In This Issue:
As we prepare for 2024-year end, I would like to take a moment to express my heart felt gratitude to all the Illinois producers for all you do! You are the backbone of the agriculture industry. Your everyday efforts and continuous dedication are the driving force behind this state’s farming success. I would also like to thank the FSA State Committee and the FSA employees for assisting me, while I have been serving in this position, administering programs to the Illinois producers and partner organizations/stakeholders all the while striving, to preserve and promote, American agriculture, in the state of Illinois. I am beyond grateful to you all, thank you!
I would like to mention that Farm Service Agency (FSA) has announced a $2 billion Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) program, aimed at helping specialty crop producers expand markets and manage higher costs, is now accepting applications from December 10, 2024, through January 8, 2025. Funded by the Commodity Credit Corporation, MASC was announced in November alongside the $140 million Commodity Storage Assistance Program for facilities impacted by 2024 natural disasters.
Specialty crop growers have typically faced higher marketing and handling costs relative to non-specialty crop producers due to the perishability of fruits, vegetables, floriculture, nursery crops and herbs. Through this marketing assistance program, we can expand U.S. specialty crop consumption and markets by providing specialty crop producers the financial support needed to help them engage in activities that broaden and enhance strategies and opportunities for marketing their commodities.
MASC helps specialty crop producers meet higher marketing costs related to:
- Perishability of specialty crops like fruits, vegetables, floriculture, nursey crops and herbs.
- Specialized handling and transport equipment with temperature and humidity control.
- Packaging to prevent damage.
- Moving perishables to market quickly; and
- Higher labor costs.
MASC Eligibility
To be eligible for MASC, a producer must be in business at the time of application, maintain an ownership share and share in the risk of producing a specialty crop that will be sold in calendar year 2025.
Additional information on MASC is available in the Notice of Funding Availability, which went on public inspection in the Federal Register on December 9, 2024.
Additionally, the Farm Loan team is already working on operating loans for spring 2025 and asks potential borrowers to submit their requests early so they can be timely processed. The farm loan team can help determine which loan programs are best for applicants.
FSA offers a wide range of low-interest loans that can meet the financial needs of any farm operation for just about any purpose.
The traditional farm operating and farm ownership loans can help large and small farm operations take advantage of early purchasing discounts for spring inputs as well expenses throughout the year.
Additional program details and more in-depth information is provided in our newsletter. Please don’t hesitate to contact your County FSA office for questions about our programs, loans and information that is included in this newsletter edition. For more information, contact the your local County USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov.
I have a few important reminders and dates to remember this month:
December 24 – Christmas Eve Holiday. FSA Offices are Closed
December 25 -- Christmas Day Holiday. FSA Offices are Closed.
January 1 -- Elected Committee Members and alternates take office.
January 1 -- New Year's Day Holiday. FSA Offices are Closed
January 2 - Deadline to report honeybees for 2025 FSA program eligibility (ELAP, NAP) programs.
January 2 - Deadline to report honey and maple sap to FSA
January 8 - Deadline for specialty crop producers to apply for Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) Program, aimed at helping specialty crop producers expand markets and manage higher costs.
January 30----Final date to apply for 2023 Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) Losses
January 30-----Final date to apply for 2023 Livestock assistance Program (ELAP) Losses
The month of December is recognized for Christmas Day and Christmas Eve.
However, there are many other special days observed in the month of December also, such as:
December 2 – World Pollution Prevention Day
December 3 – Internation Day of People with Disabilities
December 6 – St. Nicholas Day
December 7 – National Pearl Harbor Day of Remembrance
December 12 – National Poinsettia Day
December 17 – National Ugly Sweater Day
December 24 – Christmas Eve
December 30 – National Bacon Day Hanukkah – Week of December 25-January 2 National Influenza Vaccination Week – December 5-9 Farm to Food Bank Month Learn a Foreign Language Month World AIDS/HIV Awareness Month Seasonal Depression Awareness Month Bingo Month
Please be mindful that Christmas can be a very stressful time, the hustle and bustle and coming and going of the holiday season, added to everyday life stress, can become overwhelming. If you, your loved ones or your friends are experiencing extra difficulty with anything this year, please reach out to one of these great resources.
Free - Confidential - 24/7 Staffed - Farm Crisis Lifeline CALL OR TEXT 1-833-FARM-SOS (1-833-327-6767)
Illinois Agricultural Mental Health Voucher Program - University of Illinois Extension Illinois Agricultural Mental Health Voucher Program
On behalf of the FSA State Committee, FSA employees, my family and myself I would like to wish you and your families, The Happiest of Holiday seasons and a Prosperous New Year!
And as always, stay safe on and around the farm.
