The sun is shining through my office windows as I write this article and I’m so thankful. There’s a solar eclipse visible in other parts of the country and I’m just glad we get every moment of sunshine possible here in Alaska. I still get surprised every Spring by how much I’m impacted by Alaska’s winters.
Hopefully by now you’ve received your 2023 RTCP payment; I was pleased to hear that they were being released earlier than usual. Note that there are indications that the 2024 application period will also open earlier than normal – so be sure to watch the newsletter, read those GOV DELIVERY announcements, and generally stay in touch with your County Office.
Highly Pathogenic Aviation Influenza (HPIA) is making headlines across the country. Our colleagues at USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) are keeping us updated through their website https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/livestock Take a look at their Frequently Asked Questions page at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/hpai-dairy-faqs.pdf
Your State Committee Members recently gathered in Fairbanks for a meeting, training, and field visits. We are lucky to have these hard-working and dedicated agriculturalists representing Alaska FSA.
Don’t forget that the first Tuesday in May, May 7th this year, is Alaska Agriculture Day. There are so many ways to acknowledge and celebrate this day. Shop at a local greenhouse, cook and all-Alaska Grown meal, or commit to the $5 per week Alaska Grown challenge. If you’re in the Palmer area – join Arthur Keyes, myself and a number of other local farmers and dignitaries at Drive Your Tractor to Work Day, Monday, May 6th. The tractors and their drivers will meet on the Inner Springer Monday morning and typically arrive to the Palmer Pavilion around 9am. This parade of tractors delights young and old alike and is a great way to kick off the upcoming season.
The Delta Junction FSA staff will be in the Fairbanks NRCS office every 1st and 3rd Wednesday from 10am-3pm.
Upcoming Office Closures:
Monday, May 27th for Memorial Day
Wednesday, June 19th for Juneteenth
Upcoming Events:
Monday, May 20th, SED Listening Session, Copper Center (More information to come soon!)
Thursday, June 13th, SED Listening Session, Virtual (More information to come soon!)
Amy Pettit
Alaska State Executive Director
amy.pettit@usda.gov
Office: 907-761-7750
Cell: 907-419-0137
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On Earth Day, and every day, the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) celebrates the strides American farmers, ranchers and foresters are making in conservation and climate-smart agriculture through FSA programs.
Since 2021, there has been a significant increase in enrollment in the Conversation Reserve Program (CRP), a critical part of USDA’s efforts to support climate-smart agriculture and forestry on working lands. By enrolling in CRP, producers improve water quality, reduce soil erosion, and create or restore habitat for wildlife. There are currently 23 million acres enrolled in CRP, and in 2023, USDA issued over $1.77 billion to more than 667,000 participants for their voluntary conservation efforts. This included the 2023 enrollment of 927,000 acres in General CRP, 2.3 million acres in Grassland CRP, and 694,000 acres in Continuous CRP.
FSA introduced improvements to CRP in 2021, such as higher rental payments and more incentivized environmental practices. As part of these improvements, a new climate-smart practice incentive was introduced for general and continuous CRP designed to reward participants who implement conservation practices that increase carbon sequestration and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In direct response to feedback from state agencies, Tribes, non-profits and other groups, FSA also implemented improvements to the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) that build capacity with CREP and reduce barriers to access and opportunity for the program. Currently CREP has 36 projects in 27 states. In total, more than 860,000 acres are enrolled in CREP.
As farmers and ranchers confront the challenges of natural disasters and changing weather patterns, climate-smart agriculture is becoming an increasingly important way to build resilience on operations through production practices that benefit both producers and the environment. FSA can help producers adapt to these changes and develop solutions for mitigation.
FSA’s suite of farm loan programs can provide capital needed to invest in climate-smart practices and equipment, including the establishment of rotational grazing systems, precision agriculture equipment, or machinery for conversion to no-till residue management. Farm loan funding complements other tools to help producers adopt climate-smart practices through conservation programs, like CRP, or those offered by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, and crop insurance options that support conservation. Learn more about how climate-smart agriculture can benefit producers and the environment in the Climate-Smart Agriculture and Farm Loan Programs fact sheet.
Get started today! For more information on FSA programs, contact your local FSA office or visit fsa.usda.gov.
The Farm Loan team in Alaska is already working on operating loans for spring 2024 and asks potential borrowers to submit their requests early so they can be timely processed. The farm loan team can help determine which loan programs are best for applicants.
FSA offers a wide range of low-interest loans that can meet the financial needs of any farm operation for just about any purpose. The traditional farm operating and farm ownership loans can help large and small farm operations take advantage of early purchasing discounts for spring inputs as well expenses throughout the year.
Microloans are a simplified loan program that will provide up to $50,000 for both Farm Ownership and Operating Microloans to eligible applicants. These loans, targeted for smaller and non-traditional operations, can be used for operating expenses, starting a new operation, purchasing equipment, and other needs associated with a farming operation. Loans to beginning farmers and members of underserved groups are a priority.
Other types of loans available include:
Marketing Assistance Loans allow producers to use eligible commodities as loan collateral and obtain a 9-month loan while the crop is in storage. These loans provide cash flow to the producer and allow them to market the crop when prices may be more advantageous.
Farm Storage Facility Loans can be used to build permanent structures used to store eligible commodities, for storage and handling trucks, or portable or permanent handling equipment. A variety of structures are eligible under this loan, including bunker silos, grain bins, hay storage structures, and refrigerated structures for vegetables and fruit. A producer may borrow up to $500,000 per loan.
