USDA News - Lone Star State Edition - November 27, 2024
In This Issue:
As we are approaching the end of another year, we are grateful for the opportunity to serve farmers and ranchers across Texas. We thank you all for your tireless work in feeding to provide food, fiber and fuel for America and the world.
Across the country, FSA is in the middle of our county committee election period. It is crucial that every eligible producer participates in these elections, as FSA county committees are an important link between the agricultural community and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Ballots were mailed to eligible voters on Nov. 4, 2024. The last day to return completed ballots to the USDA Service Center is Monday, Dec. 2, 2024. Newly elected county committee members will take office on Jan. 1, 2025.
Dec. 31, 2024, is the deadline to get coverage for the 2025 crop year for honey. Your local FSA office can provide additional information on applying for coverage.
I wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Sincerely,
Kelly Adkins
State Executive Director
Farm Service Agency - Texas
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As we wrap up 2024, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on the success of our conservation efforts this past year. A record number of financial assistance and conservation practices were implemented across the state, and I would like to thank our producers and staff for all their hard work. Each and every one of you contributes to the success of our agency and our motto of “Helping People Help the Land”. As we look to the future of a new year, I want to encourage you to visit with your local NRCS staff about ways we can assist you with improving and protecting the natural resources on your farm, ranch, urban agriculture or forestry operation with conservation planning and financial assistance.
One Texas producer that is looking to the future is Houston Dobbins of Del Rio. His willingness to learn and implement new ways of doing things, through participating in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program with the NRCS, has proven to be a winning combination. Read more about the success of this Texas rancher in “Rancher with a view, rancher with a vision” on the NRCS Texas Website.
Texas NRCS announced fiscal year (FY) 2025 financial assistance opportunities for landowners through the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). While the NRCS accepts easement applications on a continuous basis, applications for the 2025 fiscal year ACEP funding consideration must be submitted to NRCS by December 6, 2024. For more information, contact your local NRCS office.
I would like to encourage our agricultural producers and partners to give their input on how to improve conservation practice standards to maximize climate change mitigation and adaptation benefits, by December 23, 2024. Conservation practices providing climate benefits are delivered through existing NRCS conservation programs popular with producers, like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), and Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) as well as NRCS technical assistance. The Inflation Reduction Act and Farm Bill provide funding for these programs.
I am looking forward to what 2025 has in store for the NRCS and agricultural producers across the state!
Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season!
Sincerely,
Kristy Oates
State Conservationist
Natural Resources Conservation Service - Texas
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) mailed ballots last week for the Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committee elections to all eligible agricultural producers and private landowners across the country. Elections are occurring in certain Local Administrative Areas (LAA) for these committee members who make important decisions about how federal farm programs are administered locally. Producers and landowners must return ballots to their local FSA county office or have their ballots postmarked by Dec. 2, 2024, for those ballots to be counted.
Producers must participate or cooperate in a USDA program and reside in the LAA that is up for election this year to be eligible to vote in the county committee election. A cooperating producer is someone who has provided information about their farming or ranching operation to FSA, even if they have not applied or received program benefits. Additionally, producers who are not of legal voting age, but supervise and conduct farming operations for an entire farm, are eligible to vote in these elections.
For purposes of FSA county committee elections, every member of an American Indian tribe is considered an agricultural landowner if the land on which the tribal member’s voting eligibility is based is tribally owned or held in trust by the U.S. for the tribe, even if the individual does not personally produce a commodity on that land. Tribal agricultural landowners 18 years and older can contact their local FSA county office to register to vote.
Nationwide, more than 7,700 dedicated members of the agricultural community serve on FSA county committees. Each committee has from three to 11 elected members who serve three-year terms, and at least one seat representing a LAA up for election each year. Committee members are vital to how FSA carries out disaster recovery, conservation, commodity and price support programs, as well as making decisions on county office employment and other agricultural issues. They help ensure inclusive representation on committees and equitable administration of FSA farm programs in their jurisdiction.
Ballots must be postmarked or delivered in person to the local FSA office by close of business Dec. 2, 2024, to be counted. Newly elected committee members will take office Jan. 1, 2025. Producers can identify LAAs up for election through a geographic information system locator tool available at fsa.usda.gov/elections and may confirm their LAA by contacting their local FSA office. Eligible voters who do not receive a ballot in the mail can request one from their local FSA county office.
Urban County Committees
Urban county committees have been established in 27 cities to strengthen administration of FSA programs in urban areas. Urban committee members are nominated and elected to serve by local urban producers in the same jurisdiction. Committee members will provide outreach to ensure urban producers understand USDA programs, serve as the voice of other urban producers and assist in program implementation that support the needs of the growing urban community.
The 27 cities with urban county committees are listed at fsa.usda.gov/elections and farmers.gov/urban. Of these, ten urban county committees will hold an inaugural election this cycle.
