Colorado USDA Newsletter - October 21, 2024
In This Issue:
USDA Rural Development's Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) and Value Added Producer Grant (VAPG) are tailored for farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers.
Want to reduce expenses through renewable energy & energy efficiency projects? Interested in utilizing solar panels for pivots and more efficient equipment for irrigation (pumps, etc.)? Ever considered using wind, hydropower and geothermal to offset energy costs? The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) could be a good fit.
Transform your agricultural commodities with a Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) to grow your business. Utilize a planning grant to complete a Business Plan and Feasibility Study. Apply for a Working Capital Grant to fund the variable costs associated with marketing, producing and distributing value-added products. Diversify revenue and enter new markets or expand your existing value-added production.
Both programs will be announcing upcoming application cycles in the next few weeks.
Our Rural Business and Cooperative Services team will be hosting informational sessions for interested parties to talk about these programs and how you can benefit from these funding opportunities. Join us at a location near you. Stop by anytime between 9 AM to Noon:
- Nov 13: Alamosa (101 S. Craft Dr.)
- Nov 13: Delta (690 Industrial Blvd.)
- Nov 14: Craig (145 Commerce Street)
QUESTIONS? Alamosa Area: John Reddy, 719-992-3651 Craig Area: Kisha Westcott, 970-329-3162, Delta Area: Jessica Akers, 970-399-8200 or Bill Chester, 720-544-2907. For REAP inquiries email SM.CO.REAP@usda.gov
Looking for ways to do business with USDA that saves you time? Look no further than farmers.gov.
When you create an account for the farmers.gov authenticated customer portal, you have access to self-service features through a secure login. Managing your business with USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is faster than ever. From e-signing documents, viewing, printing, and exporting maps and receiving notifications of payment disbursements, a farmers.gov authenticated account makes doing business with USDA easy and secure.
What can you do with your farmers.gov account?
- View FSA Farm Loan information including interest payments, loan advances, payment history and paid-in-full/restructured loans.
- Make USDA direct farm loan payments using the Pay My Loan feature.
- Access the Online Loan Application portal.
- View, print and export detailed FSA farm records and farm/tract maps.
- Import precision agriculture planting boundaries, create labels containing crop information, and print both on farm tract maps.
- View and print your FSA-156EZ with farm details
- View and print your Producer Farm Data Report
- View NRCS Disbursements and Farm Loans financial activity from the past 180 days.
- View your land, access NRCS data on your conservation plans, contracts, and planning land units through the Conservation Land Area page.
- View, upload, download and e-sign NRCS documents.
- Request NRCS conservation and financial assistance, including submitting a program application.
- View detailed information on all previous and ongoing NRCS contracts, including the amount of cost- share assistance received and anticipated; and even request contract modifications, report practice completion and request practice certification.
- “Switch Profiles” to act on behalf of your entity or another individual when you have active representative authority on file
If you’d like to see the features in action and learn more about how to use them, check out the 3-5 minute farmers.gov account video tutorials.
How do you create a farmers.gov account?
Visit farmers.gov/account to access information about farmers.gov accounts and sign in to the site’s authenticated portal. You will need a Login.gov account linked to your USDA customer record to access your farmers.gov authenticated site. Customers who are new to USDA should visit Get Started at Your USDA Service Center, then go to farmers.gov/account to create a farmers.gov account.
To create a farmers.gov account you will need:
- A USDA individual customer record — A customer record contains information you have given to USDA to do business with them, like your name, address, phone number, and any legal representative authority relationships. Contact your local USDA Service Center to make sure you have an individual USDA customer record on file and your information is up to date.
- A Login.gov account — Login.gov is a sign-in service that gives people secure online access to participating government programs. You can create a Login.gov account linked to your customer record by following the directions on gov/account.
- Identity Verification — You can choose to verify your identity with Login.gov or in-person at a USDA Service Center.
In addition to the self-service features, farmers.gov also has information on USDA programs, farm loans, disaster assistance, conservation programs and crop insurance.
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.
FSA, in collaboration with farm support organizations and land-grant institutions, will facilitate this network, which will provide the technical resources and guidance of USDA partners to experts from distressed and underserved communities. The network's approach includes integrating knowledgeable service providers to deliver one-on-one support to borrowers so they can best make plans and understand options to overcome their financial challenges.
