Indiana FSA State Newsletter - August 20, 2024
In This Issue:
As we wrap up August, schools are back in session, the great Indiana State Fair has concluded, and Friday night lights are about to commence across the state. Just as you have had a busy summer of 4-H projects and exhibiting livestock; summer sports’ practices for your family; and traveling for vacations around the country, the USDA Farm Service Agency has had a summer of crop certification, working on files management, administering conservation programs, and preparing for farm programs and farm loan programs training later this fall. I want to applaud the work of the county offices in the Hoosier state who continually strive to improve their operations in a way to serve you – the farmer – to the best of our ability.
As a reminder, this is a great time to visit your county office to make certain your farm records are organized in the office, or to reach out to our farm loan staff for assistance to working capital for your farming operation. As we wait for a new Farm Bill or the continuation of the existing Farm Bill, we stand ready to assist you with your farming needs.
As we embark upon the fall in just a few short weeks, I hope you can take the time to reflect upon your summer and all that you’ve accomplished. I wish you all a safe and productive harvest season.
Sincerely In Agriculture,
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State Executive Director
USDA announced changes to FSA's Farm Loan Programs, effective September 25, 2024 - changes that are intended to increase opportunities for farmers to be financially viable. These improvements, part of the Enhancing Program Access and Delivery for Farm Loans rule, demonstrate USDA’s commitment to improving farm profitability through farm loans designed to provide important financing options used by producers to cover operating expenses and purchase land and equipment.
Farm loan policy changes outlined in the Enhancing Program Access and Delivery for Farm Loans rule, are designed to better assist borrowers to make strategic investments in the enhancement or expansion of their agricultural operations.
The three most notable policy changes include:
- Establishing a new low-interest installment set-aside program for financially distressed borrowers. Eligible financially distressed borrowers can defer up to one annual loan installment per qualified loan at a reduced interest rate, providing a simpler and expedited option to resolve financial distress in addition to FSA’s existing loan servicing programs.
- Providing all eligible loan applicants access to flexible repayment terms that can increase profitability and help build working capital reserves and savings. By creating upfront positive cash flow, borrowers can find opportunities in their farm operating plan budgets to include a reasonable margin for increased working capital reserves and savings, including for retirement and education.
- Reducing additional loan security requirements to enable borrowers to leverage equity. This reduces the amount of additional security required for direct farm loans, including reducing the frequency borrowers must use their personal residence as additional collateral for a farm loan.
Additional Farm Loan Program Improvements
FSA has embarked on a comprehensive and systemic effort to ensure equitable delivery of Farm Loan Programs and improve access to credit for small and mid-size family farms. FSA has also included additional data in its annual report to Congress to provide information that Congress, stakeholders, and the general public need to hold USDA accountable on the progress that has been made in improving services to underserved producers. This year’s report shows FSA direct and guaranteed loans were made to a greater percentage of young and beginning farmers, as well as improvements in the participation rates of minority borrowers. The report also highlights FSA’s microloan program’s new focus on urban agriculture operations and niche market lending, as well as increased support for producers seeking direct loans for farm ownership in the face of increasing land values across the country.
FSA has a significant initiative underway to streamline and automate the Farm Loan Program customer-facing business process. For the over 26,000 producers who submit a direct loan application annually, FSA has made several impactful improvements including:
- The Loan Assistance Tool that provides customers with an interactive online, step-by-step guide to identifying the direct loan products that may be a fit for their business needs and to understanding the application process.
- The Online Loan Application, an interactive, guided application that is paperless and provides helpful features including an electronic signature option, the ability to attach supporting documents such as tax returns, complete a balance sheet, and build a farm operating plan.
- An online direct loan repayment feature that relieves borrowers from the necessity of calling, mailing, or visiting a local USDA Service Center to pay a loan installment.
- A simplified direct loan paper application, reduced from 29 pages to 13 pages.
