In This Issue:
Greetings
Last month we observed Native American Heritage Month, also referred to as American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. This observance provided an opportunity for us to reflect on how the cultures and traditions continue to advance resilient economies and vibrant lands nationwide. Indigenous knowledge continues to be affirmed throughout our everyday life in our land management practices, the foods we eat, our systems of government and our stewardship of natural resources. The theme was “Indigenous Foods: The Intersection Between Land, Food, and Culture.” For millennia tribal nations have sustainably hunted, foraged, and cultivated these lands. Indigenous foods are the product of hundreds of generations and tribal traditions that still hold strong today. Special Emphasis Observances inform and support collective efforts to advance equity in USDA. It was awesome to acknowledge and honor America’s first food producers and original land stewards. Special Emphasis Observances inform and support collective efforts to advance equity in USDA. It was awesome to acknowledge and honor America’s first food producers and original land stewards.
Thank you to all that participated in Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) 2023 County Committee (COC) Elections. Newly elected committee members will take office January 1, 2024. Visit fsa.usda.gov/elections for more information on county committee elections.
In an effort to streamline assistance to support access to critical 2023 natural disaster recovery assistance, FSA is waiving the requirement to submit Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-raised Fish (ELAP) and Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) notices of loss within a pre-determined number of days for 2023. FSA COC’s are also being asked to re-evaluate 2023 ELAP and LIP late-filed notices of loss to determine if the waiver applies. FSA COC’s will review all notices of loss for both ELAP and LIP that were previously disapproved for the 2023 program year due to late filing and re-evaluate them to determine if the waiver applies. To receive ELAP and LIP benefits, producers will still need to file an application for payment by the established program deadline for the 2023 program year. Please contact your local service center for more information.
FSA has launched an online application for Direct Loan customers. The online application provides helpful features including an electronic signature option, the ability to attach supporting documents such as tax returns, complete a balance sheet, and build a farm operating plan. Through a personalized dashboard, borrowers can track the progress of their loan application. It can be accessed on www.farmers.gov or by completing FSA’s Loan Assistance Tool at farmers.gov/loan-assistance-tool. To use the online loan application tool, producers must establish a USDA customer account and a USDA Level 2 eAuthentication (“eAuth”) account or a Login.gov account. For the initial stage, the online application tool is only available for producers who will be, or are currently, operating their farm as an individual. FSA is expanding the tools availability to married couples applying jointly and other legal entities in 2024. This tool is part of a broader effort by to streamline its processes, improve customer service, expand credit access and reduce the number of incomplete/withdrawn applications.
FSA continues to accept and review individual requests for assistance from qualifying borrowers who took certain extraordinary measures to avoid delinquency on their direct FSA loans. This also includes those who were unable to make a recent installment or are unable to make their next scheduled installment for installments through January 15, 2024. All requests for assistance must be received by Dec. 31, 2023. For more information, or to submit a request for assistance, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center or visit farmers.gov/inflation-reduction-investments/assistance.
On farmers.gov, the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster-at-a-Glance fact sheet and Loan Assistance Tool can help producers and landowners determine disaster protection and recovery program or loan options. Please take advantage of these tools.
For more information on Farm Service Agency (FSA), contact your local USDA service center or visit www.farmers.gov.
Our goal is to serve all farmers, ranchers, and agricultural partners; equitably; through the delivery of effective and efficient agricultural programs.
Our hope is, that you appreciate us, as much as we appreciate you. May your holidays be filled with cheer, warm memories, and contentment. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Greetings and Happy Holidays!
Conservation in agriculture is vital to maintain the productivity and sustainability of Arkansas’s working lands. The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) wants to help you improve and preserve your natural resources which can in turn positively impact the profitability of your operation. We have tools and programs available for you, and also offer free one-on-one technical support to help you address conservation concerns and plan for the future.
NRCS is increasing Climate-Smart Agricultural and Forestry Mitigation Activities eligible for Inflation Reduction Act funding for fiscal year 2024 through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and) Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). These in-demand activities are expected to deliver reductions in greenhouse gas emissions or increases in carbon sequestration as well as significant other benefits to natural resources like soil health, water quality, pollinator and wildlife habitat and air quality. In response to feedback received from conservation partners, producers and NRCS staff across the country, NRCS considered and evaluated activities based on scientific literature demonstrating expected climate change mitigation benefits.
