A friend in Oregon just announced the healthy arrival of her mare’s first huge colt and if that isn’t cause for a smile, I’m not sure what is. Additionally, the robins have returned to my yard, the trees surrounding the office here in Palmer are starting to show their leaves, and my oldest daughter graduates from Palmer High School next week. Spring has definitely sprung! As I write this article, it is the first Tuesday in May – which in Alaska is known as Alaska Agriculture Day. Yesterday over 30 tractors made their way through downtown Palmer as part of the 8th Annual Drive Your Tractor to Work Day, inspired and hosted by farmer Arthur Keyes. Even though it was a cold, drizzly morning, downtown Palmer had a reason to celebrate as we were reminded of the upcoming agricultural bounty that our local farmers provide.
Have you heard the good news about the 2022 USDA Agriculture Census? Once again, Alaska out-paces the other 50 States with a growth in the number of farms over the past five years! And we continue to have a higher percentage of female farm operators then most of the rest of the country as well, and fun fact – our female farmers are some of the youngest in the country too! You can find the full results, searchable queries and more at List of Reports and Publications | 2022 Census of Agriculture | USDA/NASS
If you’re in Palmer this weekend, get your tickets to attend the “Leveling Up Alaska’s Food Production” event at the MTA Events Center, Saturday May 11th from 5-9pm. There will be guest speakers, a catered dinner and opportunities to network with others interested in expanding Alaska’s food security. Learn more at Leveling Up Alaska's Food Production Dinner Ticket - Bushes Bunches Produce Stand
As previously mentioned, we anticipate the Reimbursement Transportation Cost Program (RTCP) application period to start in July. To bring you up to speed and answer any questions you may have about the 2024 RTCP program, the Alaska Food Policy Council Rural Business Center is hosting a webinar on Wednesday May 29th from 12-1pm with our RTCP expert Chris Dickinson. Register to participate at Reimbursement Transportation Cost Payment (RTCP) Webinar — Alaska Food Policy Council (akfoodpolicycouncil.org)
The Delta Junction FSA staff will be in the Fairbanks NRCS office every 1st and 3rd Wednesday from 10am-3pm.
The Palmer FSA staff will be in the Wasilla NRCS office every Thursday.
Upcoming Office Closures:
Monday, May 27th for Memorial Day
Wednesday, June 19th for Juneteenth
Upcoming Events:
Monday, May 20th, SED Listening Session, Copper Center
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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The Alaska State Farm Service Agency in partnership with Intertribal Agriculture Council will be hosting a Town Hall style listening session at the Kluti-Kaah Memorial Hall in Copper Center AK on Monday, May 20th from 2-4PM. Please join us for the interactive forum to help us identify barriers to program participation. Amy Pettit, State Executive Director, will be available for questions. This is open to the public.
If you would need to request an accommodation, please contact Shelby Johnson at (907)761-7753 or shelby.johnson@usda.gov by May 17th to request accommodations (e.g., an interpreter, translator, seating arrangements, etc.) or materials in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape – captioning, etc.).
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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.
Using the correct signature when doing business with FSA can save time and prevent a delay in program benefits. The following are FSA signature guidelines:
- Married individuals must sign their given name.
- Example—Mary Doe and John Doe are married. When signing FSA forms, each must use their given name, and may not sign with the name of their spouse. Mrs. Mary Doe may not sign documents as Mrs. John Doe. For Farm Loan Purposes, spouses may not sign on behalf of the other as an authorized signatory, a signature will be needed for each. For a minor, FSA requires the minor's signature and one from the minor’s parent. There are certain exceptions where a minor’s signature may be accepted without obtaining the signature of one of the parents. Despite minority status, a youth executing a promissory note for a Youth Loan will incur full personal liability for the debt and will sign individually.
Note: By signing a document with a minor, the parent is liable for actions of the minor and may be liable for refunds, liquidated damages, or other penalties, etc.
When signing on one’s behalf the signature must agree with the name typed or printed on the form or be a variation that does not cause the name and signature to be in disagreement. Example - John W. Smith is on the form. The signature may be John W. Smith or J.W. Smith or J. Smith. Or Mary J. Smith may be signed as Mrs. Mary Joe Smith, M.J. Smith, Mary Smith, etc.
FAXED signatures will be accepted for certain forms and other documents provided the acceptable program forms are approved for FAXED signatures. Producers are responsible for the successful transmission and receipt of FAXED information.
