You can feel it in the air on these cool late-summer mornings. You can smell it in the evenings as the dew begins to settle across the landscape. And you know harvest is on its way as farmers across this state begin to move their combines and large farm equipment to farm fields. Yes – fall is coming!

As fall arrives, so does the end of the federal government’s fiscal year. FSA employees across the state are completing reports and finalizing work on the Farm Bill, as it also comes to a close on September 30^th. Just as you farmers are awaiting the final color turn of soybeans and analyzing the percentage dryness of corn, so are U.S. Department of Agriculture employees awaiting the United States Congress’ action and decision on the next fiscal year budget and a new Farm Bill. Our offices stand ready to answer any questions through the fall months.

Thank you for trusting your county office staff to help you journey through the multitude of FSA voluntary programs. Just as I want to thank you for placing the food, feed, fiber and fuel in our lives, I also want to thank our FSA staff for all they do to guide you through the programs available to you and your farming operations.

Have a safe and productive fall

The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) provides assistance to you for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by adverse weather, disease and attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government or protected by federal law.

For disease losses, FSA county committees can accept veterinarian certifications that livestock deaths were directly related to adverse weather and unpreventable through good animal husbandry and management.

For 2023 livestock losses, you must file a notice within 30 calendar days of when the loss is first apparent. You then must provide the following supporting documentation to your local FSA office no later than 60 calendar days after the end of the calendar year in which the eligible loss condition occurred.

• Proof of death documentation
• Copy of grower’s contracts
• Proof of normal mortality documentation

Indiana FSA has established normal mortality rates for each type and weight range of eligible livestock, i.e. Adult Beef Cow = 1.5%, Non-Adult Beef Cattle (800 pounds or more) = 2.5% and Non-Adult Beef Cattle (less than 800 pounds) = 5%. These established percentages reflect losses that are considered expected or typical under “normal” conditions.

In addition to filing a notice of loss, you must also submit an application for payment by March 1, 2024.

For more information, contact your local USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov.

USDA announced Milk Loss Program (MLP) assistance for eligible dairy operations for milk that was dumped or removed, without compensation, from the commercial milk market due to qualifying weather events and the consequences of those weather events that inhibited delivery or storage of milk (e.g., power outages, impassable roads, infrastructure losses, etc.) during calendar years 2020, 2021 and 2022. Administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA), signup for MLP is September 11 through October 16, 2023.   

Eligibility 

MLP compensates dairy operations for milk dumped or removed without compensation from the commercial milk market due to qualifying disaster events, including droughts, wildfires, hurricanes, floods, derechos, excessive heat, winter storms, freeze (including a polar vortex), and smoke exposure that occurred in the 2020, 2021 and 2022 calendar years. Tornadoes are considered a qualifying disaster event for calendar year 2022 only.  

The milk loss claim period is each calendar month that milk was dumped or removed from the commercial market. Each MLP application covers the loss in a single calendar month.  Milk loss that occurs in more than one calendar month due to the same qualifying weather event requires a separate application for each month.   

The days that are eligible for assistance begin on the date the milk was removed or dumped and for concurrent days milk was removed or dumped. Once the dairy operation restarts milk marketing, the dairy operation is ineligible for assistance unless after restarting commercial milk marketing, additional milk is dumped due to the same qualifying disaster event. The duration of yearly claims is limited to 30 days per year for 2020, 2021 and 2022. 

How to Apply 

To apply for MLP, producers must submit: 

• FSA-376, Milk Loss Program Application
• Milk marketing statement from the:
  • Month prior to the month milk was removed or dumped.
  • Affected month.
• Detailed written statement of milk removal circumstances, including the weather event type and geographic scope, what transportation limitations occurred and any information on what was done with the removed milk.
• Any other information required by the regulation.

If not previously filed with FSA, applicants must also submit all the following items within 60 days of the MLP application deadline: 

• Form AD-2047, Customer Data Worksheet.  
• Form CCC-902, Farm Operating Plan for an individual or legal entity.   
• Form CCC-901, Member Information for Legal Entities (if applicable).   
• Form FSA-510, Request for an Exception to the $125,000 Payment Limitation for Certain Programs (if applicable).   
• Form CCC-860, Socially Disadvantaged, Limited Resource, Beginning and Veteran Farmer or Rancher Certification, (if applicable).
• A highly erodible land conservation (sometimes referred to as HELC) and wetland conservation certification (Form AD-1026 Highly Erodible Land Conservation (HELC) and Wetland Conservation (WC) Certification) for the MLP producer and applicable affiliates.  