When applied through this framework, these activities are expected to deliver reductions in greenhouse gas emissions or increases in carbon sequestration. NRCS will continue to evaluate additional practices as science progresses and will evaluate and identify quantification methodologies during the fiscal year.
In the near future, Arkansas NRCS will implement ACT NOW. The ACT NOW process will be used for some EQIP and CSP 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. This means no longer having to wait for all applications to be reviewed and preapproved in that ranking pool. More information and guidance will be forthcoming on ACT NOW ranking pools later.
NRCS accepts producer applications for its conservation programs year-round. To apply for fiscal year 2024 funding, contacting your local NRCS office. See additional information on program application submission dates in the articles below.
NRCS is here to provide one-on-one support to our customers at our 61 USDA Service Centers statewide. Farmers who work with us at their local USDA Service Center can:
- Verify eligibility for conservation programs
- Discuss their business and conservation goals
- Create a conservation plan
- Learn how to meet conservation compliance provisions
NRCS staff can help guide farmers to the best USDA assistance based on their conservation goals.
Important Dates to Remember:
FY2024 Conservation Stewardship Program Payments
- Participants with active CSP contracts must notify NRCS when they would like to receive their payments
- Payments received in calendar year 2023 must be approved by December 15, 2023
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.
Jan 24th – Path to Prosperity
FDIC, SBA, and USDA will present the Southern-Central “Path to Prosperity”, on January 24, 2024, in Little Rock, Arkansas. Path to Prosperity will consist of panel discussions comprised of economic, lending and government contracting experts. There will be facilitated conversations, sharing best practices, and innovative solutions. Topics include Access to Capital for Starting the Path to Prosperity, Unlocking Small Business Capital, Government Contracting and Procurement, and Relationships and Resource for Starting a Path to Prosperity. Doris Washington, Arkansas FSA State Executive Director, will be speaking. The meeting will be held from 8:00am – 4:30pm at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, 2801 South University Avenue, Little Rock, Arkansas. Campus location: Engineering and Information Technology 142.
Jan 25th -27th – Arkansas Grown Conference and Expo
The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Arkansas Grown program is partnering with Arkansas agriculture associations and organizations to host the Arkansas Grown Conference & Expo! The Arkansas Grown Conference & Expo will be held January 25-27, 2024. FSA will present as well as have an informational Booth. The conference and expo will be held at the Hot Springs Convention Center, Hot Springs, Arkansas. Please visit Arkansas Grown Conference & Expo - Arkansas Grown for additional information.
Mar 15th - UAPB’s Rural Life Conference The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff is hosting the 2024 Rural Life Conference at the Pine Bluff Convention Center on March 15, 2024. Paul Casey, Agricultural Program Specialist and Chana Thompson, Farm Loan Chief will present a workshop on Conservation and Farm Loans. Additional information will be forthcoming. Visit School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences | University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (uapb.edu).
 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has waived certain notice of loss requirements for 2023 for the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-raised Fish (ELAP) and Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP). In an effort to streamline assistance to support access to critical 2023 natural disaster recovery assistance, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is waiving the requirement to submit ELAP or LIP notices of loss within a pre-determined number of days for 2023. Instead, producers have the flexibility to submit 2023 notices of loss as soon as possible, once losses are realized, following a natural disaster event or no later than the established annual program application for payment deadlines for each program. FSA county committees are also being asked to re-evaluate 2023 ELAP and LIP late-filed notices of loss to determine if the waiver applies.
Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-raised Fish
ELAP provides recovery assistance to eligible producers of livestock, honeybee, and farm-raised fish losses due to an eligible adverse weather or loss condition, including blizzards, disease, water shortages and wildfires. ELAP covers grazing and feed losses, transportation of water and feed to livestock and hauling livestock to grazing acres. ELAP also covers certain mortality losses for livestock including honeybees and farm-raised fish as well as honeybee hive losses. ELAP is designed to address losses not covered by other FSA disaster assistance programs.
