New Jersey State FSA Newsletter - October 2024
Come join me, Bob Andrzejczak, State Executive Director for the New Jersey Farm Service Agency, at the Annual New Jersey Farm Bureau Convention on Monday November 18th at 4pm for an informational session discussing:
- the importance of County Committee’s and participation in the election process,
- the benefits of reporting crop acreage to the agency on an annual basis, and
- the new rules that improved our farm loan process that went into effect late September.
Take note of the convention’s new location at the Double Tree by Hilton Cherry Hill/Philadelphia - 2349 Marlton Pike W, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002. Please see the convention’s agenda for more details on our session.
|
 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announced 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 connects distressed borrowers with individualized assistance to help them stabilize and regain financial footing.
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.
On October 7th the USDA Announces Additional $250 Million in Financial Assistance for Distressed Farm Loan Borrowers.
 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 Oct. 31, 2024, deadline for eligible expenses incurred from Oct. 1, 2023, to Sept. 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.
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) Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) helps you manage risk through coverage for both crop losses and crop planting that was prevented due to natural disasters. The eligible or “noninsured” crops include agricultural commodities not covered by federal crop insurance.
You must be enrolled in the program and have purchased coverage for the eligible crop in the crop year and county in which the loss incurred to receive program benefits following a qualifying natural disaster.
The next closing deadline for New Jersey is November 20th for apricots, cherries, peaches, pears, plums, caneberries, grapes, blueberries, onion, and scallions. New Jersey coverage deadlines: by closing date or by crop
NAP Buy-Up Coverage Option
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. 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.
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.
NAP basic coverage is available at 55 percent of the average market price for crop losses that exceed 50 percent of expected production.
Buy-up coverage is not available for crops intended for grazing.
NAP Service Fees
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.
NAP Fee Waivers and Premium Reductions
Qualified veteran farmers or ranchers are eligible for a service fee waiver and premium reduction, if the NAP applicant meets certain eligibility criteria.
Beginning, limited resource and targeted underserved farmers are eligible for a waiver of NAP service fees and premium reductions when they file form CCC-860, “Socially Disadvantaged, Limited Resource and Beginning Farmer or Rancher Certification.”
Related Losses
NAP covers losses for the crop(s) you lose; losses to your trees, vines a bushes may be eligible for financial assistance through the Tree Assistance Program (TAP) which assists orchardists and nursery tree growers with the replanting or rehabilitating eligible trees, bushes, and vines lost by natural disasters.
For NAP application, eligibility and related program information, contact your USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov/nap
|
Physical loss loans through the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) can help producers repair or replace damaged or destroyed physical property essential to the success of the agricultural operation, including livestock losses. Examples of property commonly affected include essential farm buildings, fixtures to real estate, equipment, livestock, perennial crops, fruit and nut bearing trees, and harvested or stored crops and hay.
Impacted Area: New Jersey
Triggering Disaster: Excessive Rain and High Winds
Application Deadline: May 27, 2025
Primary Counties Eligible: Hunterdon, Somerset
Contiguous Counties Also Eligible: Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Union, Warren
Additional State: Pennsylvania- Bucks
More Resources
On farmers.gov, the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster Assistance-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Loan Assistance Tool can help you determine program or loan options. To file a Notice of Loss or to ask questions about available programs, contact your local USDA Service Center.
|
Don’t know much about Federal crop insurance, but you want to learn more?
Crop insurance is a risk management strategy that farmers use to protect their livelihoods. By purchasing a policy through a crop insurance agent, farmers are financially protected if there are losses due to a covered cause of loss. It’s not so different from car or homeowners insurance.
Start your journey out right by reading RMA’s Beginners Guide to Crop Insurance.
|
If you’re interested in starting a career with USDA, subscribe to receive free email alerts on select positions within the USDA Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Risk Management Agency and Farm Production and Conservation Business Center.
All federal job vacancies within USDA are posted on usajobs.gov. In order to further promote employment opportunities, we are going to start sending emails that highlight select positions.
If you want to keep up with vacancy announcements via email, you can subscribe to “Careers” by visiting farmers.gov/subscribe and completing the following steps.
- Select “email” as your subscription type
- Enter your email address
- Click “submit”
- Select the “Careers” topic under “Connect with us”
- Click “submit” to verify your subscription topic choice at the bottom of the page
Not all job vacancy announcements will be shared via email, but you can view a current list of all job openings at any time by visiting usajobs.gov.
For additional information or assistance with your subscription, contact your local USDA Service Center by visiting farmers.gov/service-center-locator.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
|
 |
The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in New Jersey is now accepting FY2025 applications for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), climate-smart practices through EQIP funded by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) program, the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), and Conservation Incentive Contracts (CIC). Also being offered through ACT NOW funding are Conservation Planning Activities (CPAs), Design and Implementation Activities (DIAs), Conservation Evaluation and Monitoring Activities (CEMAs), Soil Health Practices, Tree Mortality Practices, and High Tunnels.
While NRCS accepts applications year-round, New Jersey producers and landowners should apply by October 18, 2024, to be considered for funding in the current cycle.
 Meeting will take place October 23, 2024, 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. ET
We’re inviting urban producers, innovative producers, and other stakeholders to virtually attend a public meeting of the Federal Advisory Committee for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production on October 23, 2024, from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. Eastern.
Meeting details can be viewed in the Federal Register Notice. Written comments can be submitted via UrbanAgricultureFederalAdvisoryCommittee@usda.gov by November 6, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. The Committee will deliberate and vote on proposed recommendations and address public comments during the meeting. USDA will share the agenda between 24 to 48 hours prior to the meeting on the Committee’s webpage.
The Committee is managed by the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production and was established through the 2018 Farm Bill and is part of a broad USDA investment in urban agriculture.
 |
|
| |
Subscribe to the New Jersey Farm Service Agency Calendar to receive USDA program deadlines and related information automatically on the calendar app on your device. To subscribe just scan the QR code above or click here. There is no cost to subscribe and you can unsubscribe at anytime.
|
|
Top of page
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).
|