USDA encourages producers to reach out to their local FSA farm loan staff to ensure they fully understand the wide range of loan and servicing options available to assist with starting, expanding, or maintaining their agricultural operation. To conduct business with FSA, please contact your local USDA Service Center.
FSA helps America’s farmers landowners invest in, improve, protect and expand their agricultural operations through the delivery of agricultural programs for all Americans. FSA implements agricultural policy, administers credit and loan programs, and manages conservation, commodity, disaster recovery and marketing programs through a national network of state and county offices and locally elected county committees. For more information, visit fsa.usda.gov.
FSA reminds ag producers that Farm Loan Programs can be used to support a variety of climate-smart agriculture practices, which build on many practices that farmers 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 USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
FSA offers multiple types of loans to help farmers 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.
Some additional ways farm loans can be leveraged to invest in climate-smart agriculture practices or equipment include:
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Precision Agriculture Equipment - Eligible producers could use a Term Operating Loan to purchase equipment like GPS globes, monitors, or strip till fertilizer equipment.
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Cover Crops - Eligible producers could use an Annual Operating Loan for seed costs.
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No/Reduced Till - Eligible producers could use a Term Operating Loan to purchase equipment.
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Livestock Facility Air Scrubber or Waste Treatment - Eligible producers could use a Farm Ownership Loan for capital improvements to livestock facilities.
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Cross Fencing - Eligible producers could use an Annual or Term Operating Loan to purchase fencing and installation equipment.
Visit the Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry webpage on farmers.gov to learn more and see detailed examples of how an FSA farm loan can support climate-smart agriculture practices.
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Most farm loan borrowers have the option to make payments to their direct loans online through the Pay My Loan feature on farmers.gov. Pay My Loan is part of a broader effort by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) to streamline its processes, especially for producers who may have limited time during the planting or harvest seasons to visit a local FSA office; modernize and improve customer service; provide additional customer self-service tools; and expand credit access to assist more producers.
On average, local USDA Service Centers process more than 225,000 farm loan payments each year. Pay My Loan gives most borrowers an online repayment option and relieves them from needing to call, mail, or visit a Service Center to pay their loan installment. Farm loan payments can now be made at the borrower’s convenience, on their schedule and outside of FSA office hours.
Pay My Loan also provides time savings for FSA’s farm loan employees by minimizing manual payment processing activities. This new service for producers means that farm loan employees will have more time to focus on reviewing and processing new loans or servicing requests.
The Pay My Loan feature can be accessed at farmers.gov/loans. To use the payment feature, producers must establish a USDA customer account and a USDA Level 2 eAuthentication (“eAuth”) account or a Login.gov account. This initial release only allows individuals with loans to make online payments. For now, borrowers with jointly payable checks will need to continue to make loan payments through their local office.
FSA has a significant initiative underway to streamline and automate the Farm Loan Program customer-facing business process. For the over 26,000 producers who submit a direct loan application annually, FSA has made various improvements including:
- The Online Loan Application, an interactive, guided application that is paperless and provides helpful features including an electronic signature option, the ability to attach supporting documents such as tax returns, complete a balance sheet, and build a farm operating plan.
- The Loan Assistance Tool that provides customers with an interactive online, step-by-step guide to identifying the direct loan products that may be a fit for their business needs and to understanding the application process.
- A simplified direct loan paper application, which reduced loan applications by more than half, from 29 pages to 13 pages.
For more information, reach out to your Indiana Regional Farm Loan Office.
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The Primary Nesting Season ended August 1st.
2024 MCM needs to be completed, receipts
submitted, form FSA-848 signed
and submitted to your local
USDA Service Center by October 1, 2024.
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Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) policy requires participants with certain practices to perform a management activity during the life of the contract.
