USDA Montana Newsletter - October 2024
In This Issue:
USDA in Montana reminds agricultural producers of important Farm Service Agency (FSA) program dates. Contact your local service center to apply and with any questions. Visit online at farmers.gov and fsa.usda.gov/mt.
Oct. 31, 2024: Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP) signup is open now until October 31, 2024.
Nov. 1, 2024: Last day of 2024 CRP Summer/Fall Non-Emergency Grazing Period (prior approval required)
Early November: 2024 County Committee Election Ballots to be Mailed to Voters
Nov 15: 2025 Acreage Reporting Deadline for Apiculture, Fall Wheat (Hard Red Winter), and all other Fall Seeded Small Grains. Please note that this is the final date that FSA can accept late-filed Program year 2024 reports for these crops.
Nov 29: Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP) application deadline
Dec. 2, 2024: Voted FSA County Committee Election Ballots to be returned to the FSA County Office or post-marked.
Dec. 20: Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) Ranking Date
Jan. 31, 2025: Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops Program (FSCSC)
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As the seasons are changing, for producers following the markets and looking for programs available to them, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) has a couple of programs that could be worth considering.
Marketing Assistance Loans (MALs) and Loan Deficiency Payments (LDPs) provide financing and marketing assistance for wheat, feed grains, soybeans, and other oilseeds, pulse crops, rice, peanuts, cotton, wool and honey. MALs provide you with interim financing after harvest to help you meet cash flow needs without having to sell your commodities when market prices are typically at harvest-time lows. A producer who is eligible to obtain a loan, but agrees to forgo the loan, may obtain an LDP if such a payment is available. Marketing loan provisions and LDPs are not available for sugar and extra-long staple cotton.
FSA is now accepting requests for 2024 MALs and LDPs for all eligible commodities after harvest. Requests for loans and LDPs shall be made on or before the final availability date for the respective commodities.
I wish you all a Happy Fall Season.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing the launch of the Distressed Borrowers Assistance Network, an initiative designed to provide personalized support to financially distressed farmers and ranchers across the nation. Through a series of Cooperative Agreements, this national network will connect distressed borrowers with individualized assistance to help them stabilize and regain financial footing. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) made this announcement today at the Farm Aid Festival in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Network partners include Farm Aid, Rural Advancement Foundation International, the University of Arkansas, the Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Policy Center at Alcorn State University, and the University of Minnesota. Through this initiative, we are collaborating with community-based organizations to better serve financially distressed producers. Network partners will provide farm loan policy training to the community-based organizations so the organizations can work alongside FSA to help producers understand financing available through FSA, ensuring that when they visit an FSA office, the partner organization representative and FSA staff can better assist.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced $58 million available for assistance to dairy producers through the Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP) 2024. ODMAP 2024 helps mitigate market volatility, higher input and transportation costs, and unstable feed supply and prices that have created unique hardships in the organic dairy industry. Specifically, through ODMAP 2024, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is assisting organic dairy operations with projected marketing costs in 2024 calculated using their marketing costs in 2023. FSA will begin accepting ODMAP 2024 applications on Sept. 30. Eligible producers include certified organic dairy operations that produce milk from cows, goats, and sheep.
ODMAP 2024 Program Improvements Dairy producers who participate in ODMAP 2024 will benefit from improvements to provisions outlined in the program. Specifically, ODMAP 2024 provides for an increase in the payment rate to $1.68 per hundredweight compared to the previous $1.10 per cwt. Additionally, the production cap has increased to nine million pounds compared to the previous five million pounds.
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26 MT Counties Triggered; U.S. Drought Monitor Updated Weekly
Livestock producers in 26 Montana counties are eligible to apply for 2024 Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) benefits on small grain, native pasture, improved pasture, annual ryegrass, and forage sorghum. LFP provides compensation if you suffer grazing losses for covered livestock due to drought on privately owned or leased land, or fire on federally managed land. County committees can only accept LFP applications after notification is received by the National Office of qualifying drought, or if a federal agency prohibits producers from grazing normal permitted livestock on federally managed lands due to qualifying fire. The following 26 Montana counties have triggered the 2024 LFP drought criteria: Beaverhead, Broadwater, Carter, Cascade, Deer Lodge, Flathead, Glacier, Granite, Jefferson, Judith Basin, Lake, Lewis and Clark, Lincoln, Madison, Meagher, Mineral, Missoula, Pondera, Powder River, Powell, Ravalli, Roosevelt, Sanders, Sheridan, Silver Bow and Teton.
