballots will be mailed to eligible voters beginning Nov. 6, 2023.
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.
When changes in farm ownership or operation take place, a farm reconstitution is necessary. The reconstitution — or recon — is the process of combining or dividing farms or tracts of land based on the farming operation.
To be effective for the current Fiscal Year (FY), farm combinations and farm divisions must be requested by August 1 of the FY for farms subject to the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program. A reconstitution is considered to be requested when all of the required signatures are on FSA-155 and all other applicable documentation, such as proof of ownership, is submitted.
Total Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and non-ARC/PLC farms may be reconstituted at any time.
The following are the different methods used when doing a farm recon:
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Estate Method — the division of bases, allotments and quotas for a parent farm among heirs in settling an estate
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Designation of Landowner Method — may be used when (1) part of a farm is sold or ownership is transferred; (2) an entire farm is sold to two or more persons; (3) farm ownership is transferred to two or more persons; (4) part of a tract is sold or ownership is transferred; (5) a tract is sold to two or more persons; or (6) tract ownership is transferred to two or more persons. In order to use this method, the land sold must have been owned for at least three years, or a waiver granted, and the buyer and seller must sign a Memorandum of Understanding
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DCP Cropland Method — the division of bases in the same proportion that the DCP cropland for each resulting tract relates to the DCP cropland on the parent tract
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Default Method — the division of bases for a parent farm with each tract maintaining the bases attributed to the tract level when the reconstitution is initiated in the system.
For questions on your farm reconstitution, contact your local County USDA Service Center.
The 2018 Farm Bill extends loan authority through 2023 for Marketing Assistance Loans (MALs) and Loan Deficiency Payments (LDPs).
MALs and LDPs provide financing and marketing assistance for wheat, feed grains, soybeans, and other oilseeds, pulse crops, rice, peanuts, cotton, wool and honey. MALs provide you with interim financing after harvest to help you meet cash flow needs without having to sell your commodities when market prices are typically at harvest-time lows. A producer who is eligible to obtain a loan, but agrees to forgo the loan, may obtain an LDP if such a payment is available. Marketing loan provisions and LDPs are not available for sugar and extra-long staple cotton.
FSA is now accepting requests for 2023 MALs and LDPs for all eligible commodities after harvest. Requests for loans and LDPs shall be made on or before the final availability date for the respective commodities.
Commodity certificates are available to loan holders who have outstanding nonrecourse loans for wheat, upland cotton, rice, feed grains, pulse crops (dry peas, lentils, large and small chickpeas), peanuts, wool, soybeans and designated minor oilseeds. These certificates can be purchased at the posted county price (or adjusted world price or national posted price) for the quantity of commodity under loan, and must be immediately exchanged for the collateral, satisfying the loan. MALs redeemed with commodity certificates are not subject to Adjusted Gross Income provisions.
To be considered eligible for an LDP, you must have form CCC-633EZ, Page 1 on file at your local FSA Office before losing beneficial interest in the crop. Pages 2, 3 or 4 of the form must be submitted when payment is requested.
Marketing loan gains (MLGs) and loan deficiency payments (LDPs) are no longer subject to payment limitations, actively engaged in farming and cash-rent tenant rules.
Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) provisions state that if your total applicable three-year average AGI exceeds $900,000, then you’re not eligible to receive an MLG or LDP. You must have a valid CCC-941 on file to earn a market gain of LDP. The AGI does not apply to MALs redeemed with commodity certificate exchange.
For more information and additional eligibility requirements, contact your local County USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov.
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.
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) has several loan programs to help you start or continue an agriculture production. Farm ownership and operating loans are available.
While all qualified producers are eligible to apply for these loan programs, FSA has provided priority funding for members of targeted underserved applicants.
A targeted underserved applicant is one of a group whose members have been subjected to racial, ethnic or gender prejudice because of his or her identity as members of the group without regard to his or her individual qualities.
For purposes of this program, targeted underserved groups are women, African Americans, American Indians, Alaskan Natives, Hispanics, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
FSA loans are only available to applicants who meet all the eligibility requirements and are unable to obtain the needed credit elsewhere.
In response to feedback received from the producers, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is improving crop insurance for hemp. USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) is strengthening the hemp crop insurance policy by adding flexibilities around how producers work with processors as well as improving consistency with the most recent USDA hemp regulation.
RMA revised the policy to add flexibility to the insurability requirements for hemp under contract. Producers are no longer required to deliver hemp without economic value for insurability. However, contracts between producers and processors may still include delivery requirements. Additionally, RMA clarified how the amount of insurable acreage is determined if the processor contract specifies both an acreage and a production amount. This change was made in the policy to ensure producers know how their insurable acreage is determined for those contracts.
Other Updates
To ensure consistency across USDA, RMA updated references to regulations, including the Agriculture Marketing Service final rule, which took effect March 22, 2021.
Additionally, RMA added a new requirement for producers who grow direct-seeded hemp, or hemp grown from seeds planted in the ground. Before insurance attaches, producers must have acreage inspected and must have a minimum of 1,200 live plants per acre. This requirement was added to align direct-seeded hemp with the common farming practice for transplanted Cannabidiol (CBD) of transplanting at least 1,200 live plants per acre.
About the Hemp Policy
The hemp crop insurance policy provides Actual Production History (APH) coverage against loss of yield due to insurable causes of loss for hemp grown for fiber, grain, or CBD oil. The Farm Bill defines hemp as containing 0.3% or less tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on a dry-weight basis. Hemp having THC above the federal statutory compliance level of 0.3% is an uninsurable or ineligible cause of loss and will result in the hemp production being ineligible for production history purposes.
The hemp crop insurance policy is available in certain counties within 25 states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
In 2021, hemp producers insured 12,189 acres and 59 policies to protect $10.9 million in liabilities.
Other Coverage for Hemp
In addition to the APH crop insurance policy, coverage for hemp is available through Whole-Farm Revenue Protection, the Nursery crop insurance program, and the Nursery Value Select pilot crop insurance program. Additionally, the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program coverage, offered through USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), protects against losses associated with lower yields, destroyed crops or prevented planting where no permanent federal crop insurance program is available.
The 2018 Farm Bill reclassified and legalized the regulated production of industrial hemp as an agricultural commodity (it is now legal to grow industrial hemp). Hemp producers can learn more at farmers.gov/hemp.
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 www.rma.usda.gov.
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