Nebraska FSA and NRCS State Office
Electronic Newsletter - October 23, 2024
In This Issue:
From reports I understand that harvest is a little ahead of average, likely attributed in part to the dry weather we’ve had recently. Please stay safe as you finish out the season. As we move into the final two months of 2024, I want to call your attention to current activity at your Nebraska Farm Service Agency offices across the state. You’ll see below two articles that highlight upcoming deadlines.
- If you already participate in the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) or are considering it and want to learn more, now is the time to talk to your local FSA office. NAP provides coverage on losses from natural disasters on crops for which no permanent federal crop insurance is available. The application deadline for alfalfa, mixed forages and grass, and fruits such as apples, aronia berries and grapes, is fast approaching. Please review the article below to learn more about NAP and contact your county FSA soon to apply.
- If you are a producer of certified organic commodities, please note the Organic Certification Cost Share Assistance Program (OCCSP) can provide you some cost-share dollars to help with certification and other certification-related expenses. The deadline to apply for assistance with the past year’s expenses is Oct. 31, 2024, so take a look at the article below and inquire at your county FSA office.
In early November FSA will be mailing out ballots for the 2024 election for County FSA Committees. Every FSA county office has an FSA County Committee elected by local producers. The counties each are divided into Local Administrative Areas (LAAs), and each year a different county LAA is up for election. Producers who live in an LAA that has a COC member up for election should receive a ballot in the mail in the early part of the month. Please take the time to return your ballot by the Dec. 2 deadline.
As I close out this column, I also want to remind folks that the fall acreage certification deadline is Nov. 15, 2024, so if you planted a fall crop, please work with your county office to report those acres.
That’s all for now. Talk to you in November.
--Tim Divis
Urban and innovative agriculture producers will be able to more easily participate in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs as a result of acreage reporting improvements. These improvements, implemented by USDA’s Farm Service Agency, provide more flexibility for reporting acreage on a smaller scale and identifying innovative planting practices like multi-level planting or vertical farming practices.
An acreage report documents crops and where they are grown on a farm or ranch along with the intended use of the crop. Filing an accurate and timely acreage report for all crops and land uses, including failed acreage and prevented planted acreage, can prevent the loss of program benefits.
Acreage Reporting Improvements
FSA’s acreage reporting software previously allowed acreage to be reported down to .0001 acres, approximately a four-square foot area. Producers will now be able to report acreage-based crops at a minimum size of .000001 acre, approximately a 2.5-inch by 2.5-inch area.
Additional improvements will distinguish alternate growing methods such as crops grown within multiple levels of a building, or crops grown using multi-level or multi-layer growing structures such as panels or towers within a container system. This change allows the distinction of vertical farming practices. Urban and innovative producers will also have the option to report plant inventory along with their acreage-based report, allowing producers to better report the full scope of their operation. Producers can contact FSA at their local USDA Service Center for acreage reporting deadlines that are specific to their county.
USDA Urban Service Centers
USDA is committed to working with farms of all sizes and in all locations, including those in urban areas. USDA works with agricultural producers through a network of more than 2,300 Service Centers nationwide. To better serve urban farmers, USDA is establishing 17 new Urban Service Centers.
The Urban Service Centers are staffed by FSA and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) employees and offer farm loan, conservation, disaster assistance and risk management programs.
To find exact locations and contact information for these Urban Service Centers or to learn how to prepare for a USDA Service Center appointment, producers can visit farmers.gov/your-business/urban-growers/urban-service-centers.
For questions, producers should call their FSA county office. Urban operations that are not located near one of the Urban Service Centers can contact one of the more than 2,300 Service Centers across the country by visiting farmers.gov/service-locator.
To comply with program eligibility requirements, all producers are encouraged to contact their local County FSA Office to file an accurate acreage certification report by the applicable deadline. The acreage reporting deadline for all fall-seeded crops such as wheat, triticale and rye is November 15, 2024. Producers also are encouraged to report fall-planted cover crops at this time.
Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) policy holders should note that the acreage reporting date for NAP covered crops is the earlier of the date listed above or 15 calendar days before grazing or harvesting of the crop begins.
Producers who file accurate and timely acreage certification reports, including failed and prevented planted acreage, can prevent the potential loss of USDA program benefits.
Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds producers to examine available USDA crop risk protection options, including federal crop insurance and Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) coverage, before the applicable crop sales deadline.
NAP application deadlines can vary by county and by crop. In Nebraska NAP application deadlines for coverage in the 2025 production season are approaching and include:
- Rye, triticale, wheat: Sept. 30, 2024
- Alfalfa, mixed forages and grass: Nov. 15, 2024
- Apples, aronia berries and grapes: Nov. 20, 2024
Producers interested in NAP are encouraged to contact their county FSA office for more information ahead of the deadline.