The purpose of Mid-Contract Management (MCM) Activity is to enhance the wildlife habitat value of the enrolled acres for species such as Northern Bobwhite, pollinators, and others. For example, in grass fields, the perennial grasses tend to crowd out desirable broadleaf flowers and litter accumulates. In this case, the purpose of MCM is to set the perennial grasses back which enables these broadleaf plants to germinate and thrive.
MCM activities must be completed outside of the Primary Nesting Season in order to protect ground-nesting bird species. In Indiana, the Primary Nesting Season is April 1st through August 1st of each year.
Normally, Management Activities are conducted between the 4th and 6th year of the contract. However, on land with existing cover, disturbance activities can begin as soon as technically feasible. Your Conservation Plan of Operations (CPO) will outline the amount of acreage, recommended type of MCM activity and which year(s) you are required to complete your MCM.
Areas planted to grasses and forbs are required to perform a management activity during the life of the contract, with the following options:
- Prescribed Burning; Strip Disking; Strip Spraying; Inter-seeding forbs/legumes/pollinator habitat; Impact grazing (limited to CP1, CP2, and CP10)
Areas planted to trees/shrubs, Grassed Waterways (CP8A), Filter Strips (CP21), and actual wetland acres no longer require management activities in Indiana (effective with Fiscal Year 2020 signups) however participants may voluntarily perform management activities if the activities are included in the approved CPO.
Grassland fields must be established for a minimum of three years before starting the activity.
For most practices less than 5 acres, the entire acreage can be managed in one year; otherwise, the maximum amount that can be disturbed during any one year is ½ of the contract acreage. For maximum habitat value, disturb no more than 1/3 of the contract acreage. See the activity-specific job sheets.
The following environmentally sensitive areas will be avoided:
- Concentrated flow areas
- Critical areas
- Acreage within first 20 feet of a practice that borders a water resource to avoid water quality resource concerns
- Other areas where gully erosion is likely
For more information on MCM specific to your CRP contract and to review your CPO, please contact your local USDA Service Center.
2024 CRP signups successfully bring CRP nearer to acreage cap.
USDA is accepting offers for more than 2.2 million acres from agricultural producers and private landowners through this year’s Grassland, General, and Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) signups administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA). With these accepted acres, enrollment is very near the 27 million CRP acreage cap.
Grassland CRP
Including the nearly 1.44 million acres recently accepted in Grassland CRP for offers received in 2024, producers will have enrolled more than 10 million acres in this popular working-lands program.
Grassland CRP allows producers and landowners to continue grazing and haying practices while protecting grasslands and further CRP’s impacts. Grassland CRP leverages working lands practices to improve biodiversity and conserve environmentally sensitive land.
Enrolled acres help sequester carbon in vegetation and soil, while enhancing resilience to drought and wildfire. Meanwhile, producers can still conduct common grazing practices, such as haying, mowing or harvesting seed from the enrolled land, which supports agricultural production.
General and Continuous CRP
FSA also has accepted nearly 200,000 acres through the General signup, bringing total acres enrolled in General CRP to 7.9 million acres. As one of the largest private lands conservation programs in the United States, CRP offers a range of conservation options to farmers and landowners. It has been an especially strong opportunity for farmers with less productive or marginal cropland, helping them re-establish valuable land cover to help improve water quality, prevent soil erosion and support wildlife habitat.
In January 2024, FSA opened enrollment for Continuous CRP. Under this enrollment, producers and landowners can enroll in CRP throughout the year. Offers are automatically accepted provided the producer and land meet the eligibility requirements and the enrollment levels do not exceed the statutory cap. To date, in 2024, more than 565,000 acres have been offered through Continuous CRP bringing the total acres enrolled to 8.5 million.
Producers can still make an offer to participate in CRP through the Continuous CRP signup, which is ongoing, by contacting their local USDA Service Center.
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contract holders are encouraged to transition their CRP acres to beginning, veteran or socially disadvantaged farmers through the Transition Incentives Program (TIP). TIP provides annual rental payments to the landowner or operator for up to two additional years after the CRP contract expires.