Producers must complete a CCC-853 and provide required supporting documentation no later than January 30, 2025, for 2024 losses.
Producers in Beaverhead, Broadwater, Carter, Cascade, Deer Lodge, Flathead, Gallatin, Glacier, Granite, Jefferson, Judith Basin, Lake, Lewis and Clark, Lincoln, Madison, Meagher, Mineral, Missoula, Park, Pondera, Powder River, Powell, Ravalli, Roosevelt, Sanders, Sheridan, Silver Bow and Teton counties are eligible to apply for benefits under the 2024 Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) for losses relating to feed transportation, livestock transportation and water transportation costs. The deadline for filing a notice of loss under ELAP will be the same as the final date to submit an application for payment, which is 30 calendar days following the program year of which the loss occurred. Applications for payment and notices of loss must be completed no later than January 30, 2025, for 2024 losses.
For additional information about ELAP and LFP, including eligible livestock and fire criteria, contact the local USDA Service Center and/or visit farmers.gov and fsa.usda.gov/mt.
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Agricultural producers with perennial forage crops have the option to report their acreage once, without having to report that acreage in subsequent years, as long as there are no applicable changes on the farm. Interested producers can select the continuous certification option after FSA certifies their acreage report. Examples of perennial forage include mixed forage, birdsfoot trefoil, chicory/radicchio, kochia (prostrata), lespedeza, perennial peanuts and perennial grass varieties.
Once the continuous certification option is selected, the certified acreage will roll forward annually with no additional action required by the producer in subsequent years unless the acreage report changes.
The Acreage Reporting Date for Spring Alfalfa Seed, all other spring seeded crops, Perennial Forage, Hemp, CRP acres and Grazing acreage is 15 days before the onset of harvest or grazing, or July 15, whichever is earlier.
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There are options for Farm Service Agency (FSA) loan customers during financial stress. If you are a borrower who is unable to make payments on a loan, contact your local FSA Farm Loan Manager to learn about your options.
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Options Help More Beginning, Small and Urban Producers Gain Access to Credit
Producers can apply for a streamlined version of USDA guaranteed loans, which are tailored for smaller scale farms and urban producers EZ Guarantee Loans use a simplified application process to help beginning, small, underserved, and family farmers and ranchers apply for loans of up to $100,000 from USDA-approved lenders to purchase farmland or finance agricultural operations.
A new category of lenders will join traditional lenders, such as banks and credit unions, in offering USDA EZ Guarantee Loans. Microlenders, which include Community Development Financial Institutions and Rural Rehabilitation Corporations, will be able to offer their customers up to $50,000 of EZ Guaranteed Loans, helping to reach urban areas and underserved producers. Banks, credit unions and other traditional USDA-approved lenders, can offer customers up to $100,000 to help with agricultural operation costs.
EZ Guarantee Loans offer low interest rates and terms up to seven years for financing operating expenses and 40 years for financing the purchase of farm real estate. USDA-approved lenders can issue these loans with the Farm Service Agency (FSA) guaranteeing the loan up to 95 percent.
For more information about the available types of FSA farm loans, contact your local USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov/farmloans.
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Join the Intertribal Agriculture Council (IAC) at this year's annual conference, December 10-12, 2024, at the beautiful Palms Casino Resort owned and operated by the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. Our signature event brings together Tribal leaders, farmers, ranchers, youth, and entrepreneurs to explore new markets and collaborate with key partners.
Over three days, participants will gain access to resources that drive economic growth and increase sustainable practices across Indian Country. Our food systems have long been disregarded despite deep-rooted traditions that form the foundation of sustainable, ecologically grounded agricultural practices. This conference offers a unique platform to explore opportunities that rebuild food systems to align with our cultural teachings and values.
Montana IAC Points of Contact:
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The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Montana is accepting applications for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), Wetland Reserve Easements (WRE), and Agricultural Land Easements (ALE). There are several dates to be aware of for the current funding cycle of these programs.
- ACEP Inflation Reduction Act-1: Oct. 4, 2024
- RCPP Land Management and Rentals: Oct. 11, 2024
- EQIP: Oct. 25, 2024
- RCPP Entity Held Easements: Nov. 1, 2024
- WRE Farm Bill: Nov. 1, 2024
- ALE Farm Bill: Nov. 29, 2024
- ACEP Inflation Reduction Act-2: Dec. 20, 2024
- CSP Classic: Dec. 27, 2024
“NRCS provides funding and technical assistance to help farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners implement conservation practices that improve their environmental and economic sustainability,” said Tom Watson, NRCS State Conservationist for Montana. “Conservation work focused on local outcomes with the support of local partners and land managers achieves meaningful conservation across a landscape. These opportunities are open to ag operations of any scale.”