Visit fsa.usda.gov/elections for more information on county committee elections.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Texas announced fiscal year (FY) 2025 financial assistance opportunities for landowners through the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). While the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) accepts easement applications on a continuous basis, applications for the 2025 fiscal year ACEP funding consideration must be submitted to NRCS by Dec. 6, 2024. Any applications that are received after Dec. 6, 2024, will be considered in future funding opportunities. Application package information may be found on the Texas NRCS Easement Program webpage.
ACEP Agricultural Land Easements provide financial assistance to eligible partners for purchasing easements that protect the agricultural use and conservation values of eligible land. In the case of working farms, the program helps farmers and ranchers keep their land in agriculture. The program also protects grazing uses and related conservation values by conserving valuable grasslands in Texas.
Eligible partners include Indian tribes, state and local governments and non-governmental organizations that have farmland or grassland protection programs.
ACEP Wetlands Reserve Easements allow landowners to successfully restore, enhance and protect wetlands which have been previously degraded due to agricultural uses. The restoration activities provide benefits such as reducing damage from flooding, recharging groundwater and improving habitat for wildlife. Tribal landowners also have the option of enrolling land in 30-year contracts.
For more information about NRCS and its conservation programs, visit the Texas NRCS website at www.nrcs.usda.gov/Texas or by contacting your local USDA Service Center.
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What happens when your most profitable crop is also your riskiest? That’s the case for Jason Smith, a second generation winegrape grower in California’s Salinas Valley. Jason says that putting food on your plate and wine in your glass also means putting crop insurance into his farm’s business plan.
The winegrape business is one shot at one harvest. If that crop is lost, so is the whole year. For Jason crop insurance has been paramount, especially over the last 10 years. Through the support of USDA and RMA, Jason along with other wine grape growers, have a sense of security to know that if a catastrophic event happens, they are going to be able to survive and plant again the next year.
Watch Producers Behind the Policies Coast to Coast with the Risk Management Agency to learn how Jason overcomes the risks associated with growing winegrapes in California. We can drink to that!
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USDA is extending the application deadline for the Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP) 2024 to Dec.13, 2024. This extension gives organic dairy producers two additional weeks to apply for the program. Eligible producers include certified organic dairy operations that produce milk from cows, goats and sheep.
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.
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 a payment rate increase 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.
How ODMAP 2024 Works
FSA is providing financial assistance for a producer’s projected marketing costs in 2024 based on their 2023 costs. ODMAP 2024 provides a one-time cost-share payment based on marketing costs on pounds of organic milk marketed in the 2023 calendar year or estimated 2024 marketing costs for organic dairy operations that have increased milk production.
ODMAP 2024 provides financial assistance that immediately supports certified organic dairy operations during 2024 keeping organic dairy operations sustainable until markets return to more normal conditions.
How to Apply
FSA is now accepting applications through Dec. 13. To apply, producers should contact FSA at their local USDA Service Center. To complete the ODMAP 2024 application, producers must certify pounds of 2023 milk production, show documentation of their organic certification and submit a completed application form.
Organic dairy operations are required to provide their USDA certification of organic status confirming operation as an organic dairy in 2024 and 2023 along with the certification of 2023 milk production or estimated 2024 milk production in hundredweight.
ODMAP 2024 complements other assistance available to dairy producers, including Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC), with more than $36 million in benefits paid for the 2024 program year to date. Learn more on the FSA Dairy Programs webpage.
More Information
To learn more about USDA programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center. Producers can also prepare maps for acreage reporting as well as manage farm loans and other programs by logging into their farmers.gov account. Producers without an account can sign up today.
FSA helps America’s farmers, ranchers and forest landowners invest in, improve, protect and expand their agricultural operations through the delivery of agricultural programs for all Americans. FSA implements agricultural policy, administers credit and loan programs, and manages conservation, commodity, disaster recovery and marketing programs through a national network of state and county offices and locally elected county committees. For more information, visit fsa.usda.gov.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit usda.gov.
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Approximately $1 million in funding is available from the People’s Garden Initiative through USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production, in partnership with The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s (NFWF) 2025 Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration program. The program will fund projects that support community-based gardens promoting sustainable agriculture practices that benefit people and wildlife. Applications will be accepted until January 30, 2025.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants include non-profit 501(c) organizations, state government agencies, local governments, municipal governments, Tribal Governments and Organizations and educational institutions. Ineligible applicants include unincorporated individuals, businesses, international organizations, state agencies and U.S. Federal government agencies.
Applicant gardens do not need to be registered as People’s Gardens prior to applying, however, they will be asked to sign up once funding is awarded. Gardens of different sizes and types, including school gardens, community gardens, urban farms, and small-scale agriculture projects in rural and urban areas, can be recognized as a People’s Garden.