For 2023, FSA is waiving the regulatory requirement for producers who are eligible for ELAP to file a notice of loss with FSA within 30 calendar days from when the loss first became apparent for livestock and farm-raised fish and 15 calendar days for honeybees. Under this waiver, notices of loss are to be completed by the eligible producer and submitted to FSA no later than the annual program application deadline of January 30 following the program year in which the loss occurred. Therefore, producers who incurred ELAP-eligible losses in 2023, will need to submit a notice of loss by Jan. 30, 2024.
Livestock Indemnity Program
LIP provides disaster recovery assistance to livestock owners and contract growers who experience livestock deaths, in excess of normal mortality caused by eligible loss conditions including adverse weather, disease and attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government or protected by federal law, including wolves and avian predators. LIP also helps livestock owners who must sell livestock at a reduced price because of an injury from certain loss conditions.
For 2023, FSA is waiving the regulatory requirement for producers who are eligible for LIP to file a notice of loss within 30 calendar days from when the loss first became apparent. Under this waiver, producers are still required to complete and submit the notice of loss to FSA no later than the annual program payment application date, which is 60 calendar days following the program year in which the loss occurred. The LIP payment application and notice of loss deadline is Feb. 29, 2024, for the 2023 program year.
2023 Disapproved Applications
FSA county committees will review all notices of loss for both ELAP and LIP that were previously disapproved for the 2023 program year due to late filing and re-evaluate them to determine if the waiver applies. To receive ELAP and LIP benefits, producers will still need to file an application for payment by the established program deadline for the 2023 program year. Producers who are unsure about the status of their notice of loss or application for payment, should contact their local FSA county office as soon as possible.
Supporting Documentation
Accurate records and loss documentation are critical following disaster events and are required when filing notices of loss with FSA. Acceptable loss documentation includes:
- Documentation of the number, kind, type, and weight range of livestock that have died, supplemented, if possible, by photographs or video records of ownership and losses.
- Rendering truck receipts by kind, type, and weight - important to document prior to disposal.
- Beginning inventory supported by birth recordings or purchase receipts.
- Documentation from Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, Department of Natural Resources, or other sources to substantiate eligible death losses due to an eligible loss condition.
- Documentation that livestock were removed from grazing pastures due to an eligible adverse weather or loss condition.
- Costs of transporting livestock feed to eligible livestock, such as receipts for equipment rental fees for hay lifts and snow removal.
- Feed purchase receipts if feed supplies or grazing pastures are destroyed.
- Number of gallons of water transported to livestock due to water shortages.
More Information
The improvements to ELAP and LIP build on others made since 2021. This includes ELAP benefits for above normal costs for hauling feed and water to livestock and transporting livestock to other grazing acres during a qualifying drought. FSA also expanded eligible livestock under ELAP, LIP, and the Livestock Forage Disaster Assistance Program, and increased the LIP payment rate for beef, beefalo, bison, and dairy animals less than 250 pounds and most recently beef calves over 800 pounds. Learn about USDA disaster assistance programs on farmers.gov.
On farmers.gov, the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster-at-a-Glance fact sheet and Loan Assistance Tool can help producers and landowners determine disaster protection and recovery program or loan options. For more information about FSA programs, contact your local USDA Service Center.
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.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds agricultural producers with perennial forage crops of an option to report their acreage once, without having to report that acreage in subsequent years, as long as there are no applicable changes on the farm. Interested producers can select the continuous certification option after USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) certifies their acreage report.
An acreage report documents a crop grown on a farm or ranch and its intended uses, including perennial crops like mixed forage, birdsfoot trefoil, chicory/radicchio, kochia (prostrata), lespedeza, perennial peanuts and perennial grass varieties. To access many USDA programs, producers must file an accurate and timely acreage report for all crops and land uses, including failed acreage and prevented planting acreage.
The perennial crop continuous certification process requires a producer to initially complete an acreage report certifying the perennial crop acreage. The producer may select the continuous certification option any time after the crop is certified. Once the continuous certification option is selected, the certified acreage will roll forward annually and does not require additional action on the producer’s part in subsequent years unless the acreage report changes.
Once an producer selects continuous certification, then continuous certification is appliable to all fields on the farm for the specific crop, crop type and intended use. If continuous certification is selected by any producers sharing in the crop, then the continuous certification is appliable to fields in which the producer has a share for the specific crop, crop type and intended use.