Examples of documents not approved for FAXED signatures include:
- Promissory note
- Assignment of payment
- Joint payment authorization
- Acknowledgement of commodity certificate purchase
Spouses may sign documents on behalf of each other for FSA and CCC programs in which either spouse has an interest, unless written notification denying a spouse this authority has been provided to the county office.
Spouses cannot sign on behalf of each other as an authorized signatory for partnerships, joint ventures, corporations or other similar entities. Likewise, a spouse cannot sign a document on behalf of the other in order to affirm the eligibility of oneself.
Any member of a general partnership can sign on behalf of the general partnership and bind all members unless the Articles of Partnership are more restrictive. Spouses may sign on behalf of each other’s individual interest in a partnership, unless notification denying a spouse that authority is provided to the county office. Acceptable signatures for general partnerships, joint ventures, corporations, estates, and trusts must consist of an indicator “by” or “for” the individual’s name, individual’s name and capacity, or individual’s name, capacity, and name of entity.
For additional clarification on proper signatures contact your local FSA office.
Maps are now available in the Alaska County FSA Offices for acreage reporting purposes. If you wish to receive your maps by e-mail, please call or email the office. Please see the following acreage reporting deadlines for Alaska:
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May 31, 2024: Nursery
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July 15, 2024: All other spring planted crops, CRP, Perennial Forage
For the 2025 Crop Year:
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September 30, 2024: Floriculture (Peonies), Value-loss crops and controlled environment crops (except Nursery)
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December 15, 2024: Fall-Seeded small grains
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January 2, 2025: Honey
In order to maintain program eligibility and benefits, you must file timely acreage reports. Failure to file an acreage report by the crop acreage reporting deadline may cause ineligibility for future program benefits. FSA will not accept acreage reports provided more than a year after the acreage reporting deadline.
Producers are encouraged to file their acreage reports as soon as planting is completed.
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) administers two programs that have specific safety net benefits for producers of honeybees and honey. The Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) and the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) assist producers when disasters impact honey production or damage or destroy colonies, hives or honeybee feed.
NAP is designed to reduce financial losses when natural disasters result in lower yields or crop losses, including honey. NAP coverage is equivalent to catastrophic insurance, meaning it covers up to 50 percent of a producer’s normal yield (must have at least a 50 percent loss) at 55 percent of the average market price. The 2018 Farm Bill reinstates higher levels of coverage, from 50 to 65 percent of expected production in 5 percent increments, at 100 percent of the average market price. Producers of organics and crops marketed directly to consumers also may exercise the “buy-up” option to obtain NAP coverage of 100 percent of the average market price at the coverage levels of between 50 and 65 percent of expected production.
The NAP service fee is the lesser of $325 per crop or $825 per producer per administrative county, not to exceed a total of $1,950 for a producer with farming interests in multiple counties.
You must apply for NAP coverage by September 30th prior to the year for which you’re seeking coverage.
ELAP covers colony losses, honeybee hive losses (the physical structure) and honeybee feed losses in instances where the colony, hive or feed has been destroyed by a natural disaster or, in the case of colony losses, because of Colony Collapse Disorder. Colony losses must be in excess of normal mortality.
Both the NAP and ELAP programs require you to report the number of colonies you have in production to FSA by Jan. 2, 2025. You must notify FSA within 30 calendar days of changes in the total number of colonies or when honeybees are moved to another county.
For both programs, you must notify FSA within 15 calendar days of when a loss occurs or from when the loss is apparent. To learn more about programs for honey and honeybee producers, 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.
The USDA Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Direct Farm Ownership loans can help farmers and ranchers become owner-operators of family farms, improve and expand current operations, increase agricultural productivity, and assist with land tenure to save farmland for future generations.
There are three types of Direct Farm Ownership Loans: regular, down payment and joint financing. FSA also offers a Direct Farm Ownership Microloan option for smaller financial needs up to $50,000.
Joint financing allows FSA to provide more farmers and ranchers with access to capital. FSA lends up to 50 percent of the total amount financed. A commercial lender, a State program or the seller of the property being purchased, provides the balance of loan funds, with or without an FSA guarantee. The maximum loan amount for a joint financing loan is $600,000, and the repayment period for the loan is up to 40 years.
The operation must be an eligible farm enterprise. Farm Ownership loan funds cannot be used to finance nonfarm enterprises and all applicants must be able to meet general eligibility requirements. Loan applicants are also required to have participated in the business operations of a farm or ranch for at least three years out of the 10 years prior to the date the application is submitted. The applicant must show documentation that their participation in the business operation of the farm or ranch was not solely as a laborer.
For more information about farm loans, 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.
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 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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