The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) recently made several policy updates for acreage reporting for cover crops, revising intended use, late-filed provisions, grazing allotments as well as updated the definitions of “idle” and “fallow.”
Reporting Cover Crops:
Cover crop types can be chosen from the following four categories:
- Cereals and other grasses
- Legumes
- Brassicas and other broadleaves
- Mixtures
If the cover crop is harvested for any use other than forage or grazing and is not terminated according to policy guidelines, then that crop will no longer be considered a cover crop and the acreage report must be revised to reflect the actual crop.
Permitted Revision of Intended use After Acreage Reporting Date:
New operators or owners who pick up a farm after the acreage reporting deadline has passed and the crop has already been reported on the farm, have 30 calendar days from the date when the new operator or owner acquired the lease on land, control of the land or ownership and new producer crop share interest in the previously reported crop acreage. Under this policy, appropriate documentation must be provided to the County Committee’s satisfaction to determine that a legitimate operator or ownership and producer crop share interest change occurred to permit the revision.
Acreage Reports:
In order to maintain program eligibility and benefits, you must timely file acreage reports. Failure to file an acreage report by the crop acreage reporting deadline may result in ineligibility for future program benefits. FSA will not accept acreage reports provided more than a year after the acreage reporting deadline.
Reporting Grazing Allotments:
FSA offices can now accept acreage reports for grazing allotments. You will use form “FSA-578” to report grazing allotments as animal unit months (AUMs) using the “Reporting Unit” field. Your local FSA office will need the grazing period start and end date and the percent of public land.
Definitions of Terms
FSA defines “idle” as cropland or a balance of cropland within a Common Land Unit (CLU) (field/subfield) which is not planted or considered not planted and does not meet the definition of fallow or skip row.
Fallow is considered unplanted cropland acres which are part of a crop/fallow rotation where cultivated land that is normally planted is purposely kept out of production during a regular growing season.
For more information, contact your Northern County USDA Service Center at (907)895-4242 ext 2 or your Southern County Farm Service Agency Office at (907)761-7738.
FSA and NRCS program applicants for benefits are required to submit a completed CCC-902 (Farming Operation Plan) and CCC-941 Average Gross Income (AGI) Certification and Consent to Disclosure of Tax Information for FSA to determine the applicant’s payment eligibility and establish the maximum payment limitation applicable to the program applicant.
Participants are not required to annually submit new CCC-902s for payment eligibility and payment limitation purposes unless a change in the farming operation occurs that may affect the previous determination of record. A valid CCC-902 filed by the participant is considered to be a continuous certification used for all payment eligibility and payment limitation determinations applicable for the program benefits requested.
Participants are responsible for ensuring that all CCC-902 and CCC-941 and related forms on file in the county office are updated, current, and correct. Participants are required to timely notify the county office of any changes in the farming operation that may affect the previous determination of record by filing a new or updated CCC-902 as applicable.
Changes that may require a NEW determination include, but are not limited to, a change of:
- Shares of a contract, which may reflect:
- A land lease from cash rent to share rent
- A land lease from share rent to cash rent (subject to the cash rent tenant rule
- A modification of a variable/fixed bushel-rent arrangement
- The size of the producer’s farming operation by the addition or reduction of cropland that may affect the application of a cropland factor
- The structure of the farming operation, including any change to a member's share
- The contribution of farm inputs of capital, land, equipment, active personal labor, and/or active personal management
- Farming interests not previously disclosed on CCC-902 including the farming interests of a spouse or minor child
- Certifications of average AGI are required to be filed annually for participation in an annual USDA program. For multi-year conservation contracts and NRCS easements, a certification of AGI must be filed prior to approval of the contract or easement and is applicable for the duration of the contract period.
Participants are encouraged to file or review these forms within the deadlines established for each applicable program for which program benefits are being requested.
Farmers can use USDA farm ownership microloans to buy and improve property. These microloans are especially helpful to beginning or underserved farmers, U.S. veterans looking for a career in farming, and those who have small and mid-sized farming operations. Microloans have helped farmers and ranchers with operating costs, such as feed, fertilizer, tools, fencing, equipment, and living expenses since 2013.
Microloans can also help with farmland and building purchases and soil and water conservation improvements. FSA designed the expanded program to simplify the application process, expand eligibility requirements and expedite smaller real estate loans to help farmers strengthen their operations. Microloans provide up to $50,000 to qualified producers and can be issued to the applicant directly from the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA).
To learn more about the FSA microloan program, contact your Northern County USDA Service Center at (907)895-4242 ext 2 or your Southern County Farm Service Agency Office at (907)761-7738.
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) makes loans to youth to establish and operate agricultural income-producing projects in connection with 4-H clubs, FFA and other agricultural groups. Projects must be planned and operated with the help of the organization advisor, produce sufficient income to repay the loan and provide the youth with practical business and educational experience. The maximum loan amount is $5,000.
Youth Loan Eligibility Requirements:
- Be a citizen of the United States (which includes Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) or a legal resident alien
- Be 10 years to 20 years of age
- Comply with FSA’s general eligibility requirements
- Conduct a modest income-producing project in a supervised program of work as outlined above
- Demonstrate capability of planning, managing and operating the project under guidance and assistance from a project advisor. The project supervisor must recommend the youth loan applicant, along with providing adequate supervision.
For help preparing the application forms, contact your Northern County USDA Service Center at (907)895-4242 ext 2 or your Southern County Farm Service Agency Office at (907)761-7738 or visit fsa.usda.gov.
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