Most producers, especially those who have previously participated in FSA programs, will likely have these required forms already on file. However, those who are uncertain or want to confirm the status of their forms can contact their local FSA county office.   

MLP Payment Calculation 

The final MLP payment is determined by factoring the MLP payment calculation by the applicable MLP payment percentage.  

The calculation for determining MLP payment is:  

• ((Base period per cow average daily milk production x the number of milking cows in a claim period x the number of days milk was removed or dumped in a claim period) ÷ 100) x pay price per hundredweight (cwt.).

For MLP payment calculations, the milk loss base period is the first full month of production before the dumping or removal occurred. 

The MLP payment percentage will be 90% for underserved producers, including socially disadvantaged, beginning, limited resource, and veteran farmers and ranchers and 75% for all other producers.      

To qualify for the higher payment percentage, eligible producers must have a CCC-860, Socially Disadvantaged, Limited Resource, Beginning and Veteran Farmer or Rancher Certification, form on file with FSA for the 2022 program year.   

 Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) limitations do not apply to MLP, however the payment limitation for MLP is determined by the person’s or legal entity’s average adjusted gross farm income (income derived from farming, ranching and forestry operations). Specifically, a person or legal entity, other than a joint venture or general partnership, cannot receive, directly or indirectly, more than $125,000 in payments under MLP if their average adjusted gross farm income is less than 75% of their average AGI or more than $250,000 if their adjusted gross farm income is at least 75% of their average AGI.   

For more information, contact your local USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov.   

The term “sodbusting” is used to identify the conversion of land from native vegetation to commodity crop production after December 23, 1985.  As part of the conservation provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985, if you’re proposing to produce agricultural commodities (crops that require annual tillage including one pass planting operations and sugar cane) on land that has been determined highly erodible and that has no crop history prior to December 23, 1985, that land must be farmed in accordance with a conservation plan or system that ensures no substantial increase in soil erosion.

Eligibility for many USDA programs requires compliance with a conservation plan or system on highly erodible land (HEL) used for the production of agricultural commodities. This includes Farm Service Agency (FSA) loan, disaster assistance, safety net, price support, and conservation programs; Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) conservation programs; and Risk Management Agency (RMA) Federal crop insurance.

Before you clear or prepare areas not presently under production for crops that require annual tillage, you are required to file Form AD-1026 “Highly Erodible Land Conservation and Wetland Conservation Certification,” with FSA indicating the area to be brought into production. The notification will be referred to NRCS to determine if the field is considered highly erodible land. If the field is considered HEL, you are required to implement a conservation plan or system that limits the erosion to the tolerable soil loss (T) for the predominant HEL soil on those fields.

In addition, prior to removing trees or conducting any other land manipulations that may affect wetlands, remember to update form AD-1026, to ensure you remain in compliance with the wetland conservation provisions.

Prior to purchasing or renting new cropland acres, it is recommended that you check with your local USDA Service Center to ensure your activities will be in compliance with the highly erodible land and wetland conservation provisions. Written permission from the current landowner is required for the release of this information.

For additional information on highly erodible land conservation and wetland conservation compliance, contact your local USDA Service Center.

FSA encourages you to be proactive in preventing the spread of wildfire. If you participate in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), you are responsible for fire management on your CRP acreage. The goal is to suppress the amount of fuel in the event of a wildfire while still promoting the diversity of the conservation cover.

One fire management practice includes installing firebreaks, which should be included in the contract support document and installed according to NRCS firebreak standards. Barren firebreaks will only be allowed in high-risk areas, such as transportation corridors, rural communities, and adjacent farmsteads. A conservationist must certify that there will not be an erosion hazard from the barren firebreak. If erosion becomes a problem, remedial action will be taken.

You must complete the necessary management activities outside of the Primary Nesting Season. In Indiana, the Primary Nesting Season is April 1st through August 1st each year.  Remember that fireguard technical practices should be outlined in your Conservation Plan of Operations (CPO).

Is the new Controlled Environment crop insurance right for you? Find out with USDA’s Risk Management Agency.

The USDA is introducing a new Federal Crop Insurance program designed to provide greenhouse growers an opportunity to insure against losses due to destruction orders based on detection of plant disease vectors.

Details on upcoming virtual sessions scheduled for September 21, 22 and 26 can be found here.

USDA is hosting an in-person public session on OCT. 12 in HUDSONVILLE, MICH., to introduce the program and answer any questions you may have. Learn more and see the schedule of the session’s exact time and location. Learn More