RELIEF FROM DROUGHT
As I have discussed in previous articles, Missouri has been seriously impacted by drought this year, and even though conditions have improved recently, there are still many producers in the state who are suffering from the extremely dry conditions that existed during much of the late Spring and early Summer. One of the main goals of FSA is to provide relief and assistance to producers who have been negatively impacted by numerous disasters, including drought. Over 60 Missouri Counties triggered a level of D3 on the Federal Drought Monitor at some time this year, which qualifies them for FSA relief and assistance from recent drought conditions. Most of the FSA drought relief programs are geared for Livestock producers, since many row crop growers are covered by some type of crop insurance. Following is a brief description of the 4 main Drought assistance programs that FSA offers: Livestock Forage Program (LFP)— Is designed for Livestock producers who suffer a significant grazing loss due to drought. Producers who graze livestock in a County in which any portion registers D3 or D2 for 8 consecutive weeks on the Federal Drought Monitor can apply for LFP. FSA will calculate LFP payments for an eligible livestock producer for grazing losses because of a qualifying drought equal to payment factors of one, three, four or five times the LFP monthly payment rate. The LFP monthly payment rate for drought is equal to 60 percent of the lesser of either the monthly feed cost:
- For all covered livestock owned or leased by the eligible livestock producer; or
- Calculated by using the normal carrying capacity of the eligible grazing land of the eligible livestock producer.
A producer in a County that was eligible at any time this year may register for LFP until the end of the calendar year. Last year, Missouri FSA provided LFP payments to over 25,000 producers in an amount of over $130 million. Emergency Livestock Assistance Program (ELAP)—Provides coverage for the cost of either transporting water, hay, or other feedstuffs to Livestock, or transporting Livestock above normal mileage to eligible grazing land or feed lots during an eligible drought. This program pays so much per mile of transportation, and although it will not pay for the first 25 miles per truckload, it can pay for as many as 975 total miles per load. Emergency Conservation Program (ECP)—Can provide money for such things as pumps, pipe, or in some cases a well, for bringing water from some other source to a certain property. This program does not pay for the water itself, but rather the tools for bringing the water to the property. The County Committee must officially apply for this program for the County to be eligible. Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)—Emergency Haying and Grazing Program—Allows a producer to convert a portion of his or her Conservation CRP land into haying and grazing land during serious Drought conditions. A producer may convert 50% of his CRP land for haying and grazing, if the affected County registers D3 on the Drought Monitor, and 100% of the land, if the County is D2.
RELIEF FOR LIVESTOCK DEATHS DUE TO EXTREME HEAT---As all livestock producers are aware, extreme heat like what we had last week, can be very detrimental and sometimes fatal for livestock, as we had producers in Missouri who just recently lost a significant number of livestock due to the heat. The FSA Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) offers financial assistance to producers who suffered livestock deaths above normal mortality, due to a disastrous condition, such as extreme heat. This program applies to a large number animals such as cattle, swine, horses, chickens and many more. Producers who have more than the normal number of animal deaths must verify their numbers through either a letter from a Veterinarian, pictures of the animals, verification from a third party etc. Our goal will be to help as many eligible producers as possible. Just this past week, FSA announced that they are increasing the payment to producers who lose Beef Cattle that weigh in excess of 800 pounds. The payment on these large cattle will increase from $ 1244 per head to $1618 or an increase of $374.
For more specific information on the different programs that I have mentioned, please visit your local FSA Service Center, and our knowledgeable and dedicated staff will give you the info that you need, and they will assist you in applying for these hopefully helpful programs.
Click Here to view this month's What's Happening today at FSA video.
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Payment rate for beef calves over 800 pounds will increase
The USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced today it is updating the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) payment rate to support livestock producers in the Midwest who have lost cattle to the extreme heat and humidity experienced this summer. To help indemnify ranchers to reflect a trend towards higher cattle weights in feedlots, the 2023 LIP payment rate for beef calves over 800 pounds will increase from $1244 per head to $1618, an increase of $374.
LIP provides benefits to livestock owners and some contract growers for livestock deaths exceeding normal mortality from eligible adverse weather events, certain predation losses and reduced sales prices due to injury from an eligible loss. Indemnity payments are made at a rate of 75% of the prior year’s average fair market value of the livestock.
The updated LIP payment rate is effective immediately and will be applied retroactively starting Jan.1, 2023, for all eligible causes of loss including excessive heat, tornado, winter storms, and other qualifying adverse weather. Producers who have already received LIP payments for 2023 losses will receive an additional payment, if applicable, commensurate with this updated rate. For details on eligibility and payment rates, review the LIP fact sheet.
FSA recognizes that an annual update of LIP payment rates does not account for the volatile nature of livestock markets and is further exploring flexibilities to establish more current payment rates.
More Information
On farmers.gov, Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster Assistance-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Loan Assistance Tool can help producers and landowners determine program or loan options. For FSA and NRCS programs, they should contact their local USDA Service Center.
