And just like that, it’s July! I’ve never been good at math, but the difference in the 31 days of January, which sometimes seem to last FOREVER, and the fleetingly short 30 days of June is remarkable to me. I hope that the season has been good for you and that no matter whether your crop is peonies or calves – you’re reaping abundance. Here in the Mat Su Borough, June was filled with warm temperatures and just the right amount of rain to keep my lawn happy. I’ve heard reports of really hot and dry conditions in the Interior and temperatures consistently below 50 degrees on Kodiak Island. One thing I’ve learned to accept about Alaska weather is that you just never know! Anything truly is possible.
July marks the start of a new year of the Reimbursement Transportation Cost Program. Be sure to read the new fact sheet thoroughly and don’t hesitate to contact our office with questions.
If you are considering food safety certification as part of your future business plans, I want to make sure you are aware of a funding opportunity we have available. Learn more at USDA Expands Funding Opportunities for Specialty Crop Growers to Help Offset On-Farm Food Safety Expenses for 2024 and 2025 Please don’t hesitate to contact our office with any questions.
Youth loans, youth loans, youth loans! Can I ask you to do me a favor? The next time you hear a young person, aged 10-18 talking about a dream, vision, or plan they have for an agricultural project, can you please make sure they are aware that we have a Youth Loan program at FSA? Up to $5000 in funding is available to help support their project and jump start their knowledge and understanding of finances, lending and business plans. Learn more at Youth Loans (usda.gov)
The Delta Junction FSA staff will be available to assist you in the Fairbanks NRCS office this summer. All hours will be from 10:30am-2:00pm. July through September, every Wednesday
The Palmer FSA staff will be in the Wasilla NRCS office every Thursday from 8:30am-4pm.
Next week, Palmer FSA staff will be on the KENAI PENINSULA! Come in to sign up for RTCP, sign a nomination form for the upcoming County Committee election and more! Office hours will be held as follows:
Homer NRCS Office: Tuesday, July 30 & Wednesday, July 31 from 9:30am-11:30am
Kenai NRCS Office: Thursday, August 1 & Friday, August 2 from 9:30am-11:30am
If you would like to set up a visit to your farm with CED Hazen Kazaks, please contact him at (907)761-7773.
Upcoming Office Closures:
Monday, September 2nd for Labor Day
Amy Pettit
Alaska State Executive Director
amy.pettit@usda.gov
Office: 907-761-7750
Cell: 907-419-0137
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in State opened enrollment today for the Reimbursement Transportation Cost Payment Program (RTCP) for fiscal year 2024. The enrollment period begins July 8 and will run through Sept. 30. The deadline for producers to provide supporting documentation is Nov. 1, 2024.
RTCP helps U.S. farmers and ranchers offset a portion of the cost of transporting agricultural products over long distances.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 authorized $3.5 million for RTCP and allows farmers and livestock producers in Alaska, Hawaii and insular areas including the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, Virgin Islands of the United States, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands and Republic of Palau, to recover costs to transport agricultural commodities or inputs used to produce an agricultural commodity.
Nearly $4 million was issued to more than 1,100 producers, in all eligible areas combined, through the 2023 RTCP.
RTCP payments are calculated based on the costs incurred for transportation of agricultural commodities or inputs during a 12-month period, subject to an $8,000 per producer cap per fiscal year. A higher payment cap may be determined if claims for payments do not exceed available funding. Therefore, applicants are encouraged to submit all eligible receipts. If claims for payments exceed the funds available from the program for a fiscal year, payments will be reduced on a pro-rata basis.
Farmers and livestock producers interested in participating in RTCP can obtain applications and other documents by calling toll-free 1-866-794-1079.
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.
Nominations are now 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 Aug. 1, 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.
Customers can locate their LAA through a geographic information system locator tool available at fsa.usda.gov/elections and determine if their LAA is up for election by contacting their local FSA office.
Agricultural producers may be nominated for candidacy for the county committee if they:
- Participate or cooperate in a USDA program.
- Reside in the LAA that is up for election this year.
A cooperating producer is someone who has provided information about their farming or ranching operation to FSA, even if they have not applied or received program benefits.
Individuals may nominate themselves or others and qualifying organizations may also nominate candidates. USDA encourages minority, women, urban and beginning farmers or ranchers to nominate, vote and hold office.
Nationwide, more than 7,700 dedicated members of the agricultural community serve on FSA county committees. The committees are made up of three to 11 members who serve three-year terms. Committee members are vital to how FSA carries out disaster recovery, conservation, commodity and price support programs, as well as making decisions on county office employment and other agricultural issues.
Urban and Suburban County Committees
The 2018 Farm Bill directed USDA to form urban county committees and make other advancements related to urban agriculture, including the establishment of the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production. FSA established county committees specifically focused on urban agriculture that work to encourage and promote urban, indoor and other emerging agricultural production practices. Additionally, the county committees may address food access, community engagement, support of local activities to promote and encourage community compost and food waste reduction.
Urban committee members are nominated and elected to serve by local urban producers in the same jurisdiction. Urban county committee members provide outreach to ensure urban producers understand USDA programs, serve as the voice of other urban producers and assist in program implementation that support the needs of the growing urban community.
The 27 cities with urban county committees are listed at fsa.usda.gov/elections and farmers.gov/urban. Of these, ten urban county committees will hold an inaugural election this cycle.
More Information
This year, nominations and elections will be held in the following Alaska LAAs:
Northern County LAA-3
LAA-3 which includes the area beginning at the SE corner of the Matsu Borough
proceeding north to NW corner of SE Fairbanks Census area, east to line following
Clearwater road intersecting AK Hwy, proceeding SE to AKGREAA line, south then SE
following line to Canadian border, south following Canadian border to Chugach Mtn.
