Beginning Oct. 31, producers can apply for the Emergency Relief Program 2022 (ERP 2022) which provides more than $3 billion to commodity and specialty crop producers impacted by natural disaster events in 2022. By running two ERP tracks at the same time, FSA will increase efficiencies in application and payment processing and ensure equitable program delivery.
ERP 2022 Track 1 leverages existing federal crop insurance or Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program data as the basis for calculating payments for eligible crop producers who received indemnities through these risk management programs.
ERP 2022 Track 2 is a revenue-based certification program designed to assist eligible producers who suffered an eligible decrease in revenue resulting from 2022 calendar year disaster events when compared with revenue in a benchmark year using revenue information that is readily available from most tax records.
USDA extended the deadline to sign up for the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP) until Jan. 13, 2024. DFAP provides financial assistance to farmers, ranchers and forest landowners who experienced discrimination in USDA farm lending programs. Analytic Acquisitions is the western region administrator and has two offices in Texas, one in Katy and one in McAllen. They have staff that are ready to help applicants. While records are not required to apply for DFAP, applicants wanting to request their records from FSA should do so by Nov. 3, 2024. For more information, visit 22007apply.gov.
FSA is committed to recruiting the next generation of talent. Across the county, FSA is hiring over 100 Pathways student trainees. The deadline for eligible students to apply is Oct. 31, 2023. Visit USAJobs.gov to view these and other FSA career opportunities.
USDA also announced two tribal higher education opportunities to train the next generation of agricultural professionals and strengthen ties with tribal higher education institutions. The USDA 1994 Tribal Scholars Program offers a fast-track career path with USDA, and the Terra Preta do Indio Tribal Faculty Fellowship engages tribal college faculty with USDA resources and research. Read the full USDA announcement.
Until next month, be safe and be well.
Sincerely,
Kelly Adkins
State Executive Director
Farm Service Agency - Texas
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The cooler weather and much needed moisture across the state is a welcome change. As we move through the fall season, agricultural producers are busy harvesting and planning conservation for another crop year. NRCS Texas is ready to help all producers plan and apply conservation to reach their goals as leadership staff and employees transition into a new fiscal year to provide technical and farm bill program assistance.
NRCS Texas, working in partnership with our customers, had one of the most successful conservation years in its history in fiscal year (FY) 2023. Conservation payments for applied practices totaled $98.5 million and more than 10,000 financial assistance contracts were managed by NRCS.
Additionally, we opened a new urban service center in Dallas, to better serve our customers in the area and established Two People’s Gardens in the Dallas area to grow fresh, nutritious foods and inspire people to grow their own food.
The East Texas Plant Materials Center worked with the city of Nacogdoches to create a more sustainable entrance to the city using native plants that require less maintenance, while also providing a beautiful welcome to visitors and residents alike.
We partnered with Texas Corn Producers to establish the NRCS Fundamentals of Conservation & Sustainability in Agriculture Certification that is now available to classrooms nationwide through iCEV.
We hosted a successful urban agriculture forum in partnership with the San Antonio Food Bank and Prairie View A&M Small Farm Institute that featured 18 speakers for 16 different sessions, as well as 20 vendors, all covering information related to urban and small acre agriculture.
I am looking forward to this new year and all that it brings for NRCS in Texas. We have already announced FY24 financial assistance opportunities for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). While NRCS accepts conservation program applications year-round, producers and landowners should apply for EQIP by Nov. 8, 2023, to be considered for FY24 funding.
Additionally, USDA has announced availability of Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding for climate-smart agriculture through EQIP. To prepare for the IRA opportunities, review the new Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Mitigation Activities List for FY24.
NRCS Texas will use the ACT NOW process for some EQIP funding pools. Through ACT NOW, NRCS can immediately approve and obligate a ranked application when an eligible application meets or exceeds a determined minimum ranking score.
Looking toward the future, NRCS and local Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) board members are excited for a new year of planning to address local resource concerns. The 83rd Annual Meeting of Texas Soil and Water Conservation District Directors will kick off on October 30 and a topic of discussion will be the value of Local Work Group (LWG) meetings. SWCDs across the state will soon be planning to host LWG meetings in partnership with NRCS field offices. This is a great time for local producers to have their voices and opinions heard. Local SWCD board members and district conservationists will use feedback from producers to begin identifying priorities for FY25.
