Wyoming FSA Newsletter September 2024

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Wyoming FSA Newsletter  -  September 30, 2024

From the Desk of Ol' Bill

SED WY

Emergency Conservation Program (ECP)

16 U.S. Code § 22019(a) - Emergency conservation program

(a)In general

The Secretary of Agriculture (referred to in this chapter as the “Secretary”) is authorized to make payments to agricultural producers who carry out emergency measures to control wind erosion on farmlands or to rehabilitate farmlands damaged by wind erosion, floods, hurricanes, wildfires, or other natural disasters when, as a result of the foregoing, new conservation problems have been created that (1) if not treated, will impair or endanger the land, (2) materially affect the productive capacity of the land, (3) represent damage that is unusual in character and, except for wind erosion, is not the type that would recur frequently in the same area, and (4) will be so costly to rehabilitate that Federal assistance is or will be required to return the land to productive agricultural use.

This is the overriding direction that provides FSA with our marching orders.  It is cut and dry.  Our FSA teams across Wyoming are there to help, to encourage, and to provide and explain the options.

We proudly join our producers in mitigating the losses incurred this year.  Please don’t hesitate to call upon any and all of us. 

See you down the road~    Bill


How to Document Wildfire Losses

Wildfire

If you’ve suffered excessive livestock death losses and grazing or feed losses due to recent wildfires, you may be eligible for disaster assistance programs through the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA).  

The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) offers payments to you for livestock death losses in excess of normal mortality due to adverse weather and the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) provides emergency relief for losses due to feed or water shortages, disease, adverse weather, or other conditions, which are not adequately addressed by other disaster programs. 

To participate in LIP, you will be required to provide verifiable documentation of death losses resulting from an eligible adverse weather event, and you must submit a notice of loss to your local FSA by the application deadline, March 1, 2025. To participate in ELAP, you must submit a notice of loss to your local FSA office by the application deadline, January 30, 2025, and should maintain documentation and receipts. 

You should record all pertinent information regarding livestock losses due to the eligible adverse weather or loss condition, including:  

  • Documentation of the number, kind, type, and weight range of livestock that have died, supplemented if possible by photographs or video records of ownership and losses; 
  • Rendering truck receipts by kind, type and weight - important to document prior to disposal; 
  • Beginning inventory supported by birth recordings or purchase receipts; 
  • Documentation from Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, Department of Natural Resources, or other sources to substantiate eligible death losses due to an eligible loss condition; 
  • Documentation that livestock were removed from grazing pastures due to an eligible adverse weather or loss condition; 
  • Costs of transporting livestock feed to eligible livestock, such as receipts for equipment rental fees for hay lifts and snow removal; 
  • Feed purchase receipts if feed supplies or grazing pastures are destroyed; 
  • Number of gallons of water transported to livestock due to water shortages. 

For more information on these programs and documentation requirements, contact your your local county USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov/disaster


Applying for FSA Direct Loans 

Talking 1 - USDA Flickr

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.  


FSA Offers Joint Financing Option on Direct Farm Ownership Loans 

Online Loan Payment

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 at or visit fsa.usda.gov. 

Wyoming State Newsletter

951 Werner Court
Suite 130
Casper, WY 82601

Phone: 307-261-5231


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