Producers can opt out of continuous certification at any time. The continuous certification will terminate automatically if a change in the farming operation occurs.
How to File a Report
To file a crop acreage report, producers need to provide:
- Crop and crop type or variety.
- Intended use of the crop.
- Number of acres of the crop.
- Map with approximate boundaries for the crop.
- Planting date(s).
- Planting pattern, when applicable.
- Producer shares.
- Irrigation practice(s).
- Acreage prevented from planting, when applicable.
- Other information as required.
More Information
Producers can contact their local FSA office to see if their crops are eligible for continuous certification or to make an appointment. Producers can make an appointment to report acres by contacting their local USDA Service Center.
 The USDA announced it will begin providing additional, automatic financial assistance for qualifying guaranteed Farm Loan Programs (FLP) borrowers who are facing financial risk. The announcement is part of the $3.1 billion to help certain distressed farm loan borrowers that was provided through Section 22006 of the Inflation Reduction Act.
Since the Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law by President Biden in August 2022, USDA has provided approximately $1.15 billion in assistance to more than 20,000 distressed borrowers as a part of an ongoing effort to keep borrowers farming, remove obstacles that currently prevent many borrowers from returning to their land, and improve the way that USDA approaches borrowing and loan servicing in the long-term. The financial assistance announced today will provide qualifying distressed guaranteed loan borrowers with financial assistance similar to what was already provided to distressed direct loan borrowers. Based on current analysis, the financial assistance announced today will assist an estimated approximately 3,500 eligible borrowers, subject to change as payments are finalized. An FLP guaranteed loan borrower is distressed if they qualify under one of the options below. FLP guaranteed borrowers who qualify under multiple options will receive a payment based on the option that provides the greatest payment amount:
Payment of any outstanding delinquency on all qualifying FLP guaranteed loans as of Oct. 18, 2022. This includes any guaranteed loan borrowers who did not receive an automatic payment in 2022 on that loan because they were not yet 60 days delinquent as of Sept. 30, 2022, as well as guaranteed borrowers that became delinquent on a qualifying FLP guaranteed loan between September 30, 2022, and Oct.18, 2022.
Payment on a qualifying FLP guaranteed loan for which a guaranteed loan borrower received a loan restructure, which modified the guaranteed loan maturity date, between March 1, 2020, and Aug. 11, 2023. The payment amount will be the lesser of the post-restructure annual installment or the amount required to pay the loan in full. The guaranteed loan must not have been paid in full prior to Aug. 11, 2023.
Payments on certain deferred amounts on qualifying FLP guaranteed loans, not to exceed $100,000, for guaranteed borrowers who received a deferral or another type of payment extension, for at least 45 days, between March 1, 2020, and Sept. 30, 2022, from their guaranteed lender on that qualifying guaranteed loan in response to COVID-19, disasters, or other revenue shortfalls. The Inflation Reduction Act payment amount will be the lesser of the most recent deferral or extension amount on the qualifying FLP guaranteed loan, or the amount required to pay that loan in full. The guaranteed loan must not have been paid in full prior to Aug. 11, 2023.
This assistance is only available for FLP guaranteed loan borrowers who did not or will not receive an initial payment on the same FLP guaranteed loan under Inflation Reduction Act assistance announced in October 2022. Distressed guaranteed borrowers qualifying for this assistance will receive a United States Department of the Treasury check that is jointly payable to the borrower and the lender. These borrowers will also receive a letter from FSA informing them of Inflation Reduction Act assistance they will receive as well as instructions to make an appointment with their lender to process the payment and apply it to their qualifying guaranteed loan accounts. Guaranteed lenders will receive an email in the coming days informing them of this assistance and any next steps. Lenders will also receive letters informing them which borrowers will receive assistance and the amount of assistance they will receive. Any distressed guaranteed borrowers who qualify for these forms of assistance and are currently in bankruptcy will be addressed using the same case-by-case review process announced in October 2022 for complex cases. FSA will also provide relief to qualifying FLP guaranteed loan borrowers determined to be distressed borrowers based on liability for remaining federal debt subject to debt collection and garnishment after the liquidation of their guaranteed loan account as of July 31, 2023. This will allow some borrowers to potentially return to farming. Guaranteed borrowers who qualify for this assistance will have their federal debt paid automatically by FSA and will receive a letter informing them of the payment made on their federal debt. All letters to qualifying guaranteed loan borrowers will contain instructions for opting out of assistance if a borrower chooses to do so.