On July 7, USDA and its partner vendors announced the opening of the application period for Section 22007 of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which directs USDA to provide financial assistance to farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who experienced discrimination in USDA farm lending programs prior to January 2021. The opening of the application process is an important step in delivering on USDA’s commitment of providing financial assistance to those who have faced discrimination in USDA farm lending programs. The application process is open now and will close on October 31. Borrowers will have the option to apply for assistance online via 22007apply.gov or through a paper-based form.
Details about the program, including an application and e-filing portal, are available at 22007apply.gov. 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. Applicants can also call the free call center at 1-800-721-0970, or visit one of several dozen brick-and-mortar offices the program has set up around the country. Locations are provided on the program website and vendors will update the local events schedule with more information as it becomes available. It is important to note that filing an application is FREE and does not require a lawyer.
Farmers, ranchers, 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.
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, the 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.
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. The official application process and filling out an application is free and does not require a lawyer.
For more information, please visit 22007apply.gov. If you want to get weekly updates on the program’s events and progress, there’s a button there to subscribe to a weekly newsletter.
Election ballots will be mailed to eligible voters beginning Nov. 6, 2023.
Beginning July 19th, these are the cover crop incentive payment programs offered through the Missouri CRCL Project:
- Soy-rye initiative (cereal rye before soybean), $30 per acre (Accepting applications July 19-August 31).
- Diverse cover crop mix (before corn or another non-legume crop), $40 per acre (Accepting applications July 19-August 31).
- Late termination practice, $15 per acre – This practice can be added as a supplementary payment to either of the above practices (Accepting applications July 19-August 31).
- Cover crop grazing, $20 per acre – This practice can be added as a supplementary payment to either of the above practices (Accepting applications July 19-August 31).
- Grow your edges-agroforestry, $250 per acre (Accepting applications on a rolling basis starting July 19)
Here is the remaining list of incentive payment programs to be offered through the Missouri CRCL Project:
- Regenerative grazing practice, $50 per acre, which could go toward electric fencing or watering systems (Application window to be announced later this year)
- Nutrient management program focusing on the 4R approach (right source, right rate, right time, right place), $20 per acre (Application window to be announced later this year)
- Climate-smart fieldscapes, opportunity for small and underserved farmers to put in place three or more climate-smart practices in an area of their operation and receive payments over a three-year period, eventually totaling $10,000 (Application window expected September 1-November 30, 2023)
To stay informed about project and incentive payment program updates, & to sign up visit: https://cra.missouri.edu/mo-crcl/
Additional USDA disaster assistance information can be found on farmers.gov, including USDA resources specifically for producer impacted by drought and the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Farm Loan Discovery Tool. For FSA and Natural Resources Conservation Service programs, producers should contact their local USDA Service Center. For assistance with a crop insurance claim, producers and landowners should contact their crop insurance agent.
Additional Drought Resources from Other Agencies
The state of Missouri Department of Natural Resources drought information and resources.
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service can help you conserve water and build resilience to drought, through conservation practices that improve irrigation efficiency, boost soil health, and manage grazing lands.
Irrigation Efficiency
USDA helps you improve your irrigation efficiency to ensure each drop of water is used wisely. Saving water on your farm can help during drought and can offset rising water costs; reduce expenditures for energy, chemicals, and labor; and enhance revenues through higher crop yields and improved crop quality. Funded conservation practices include conversion to more efficient irrigation systems, such as micro-irrigation or subsurface drip irrigation, installation of irrigation pipeline, irrigation water management, structures for water control, and flow meters. Tools like drip irrigation, which provides water precisely where and when it’s needed, can achieve greater precision with flow meters and soil moisture sensors.
Soil Health
In addition, soil health conservation practices, such as reduced- or no-till, cover crops, mulching and residue management can help to make your soil, and the plants you grow or animals you raise, healthier. Healthier soil can absorb and retain more water for longer periods of time, making your farm or ranch more resilient to drought. Using soil health practices, you can conserve water by increasing your soil’s water-holding capacity and use conservation tillage to keep the ground covered, reducing water loss through transpiration and evaporation.
And soil health practices increase organic matter, and each pound of organic matter can hold up to 20 pounds of water. Every 1% increase in organic matter results in as much as 25,000 gallons of soil water per acre. Each 1% increase in organic matter can also provide up to 30 pounds of more available nitrogen per acre. That means less money and time spent on inputs like water and fertilizer, which make your operation more profitable.
Rotational/Prescribed Grazing, Water Sources for Livestock
Drought also impacts grazing lands, and NRCS works with you to increase the resilience of your livestock operation. Ranchers can adapt to dry conditions in two main ways: increasing the availability and suitability of forage and ensuring that cattle have an adequate and reliable source of water. For forage, rotational or prescribed grazing (rotating cattle among pastures) can relieve pressure on stressed vegetation and ensure a more consistent supply of forage for animals. NRCS conservationists can also work with you to plant more drought-tolerant forage species, plants best suited to local soils and conditions. For reliable sources of water, NRCS can help you with installing watering facilities, water wells, or water pipeline for livestock. Having available forage and water for livestock can make a big difference in difficult drought conditions.