The Distressed Borrowers Assistance Network will address the immediate needs of distressed borrowers and provide comprehensive, wraparound services aimed at addressing the unique challenges faced by financially distressed producers. Once stabilized financially, these borrowers will be better positioned to access new opportunities and continue contributing to the agricultural economy. These investments will also build a system of service providers that can better support agricultural communities for years to come. Investing in a network of agricultural financing service providers to help bridge access to FSA loans is a benefit for rural and agricultural communities.
Additional Farm Loan Programs Improvements
FSA recently announced significant changes to Farm Loan Programs through the Enhancing Program Access and Delivery for Farm Loans rule. These policy changes, to take effect Sept. 25, 2024, are designed to expand opportunities for borrowers to increase profitability and be better prepared to make strategic investments in enhancing or expanding their agricultural operations.
FSA also 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 meaningful 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 fit 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.
- A new educational hub with farm loan resources and videos.
USDA encourages producers to reach out to their local FSA farm loan staff to ensure they fully understand the wide range of loan making and servicing options available to assist with starting, expanding, or maintaining their agricultural operation. To conduct business with FSA, producers should contact their 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.
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USDA is investing nearly $9 million in funding to local organizations to provide outreach, education and technical assistance to urban agricultural producers in ten U.S. cities. FSA is partnering with To Improve Mississippi Economics (T.I.M.E.) to administer an urban farm outreach program offering subawards to community groups that work with producers in cities where FSA has established Urban County Committees, including Sisters of Color United for Education and Consumption in Colorado.
Read the full news release here!
Clint Evans, USDA’s State Conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Colorado announced today, Farm Bill funding opportunities for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). Although the NRCS accepts Farm Bill program applications throughout the year, cut-off dates do apply for certain opportunities. There are two avenues to receive funding in Fiscal Year (FY) 2025, the traditional funding process and the ACT NOW process using either the Farm Bill or IRA funding authorities.
FY-25 EQIP Traditional Funding Opportunities
NRCS's traditional funding process involves the installation of more complex practices and systems which require more planning and design. The traditional applications must be submitted to the NRCS by December 13, 2024.
FY-25 EQIP ACT NOW Funding Opportunities
NRCS's ACT NOW process allows producers the opportunity to apply for applicable NRCS funding and potentially know if their project will be funded in an expedited manner. ACT NOW applications are due to NRCS no later than March 7, 2025.
EQIP is a voluntary Farm Bill program which provides financial assistance for conservation systems such as animal waste management facilities, irrigation system efficiency improvements, fencing, water supply development, riparian protection, and wildlife habitat enhancement.
Farmers, ranchers, and forest land managers are encouraged to contact their local Colorado NRCS field office to help determine which process best fits their goals and needs.
FY-25 CSP Funding Opportunities
CSP applications will be utilizing the ACT NOW process for all funding opportunities though Farm Bill and IRA. CSP applications must be submitted by March 7, 2025.
Through conservation programs, NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to help producers and landowners make conservation improvements on their land that benefit natural resources, build resiliency, and contribute to the nation’s broader effort to combat the impacts of climate change.
Through CSP, NRCS helps farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners that are already stewardship-minded take their operations to a higher level of conservation and stewardship. CSP participants earn annual payments enabling them to expand and adopt new conservation activities while maintaining and strengthening their agricultural operation and its production goals. Landowners looking to improve grazing conditions, increases soil health, or develop wildlife habitat will find CSP is a financial assistance program worth consideration.
Producers, landowners, and forest managers interested in applying for assistance should contact their local Colorado NRCS field office located in the USDA Service Center that services their county. Producers must have farm records current with the Farm Service Agency and submit a complete program application to NRCS to be considered for financial assistance through EQIP and CSP. To find out more information about EQIP, CSP, and other Colorado NRCS programs and opportunities, visit www.co.nrcs.usda.gov.
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USDA Service Center
Colorado State Office
1 Denver Federal Center, Bld 56
Denver, CO 80225
Phone: 720-544-2876
Fax: 844-860-8238
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Farm Service Agency
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State Executive Director
Kent Peppler
720.544.2876
Kent.Peppler@usda.gov
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Communications Specialist
Elizabeth Thomas
720.544.2879
Elizabeth.Thomas1@usda.gov
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Natural Resource Conservation Service
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