Important Tax Information Similar to other USDA Inflation Reduction Act assistance, payments provided to borrowers and payments to be applied to FSA farm loan accounts will be reported to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Borrowers receiving this assistance will receive a 1099 form from FSA. Please note that payments over $600 are subject to Federal and State Income Taxes and will be reflected on your annual 1099 form. Borrowers are encouraged to consult a tax professional with all tax-related questions regarding any Inflation Reduction Act assistance received. USDA also has tax-related resources at farmers.gov/taxes. Individual Requests for Farmers Seeking Assistance
In addition to the automatic payments announced today for distressed guaranteed loan borrowers, FSA continues to accept and review individual distressed borrower assistance requests from direct loan borrowers who missed a recent installment or are unable to make their next scheduled installment on a qualifying direct FLP loan. All FSA direct borrowers should have received a letter detailing the eligibility criteria and process for seeking this type of assistance, which is available even before they become delinquent. As the letter details, borrowers who are within two months of their next installment may seek a cash flow analysis from FSA using a recent balance sheet and operating plan to determine their eligibility.
FSA direct borrowers also received a letter detailing an opportunity to receive assistance if they took certain extraordinary measures to avoid delinquency on their qualifying direct FLP loans, such as taking on or refinancing more debt, selling property, or cashing out retirement or college savings accounts.
Borrowers can submit requests for extraordinary measures or cash flow-based assistance in person at their local FSA office or by sending in a direct request using the farmers.gov 22006 assistance request portals at farmers.gov/loans/inflation-reduction-investments/assistance. All requests for assistance must be received by Dec. 31, 2023.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) launched a new online tool to help farmers and ranchers better navigate the farm loan application process. This uniform application process will help to ensure all farm loan applicants receive equal support and have a consistent customer experience with USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) regardless of their individual circumstances.
USDA experiences a high rate of incomplete or withdrawn applications, particularly among underserved customers, due in part to a challenging and lengthy paper-based application process. The Loan Assistance Tool is available 24/7 and gives customers an online step-by-step guide that supplements the support they receive when working in person with a USDA employee, providing materials that may help an applicant prepare their loan application in one tool.
Farmers can access the Loan Assistance Tool by visiting farmers.gov/farm-loan-assistance-tool and clicking the ‘Get Started’ button. From here they can follow the prompts to complete the Eligibility Self-Assessment and start the farm loan journey. The tool is built to run on any modern browser like Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or the Safari browser, and is fully functional on mobile devices. It does not work in Internet Explorer.
The Loan Assistance Tool is the first of multiple farm loan process improvements that will be available to USDA customers on farmers.gov in the future. Other improvements and tools that are anticipated to launch in 2023 include:
- A streamlined and simplified direct loan application, reduced from 29 pages to 13 pages.
- An interactive online direct loan application that gives customers a paperless and electronic signature option, along with the ability to attach supporting documents such as tax returns.
- An online direct loan repayment feature that relieves borrowers from the necessity of calling, mailing, or visiting a local Service Center to pay a loan installment.
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program is now accepting People’s Garden grant proposals until January 31, 2024. The opportunity is open for the U.S. Census metropolitan statistical areas (state maps available here) of the following cities: Boston, MA; Columbia, SC; Denver, CO; Houston, TX; Jackson, MS; Kansas City, MO; Las Vegas, NV; Little Rock, AR; Memphis, TN; and Pittsburgh, PA.
Approximately $500,000 ($50,000/city) is available from the USDA People’s Garden Initiative to fund projects that will support community-based projects that promote sustainable agriculture practices that benefit people and wildlife. Priority will be given to projects that incorporate urban and community agriculture and natural resource practices to support local, resilient food systems; pollinator and migratory bird habitat; or green infrastructure that benefits watersheds. Successful projects will incorporate an educational component, including but not limited to, community workshops, job training programs, web-based or other external content.
The People’s Garden connects gardens across the country that produce local food, practice sustainability, and bring people together in their community. Gardens of different sizes and types, including school gardens, community gardens, urban farms, and small-scale agriculture projects in rural and urban areas, can be recognized as a “People’s Garden” if they:
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Join the People’s Garden community by registering a garden at www.usda.gov/peoples-garden.