After a record-breaking year for 2023, I anticipate another great year of conservation planning and technical assistance for farmers, ranchers, and forest stewards across Texas. For more information contact your local NRCS office to find out how we can help you to achieve your conservation goals.
Sincerely,
Kristy Oates
State Conservationist
Natural Resources Conservation Service - Texas
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The U. S Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide more than $3 billion to commodity and specialty crop producers impacted by natural disaster events in 2022. Eligible impacted producers can apply for financial assistance through the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) 2022. The program will help offset the financial impacts of crop yield and value losses from qualifying disasters occurring in 2022.
Background
On Dec. 29, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023 (P.L. 117-328) that provides about $3.7 billion in financial assistance for agricultural producers impacted by eligible natural disasters that occurred in calendar year 2022.
ERP 2022 covers losses to crops, trees, bushes and vines due to qualifying, calendar year 2022 natural disaster events including wildfires, hurricanes, floods, derechos, excessive heat, tornadoes, winter storms, freeze (including a polar vortex), smoke exposure, excessive moisture, qualifying drought and related conditions.
ERP 2022 program benefits will be delivered to eligible producers through a two-track process. FSA intends to make both tracks available to producers at the same time. This two-track approach enables USDA to:
- Streamline the application process.
- Reduce the paperwork burden on producers.
- Proactively include provisions for underserved producers who have not been well served by past emergency relief efforts.
- Encourage producer participation in existing risk management programs to mitigate the impacts of future severe weather events.
It’s important to note that disaster-impacted producers may be eligible for ERP 2022 assistance under one or both tracks. To avoid duplicative benefits, if a producer applies for both tracks, the Track 2 payment calculation will take into account any payments received through Track 1.
ERP 2022 Application Process – Track 1
ERP 2022 Track 1 leverages existing federal crop insurance or Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) data as the basis for calculating payments for eligible crop producers who received indemnities through these risk management programs. Although FSA is sending pre-filled ERP 2022 Track 1 application forms to producers who have crop insurance and NAP data already on file with USDA, producers indemnified for losses resulting from 2022 natural disasters do not have to wait to receive the application before requesting ERP 2022 assistance. Effective Oct. 31, 2023, producers can apply for ERP 2022 benefits whether they have received the pre-filled application or not. Receipt of a pre-filled application is not confirmation that a producer is eligible to receive an ERP 2022 Track 1 payment.
USDA estimates that ERP Track 1 benefits will reach more than 206,000 producers who received indemnities for losses covered by federal crop insurance and more than 4,500 producers who obtained NAP coverage for the 2022 crop year.
ERP 2022 Application Process – Track 2
Track 2 is a revenue-based certification program designed to assist eligible producers who suffered an eligible decrease in revenue resulting from 2022 calendar year disaster events when compared with revenue in a benchmark year using revenue information that is readily available from most tax records. In cases where revenue does not reasonably reflect a normal year’s revenue, Track 2 provides an alternative method for establishing revenue. Likewise, Track 2 affords producers of crops that are used within an operation and do not generate revenue from the sale of the crop a method for establishing revenue for the purpose of applying for ERP 2022 benefits. Producers are not required to submit tax records to FSA unless requested by the County Committee if required for an FSA compliance spot check.
Although not required when applying for ERP 2022 Track 2, applicants might find the following documents useful to the process:
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Profit or Loss from Farming or similar tax documents for tax years 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023.
Track 2 targets gaps in emergency relief assistance for eligible producers whose eligible losses were not covered by crop insurance or NAP including revenue losses too small (shallow loss) to be covered by crop insurance.
Producers interested in applying for ERP 2022 Track 2, should contact their local FSA county office. Additional reference resources can be found on FSA’s emergency relief website.
Additional Required Forms
For both ERP 2022 tracks, all producers must have certain required forms on file with FSA within 60 days of the ERP 2022 deadline. Producers can apply for ERP 2022 starting Oct. 31, 2023. The application deadline has not yet been determined and will be announced at a later date. If not already on file, producers can update, complete and submit required forms to FSA at any time.
Required forms:
- 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, for the 2022 program year.
- 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 ERP producer and applicable affiliates.
Most producers, especially those who have previously participated in FSA programs, will likely have these required forms on file. However, those who are uncertain or want to confirm the status of their forms can contact their local FSA county office.
Future Insurance Coverage Requirements
All producers who receive ERP 2022 payments must purchase crop insurance, or NAP coverage where crop insurance is not available, in the next two available crop years as determined by the Secretary. Purchased coverage must be at the 60/100 coverage level or higher for insured crops or at the catastrophic coverage level or higher for NAP crops.