Conservation funding is available for the following programs and initiatives. The initiatives, projects, and plans are a part of EQIP.
Community Agriculture: Building on the high tunnel initiative available in the past, the community agriculture initiative offers an expanded set of conservation practices tailored to the conservation needs of small-scale ag producers.
Conservation Incentive Contracts: Conservation Incentive Contracts are an option under EQIP, with a focus on climate-smart forestry and agriculture and drought resilience management practices. EQIP-CIC provides financial assistance to adopt conservation activities on working landscapes.
Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership Projects: The U.S. Forest Service and NRCS are working together to improve the health of forests and reduce wildfire threats to communities where public forests and grasslands connect to privately owned lands. There is currently one project in Montana in the Elkhorn Cooperative Management Area.
Migratory Bird Resurgence Initiative: This initiative is focused on unmanipulated wetlands of two acres or less within working cropland as identified on the National Wetland Inventory. It is aimed at preserving, protecting, and improving habitat for migratory waterfowl, shorebirds, neotropicals, and other avian species in the Prairie Pothole Region.
National Water Quality Initiative: This initiative focuses assistance in small watersheds to improve water quality where this is a critical concern. With the help of partners at the local, state, and national levels, NRCS identified priority watersheds in Montana where on-farm conservation investments will deliver the greatest water quality benefits. The two projects in Montana are in the Lower Gallatin watershed (Camp and Godfrey Creeks) and the Shields River watershed.
On-Farm Energy Initiative: Agricultural producers work with NRCS-approved technical service providers to develop agricultural energy management plans or farm energy audits that assess energy consumption on an operation. NRCS may also provide assistance to implement recommended measures identified in the energy audit through the use of conservation practice standards.
Organic Initiative: Producers currently certified as organic, transitioning to organic, or National Organic Program exempt will have access to a broad set of conservation practices to assist in treating their resource concerns while fulfilling many of the requirements in an Organic System Plan.
Sage Grouse Initiative: Producers can work with NRCS on three different components to improve sage-grouse habitat. One is a general category to implement prescribed grazing management practices. The others are to seed cropland back to perennial species to improve the connectivity for sage-grouse that depend on large, intact landscapes and the removal of conifers to increase nest success rates.
Targeted Implementation Plans: Montana NRCS targets its investments in very specific areas to achieve clearly defined natural resource goals as identified by local partners. This approach harnesses the power of multiple producers in one area undertaking similar conservation projects to achieve a regional or landscape-scale result. There are more than 100 local projects currently available in fiscal year 2025.
Agricultural Land Easements: Part of the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program, ALEs help private and tribal landowners, land trusts, and other entities such as state and local governments protect croplands and grasslands on working farms and ranches by limiting non-agricultural uses of the land through conservation easements. Interested landowners work with eligible easement partners in Montana.
Wetland Reserve Easements: Part of the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program, WREs help private and tribal landowners protect, restore, and enhance wetlands which have been previously degraded due to agricultural uses. These easements provide habitat for fish and wildlife, including threatened and endangered species, improve water quality by filtering sediments and chemicals, reduce flooding, recharge groundwater, protect biological diversity, provide resilience to climate change, and provide opportunities for educational, scientific, and limited recreational activities.
EQIP offers financial and technical assistance to eligible participants to install or implement structural and management practices on eligible agricultural land. In Montana, historically underserved participants, including limited resource, and beginning farmers and ranchers, socially disadvantaged, and veteran farmers and ranchers will receive a higher payment rate for eligible conservation practices applied.
Regional Conservation Partnership Program: The RCPP promotes coordination of NRCS conservation activities with partners that offer value-added contributions to expand our collective ability to address on-farm, watershed, and regional natural resource concerns. Currently, there are both RCPP land management projects and easement-based projects in Montana.
The CSP is for working lands. For farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners already taking steps to improve the condition of the land, CSP can help find new ways to meet resource and operation goals. All the land in a producer’s agricultural operation must be enrolled to be eligible for CSP. In addition to applying by Dec. 27, 2024, new proposed activities must be selected by January 24, 2025, so the field office conservation planner can complete assessment and ranking of applications.