Producers are reminded that crops not covered by federal crop insurance may be eligible for NAP. NAP covers losses from natural disasters on crops for which no permanent federal crop insurance program is available, including perennial grass forage and grazing crops, fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, floriculture, ornamental nursery, aquaculture, turf grass, ginseng, honey, syrup, bioenergy, and industrial crops. NAP can protect against losses associated with lower yields, destroyed crops or prevented planting.
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 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. The buy-up coverage can be from 50 to 65 percent of expected production in 5 percent increments, at 100 percent of the average market price. 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. Producers qualifying as beginning, underserved, or limited resource farmers or those who can meet eligibility requirements as a military veteran are eligible for free catastrophic (basic) level of NAP coverage, as well as the potential for reduction in buy-up premiums.
To learn more about NAP, visit www.fsa.usda.gov/nap.
All Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) participants with contracts from 2004 and beyond must complete at least one management activity during the life of the contract.
Management activities must be completed before the end of year six for 10-year contracts or before the end of year nine for contracts with a 15-year contract length. An approved Conservation Plan of Operation will provide information on when the CRP management activity is scheduled during the life of the CRP contract.
Landowners who are due to conduct a management practice should carefully consider all options and plan ahead. Current dry conditions could prevent the use of prescribed burning, depending on local conditions and directives from fire officials. Landowners considering a prescribed burn as a management practice are required to secure a “burn packet,” consisting of a burn plan and burn permit, from their local FSA office ahead of time. The FSA staff also will provide instructions for grass seeding for the areas being inter-seeded.
Management activities create plant diversity for wildlife as well as enhance permanent cover. In addition to prescribed burn and inter-seeding, landowners can choose from the following other appropriate management practices:
- Tillage and inter-seeding;
- Spraying with inter-seeding;
- Haying with inter-seeding; or
- Prescribed grazing with inter-seeding.
Inter-seeding is optional if the existing CRP cover meets plant diversity requirements. If using the broadcast seeding method, the seeding rate should be doubled.
Management activities must be completed outside the primary nesting season. For Nebraska the primary nesting season is May 1 through July 15.
Based on the choice of practice, your local FSA office will furnish the necessary forms to report completion, cost associated with the activity and request for cost-share assistance. CRP participants must complete and sign the FSA-848B and provide necessary paperwork such as bills and seed receipts to receive cost-share assistance for the management activity. Please note for any CRP contract effective October 2018 or later, cost-share for management activities is not authorized.
Please contact your local county FSA office to discuss management practices.
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.
Agricultural producers and landowners are reminded compliance with Highly Erodible Land (HEL) and Wetland Conservation (WC) provisions is required to maintain eligibility for federal farm program and crop insurance premium benefits. HEL and WC provisions apply across a producer’s entire farming operation and a violation of such provisions on one farm can result in a producer’s loss of eligibility for applicable benefits on all farms in their operation.
Conservation compliance refers to the U.S. Department of Agriculture requirement that production of agriculture commodities on highly erodible lands maintains compliance with an approved conservation plan or system. This means highly erodible land must be farmed in a manner that maintains a certain level of surface residue and minimizes soil erosion. A conservation plan or system may include taking steps such as incorporating minimal or no-till operations or planting cover crops. To maintain compliance with wetland conservation provisions, producers must agree they will not plant an agricultural commodity on a converted wetland. Specifically, persons are ineligible for certain farm program benefits if they plant an agricultural commodity on wetlands that were converted after Dec. 23, 1985, or if they convert a wetland after Nov. 28, 1990. Some examples of the conversion of a wetland are draining, dredging, tiling, leveling or removing woody vegetation. Program regulations indicate that even accidental planting of a small portion of a converted wetland must be treated as a wetland violation, and therefore would make the producer ineligible for USDA benefits on all farms for which they receive benefits.
Producers should contact their local USDA Service Center to file Farm Service Agency (FSA) Form AD-1026 prior to breaking new ground and conducting land clearing or drainage type projects to ensure the proposed actions meet compliance criteria. Once the AD-1026 is filed, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will identify highly erodible lands and wetlands based on the project and can provide further planning assistance, such as a conservation plan, to producers if requested.
For more information on conservation compliance provisions, contact the your local County FSA office.
Accessing capital to begin, extend or support an agriculture operation can be especially challenging to new producers. Farm Service Agency offers a variety of resources to assist those who are just starting out, including “Beginning Farmer” direct and guaranteed loan programs that have funding targeted for qualified applicants. To access these programs, beginning farmers/ranchers must meet these basic qualifiers:
- Has operated a farm/ranch for not more than 10 years
- Will materially and substantially participate in the operation of the farm/ranch
- Agrees to participate in a loan assessment, borrower training and financial management program required by FSA
- Does not own a farm in excess of 30 percent of the county’s average size farm.