Sincerely,
Scott Halpin
State Executive Director
Illinois Farm Service Agency
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The Farm Service Agency (FSA) has several loan programs to help you start or continue an agriculture production. Farm ownership and operating loans are available.
While all qualified producers are eligible to apply for these loan programs, FSA has provided priority funding for members of targeted underserved applicants.
A targeted underserved applicant is one of a group whose members have been subjected to racial, ethnic or gender prejudice because of his or her identity as members of the group without regard to his or her individual qualities.
For purposes of this program, targeted underserved groups are women, African Americans, American Indians, Alaskan Natives, Hispanics, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
FSA loans are only available to applicants who meet all the eligibility requirements and are unable to obtain the needed credit elsewhere.
The Farm Loan team in Illinois is already working on operating loans for spring 2025 and asks potential borrowers to submit their requests early so they can be timely processed. The farm loan team can help determine which loan programs are best for applicants.
FSA offers a wide range of low-interest loans that can meet the financial needs of any farm operation for just about any purpose. The traditional farm operating and farm ownership loans can help large and small farm operations take advantage of early purchasing discounts for spring inputs as well expenses throughout the year.
Microloans are a simplified loan program that will provide up to $50,000 for both Farm Ownership and Operating Microloans to eligible applicants. These loans, targeted for smaller and non-traditional operations, can be used for operating expenses, starting a new operation, purchasing equipment, and other needs associated with a farming operation. Loans to beginning farmers and members of underserved groups are a priority.
Other types of loans available include:
Marketing Assistance Loans allow producers to use eligible commodities as loan collateral and obtain a 9-month loan while the crop is in storage. These loans provide cash flow to the producer and allow them to market the crop when prices may be more advantageous.
Farm Storage Facility Loans can be used to build permanent structures used to store eligible commodities, for storage and handling trucks, or portable or permanent handling equipment. A variety of structures are eligible under this loan, including bunker silos, grain bins, hay storage structures, and refrigerated structures for vegetables and fruit. A producer may borrow up to $500,000 per loan.
The Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Farm Storage Facility Loan (FSFL) program provides low-interest financing to help you build or upgrade storage facilities and to purchase portable (new or used) structures, equipment and storage and handling trucks.
Eligible commodities include corn, grain sorghum, rice, soybeans, oats, peanuts, wheat, barley, minor oilseeds harvested as whole grain, pulse crops (lentils, chickpeas and dry peas), hay, honey, renewable biomass, fruits, nuts and vegetables for cold storage facilities, floriculture, hops, maple sap, rye, milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, meat and poultry (unprocessed), eggs, and aquaculture (excluding systems that maintain live animals through uptake and discharge of water). Qualified facilities include grain bins, hay barns and cold storage facilities for eligible commodities.
Loans up to $50,000 can be secured by a promissory note/security agreement, loans between $50,000 and $100,000 may require additional security, and loans exceeding $100,000 require additional security.
You do not need to demonstrate the lack of commercial credit availability to apply. The loans are designed to assist a diverse range of farming operations, including small and mid-sized businesses, new farmers, operations supplying local food and farmers markets, non-traditional farm products, and underserved producers.
For more information, contact your County USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov/pricesupport.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) announced improvements to the processing pumpkin insurance program for the 2025 and succeeding crop years for Illinois producers, including increasing the maximum coverage level from 80% to 85%.
Additional improvements to the program include:
- Allowing enterprise units and enterprise units by organic practice; and
- Authorizing written agreements, which will allow producers to apply for coverage in counties where the program is not currently offered.
“The Risk Management Agency’s processing pumpkin insurance provides critical support to our Illinois pumpkin producers, who are the largest source of processed pumpkins in the U.S.,” said Brian Frieden, Director of RMA’s Regional Office that covers Illinois. “These changes will provide our pumpkin producers with more flexibilities and coverage options.”
To safeguard program integrity for processing pumpkins, RMA will be modifying the rotational requirement that prohibits insurance attaching to acreage that was planted to a Cucurbitaceae (squash, melons, cucumbers or gourds) in the preceding crop year, by increasing the requirement from one crop year to the two preceding crop years. Additionally, frost or freeze will no longer be a covered cause of loss after November 1.
After a successful pilot period, RMA is converting the processing pumpkin program from a pilot to a permanent program. Due to this conversion, processing pumpkin producers in the region will no longer be eligible for the Farm Service Agency’s Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP).
The processing pumpkin crop insurance policy offers actual production history coverage, which insures a producer’s historical yield. Only processing pumpkins grown under contract with a processor are eligible for coverage, and the price in the contract is used to establish the insurance coverage.
Processing pumpkins are insurable in Bureau, Fulton, Henry, Knox, Marshall, Mason, Peoria, Putnam, Stark, Tazewell and Woodford counties. Producers that are interested in planting and insuring processing pumpkins should speak to their crop insurance agent about additional details, including upcoming sales closing dates for their area and the written agreement process.