More Information
ERP 2022 eligibility details and payment calculation factor tables are available on the emergency relief website, in the ERP Track 1 and ERP Track 2 fact sheets and through your local FSA county office.
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Texas announced fiscal year (FY) 2024 financial assistance opportunities for agricultural producers and landowners through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). While NRCS accepts conservation program applications year-round, producers and landowners should apply by Nov. 8, 2023, to be considered for FY 2024 funding.
Additionally, Texas NRCS will use the ACT NOW process for some EQIP funding pools. Through ACT NOW, NRCS can immediately approve and obligate a ranked application when an eligible application meets or exceeds a determined minimum ranking score.
EQIP provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers and forest landowners to address natural resource concerns. NRCS works one-on-one with producers to develop a conservation plan that outlines conservation practices and activities to help solve on-farm resource issues. Producers implement practices and activities in their conservation plan that can lead to cleaner water and air, healthier soil, and better wildlife habitat, all while improving their agricultural operations.
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)-EQIP will offer core conservation practices that directly improve soil carbon, reduce nitrogen losses, or that reduce, capture, avoid, or sequester carbon dioxide, methane, or nitrous oxide emissions, associated with agricultural production.
EQIP-Conservation Incentive Contracts (CIC) expands resource benefits for Texas producers through incentive conservation practices such as wildlife management, cover crops, nutrient management, conservation crop rotations, and prescribed grazing. Additionally, EQIP-CIC allows producers to target priority resource concerns on their property by offering incentive payments for a five-year contract without needing to enroll the entire operation into the program. EQIP-CIC is designed to be a stepping-stone between EQIP and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), to help producers improve their level of conservation and earn benefits of longer-term conservation enhancements.
Landowners can also choose to apply for financial assistance to get help installing the conservation practices outlined in their voluntary conservation plan through any one of the programs mentioned above. Through Farm Bill programs, NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to help producers and landowners make conservation improvements on their land that benefit natural resources, build resiliency, and contribute to the nation’s broader effort to combat the impacts of climate change.
Applying for Assistance
Interested producers should submit applications to their local NRCS office by Nov. 8, 2023, to be considered for the 2024 ranking funding period. Visit the Texas NRCS Website for more details about EQIP or other technical and financial assistance available through NRCS conservation programs or contact your local USDA Service Center.
Historically Underserved Producer Benefits
Special provisions are also available for historically underserved producers. For EQIP, historically underserved producers are eligible for advance payments to help offset costs related to purchasing materials or contracting services up front. In addition, historically underserved producers can receive higher EQIP payment rates (up to 90% of average cost). NRCS sets aside EQIP, CSP, and ACEP funds for historically underserved producers.
Conservation Practices and Climate
NRCS conservation programs play a critical role in USDA’s commitment to partnering with farmers, ranchers, forest landowners and local communities to deliver climate solutions that strengthen agricultural operations and rural America. States may prioritize a variety of voluntary conservation practices through these NRCS programs, including those that support climate-smart agriculture and forestry (CSAF).
Additional information is available on the Texas NRCS website at www.tx.nrcs.usda.gov or by contacting your local USDA Service Center.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing a new crop insurance program designed for agricultural producers who use controlled environments in their operations. The new Controlled Environment program from USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) is specifically for plants grown in fully enclosed controlled environments and provides coverage against plant diseases subject to destruction orders. Available beginning in the 2024 crop year, the Controlled Environment program provides a risk management resource for urban, specialty crop, and organic producers who often use controlled environments as a major part of their operations. The first sales closing date is Dec. 1, 2023.
Learn more.
As America’s farmers harvest the crops that feed, clothe, and fuel our world, let’s fill the Farmers.gov social media feed with their stories about this year’s harvest season. We’d also like to see how it’s going for farmers that participated in our #Plant2023 campaign in the spring.
To share your experience on @FarmersGov social media, follow these steps:
- Collect photos of what’s happening on your operation as you harvest.
- If you're comfortable, we’d love to see the people that make it happen, like friends and family.
- Write an email to FP.Social@usda.gov, attach your photos/video, and tell us:
- Your name, the location of your operation, and the name of your operation
- Your operation’s Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter pages, if you have them.
- What are you harvesting this year?
- Where does your harvest go? How is it used?