Individuals interested in learning more should contact their county FSA office. A couple of loan programs to inquire about include:
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Direct Farm Ownership Down Payment Loan – this type of loan may be used by beginning farmers/ranchers to purchase a farm or ranch. It requires a 5% cash down payment, but also offers a low interest rate that can be as low as 1.5%.
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Direct Farm Ownership Loan – Joint Financing - this type of loan may be used by any qualified borrower but is often used by beginners to purchase a farm or ranch with no down payment required. Financing is provided jointly by FSA and another lender. This program also offers a low interest rate, which can be as low as 2.5%.
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Microloans – this type of loan may be used by any qualified borrower but is designed to meet the needs of small and beginning farmers/ranchers by easing some requirements and offering less paperwork. It can be used for purchasing a farm or ranch (ownership), but also for operational expenses (operating) and other needs. It does have a $50,000 loan limit for each type of loan.
Other loan programs may be appropriate, depending on individual needs. Potential customers are encouraged to check out the Farm Loan Discovery Tool to review the various loan options. There also is an online Loan Assistance Tool, which takes potential applicants through an eligibility checklist and provides line-by-line guidance on the FSA loan paperwork.
There are FSA farm programs that have specific provisions for individuals meeting the beginning farmer/rancher definition, and producers are encouraged to ask about these programs at their FSA office. For example, the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) helps producers manage risk for both crop losses and crop plantings that were prevented due to natural disaster. NAP is available for crops not covered by federal crop insurance and basic coverage is available at no cost to qualified beginning farmers/ranchers. Other programs with beginning farmer/rancher provisions include the Emergency Conservation Program and the Dairy Margin Coverage Program, among others.
For additional information about these and other FSA resources for beginning farmers/ranchers, contact your local FSA Office.
OPERATING/OWNERSHIP
Farm Operating: 4.875%
Farm Ownership: 5.375%
Farm Ownership – Limited Resource: 5%
Farm Ownership - Joint Financing: 3.375%
Farm Ownership - Down Payment: 1.5%
Emergency - Actual Loss: 3.75%
FARM STORAGE FACILITY LOAN
3-year term: 3.625%
5-year term: 3.5%
7-year term: 3.625%
10-year term: 3.75%
12-year term: 3.875%
MARKETING ASSISTANCE
Commodity Loan: 5.125%
Oct. 31, 2024 – Deadline to submit applications for the Organic Certification Cost Share Program
Nov. 4, 2024 – Ballots for FSA County Committee election mailed to eligible voters
Nov. 11, 2024 – USDA Service Centers closed for federal holiday
Nov. 15, 2024 – Acreage reporting deadline for fall-seeded crops for 2025 program eligibility (including NAP)
Nov. 15, 2024 – NAP application closing deadline for coverage for alfalfa, grass and mixed forages in the 2025 production season
Nov. 20, 2024 – NAP application closing deadline for coverage for apples, aronia berries and grapes in the 2025 production season
Nov. 28, 2024 – USDA Service Centers closed for federal holiday
***Please note any above NAP calendar reference may not be inclusive for all NAP-covered crops; NAP participants should contact their County FSA Office to confirm important program deadlines.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced up to $7.7 billion in assistance for fiscal year 2025 to help agricultural and forestry producers adopt conservation practices on working lands. This includes up to $5.7 billion for climate-smart practices, made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, which is part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda and $2 billion in Farm Bill funding. This is more than double the amount available last year and the most conservation assistance made available in a single year in U.S. history for popular USDA conservation programs.
Through changing temperatures, precipitation patterns, drought, flooding, and increasingly more severe extreme events, such as hurricanes and wildfires, climate change is affecting the livelihood of USDA’s stakeholders. Innovations in adapting to such changes will be central to the future success of working lands. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) received more than 156,485 applications for its conservation programs in fiscal year 2024. While NRCS accepts applications year-round, interested agricultural producers can now apply for fiscal year 2025 funding through NRCS at their local USDA Service Center.
The Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate and conservation investment in history, invests an additional $19.5 billion in NRCS’ oversubscribed conservation programs over five years, which began in fiscal year 2023. This year through the Inflation Reduction Act, producers can apply for $2.8 billion through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), $943 million through the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), $472 million through the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), and up to $1.4 billion in the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). This is in addition to the $2 billion available for these programs through the Farm Bill, including $860 million for EQIP, $600 million for CSP, $450 million for ACEP, and $250 million for RCPP.
