“To be a successful farmer one must first know the nature of the soil.” - Xenophon

As we begin to enter into the planting season it’s a good time to remind producers, old and new, that eligibility for many USDA  programs requires compliance with a conservation plan or system on highly erodible land (HEL) used for the production of agricultural commodities.

This includes Farm Service Agency (FSA) loan, disaster assistance, safety net, price support, and conservation programs; Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) conservation programs; and Risk Management Agency (RMA) Federal crop insurance.

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

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

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

And Now a Message from our friends at the National Agricultural Statistics Service:

BECOME A CROP WEATHER REPORTER

If you are knowledgeable about crops across your county and have Internet access, you qualify to be a weekly crop reporter. It only takes about 10-15 minutes each week to alert USDA of the crop situation in your county using the Internet report form. We will use that information to generate the weekly report of Crop Conditions across the Northeastern Region. This report is issued weekly during the growing season, April to November, and lists planting, fruiting, and harvesting progress and overall condition of selected crops in major producing states.  

You can help alert USDA about crop progress and unusual crop conditions during the growing seasons. Instead of waiting until the crop is in, you can give us an early warning of crop situations that may need our attention for possible assistance. To learn more, visit our website and click on the “Help Wanted” button found here:  https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Pennsylvania/Publications/Crop_Progress_and_Condition/index.php

On Tuesday, May 21^st, fourteen teams of about 70 Rhode Island students from six Rhode Island middle and high schools will show how much they know about the environment at the 30^th annual Rhode Island Envirothon.

Rhode Island Envirothon is an exciting environmental program, perfect for middle and high school students who love the outdoors, animals, and plants, or who are just curious about the world we live in. Throughout the year, Envirothon students attend hands-on workshops that inspire learning about our natural environment and instill an appreciation of nature and the delicate environmental balances that make life possible. After studying with experts on all aspects of the environment, the program culminates each May in a one-day Battle of the Environmental Minds!

The outdoor competition will be held this year at Camp Hoffman at 2850 Ministerial Road (Route 110) in South Kingstown, where the teams will rotate through five stations to answer written questions and engage in hands-on activities like soil analysis, wildlife habitat assessment, tree identification, and water quality measures. At the last station, the Environmental Issue, they will deliver a 12-15-minute presentation on “Renewable Energy for a Sustainable Future” in their community to a panel of judges. Learn more...

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FSA reminds RI farmers that Farm Loan Programs can be used to support a variety of climate-smart agriculture practices, which build on many practices that farmers and ranchers already use, like cover cropping, nutrient management and conservation tillage.  

Climate-smart agricultural practices generate significant environmental benefits by capturing and sequestering carbon, improving water management, restoring soil health and more. Farm loan funding complements other tools to help producers adopt climate-smart practices, such as FSA’s Conservation Reserve Program, crop insurance options that support conservation, and conservation programs offered by NRCS. 

FSA offers multiple types of loans to help farmers and ranchers start, expand or maintain a family agricultural operation. These loans can provide the 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. Additionally, for programs like Conservation Reserve Program and NRCS conservation programs where USDA and the producer share the implementation cost, a farm loan could be used for the producer’s share, if consistent with the authorized loan purpose. Learn more...

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Farmers and ranchers can contact a call center to receive one-on-one assistance from FSA employees ready to help. By calling 877-508-8364, customers can ask questions about FSA programs. The call center was created as a way to better serve customers, especially those who have not worked with FSA previously.

Customers who contact the call center can expect to receive the same great service they would receive as if they were in their FSA county office. FSA Call Center staff can also provide service to non-English speaking customers. Customers using the call center will still call 877-508-8364 and select 1 for English and 2 to speak with a Spanish-speaking employee. For other languages, customers select 1 and indicate their language to the call center staff.

The call center is just one of many ways USDA has adjusted and added flexibilities to meet the needs of our customers. One thing remains the same, USDA stands committed to offering exceptional customer service to our nation’s farmers and ranchers.

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Agricultural producers in Rhode Island who have not yet completed their crop acreage reports after planting should make an appointment with their FSA service center before the applicable deadline. An acreage report documents a crop grown on a farm or ranch and its intended uses. Filing an accurate and timely acreage report for all crops and land uses, including failed acreage and prevented planted acreage, can prevent the loss of benefits.

How to File a Report

Acreage reporting dates vary by crop and by county. Contact your local FSA office for a list of acreage reporting deadlines by crop. To file a crop acreage report, please 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.

Producers can make an appointment to report acres by contacting the Rhode Island FSA County Office at 401-828-3120, Option 1.

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NRCS welcomes April Dean as our new Business Services Specialist. April joined NRCS in September 2022 as an Administrative Support Assistant after graduating Magna Cum Laude with a BA in Sociology from Rhode Island College. She is a U.S. Army Veteran who served for almost 7 years, specializing in logistics and supply management. Prior to working at NRCS April worked for the Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center. 

NRCS welcomes Annie Ragan as our new Financial Assistance Program Manager. Annie will spearhead the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) for the Programs Team. Annie joined NRCS in 2022 as a Soil Conservationist. She specialized in both soils and grazing and received her Certified Planner certification in 2023. Previously, Annie worked for the Northern RI Conservation District where she wrote farm conservation plans for clients in the RI Farm, Forest, and Open Space program. 

Annie received her Master's degree in Environmental Science and Management from the University of Rhode Island in 2019, specializing in wetland, watershed, and ecosystem science along with soils. She was born in Rhode Island and considers herself an adventure enthusiast who enjoys surfing, rock climbing, playing pickleball, mountain biking, hiking, and camping in her free time. 

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The new Shellfish Pilot Crop Insurance Program, offered through the USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA), offers Rhode Island oyster growers needed protection from environmental challenges. It also allows growers to insure for a higher price based on personal sales records. Growers are now eligible for protection against losses due to named storms, excessive heat during a low tide event, freeze during a low tide event, or low salinity due to excessive rainfall.

After the 2018 Farm Bill, shellfish growers expressed a strong desire for a crop insurance program tailored to their operations and needs, rather than modifying Whole Farm Revenue Protection options. So, in early 2020, RMA began hosting listening sessions with these producers, which led to the creation of RMA’s Shellfish Development Team and a contract to develop a pilot program that RMA rolled out in a limited area for the 2024 crop year. Learn more...

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