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Grow the garden using sustainable practices that benefit people and wildlife.
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Teach about gardening and resilient, local food systems.
Funding for the NFWF opportunity is limited to the locations identified in the Request for Proposals, however, gardens in rural and urban areas that meet the People’s Garden criteria of Join, Grow, and Teach are welcome to voluntarily register their garden for free and join the larger network.
For additional information, contact Katy Brantley, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service state urban conservationist at katy.brantley@usda.gov.
When disaster strikes, USDA is here to help. From hurricanes to wildfire, and from flooding to drought, USDA offers technical and financial assistance to help farmers and livestock producers recover.
To better assist producers, USDA has published a new brochure, Disaster Assistance Programs At A Glance www.farmers.gov/sites/default/files/2020-04/FSA_DisasterAssistance_at_a_glance_brochure_.pdf. The brochure is a quick reference guide to available Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Risk Management Agency disaster assistance programs.
The brochure gives a short description of each program and lets you quickly identify which program(s) are available for each natural disaster event.
Also, on farmers.gov, you can learn about USDA disaster assistance programs that might be right for you. With the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool (www.farmers.gov/recover/disaster-tool) you answer five questions about the natural disasters that have impacted your operation to find out which USDA programs offer assistance.
The Disaster Assistance Programs At A Glance brochure can be downloaded and is located on farmers.gov/recover. To learn how to apply for disaster programs, contact your local USDA Service Center at farmers.gov/service-center-locator.
USDA announced improvements to the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) as well as an unprecedented $1 billion investment to advance partner-driven solutions to conservation on agricultural land through 81 projects. Arkansas projects will receive $50,650,000 in funding. RCPP leverages a voluntary approach to conservation that expands the reach of conservation efforts and climate-smart agriculture through public-private partnerships. Historic funding is made possible by both the Inflation Reduction Act, part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, and the Farm Bill.
NRCS has identified ways to streamline and simplify RCPP, ease the burden on employees and partners, and help maximize flexibility for partners to leverage their investments with NRCS resources and capabilities. Through a concerted effort over the past eight months, using guidance, feedback and expertise from partners, employees, leadership and stakeholders, NRCS has identified several improvements that the agency will implement in the months and years ahead.
Improvements include:
- Streamlining RCPP agreements for fiscal year 2023 awards and moving to one programmatic agreement to begin implementing the RCPP projects awarded under the fiscal year 2024 notice of funding opportunity. This will allow partners to more quickly begin implementation of their RCPP projects.
- Entrusting program management and negotiation to the state conservationists, who lead NRCS programs in each state, further encouraging the locally-led process and ensuring the necessary technical needs and costs were realized before project proposal submission.
- Establishing parameters and expectations for easement negotiations, including availability of easement deed templates and established program processes to reduce partnership agreement negotiation and implementation timeframes.
- Improving RCPP guidance and training, ensuring RCPP policies and procedures are communicated in a uniform and consistent manner.
- Enhancing existing business tools to improve the user experience while beginning development of new business tools that, through integration and automation, will reduce the time required for agreement negotiation, processing obligations and making payments to partners.
For the full list of RCPP improvements NRCS has identified for future implementation, visit our website.
Once improvements have been implemented, NRCS estimated that the negotiation time of RCPP agreements with U.S.-held easement activities will be reduced from 15 months to three months, and from 19 months to three months with entity-held easement activities.
The RCPP improvements are coming at a critical time, as they will strengthen NRCS’s ability to implement the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which provided $4.95 billion in additional funding for the program over five years.
In Arkansas, projects include:
Expand and Evaluate Private Investment in Partnership with NRCS
Lead Partner: Restore the Earth Foundation, Inc. Project Type: Classic Funding Pool: Critical Conservation Area: Mississippi River Basin Lead State: Arkansas Total Funding Request: $25,000,000.00 Restore the Earth Foundation, Inc. (REF), in collaboration with four partners, will implement a $55 million public-private partnership, in which private sector funds will invest with NRCS to achieve environmental and social goals. The project targets the acquisition of US Held Easements to restore marginal cropland to its previous forested condition in Arkansas. The project has five objectives:
- Demonstrate that private sector investments in Agricultural Conservation Easement Program-Wetlands Reserve Easements can be profitable;
- Increase the number of acres of marginal lands in Arkansas restored to forest vegetation and protected via permanent easements;
- Improve environmental, social and economic conditions for local producers and communities;
- Document and account for the impacts and co-benefits resulting from restoration;
- Generate income from the sale of co-benefits, shared with participating producers and to fund future projects.