Project must meet the People’s Garden criteria:
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Join the People’s Garden community by registering a garden at gov/peoples-garden
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Grow the garden using sustainable practices that benefit people and wildlife
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Teach about gardening and resilient, local food systems
Priority will be given to projects that:
- Educate and train local citizens, build diverse partnerships, foster local food systems and provide other socio-economic benefits
- Provide measurable ecological, educational and community benefits
- Support the conservation of fish, wildlife, and habitat, especially at-risk species including migratory birds and pollinators
This funding is available nationally, but special preference will be given to projects in priority cities including Houston.
For more information and instructions on how to apply, please see the Request for Proposals. For more information about the People’s Garden Initiative please visit The People’s Garden website.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds agricultural producers that Farm Loan Programs can be used to support a variety of climate-smart agriculture practices, which build on many practices that farmers and ranchers already use, like cover cropping, nutrient management and conservation tillage.
Climate-smart agricultural practices generate significant environmental benefits by capturing and sequestering carbon, improving water management, restoring soil health and more. Farm loan funding complements other tools to help producers adopt climate-smart practices, such as FSA’s Conservation Reserve Program, crop insurance options that support conservation, and conservation programs offered by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
FSA offers multiple types of loans to help farmers and ranchers start, expand or maintain a family agricultural operation. These loans can provide the capital needed to invest in climate-smart practices and equipment including the establishment of rotational grazing systems, precision agriculture equipment or machinery for conversion to no-till residue management. Additionally, for programs like Conservation Reserve Program and NRCS conservation programs where USDA and the producer share the implementation cost, a farm loan could be used for the producer’s share, if consistent with the authorized loan purpose.
Some additional ways farm loans can be leveraged to invest in climate-smart agriculture practices or equipment include:
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Precision Agriculture Equipment - Eligible producers could use a Term Operating Loan to purchase equipment like GPS globes, monitors, or strip till fertilizer equipment.
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Cover Crops - Eligible producers could use an Annual Operating Loan for seed costs.
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No/Reduced Till - Eligible producers could use a Term Operating Loan to purchase equipment.
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Livestock Facility Air Scrubber or Waste Treatment - Eligible producers could use a Farm Ownership Loan for capital improvements to livestock facilities.
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Cross Fencing - Eligible producers could use an Annual or Term Operating Loan to purchase fencing and installation equipment.
Visit the Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry webpage on farmers.gov to learn more and see detailed examples of how an FSA farm loan can support climate-smart agriculture practices.
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Farmers can use USDA farm ownership microloans to buy and improve property. These microloans are especially helpful to beginning or underserved farmers, U.S. veterans looking for a career in farming, and those who have small and mid-sized farming operations. Microloans have helped farmers and ranchers with operating costs, such as feed, fertilizer, tools, fencing, equipment, and living expenses since 2013.
Microloans can also help with farmland and building purchases and soil and water conservation improvements. FSA designed the expanded program to simplify the application process, expand eligibility requirements and expedite smaller real estate loans to help farmers strengthen their operations. Microloans provide up to $50,000 to qualified producers and can be issued to the applicant directly from the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA).
To learn more about the FSA microloan program, contact your local USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov/microloans.
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Farmers and ranchers working with USDA’s Farm Service Agency or Natural Resources Conservation Service can now sign and share documents online in just a few clicks. By using Box or OneSpan, producers can digitally complete business transactions without leaving their homes or agricultural operations. Both services are free, secure, and available for multiple FSA and NRCS programs.
Box is a secure, cloud-based site where FSA or NRCS documents can be managed and shared. Producers who choose to use Box can create a username and password to access their secure Box account, where documents can be downloaded, printed, manually signed, scanned, uploaded, and shared digitally with Service Center staff. This service is available to any FSA or NRCS customer with access to a mobile device or computer with printer connectivity.
OneSpan is a secure eSignature solution for FSA and NRCS customers. Like Box, no software downloads or eAuthentication is required for OneSpan. Instead, producers interested in eSignature through OneSpan can confirm their identity through two-factor authentication using a verification code sent to their mobile device or a personalized question and answer. Once identity is confirmed, documents can be reviewed and e-signed through OneSpan via the producer’s personal email address. Signed documents immediately become available to the appropriate Service Center staff.
Box and OneSpan are both optional services for customers interested in improved efficiency in signing and sharing documents with USDA, and they do not replace existing systems using eAuthentication for digital signature. Instead, these tools provide additional digital options for producers to use when conducting business with FSA or NRCS.
USDA Service Center staff are available to help producers get started with Box and OneSpan through a few simple steps. Please visit farmers.gov/service-locator to find your local office and let Service Center staff know you’re interested in signing and sharing documents through these new features. In most cases, one quick phone call will be all that is needed to initiate the process.
Visit farmers.gov/mydocs to learn more about Box and OneSpan, steps for getting started, and additional resources for conducting business with USDA online.
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