CRP contract holders no longer need to be a retired or retiring owner or operator to transition their land. TIP participants must agree to sell, have a contract to sell, or agree to lease long term (at least five years) land enrolled in an expiring CRP contract to a beginning, veteran, or socially disadvantaged farmer who is not a family member.
Beginning, veteran or social disadvantaged farmers and CRP participants may enroll in TIP beginning two years before the expiration date of the CRP contract. The TIP application must be submitted prior to completing the lease or sale of the affected lands. New landowners or renters that return the land to production must use sustainable grazing or farming methods.
For more information, contact your local USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov.
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FSA encourages you to examine available Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) coverage, before the applicable crop sales deadline.
Federal crop insurance covers crop losses from natural adversities such as drought, hail and excessive moisture. NAP covers losses from natural disasters on crops for which no permanent federal crop insurance program is available. You can determine if crops are eligible for federal crop insurance or NAP by visiting the RMA website.
Upcoming Sales Closing Dates for 2025 NAP Coverage and the corresponding Acreage Reporting Deadlines for Indiana are found in the below table.
NAP Sales Closing Date for 2025 Coverage
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Crop
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Final Acreage/Hive/Tap Reporting Date for 2025 Crop Year
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September 30, 2024
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Value Loss Crops (Flowers for Fresh Cut, Onion Sets, Turfgrass Sod, Christmas Trees, Aquaculture, Mushrooms, etc...)
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September 30, 2024
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September 30, 2024
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Garlic, Wheat, Barley, Rye and Mint
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December 16, 2024
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November 15, 2024
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Perennial Grazing and Forage Crops (Alfalfa, Grass, Mixed Forages, Clover, etc...)
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July 15, 2025
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November 20, 2024
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Apples, Apricots, Aronia (Chokeberry), Asparagus, Blueberries, Caneberries, Cherries, Grapes, Hops, Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Strawberries
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Apples - January 15, 2025
All other crops listed - July 15, 2025
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December 31, 2024
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Hives (Honey) and Maple Sap
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January 2, 2025
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NAP offers 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. Buy-up levels of NAP coverage are available if the producer can show at least one year of previously successfully growing the crop for which coverage is being requested. NAP basic coverage is available at 55 percent of the average market price for crop losses that exceed 50 percent of expected production.
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.
Beginning, underserved, veterans and limited resource farmers are now eligible for free catastrophic level coverage.
Deadlines for coverage vary by state and crop. Contact your local USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov.
Federal crop insurance coverage is sold and delivered solely through private insurance agents. Agent lists are available at all USDA Service Centers or at USDA’s online Agent Locator. You can use the USDA Cost Estimator to predict insurance premium costs.
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the detection of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, subtype H5N1, in dairy cattle in 12 states. To protect our livestock industry from the threat posed by H5N1, USDA is taking a number of actions with our federal partners—one of them being a significant update to the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP).
Those of you who incur milk losses in their dairy herds due to H5N1 can now apply for financial assistance through ELAP. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) expanded ELAP policy through the rule-making process; this expansion assists with financial losses resulting from reduced milk production when cows are removed from commercial milking in dairy herds with a confirmed positive H5N1 test. Positive tests must be confirmed through APHIS’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL).
So, in this Ask the Expert, Dr. Julie Gauthier – Executive Director of Veterinary Services’ Field Operations and Policy Liaison for the dairy cattle HPAI response, answers questions about H5N1 in the United States, its current effects in our dairy industry, and the process and importance of testing your cows to help protect them, your operation, and the dairy industry as a whole. Read full interview here.
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Are you gardening or farming in an urban environment or involved in controlled environment agriculture, rooftop farms, hydroponic aeroponic, aquaponic facilities or other types of innovative production? Agencies across USDA including the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (OUAIP) have programs and resources available for you, and many are listed in this Urban Agriculture Programs at a Glance brochure.
