In This Issue:
 Pictured left to right: Son Ty; Son Cale; Wife Sarah; Myself; Daughter Grace & her fiancé' Cole
Spring field work was a lot like the ocean this year, with several waves of planting windows. Most of the state experienced unseasonably warm temperatures early and unseasonably cool temperatures in April. Sprinkle in several rain events and it made for a drawn-out planting season. I hope this message finds Illinois farms off to a good 2024 summer.
June is often recognized for the month of numerous weddings and graduation ceremonies, as well as the month schools let kids out of classes for the summer. However, there are many other special days observed in the month of June also, such as:
June 2 – National Cancer Survivor Day
June 7 – National Donut Day
June 14 – Flag Day – Commemorates the adoption of the flag of the U.S. on June 14, 1777
June 16 – Father’s Day
June 19 – Juneteenth – Officially known as Juneteenth National Independence Day – Commemorates the end of slavery in the country on June 19, 1865
June is also observed as the National Dairy Month, National Pollinator Month and National LGBT Pride Month.
I would first, like to remind Illinois producers who have not yet completed their crop acreage reports, after planting to make an appointment with their U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) service center before the deadline of July 15, 2024.
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. If you have not already certified your planted acres, please contact your local FSA Office today.
Currently nominations are being accepted for farmers and ranchers to serve on local U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Committees. These committees make important decisions about how federal farm programs are administered locally. All nomination forms for the 2024 election must be postmarked or received in the local FSA office by August 1, 2024. Election ballots will be mailed to eligible voters in November 2024.
Elections for committee members will occur in certain Local Administrative Areas (LAA). LAAs are elective areas for FSA committees in a single county or multi-county jurisdiction and may include LAAs that are focused on an urban or suburban area.
Producers should contact their local FSA office today to register and find out how to get involved in their county’s election, including if their LAA is up for election this year. To be considered, a producer must be registered and sign an FSA-669A nomination form. This form and other information about FSA county committee elections are available at fsa.usda.gov/elections.
I would also like to make producers aware that you 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 local County USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov/microloans.
This month I attended the Illinois FFA State Convention and spoke to FFA members, FFA Advisors, Ag Teachers, and parents as well as other organizations and agencies participating in the FFA Exhibit Hall. It was great to see so many young, enthusiastic students as Illinois’ future of agriculture.
The days of the event were spent with FSA employees visiting with FFA members from throughout the state, regarding their FFA projects, Youth Loans/Beginning Farmer Loan options and FSA career opportunities. Many FFA members tried their hand at pulling someone out of the miniature grain bin safety simulator display and surprisingly finding out, it is nearly impossible, unless of course they can pull three times their own weight. FSA feels it imperative to remind everyone in attendance how important it is to stay out of grain bins on and around the farm.
One last thing I would like to share is that we all know time goes by very quickly, but as I attended my son Cale’s graduation ceremony on May 19th, that moment could not have made that statement any truer than it is. My wife Sarah and I have spent the last 15+ years enjoying watching Ty, Grace, and Cale play Baseball, Basketball, and Volleyball. In addition, they have been active 4-H members showing cattle and hogs. That always meant Sarah and I as their parents, spent a lot of time working in the barns with them or coaching them on the field/court. We have had the opportunity to travel to several places in this country for these activities. We’ve attended hundreds of events helping them reach their goals and cheering them on. During all those years sitting in the stands by the showring or at the ballgames, we had no idea how quick time would pass, and the day would come, that we’d attend our last High School sports event as parents of an athlete.
I certainly don’t want to seem like I am saying that is all that was important. We are also very proud of Cale’s academic achievements throughout his school years, and the life lasting experiences he enjoyed, through those years. It all passed by in a blink of an eye and now he is traveling down a different path, as he entered the workforce and will be attending college in the fall. If you have children still in school, my advice to you is, to enjoy it all to the max, as I guarantee you will be shaking your head as I am now, asking myself, where did the time go? The last bird is leaving the nest, and we are finding ourselves, as parents, needing to re-adjust.
With most graduations taking place in May this is somewhat belated. I wish a Huge Congratulations to the Graduating class of 2024 and best wishes for their next chapter!
Before I close, I would like to give you a few reminders for next month:
July 4, 2024 Office Closed for Independence Day
July 5, 2024 Final Date to Report Prevent Plant Soybeans
July 15, 2024 Crop Acreage Reporting Deadline
July 31, 2024 Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Sign-up 61 deadline
to submit an offer
As always, stay safe on and around the farm.
Sincerely,
Scott Halpin
State Executive Director
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.
 You have a lot at stake in making sure your crop insurance acreage reporting is accurate and on time. If you fail to report on time, you may not be protected. If you report too much acreage, you may pay too much premium. If you report too little acreage, you may recover less when you file a claim.
Crop insurance agents often say that mistakes in acreage reporting are the easiest way for producers to have an unsatisfactory experience with crop insurance. Don’t depend on your agent to do this important job for you. Your signature on the bottom of the acreage reporting form makes it, legally, your responsibility. Double-check it for yourself.