This assistance through the Inflation Reduction Act also helps advance the President’s Justice40 Initiative, which set a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain climate, clean energy and other federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. These investments also advance President Biden’s America the Beautiful Initiative, a locally led, voluntary conservation and restoration effort that aims to address the nature and climate crises, support working lands conservation, improve equitable access to the outdoors, and strengthen the economy.
Since implementation began in 2023, this climate smart conservation assistance has helped over 28,500 farmers and ranchers apply conservation to 361 million acres of land during the past two years. These funds provide direct climate mitigation benefits, advance a host of other environmental co-benefits, and expand access to financial and technical assistance for producers to advance conservation on their farm, ranch or forest land through practices like cover cropping, conservation tillage, wetland restoration, prescribed grazing, nutrient management, tree planting and more.
Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Activities
NRCS recently released an updated list of Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Mitigation Activities eligible for Inflation Reduction Act funding in fiscal year 2025, which includes 14 new activities. NRCS also released the NRCS Conservation Practices and Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Information dashboard sharing the expected mitigation benefits and science-based estimation approach for listed practices.
These in-demand activities are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or increase carbon sequestration, as well as provide other significant benefits to natural resources like soil health, water quality, pollinator and wildlife habitat and air quality. In response to feedback received from conservation partners, producers and NRCS staff across the country, NRCS considered and evaluated activities based on scientific literature demonstrating expected climate change mitigation benefits.
These activities will also help producers mitigate the risks of climate change, including drought and flooding from extreme weather events such as the recent hurricane. Agriculture faces significant exposure to the physical risks of climate change. The USDA estimates that due to increased drought fueled by climate change, the Agency could see up to double the number of ranchers seeking assistance under the Livestock Forage Disaster Program by the end of the century compared to today. This corresponds to an increase of more than $800 million per year in Federal expenditures by the end of the century.
Conservation Easements
NRCS is accepting applications for ACEP for fiscal year 2025, which includes $472 million in Inflation Reduction Act funds for this year. ACEP helps producers conserve and protect grasslands, wetlands and farmlands. Producers interested in Inflation Reduction Act funding through ACEP should submit their applications by the next two ranking dates, Oct. 4, 2024, or Dec. 20, 2024. Any ACEP application submitted to NRCS that was unfunded in fiscal year 2024 will be automatically re-considered during the Oct. 4 funding cycle.
In addition, NRCS is also accepting ACEP applications eligible for Farm Bill funding. Application dates for fiscal year 2025 funding differ by state, and they’re available on the NRCS Ranking Dates webpage.
How to Apply
NRCS accepts producer applications for EQIP and CSP year-round, but producers interested in fiscal year 2025 funding should apply by their state’s ranking dates through NRCS at their local USDA Service Center. Funding is provided through a competitive process and is an opportunity to address the unmet demand from producers who have previously sought funding for climate-smart conservation activities.
Additionally, USDA will hold a briefing on Oct. 4 at 11:30 a.m. EDT for interested agriculture and conservation partners. USDA Farm Production and Conservation Under Secretary Robert Bonnie, NRCS Chief Cosby and several producers who have implemented NRCS programs with the help of the Inflation Reduction Act will talk about voluntary conservation on working lands. Add to your calendar: Google, iCal or Outlook.
More Information On Aug. 16, 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate investment in history, into law. It is a historic, once-in-a-generation investment and opportunity for the agricultural communities that USDA serves. The Inflation Reduction Act will help producers stay on the farm, prevent producers from becoming ineligible for future assistance and promote climate-smart agriculture by increasing access to conservation assistance.
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Nebraska FSA and NRCS State Office
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Farm Service Agency
1121 Lincoln Mall Suite 330
Lincoln, NE 68508
Phone: (402) 437-5581
Fax: (844) 930-0237
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Natural Resources
Conservation Service
1121 Lincoln Mall Suite 360
Lincoln, NE 68508
Phone: (402) 437-5300
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Tim Divis, FSA
Deputy State Executive Director
timothy.divis@usda.gov
FSA State Office Programs Chiefs
Cathy Anderson, Product. & Compliance
Pat Lechner, Price Support & Conserv.
Mark Wilke, Farm Loans
Tim Divis, Executive Officer
Patty Wilke, Administrative Officer
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Robert Lawson, NRCS
State Conservationist
robert.lawson@usda.gov
FSA State Committee
Roy Stoltenberg, Cairo, Chair
Bill Armbrust, Elkhorn
Aaron LaPointe, Winnebago
Becky Potmesil, Alliance
Paula Sue Steffen, Humboldt
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Visit the Nebraska FSA website at www.fsa.usda.gov/ne.
Visit the Nebraska NRCS website at www.nrcs.usda.gov/ne.
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