USDA and NRCS are here for you, helping you recover from drought and prepare for the next one. For more information on drought recovery assistance at farmers.gov/protection-recovery/drought#recovery. For more information on conservation practices to make your operation more resilient to drought in future years, go to www.nrcs.usda.gov.
Understanding your specific soil and its dynamic properties, which can change over time due to human impacts, land management, and climate change, can be invaluable. The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), through the National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS), has a team of soil and data scientists who are bringing customers the best soil information using the newest technology through the Lab Data Mart.
The newly updated Lab Data Mart website, also known as the National Cooperative Lab Characterization Database, brings valuable soil data to the public’s fingertips through a user-friendly, state-of-the-art interactive map. It includes data estimating soil properties such as organic carbon, clay content, calcium carbonate equivalent, and pH, which is beneficial in soil health assessments. Architects, educators, engineers, farmers, landowners, researchers, scientists, and anyone looking to learn more about their soil can access the latest data to make more informed decisions and reduce potential soil risks and hazards.
The Lab Data Mart includes mid-infrared (MIR) soil spectroscopy data gathered during soil analysis at the NRCS’ Kellogg Soil Survey Laboratory, one of the largest libraries of such data in the world. MIR soil spectroscopy uses the interactions between soil matter and infrared radiation to estimate soil properties.
The Lab Data Mart’s interactive map also links to a national database of soil characterization data, allowing users to locate soil samples and “pedons” analyzed in the lab. A pedon is the smallest unit of soil, containing all the soil horizons of a particular soil type. The customized data in the Lab Data Mart is downloadable to multiple applications and web services and is continuously updated as more sampled soil sites are added or re-visited.
How Can the Lab Data Mart Help You?
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Determining carbon credits or improving carbon sequestration: The data can help you determine how much carbon is currently in the top 12 inches of soil and decide whether you want to sequester more carbon and consider methods and management practices to do so.
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Leasing or buying land: The data may help determine if your planned management practices will work; and if not, what could be the added cost to do things differently. Understanding the mineralogy of your soil can help you determine if it requires soil amendments, a new tool or piece of equipment to accomplish your goals, or a change to what you farm or your tillage operation.
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Taking a more systematic view of your land: Whether working with an NRCS conservation planner or on your own, the data helps you know more about your soil and ties into how you look at the whole ecological site.
Who Can Help You Use Lab Data Mart and Help You Understand Your Data?
NRCS State Soil Scientists and their staff, as well as technical service providers, can assist with obtaining the data in Lab Data Mart and understanding it. Contact NRCS at your local USDA Service Center for help and more information. Visit the Lab Data Mart website, or learn more about NRCS’ Soil Science.
OCCSP signup is open now until October 31, 2023
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will cover up to 75% of the costs associated with organic certification, up to $750 per category, through the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP). USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) encourages agricultural producers and handlers to apply for OCCSP by Oct. 31, 2023, for expenses incurred from Oct. 1, 2022, through Sept. 30, 2023.
As part of USDA’s broader effort to support organic producers and in response to stakeholder feedback, this year FSA increased the cost share to the maximum amount allowed by statute.
Cost Share for 2023
The cost share provides financial assistance for organic certification, and producers and handlers are eligible to receive 75% of the costs, up to $750, for crops, wild crops, livestock, processing/handling and state organic program fees (California only).
Producers have until Oct. 31, 2023, to file applications, and FSA will make payments as applications are received.
How to Apply
To apply, organic producers and handlers should contact their local USDA Service Center. As part of completing the OCCSP application, producers and handlers will need to provide documentation of their organic certification and eligible expenses.
Organic producers and handlers may also apply for OCCSP through department of agriculture. Additional details can be found on the OCCSP webpage.
Opportunity for State Departments of Agriculture
FSA is also accepting applications from state departments of agriculture to administer OCCSP. FSA will post a synopsis of the funding opportunity on grants.gov and will electronically mail the notice of funding opportunity to all eligible state departments of agriculture.
If a state department of agriculture chooses to participate in OCCSP, both the state department of agriculture and FSA County Offices in that state will accept OCCSP applications and make payments to eligible certified operations. However, the producer or handler may only receive OCCSP assistance from either FSA or the participating state department of agriculture.
A multi-agency guide for USDA assistance for underserved farmers and ranchers is now available. If you are a farmer or rancher and are a minority, woman, veteran, beginning, or limited resource producer, you can use this booklet to learn about assistance and targeted opportunities available to you. This includes programs offered through the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Risk Management Agency. Download the guide here. The guide is also available in Spanish, Hmong, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese on farmers.gov/translations.
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