Remember - acreage reporting is your responsibility. Doing it right will save you money. Always get a copy of your report immediately after signing and filing it with your agent and keep it with your records. Remember, it is your responsibility to report crop damage to your agent within 72 hours of discovery. Never put damaged acreage to another use without prior written consent of the insurance adjuster. You don’t want to destroy any evidence of a possible claim. Learn more by visiting RMA’s website.
 The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) provides assistance to you for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by adverse weather, disease and attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government or protected by federal law. An eligible attack is an attack by animals reintroduced into the wild by the Federal Government or protected by Federal law, including wolves and avian predators, that directly results in the death of eligible livestock, in excess of normal mortality or injured livestock sold at a reduced price.
For example, LIP compensates livestock producers for confirmed kills or injuries by Turkey Vultures which seem to be on the rise in Illinois. Producers must provide proof (acceptable to FSA) of livestock death losses or injuries because of an eligible attack. Turkey Vultures and Black Vultures can both be found in Illinois and are both avian predators in which attacks can directly result in the death or injury of eligible livestock.
For disease losses, FSA county committees can accept veterinarian certifications that livestock deaths were directly related to adverse weather and unpreventable through good animal husbandry and management.
For 2024 livestock losses, you must file a notice and provide the following supporting documentation to your local FSA office no later than 60 calendar days after the end of the calendar year in which the eligible loss condition occurred.
- Proof of death documentation
- Copy of grower’s contracts
- Proof of normal mortality documentation
- Livestock beginning inventory documentation
USDA has established normal mortality rates for each type and weight range of eligible livestock, i.e. Adult Beef Cow = 1.5% and Non-Adult Beef Cattle = 5%. These established percentages reflect losses that are considered expected or typical under “normal” conditions.
In addition to filing a notice of loss, you must also submit an application for payment by March 3, 2025.
For more information, contact your local USDA County USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov
The U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) today unveiled a new, online Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) Decision Tool and farm loan resources available to agricultural producers and cooperators who help producers access USDA disaster assistance, farm loans and other federal farm programs. The new LIP tool and the farm loan informational video resources were developed in partnership with FarmRaise and USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA). These tools are now available at www.farmraise.com/usda-fsa.
Current FarmRaise Tools and Resources
FarmRaise, Inc. has created an online, educational hub -- called Farm Service Agency 101 – comprised of videos, and resources that enable cooperators and the agricultural producers they serve to learn about and access major FSA programs.
The newly launched LIP Decision Tool assists livestock producers who suffered losses from eligible adverse weather events and other causes of loss as well as cooperators who are helping disaster-impacted livestock producers navigate available federal disaster assistance programs. The optional decision tool gives producers guidance on what is needed to gather and submit required loss documentation, reducing the amount of time needed to complete applications and enabling FSA county office staff to deliver much-needed assistance faster. Using this tool, however, is not an application for benefits or a determination of eligibility.
Through use of the LIP tool, livestock producers can provide supporting documentation, inventory numbers, and loss numbers to FSA county offices. Doing so, in advance of the initial county office visit, will help FSA staff serve customers more effectively and efficiently. Producers will also need to complete an application for LIP assistance and, upon request, may be asked to provide additional supporting documentation.
LIP offers payments to livestock producers for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by qualifying adverse weather events. LIP also covers losses due to eligible diseases and attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government or protected by federal law. This includes attacks by wolves and predatory birds.
In addition to the new LIP Decision Tool, the FarmRaise educational hub offers several, easily navigated farm loan programs how-to videos designed to introduce producers to FSA’s many farm loan programs options and guide them through the application process.
More FSA program resources and tools will soon be added to the FarmRaise educational hub. Cooperators and agricultural producers are encouraged to visit the FarmRaise educational hub often to access all available resources.
About the Partnership
USDA cooperators are organizations on the frontlines of access and often are the first point of contact connecting farmers to USDA programs. The partnership between FarmRaise, Inc. and FSA, through a cooperative agreement, aims to improve producer participation and customer experience in USDA programs through education and technical assistance to young, beginning, and small-scale to mid-sized producers, producers with disabilities, and veterans.
By developing a digital educational hub that delivers free, user-friendly, producer and cooperator-tested resources USDA and FarmRaise, Inc. will help FSA expedite program delivery to agricultural producers. The hub offers how-to videos and visual aids that educate producers about FSA programs and prepares them for submitting applications for program participation.
More Information
For more information about FSA farm and farm loan programs, visit fsa.usda.gov or contact your local USDA Service Center - farmers.gov/service-center-locator.
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 local County USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov.
Through the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP), USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will cover up to 75% of organic certification costs at a maximum of $750 per certification category. FSA is now accepting applications, and organic producers and handlers should apply for OCCSP by the October 31, 2024, deadline for eligible expenses incurred from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024. FSA will issue payments as applications are received and approved.
OCCSP was part of a broader organic announcement made by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on May 15, 2024, which also included the Organic Market Development Grant program and Organic Transition Initiative.