USDA offers resources to help you:
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Marketing and Selling: FSA, Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), and Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) can help you reach customers in new ways and open additional revenue streams when selling products. The Women, Infants, Children (WIC) Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program and Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Program issues coupons for eligible foods from state-approved farmers, farmers' markets, or roadside stands. Farm Storage Facility Loans (FSA) provide low-interest loans to build, upgrade, or purchase permanent or portable facilities to store commodities, including fruit and vegetable cold storage, washing, packing, and handling buildings and equipment.
Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) funds projects that develop, coordinate and expand direct producer-to-consumer markets like farmers markets. Agricultural businesses and cooperative are among the eligible entities.
A first step is to contact your local USDA Service Center, including our new Urban Service Centers, to meet face to face with our staff from FSA and NRCS. If you’re a new farmer, you can also reach out to your state Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coordinator.
View the New Farmers Fact Sheet or this brochure to plan for your meeting and get a list of information you will need to provide as a new producer.
Sign up for e-mail updates on Urban Agriculture and learn more at farmers.gov/urban or usda.gov/urban.
The USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) launched their new and improved website last Friday. The newly redesigned website has an updated look and feel yet it retains all the important information that producers rely on, it's just easier to find and access.
In addition to the fresh and updated look of the website, navigation on the site is streamlined. This means finding useful information will be easier and more intuitive. Frequent users of the webpage won’t notice huge changes, only that finding and accessing information will be faster and easier.
Some of the key changes include a:
- More user-friendly experience that helps customers access the information they need faster and with easier navigation.
- More accessible site for users with disabilities.
- Mobile friendly site, making information easier to get on your phone or tablet.
You can still access the RMA website at rma.usda.gov. If you have any feedback to share, click the “feedback” button at the bottom of the RMA homepage.
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You are invited to join Urban Soil Health for our third annual full-day event for conservation and agricultural professionals who work with urban and small farmers, vegetable growers, and diversified farmers.
The Featured Keynote: Growing Community & Conservation in a Small Business with Lali Hess, Owner of the Juniper Spoon. Lali will share her experiences with balancing sustainability, right livelihood, and business-ownership, while finding her niche in farm-to-table catering.
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Session topics include:
- regenerative homesteading,
- organic agriculture,
- perennial plantings,
- encouraging beneficial insects,
- soil life,
- and (of course) soil health.
Use the QR Code or click below for free registration and to view the day's agenda.
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September 2 - Offices Closed in Observance of Labor Day
September 5, 6 7 - Limited service in all Indiana FSA offices due to statewide training.
September 16 – Final Acreage Reporting Date for Cucumbers – Planted 6/1 – 8/15 in Knox County
September 30 – Final Acreage Reporting Date for Value Loss & Controlled Environment Crops for 2025 Crop Year.
September 30 - NAP Sales Closing Date for Value loss Crops for the Following Year (Flowers for Fresh Cut, Onion Sets, Turfgrass Sod, Christmas Trees, Aquaculture, Mushrooms, Etc...) for 2025 Crop Year
September 30 - NAP Sales Closing Date for Garlic, Wheat, Barley, Rye and Mint for 2025 Crop Year.
October 1 - Final Date to Submit Receipts for 2024 CRP Mid-Contract Management
USDA announced loan interest rates for August 2024, which are effective August 1, 2024. USDA’s FSA loans provide important access to capital to help agricultural producers start or expand their farming operation, purchase equipment and storage structures, or meet cash flow needs.
FSA also offers guaranteed loans through commercial lenders at rates set by those lenders.
Check your eligibility for FSA loans and find the right loans to fit your needs by utilizing the Farm Loan Assistance Tool.
Additionally, FSA provides low-interest financing to producers to build or upgrade on-farm storage facilities and purchase handling equipment and loans that provide interim financing to help producers meet cash flow needs without having to sell their commodities when market prices are low. Funds for these loans are provided through the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and are administered by FSA.
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