Producers willing to focus their CSP conservation efforts on solutions which promote climate-related benefits are encouraged to select activities from the Climate Smart Agriculture and Forestry Mitigation Activities List. Climate smart activities directly improve soil carbon, reduce nitrogen losses, or reduce capture, avoid or sequester carbon dioxide, methane or nitrous oxide emissions associated with agricultural production.
For additional opportunities through the Climate-Smart Commodities partnership, visit usda.gov/climate-smart-commodities. These projects are managed directly by partner organizations.
NRCS accepts conservation program applications year-round; however, applications for the next funding consideration must be submitted by the application batching dates listed. Applications made after those dates will be considered in the next funding cycle. Additional information is available on the Montana NRCS website at www.mt.nrcs.usda.gov. Or contact your local USDA service center, https://www.farmers.gov/service-center-locator.
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The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is offering technical and financial assistance to new and existing customers to help address natural resource challenges on private lands across Montana. Through the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), landowners implement conservation practices to solve problems and to attain higher stewardship levels on working lands.
NRCS accepts applications for financial assistance year-round, and producers should apply by Dec 27, 2024 to be considered for this funding cycle. Farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners interested in conservation for their property should start planning with NRCS now.
The historic investment in conservation from the Inflation Reduction Act has helped NRCS to fund more CSP applications in Montana than in the past. In fiscal year 2024, Montana experienced a very high funding rate of eligible CSP applications that met the stewardship threshold requirements. More available funding helps both new customers and previously unsuccessful applicants to compete in the CSP ranking process.
CSP participants are seeing real results, including enhanced resilience to weather and market volatility, decreased need for agricultural inputs, and improved wildlife habitat conditions. Custom conservation plans developed with NRCS help meet management objectives while improving the condition of natural resources.
CSP contract payments are based on two components:
- Payments to maintain the existing level of conservation, based on the land uses included in the contract and an NRCS assessment of existing stewardship at the time of enrollment, and
- Payments to implement additional conservation activities.
Changes to the payment component for existing conservation has been adjusted to reflect conservation values more accurately on rangelands. This increased payment rate may make implementation of additional conservation activities more feasible for grazing operations.
Implementing additional conservation activities means choosing practices that build on what producers are already doing to make progress toward goals for the environment and the economic viability of the farm or ranch. For grazing systems, this could mean conducting a rangeland monitoring program, developing a drought contingency plan, or treating invasive weeds. On croplands, farmers might choose to level up from single-species to multi-species cover crop plantings, no-till seeding, or precision agriculture. There are many options for conservation enhancement activities that NRCS planners can explain and recommend based on producer goals.
Visit the local NRCS field office for more information and to begin planning.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced improvements to the Actual Revenue History (ARH) Sweet Cherry and ARH Tart Cherry for Processing crop insurance programs for the 2025 and succeeding crop years. The Risk Management Agency (RMA) is allowing additional time for producers to meet the minimum production amount, changing it to one in five years, from one in three years.
“Cherry producers have experienced many unavoidable production setbacks in the last few years that have made meeting the minimum production requirement difficult,” said Eric Bashore, Director of RMA’s Billings Regional Office that covers Montana. “The Risk Management Agency is proud to work with our cherry producers to continue to improve coverage options so producers can continue to effectively manage risk on their operation.”
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USDA NASS will be conducting the Conservation Effects Assessment Project for NRCS. NASS is currently finishing up the 2024 Annual Bulletin a summary of the 2023 crop year. NASS will also be conducting other year end surveys.
Thank you, producers, for taking the time to share your story. To find results of NASS surveys please visit: https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Montana/index.php
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Eric Sommer State Statistician, Montana at 1-800-392-3202.
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Montana
USDA Farm Service Agency PO Box 670 Bozeman, MT 59771
Phone: 406.587.6872 Fax: 855.546.0264 Web: www.fsa.usda.gov/mt
State Executive Director: MAUREEN WICKS
State Committee: RYAN LANKFORD CASEY BAILEY JAKE MERKEL TRACEY L. PETERSON LOLA RASK
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FSA Policy Reminders: 2024 Annual Notification to FSA Customers
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USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
10 East Babcock Street, Room 443 Bozeman, MT 59715-4704 Phone: 406-587-6811 Fax: 855-510-7028 Web: nrcs.usda.gov/montana
State Conservationist: TOM WATSON
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USDA Risk Management Agency-Billings Regional Office
3490 Gabel Road, Suite 100 Billings, MT 59102-7302 Phone: 406-657-6447 Fax: 406-657-6573 Email: rsomt@rma.usda.gov Web: https://www.rma.usda.gov/
Regional Director: ERIC BASHORE
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