Range, turning west following Chugach Mtn. west to SW corner of Matsu
Borough. (Includes Delta Junction, Glennallen, and Kenny Lake.)
Southern County LAA-1
LAA-1 which includes the following boroughs and census areas: Wade Hampton, Bethel, Dillingham, Bristol Bay, Lake and Peninsula, Aleutians East and West, Kodiak Island, Kenai Peninsula Borough south of Kasilof River (includes Homer and surrounding 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.
All nomination forms for the 2024 election must be postmarked or received in the local USDA Service Center by the Aug.1, 2024, deadline. Election ballots will be mailed to eligible voters in November 2024.
FSA offers direct farm ownership and direct farm operating loans to producers who want to establish, maintain, or strengthen their farm or ranch. Direct loans are processed, approved and serviced by FSA loan officers.
Direct farm operating loans can be used to purchase livestock and feed, farm equipment, fuel, farm chemicals, insurance, and other costs including family living expenses. Operating loans can also be used to finance minor improvements or repairs to buildings and to refinance some farm-related debts, excluding real estate.
Direct farm ownership loans can be used to purchase farmland, enlarge an existing farm, construct and repair buildings, and to make farm improvements.
The maximum loan amount for direct farm ownership loans is $600,000 and the maximum loan amount for direct operating loans is $400,000 and a down payment is not required. Repayment terms vary depending on the type of loan, collateral and the producer's ability to repay the loan. Operating loans are normally repaid within seven years and farm ownership loans are not to exceed 40 years.
Please contact your local FSA office for more information or to apply for a direct farm ownership or operating loan.
USDA Alaska Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds producers of approaching application deadlines for purchasing risk coverage for some crops through the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP). NAP provides financial assistance to producers of non-insurable crops impacted by natural disasters that result in lower yields, crop losses, or prevented crop planting.
NAP covers losses from natural disasters on crops for which no permanent federal crop insurance program is available, including forage and grazing crops, fruits, vegetables, floriculture, ornamental nursery, aquaculture, turf grass and more.
Upcoming application deadlines for NAP coverage in Alaska for the 2025 production season include:
- Floriculture (Peonies): 9/1/2024
- Aquaculture: 9/1/2024
- Turf grass: 9/1/2024
- Perennial Grass Forage: 9/30/2024
- Honey: 9/30/2024
- Spring planted annual crops (vegetables): 3/15/2025
NAP basic coverage is available at 55% of the average market price for crop losses that exceed 50% of expected production. Buy-up coverage is available in some cases. NAP offers higher levels of coverage, ranging from 50% to 65% of expected production in 5% increments, at 100% of the average market price. Producers of organic crops and crops marketed directly to consumers also may exercise the “buy-up” option to obtain NAP coverage of 100% of the average market price at coverage levels ranging between 50% and 65% of expected production. Buy-up coverage is not available for crops intended for grazing.
For all coverage levels, the NAP service fee is the lesser of $325 per crop or $825 per producer per county, not to exceed a total of $1,950 for a producer with farming interests in multiple counties. Premiums apply for buy-up coverage.
If a producer has a Socially Disadvantaged, Limited Resource, Beginning and Veteran Farmer or Rancher Certification (form CCC-860) on file with FSA, it may serve as an application for basic coverage for all eligible crops beginning with crop year 2022. These producers will have all NAP-related service fees for basic coverage waived. These producers may also receive a 50% premium reduction if higher levels of coverage are elected on form CCC-471, prior to the application closing date for each crop.
To learn more about NAP visit fsa.usda.gov/nap or contact your local USDA Service Center.
Landowners and operators are reminded that in order to receive payments from USDA, compliance with Highly Erodible Land (HEL) and Wetland Conservation (WC) provisions are required. Farmers with HEL determined soils are reminded of tillage, crop residue, and rotation requirements as specified per their conservation plan. Producers are to notify the USDA Farm Service Agency prior to breaking sod, clearing land (tree removal), and of any drainage projects (tiling, ditching, etc.) to ensure compliance. Failure to update certification of compliance, with form AD-1026, triggering applicable HEL and/or wetland determinations, for any of these situations, can result in the loss of FSA farm program payments, FSA farm loans, NRCS program payments, and premium subsidy to Federal Crop Insurance administered by RMA.
In this Ask the Expert, Toni Williams answers questions about how Farm Storage Facility Loans (FSFLs) provide low-interest financing to help producers build or upgrade commodity storage facilities. Toni is the Agricultural Program Manager for FSFLs at the Farm Service Agency (FSA).
Toni has worked for FSA for more than 32 years and is responsible for providing national policy and guidance for Farm Storage Facility Loans.
What are Farm Storage Facility Loans?
Farm Storage Facility Loans provide low-interest financing for eligible producers to build or upgrade facilities to store commodities.
The FSFL program was created in May 2000 to address an existing grain shortage. Historically, FSFLs benefitted grain farmers, but a change in the 2008 Farm Bill extended the program to fruit and vegetable producers for cold storage. An additional change extended the program to washing and packing sheds, where fresh produce is washed, sorted, graded, labeled, boxed up, and stored before it heads to market. Since May 2000, FSA has made more than 40,000 loans for on-farm storage.
Eligible facility types include grain bins, hay barns, bulk tanks, and facilities for cold storage. Drying and handling and storage equipment including storage and handling trucks are also eligible. Eligible facilities and equipment may be new or used, permanently affixed or portable.
To read the full blog visit farmers.gov/blog/ask-the-expert-qa-on-farm-storage-facility-loans-with-toni-williams.
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