The deadline to report Bee colonies for honey is January 2, 2024. The deadline to report 2024 Peaches, Apples, Strawberries, Grapes, Cranberries and Blueberries is January 16, 2024. If you plant after the deadline, you have 15 days to report the acreage after the crop was planted. After that, a late file fee must be assessed.
Acreage reporting is required for NAP, CRP, CREP, ERP, Marketing Assistance Loans, ARCPLC and may be necessary for future crop disaster or market assistance programs which may arise. Please call for an appointment. We would also like to hear from you if you are adding or dropping land or making changes to your farming operation. Thank you.
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The USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in New Jersey is now accepting applications for High Tunnels, Cover crop, No-till and reduced (minimum) tillage practices through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA).
High Tunnels are designed to help producers extend the growing season, increase productivity, keep plants at a steady temperature, and conserve water and energy. The EQIP high tunnel signup will be administered through the ACT NOW approach, which is a targeted, rapid, and streamlined application and contract approval process.
Through this unique opportunity, producers can qualify for Cover crop, No-till and Reduced (minimum) tillage practices on ground that has already been under contract by the same producer. Cover crop, no-till and reduced tillage must address an existing resource concern to be eligible for funding and can be contracted for up to five years.
While NRCS accepts applications year-round, NRCS-NJ has established an evaluation period cut-off date for ACT NOW funding of January 26, 2024. Applications through ACT NOW funding will be selected if the minimum threshold ranking score is met. Applications submitted prior to the cut-off will be assessed and ranked as soon as they are received.
Based on fund availability, application assessments with a ranking score of the established threshold or greater will be preapproved immediately, allowing the applicant to ACT NOW and achieve contract approval to begin practice installation without being evaluated against other submitted assessments. Application assessment ranking scores less than the established threshold will be batched and funded in ranking order as funding allows.
For more details on EQIP, please contact the Salem/Gloucester USDA Service Center at 856-769-1126 or visit https://www.nj.nrcs.usda.gov.
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Do you live in Cumberland, Salem or Gloucester County? The local Soil Conservation Districts, in conjunction with USDA – NRCS, are conducting a survey to determine the communities’ Natural Resource concerns.
We’d love to gain your opinion on Animal, Air, Climate Change, Energy, Plant, Soil and Water Related Resource Concerns. The survey is 17 questions and should take about 5 minutes to complete.
Local Work Group Survey: https://forms.office.com/r/E47nVfS4ag
The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds producers to review available USDA crop risk protection options, including federal crop insurance and Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) coverage, before the crop deadlines.
Federal crop insurance covers crop losses from natural adversities such as drought, hail and excessive moisture. NAP covers losses from natural disasters on crops for which no permanent federal crop insurance program is available, including perennial grass forage and grazing crops, fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, floriculture, ornamental nursery, aquaculture, turf grass, ginseng, honey, syrup, bioenergy, and industrial crops.
The following crops in Salem and Gloucester County have NAP application deadlines approaching for the 2024 crop year:
January 2, 2024 - Asparagus, Beets, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Greens, Herbs, Honey, Horseradish, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Lettuce, Peas, Radishes, Rhubarb, and Turnips.
Producers can determine if crops are eligible for federal crop insurance or NAP by visiting
https://webapp.rma.usda.gov/apps/ActuarialInformationBrowser2022/CropCriteria.aspx
NAP basic coverage is available at 55 percent of the average market price for crop losses that exceed 50 percent of expected production. Buy up coverage is available up to 100% of the price for crop losses that exceed 35% of expected production.
Federal crop insurance coverage is sold and delivered solely through private insurance agents. Federal crop insurance covers crops like corn, soybeans, wheat, potatoes, peaches and apples to name a few. Agent lists are available at all USDA Service Centers or at USDA’s online Agent Locator: http://prodwebnlb.rma.usda.gov/apps/AgentLocator/#. Producers can use the USDA Cost Estimator, https://ewebapp.rma.usda.gov/apps/costestimator/Default.aspx, to predict insurance premium costs.
For more information on NAP, service fees, sales deadlines, contact the Woodstown FSA office at 856-769-1126 ext. 2 or visit the web at www.fsa.usda.gov/nap.
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The Committee elections are over and the ballots have been counted.
Al Previtera Jr. was elected to represent local administrative area 2 and Grace Wheeler will serve as the first alternate. Eric Davis was elected to represent local administrative area 5. Michael Ferrucci Jr. will serve as the first alternate and Anthony Fabrizio will serve as the second alternate.
County Committee members are a critical component of the day-to-day operations of FSA. They help deliver programs at the county level and work to serve the needs of local producers. Every FSA office is required to have a County Committee, and they are made up of local farmers who are elected by local farmers.
Nearly 7,800 FSA County Committee members serve FSA offices nationwide. Each committee has three to 11 elected members who serve three-year terms of office. One-third of County Committee seats are up for election each year. County Committee members impact the administration of FSA within a community by applying their knowledge and judgment to help FSA make important decisions on its commodity support programs, conservation programs, indemnity and disaster programs, emergency programs and eligibility.
County Committee members impact producers through their decision making and help shape the culture of a local FSA office. They also ensure the fair and equitable administration of FSA farm programs in their counties and are accountable to the Secretary of Agriculture. Members conduct hearings and reviews as requested by the State Committee, ensure socially disadvantaged (SDA) farmers and ranchers are fairly represented, make recommendations to the State Committee on existing programs, monitor changes in farm programs and inform farmers of the purpose and provisions of FSA programs. They also assist with outreach and inform underserved producers such as beginning farmers and ranchers about FSA opportunities.
For more information, visit the FSA website at www.fsa.usda.gov/elections.
Many farm loan borrowers’ payments are due on January 2, 2024. FSA expects and encourages prompt payment. However, for borrowers who cannot make their payments due to adversity such as a natural disaster or production difficulties beyond their control, FSA is committed to providing our farm loan borrowers with the tools necessary to be successful. A part of ensuring this success is providing guidance and counsel from loan or loan servicing applications, through the term of your loan, and after. In order for FSA to help, you must alert your local FSA office to any of the following:
· Any proposed or significant changes in the farming operation
· Any significant changes to family income or expenses
· The development of problem situations
· Any losses or proposed significant changes in security
There are options for FSA loan customers during financial stress. If you are a borrower who is unable to make payments on a loan, contact your local FSA Service Center to learn about the options available to you.
If past due on payments, FSA will notify you of your options with a Notice of Availability of Loan Servicing. Please pay special attention to this notice as it provides you with your options for FSA servicing programs and outlines specific deadlines that you must meet. Failure to meet these statutory deadlines may significantly limit your options and FSA’s ability to help address your farm’s financial difficulties.
For more information on FSA farm loan programs, call the Vineland Office at 856-205-1225 or visit www.fsa.usda.gov
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