Eligible Applicants, Expenses and Categories
OCCSP provides cost-share assistance to producers and handlers of organic agricultural commodities for expenses incurred obtaining or maintaining organic certification under USDA’s National Organic Program. Eligible OCCSP applicants include any certified organic producers or handlers who have paid organic certification fees to a USDA-accredited certifying agent.
Cost share assistance covers expenses including application fees, inspection costs, fees related to equivalency agreement and arrangement requirements, inspector travel expenses, user fees, sales assessments and postage. OCCSP pays a maximum of $750 per certification category for crops, wild crops, livestock, processing/handling, and state organic program fees (California only).
How to Apply
To apply, producers and handlers should contact FSA at their local USDA Service Center and be prepared to provide documentation of organic certification and eligible expenses. OCCSP applications can also be submitted through participating state departments of agriculture. For more information, visit the OCCSP webpage.
Opportunity for State Departments of Agriculture
FSA is also accepting applications from state departments of agriculture to administer OCCSP. FSA posted a funding opportunity summary on grants.gov and will electronically mail the Notice of Funding Opportunity to all eligible state departments of agriculture. Applications are due July 12, 2024.
If a state department of agriculture chooses to participate in OCCSP, both the state department of agriculture and FSA county offices in that state will accept OCCSP applications and make payments to eligible certified operations. Producers or handlers can receive OCCSP assistance from either FSA or the participating state department of agriculture but not both.
More Information
USDA offers other assistance for organic producers, including the Organic Transition Initiative (OTI), which includes direct farmer assistance for organic production and processing and conservation. For more information on organic agriculture, visit farmers.gov/organic.
To learn more about FSA programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center. Producers can also prepare maps for acreage reporting as well as manage farm loans and view other farm records data and customer information by logging into their farmers.gov account. If you don’t have an account, sign up today.
The Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Farm Storage Facility Loan (FSFL) program provides low-interest financing to help you build or upgrade storage facilities and to purchase portable (new or used) structures, equipment and storage and handling trucks.
Eligible commodities include corn, grain sorghum, rice, soybeans, oats, peanuts, wheat, barley, minor oilseeds harvested as whole grain, pulse crops (lentils, chickpeas and dry peas), hay, honey, renewable biomass, fruits, nuts and vegetables for cold storage facilities, floriculture, hops, maple sap, rye, milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, meat and poultry (unprocessed), eggs, and aquaculture (excluding systems that maintain live animals through uptake and discharge of water). Qualified facilities include grain bins, hay barns and cold storage facilities for eligible commodities.
Loans up to $50,000 can be secured by a promissory note/security agreement, loans between $50,000 and $100,000 may require additional security, and loans exceeding $100,000 require additional security.
You do not need to demonstrate the lack of commercial credit availability to apply. The loans are designed to assist a diverse range of farming operations, including small and mid-sized businesses, new farmers, operations supplying local food and farmers markets, non-traditional farm products, and underserved producers.
For more information, contact your County USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov/pricesupport.
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USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds you to report prevented planted and failed acres in order to establish or retain FSA program eligibility for some programs.
You should report crop acreage you intended to plant, but due to natural disaster, were prevented from planting. Prevented planting acreage must be reported on form CCC-576, Notice of Loss, no later than 15 calendar days after the final planting date as established by FSA and the Risk Management Agency (RMA).
Additionally, if you have failed acres, you should also use form CCC-576, Notice of Loss, to report failed acres.
For hand-harvested crops and certain perishables, you must notify FSA of damage or loss through the administrative county office within 72 hours of the date of damage or loss first becomes apparent. This notification can be provided by filing a CCC-576, email, fax or phone. If you notify the County Office by any method other than by filing the CCC-576, you are still required to file a CCC-576, Notice of Loss, within the required 15 calendar days.
For losses on crops covered by the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), you must file a Notice of Loss within 15 days of the occurrence of the disaster or when losses become apparent. You must timely file a Notice of Loss for failed acres on all crops including grasses.
To file a Notice of Loss, contact your County USDA Service Center or visit www.fsa.usda.gov.
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Farm Operating Loans - Direct 5.375%
Farm Ownership Loans - Direct 5.625%
Farm Ownership Loans - Direct, Joint Financing 3.625%
Farm Ownership Loans - Direct Down Payment, Beginning Farmer or Rancher 1.625%
Emergency Loans - 3.750%
Farm Storage Facility Loans
3 years - 4.750%
5 years - 4.500%
7 years - 4.500%
10 years - 4.500%
12 years - 4.625%
Commodity Loans - 6.125%
 July 4, 2024 Office Closed for Independence Day
July 5, 2024 Final Date to Report Prevent Plant Soybeans
July 15, 2024 Crop Acreage Reporting Deadline
July 31, 2024 Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Sign-up 61 deadline
to submit an offer
Ongoing - 2022 ERP Signup
Ongoing - FSFL Application
Ongoing - Update Your Records
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