Protecting and Enhancing Wildlife Habitat and Water Quality of Conservation Reserve Program Tracts under Threat of Conversion in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley
Lead Partner: Mississippi River Trust Project Type: Classic Funding Pool: Critical Conservation Area: Mississippi River Basin Lead State: Arkansas Total Funding Request: $25,000,000.00 The Protecting Wildlife and Water Quality in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley project will convert approximately 7,500 acres of vulnerable bottomland hardwood and wetland Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) tracts to permanently protected, U.S.-held conservation easements within the Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley (LMAV) of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. These tracts could be cleared and prior USDA conservation investments lost. This project will target the protection and enhancement of high-quality forest habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife, improve local water quality, support groundwater recharge, and increase sequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
NWA Small and Urban Farm Preservation
Lead Partner: Northwest Arkansas Land Trust Project Type: Classic Funding Pool: State Lead State: Arkansas Total Funding Request: $650,000.00 This Northwest Arkansas Land Trust’s NWA Small and Urban Farm Preservation project will permanently protect 60 to 120 acres of small and urban farmland with prime soils, soils of statewide significance in addition to the farmland and grasslands within targeted parcels critical to access these important soils through Entity Held conservation easements. This project targets historically underserved farmers enabling them to grow and sustain viable farm enterprises, while we ensure future generations of farmers have access to working lands.
The Farm Bill and Inflation Reduction Act provided funding for this year’s RCPP projects.
With this $1.1 billion investment, NRCS has more than doubled the initial allocation for 2023 to capitalize on the unprecedented demand for RCPP and ensure project partners have the maximum amount of time to successfully implement conservation activities before funds expire in fiscal year 2031. Nationwide, there are:
- 77 climate-focused projects ($1.02 billion in funding).
- Twenty-two projects focused on water quantity and conservation (more than $338 million in funding).
- Three RCPP Classic projects are led by Tribes (more than $58 million in funding).
- Sixteen projects support the protection and restoration of wildlife corridors ($216 million in funding).
- Ten projects focus on urban agriculture ($123 million in funding).
For a full list of selected projects visit our website. Since inception, RCPP has made 717 awards involving over 4,000 partner organizations.
Inflation Reduction Act Boosts Voluntary Conservation Programs
Through the Inflation Reduction Act, USDA has enrolled more farmers and more acres in voluntary conservation programs than at any point in history, following a backlog that has existed for years. In 2023, USDA enrolled nearly 5,300 additional producers in conservation programs across all 50 states (above what otherwise would have been possible through Farm Bill and appropriations funding), which will provide significant climate mitigation benefits. This includes:
- $100 million through the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP);
- $250 million through the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP); and
- $250 million through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).
In total, the Inflation Reduction Act provides $19.5 billion over five years to support USDA’s oversubscribed conservation programs, and it represents the single largest investment in climate and clean energy solutions in American history.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov, visit http://www.ar.nrcs.usda.gov/ or contact the local your local USDA Service Center.
USDA is beefing up crop insurance options for specialty crop and organic producers, including rolling out new and expanded options based on feedback from America’s agricultural producers. To achieve this, USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) accelerated its outreach efforts to hear directly from producers across the country by hosting in-person and virtual roadshows and making investments in risk management education. These improvements are part of a comprehensive effort to improve risk management tools and other programs for a wide variety of producers as well as expand access to organic markets.
From 1990 to 2022, liabilities for insured specialty crops rose from $1 billion to more than $23 billion. Over the past 20 years, the number of individual specialty crops insured under crop insurance programs increased by 27%. Currently, there are over 70 individual specialty crops insured under crop insurance programs.