- What are your personal thoughts on this year’s harvest season?
Please note that by submitting your photo/video, you are granting USDA permission to use these materials for outreach and education purposes.
Remember to follow @FarmersGov on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), and Instagram, and we look forward to sharing your story!
Farmers in Texas can now access county specific farming data and USDA resources all in one place via the new farmers.gov local dashboard. Your new farmers.gov local dashboard includes farming data and USDA resources including USDA news, commodity pricing, weather forecasts, historical climate data, past storm events, USDA service center locator and additional state resources for Texas and your county The dashboard transforms complex data sets into easy-to-read charts and graphs to help you quickly find information that matters to you.
Find Your Local Dashboard | Farmers.gov
The Biden-Harris Administration announced that agricultural employers can begin to apply for a pilot program designed to improve the resiliency of the food and agricultural supply chain by addressing workforce challenges farmers and ranchers face. USDA, in coordination with other federal agencies, is announcing up to $65 million in grants available for the Farm Labor Stabilization and Protection Pilot Program (FLSP Program).
The program will help address workforce needs in agriculture, promote a safe and healthy work environment for farmworkers, and aims to support expansion of lawful migration pathways for workers, including for workers from Northern Central America, through the Department of Labor’s seasonal H-2A visa program.
The FLSP Program seeks to advance the following Administration priorities:
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Address current workforce needs in agriculture: Based on stakeholder input, USDA identified that agricultural employers have experienced increased challenges finding an adequate supply of workers, which threatens our domestic capacity to produce a safe and robust food supply. This pilot program will help address these challenges by expanding the potential pool of workers, and enhancing employers’ competitiveness by improving the quality of the jobs they offer.
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Reduce irregular migration, including from Northern Central America through the expansion of regular pathways: While U.S. agricultural operations seek additional workers, the Biden-Harris Administration has committed to promote the expansion of regular migration pathways, as part of the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection. The FLSP offers an opportunity to support this commitment, with economic benefits for foreign workers and their families, and professional and economic development opportunities for communities that send their workers to participate in the H-2A program.
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Improve working conditions for farmworkers: A stable and resilient food and agricultural sector relies on attracting and retaining skilled agricultural workers, and strong working conditions are critical to achieve that goal. Through this pilot program, USDA will support efforts to improve working conditions for agricultural workers, both U.S. and H-2A workers. The pilot will help ensure that workers know their rights and the resources available for them, and will promote fair and transparent recruitment practices.
Eligibility for this competitive grant program is limited to domestic agricultural employers who 1) anticipate meeting all Department of Labor (DOL) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regulatory requirements for the H-2A program, including demonstrated effort to effectively recruit U.S.-based workers and hire all willing, able, and qualified U.S. workers; and 2) commit to, and indicate capacity to fulfill all Baseline Requirements, as well as any selected (supplemental) commitments that entail additive worker benefits and protections. Eligible employers include fixed-site employers, joint-employers, agricultural associations, and H-2A labor contractors.
The maximum award amount is $2,000,000 and the minimum amount is $25,000 per grant agreement (including any sub-awardees). Award amounts will be determined based on the projected number of full-time equivalent (FTE) agricultural employees, desired award level, as well as the competitive nature of the application. Consistent with the H-2A requirements, applicants must demonstrate insufficient availability of a U.S.-based workforce. The grant window for each recipient is 24 months, allowing producers to use the grant over the course of two agricultural production seasons.
Applications for the FLSP program must be received on or before 11:59 pm Eastern Time on November 28, 2023. More information about the application process can be found here: www.ams.usda.gov/flsp.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued more than $1.77 billion this year to agricultural producers and landowners through its Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), a critical piece of the Department’s efforts to support climate-smart agriculture and forestry on working lands. This year, CRP’s more than 667,000 participants received payments from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) for their voluntary conservation efforts on more than 23 million acres of private land. Since 2021, CRP has grown by 21% in terms of acres enrolled, testament to the Biden-Harris administration’s program improvement efforts.
Top five states for CRP participant payments:
- Iowa, $402,508,900
- Illinois, $172,723,800
- Minnesota, $150,773,400
- South Dakota, $129,545,200
- Missouri, $99,849,600
Improvements to CRP
Since 2021, FSA has made improvements to the program:
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Introducing a new climate-smart practice incentive for CRP general and continuous signups designed to reward participants who implement conservation practices that increase carbon sequestration and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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Enabling additional soil rental rate adjustments or rate flexibilities, including a possible increase in rates where appropriate.