New Insurance Options:
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Transitional and Organic Grower Assistance Program (TOGA): For 2022, RMA offered this new program reduce a producer’s overall crop insurance premium bill allowing them to continue using organic agricultural systems. Premium benefits for TOGA included: 10 percentage points of premium subsidy for all crops in transition, $5 per acre premium benefit for certified organic grain and feed crops, and 10 percentage points of premium subsidy for all Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) policies covering any number of crops in transition to organic or crops with the certified organic practice.
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Tropical Storm Coverage: For crop year 2023 and succeeding years, RMA added a new option to Hurricane Insurance Protection – Wind Index (HIP-WI) for named tropical storm weather events. The Tropical Storm Option covers damage caused by strong weather systems not categorized as hurricanes. Both a wind and precipitation trigger must occur for an indemnity to be paid. This new option helped many producers recover after Hurricane Idalia this year. About 60% of eligible policies elected this option.
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Grapevine: Beginning in crop year 2024, producers can insure all types of grapevines in select counties in California, Idaho, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington. This policy complements the existing Grape crop insurance program that covers the fruit growing on the vine. The policy covers freeze, fire, hail, flood, failure of irrigation water supply, and other causes of loss.
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Kiwifruit: Beginning in crop year 2024, producers in 12 California counties can insure their kiwifruit against unforeseen weather perils and other naturally occurring perils. The program covers three varietal group types: Hayward; Reds & Golds; and Mega. The Hayward variety currently makes up 92% of the California crop followed by non-Hayward varieties, including reds and golds and one green variety marketed as Mega Kiwi.
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Pomegranate: Beginning in crop year 2023, pomegranate producers in select California counties can receive yield-based insurance coverage for standard weather, natural, and environmental perils as well as quality losses. Coverage is available for two varietal groups: “Early” and the ‘Wonderful’ varieties and all others. The program also recognizes the different utilization values of fresh fruit, arils, and juice.
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Shellfish: Beginning in crop year 2024, producers can insure their commercially cultivated oysters that are grown using containerized methods. This program offers production-based coverage on an individual producer basis. This insurance option provides coverage against four perils including: named storms, excessive heat, freeze, and low salinity and will be available in select counties in Alabama, California, Florida, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Virginia.
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Controlled Environment: Beginning in crop year 2024, producers can insure plants produced in a controlled environment against disease that occurs in their facility. This program will provide the following benefits: simple application and policy renewal process, like the Nursery Value Select program, and insurance for controlled environment producer-selected plant categories. In addition to specialty crop and organic producers, this policy will greatly benefit urban producers.
Improved Insurance Options:
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Whole-Farm Revenue Protection Program (WFRP): Several improvements will begin in the 2024 policy year including: allowing all eligible producers to qualify for 80% and 85% coverage levels; allowing producers to purchase catastrophic coverage level policies for individual crops with WFRP; expanding yield history to a 10-year maximum (from four years) for all crops not covered by another federal crop insurance policy; making the policy more affordable for single commodity producers; and allowing producers to customize their coverage by choosing whether WFRP will consider other federal crop insurance policies as primary insurance when calculating premium and revenue to count during claim time.
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Micro Farm: Several updates were made to Micro Farm including: moving the sales closing date to a less busy time of year to help agents dedicate time to marketing the program, allowing producers to purchase other federal crop insurance with Micro Farm, allowing vertically integrated entities to be eligible and making the Expanding Operations feature available.
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Pistachios: Several revisions were made to the Pistachio policy including: allowing insurance for producers with fewer than four years of production records under the new Transitional Yields (T-Yields); clarifying simple average approved yield for APH databases containing T-Yields; clarifying variability adjustment requirements for actual production history databases; and allowing assigned yields and temporary yields if indicated in the Special Provisions.
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Quality Loss Option (QLO): RMA is making the QLO available to several initial specialty crops, including avocados (California only), blueberries, cranberries, grapes, peaches, stone fruit, and table grapes. RMA plans to make the option available to additional specialty crops in the upcoming months after further review.
More Information
Specialty crop producers can learn more on RMA’s Specialty Crop Page or by contacting one of RMA’s specialty crop liaisons, who serve as points of contact for local specialty crop producers. Organic producers can learn more at RMA’s Organic webpage. Producers can receive the most up to date information about RMA insurance options for specialty crops by subscribing to GovDelivery.
 
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