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Increasing payments for practice incentives from 20% to 50%. This incentive, in addition to cost share payments, for continuous CRP practices is based on establishment cost.
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Increasing payments for water quality practices rates from 10% to 20% for certain water quality benefiting practices available through the CRP continuous signup, such as grassed waterways, riparian buffers and filter strips.
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Establishing a Grassland CRP minimum rental rate benefitting more than 1,000 counties with rates currently below the $13 minimum.
Additionally, FSA made significant improvements to the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) that reduce barriers by making the partnership program more accessible to a broader cross-section of agricultural producers and new conservation partners. These program improvements include the flexibility for partners to provide matching funds in the form of cash, in-kind contributions, or technical assistance and the ability for FSA to invest in additional, full-time staff devoted to working directly with our CREP partners and program specialists in FSA’s state offices.
Since 2021, FSA has also entered into the first-ever Tribal Nations CREP agreements in partnership with the Cheyenne River, Rosebud, and Oglala Sioux Tribes. And in 2022, USDA entered into the Big Sioux River Watershed CREP agreement with the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish & Parks to assist farmers, ranchers and agricultural landowners to improve water quality, reduce soil erosion, enhance wildlife habitat, and create public hunting and fishing access. These CREP agreements reflect priorities and goals of USDA to broaden the scope and reach of its voluntary, incentive-based conservation programs to engage underserved producers.
FSA’s conservation programs had a strong showing in 2023. FSA partnered with producers and landowners to enroll 3.9 million CRP this year –including 927,000 enrolled acres through General CRP, 2.3 million acres enrolled in Grassland CRP and 694,000 acres enrolled in Continuous CRP. These results underscore the continued importance of CRP as a tool to help producers invest in the long-term health, sustainability, and profitability of their land and natural resources.
More Information
CRP is a voluntary program contract with agricultural producers through which environmentally sensitive agricultural land is devoted to conservation benefits. CRP participants establish long-term, resource-conserving plant species, such as approved grasses or trees to control soil erosion, improve water quality and develop wildlife habitat. In return, FSA provides participants with rental payments and cost-share assistance. Contract duration is between 10 and 15 years.
To learn more about CRP and other FSA programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center.
USDA’s Conservation Reserve Program Pays More Than $1.77 Billion to America’s Producers in Support of Conservation and Climate-Smart Agriculture
USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is hiring over 100 pathway student trainees nationwide. Recruitment and relocation incentives may be offered and salary ranges from $33,906 - $43,801 per year.
FSA helps agricultural producers invest in, improve and expand their agricultural operations through farm loans, risk management programs, and recovery support in times of economic stress or natural disaster.
Applicants must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment for at least a half-time basis at a qualifying educational institution in a certificate, degree, or diploma program with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Other requirements apply.
Candidates selected from these announcements may be eligible for non-competitive conversion to a permanent position in the competitive service, provided that all terms of the Internship Program are met and there is an available position. Conversion is not mandatory or guaranteed and is at agency discretion.
The application period closes on October 31, 2023. For more information or to apply visit:
Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans require applicants to have a satisfactory credit history. A credit report is requested for all FSA direct farm loan applicants. These reports are reviewed to verify outstanding debts, see if bills are paid timely and to determine the impact on cash flow.
Information on your credit report is strictly confidential and is used only as an aid in conducting FSA business.
Our farm loan staff will discuss options with you if you have an unfavorable credit report and will provide a copy of your report. If you dispute the accuracy of the information on the credit report, it is up to you to contact the issuing credit report company to resolve any errors or inaccuracies.
There are multiple ways to remedy an unfavorable credit score:
- Make sure to pay bills on time
- Setting up automatic payments or automated reminders can be an effective way to remember payment due dates.
- Pay down existing debt
- Keep your credit card balances low
- Avoid suddenly opening or closing existing credit accounts
FSA’s farm loan staff will guide you through the process, which may require you to reapply for a loan after improving or correcting your credit report.
For more information on FSA farm loan programs, contact your local USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov.
The application period is now open for a new financial assistance program under Section 22007 of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), for farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who experienced discrimination in USDA farm lending programs prior to January 2021. The application process will close on January 13, 2024. 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.
If you want to get weekly updates on the program’s events and progress, you can go to https://22007apply.gov, and subscribe to a weekly newsletter.
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