In crop year 2024, producers insured $5.6 million in covered liabilities on 7,100 acres of pumpkins.
More Information
Crop insurance is sold and delivered solely through private crop insurance agents. A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA Service Centers and online at the RMA Agent Locator. Producers can learn more about crop insurance and the modern farm safety net at rma.usda.gov or by contacting their RMA Regional Office.
RMA secures the future of agriculture by providing world class risk management tools to rural America through Federal crop insurance and risk management education programs. RMA provides policies for more than 130 crops and is constantly working to adjust and create new policies based on producer needs and feedback.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under 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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The U.S. Department of Agriculture, in partnership with FarmRaise, launched an online Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP) Decision Tool. The USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) tool is designed to assist agricultural producers who have been impacted by natural disasters access available program support. This ELAP Decision Tool, a component of a broader disaster assistance program educational module, further expands the library of online FSA disaster and farm loan program reference resources and decision aids currently available to agricultural producers on the FarmRaise FSA educational hub. The Decision Tool is a resource only and is not an application for benefits or a determination of eligibility.
ELAP is designed to address losses not covered by other FSA disaster assistance programs. The program provides recovery assistance to eligible producers of livestock, honey bee, and farm-raised fish losses due to an eligible adverse weather or loss condition, including drought, blizzards, disease, water shortages and wildfires. ELAP covers grazing and feed losses, transportation of water and feed to livestock and hauling livestock to grazing acres due to an eligible loss condition. ELAP also covers certain mortality losses, due to an eligible condition, for livestock including honey bees and farm-raised fish as well as honey bee hive losses.
New FarmRaise Tools and Resources
FarmRaise, in partnership with FSA, recently launched their online, educational hub – the FarmRaise | FSA Educational Hub – comprised of videos, tools and interactive resources that enable USDA cooperators and agricultural producers to learn about and access major FSA programs.
A new addition to the hub, the ELAP Decision Tool helps eligible producers impacted by qualifying natural disasters and other eligible causes of loss better understand program eligibility and application requirements, learn about record-keeping and supporting loss documentation requirements and track the steps needed before applying for program benefits. The document generated by the ELAP Decision Tool can be used to support the ELAP application process, but it is not a program application. Producers will need to complete and submit the ELAP Application to their local FSA county office. Upon request, applicants may be asked to provide additional supporting documentation per the program requirements.
Through use of the ELAP Decision Tool, producers can segment by loss type (honey bee, farm-raised fish and livestock). This enables easier navigation, as guided by the tool, to assistance available to meet specific disaster recovery needs. After entering the type of loss, identifying the loss condition and entering their inventory and loss information, producers are guided through a worksheet that helps identify required loss documentation — documentation (i.e., pictures, receipts, truck logs, etc.) that can be uploaded through the ELAP tool and sent directly to the producer’s local FSA county office, or producers can provide a copy of the tool-generated worksheet summary document when they visit their local FSA county office to complete and submit the required ELAP application.
Additional FarmRaise Resources
The previously announced Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) Decision Tool, also available through the FarmRaise | FSA Educational Hub, assists livestock producers who suffered losses from eligible adverse weather events and other causes of loss as well as cooperators who are helping disaster-impacted livestock producers navigate available federal disaster assistance programs. The LIP Decision Tool gives producers guidance on what is needed to gather and submit required loss documentation, reducing the amount of time needed to complete applications and enabling FSA county office staff to deliver much-needed assistance faster. Using the LIP Decision Tool is not an application for benefits or a determination of eligibility.
In addition to the new ELAP Decision Tool and the LIP Decision Tool, the FarmRaise | FSA Educational Hub offers several, easily navigated farm loan programs how-to videos designed to introduce producers to FSA’s many farm loan programs options and guide them through the application process.
More FSA program resources and tools will continue to be added to the FarmRaise | FSA Educational Hub. Cooperators and agricultural producers are encouraged to visit the FarmRaise | FSA Educational Hub often to access all available educational resources.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $7 million in eight projects to support the development of wetland mitigation banks for agricultural producers through the Wetland Mitigation Banking Program (WMBP). Through wetland mitigation banks, wetlands are restored, created or enhanced, generating credits that can be purchased by producers looking to compensate for unavoidable impacts to wetlands at another location.
“Private landowners play an important role in restoring and protecting wetland health on working agricultural lands,” said USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Terry Cosby. “Through wetland mitigation banking we can help them not only meet USDA requirements but also improve the health of wetlands and boost wetland benefits, like storing floodwaters, filtering pollutants and providing critical habitat to wildlife.”
This year’s awarded project in Illinois is:
Magnolia IL LLC
Funding Amount: $599,500
Illinois
Magnolia IL LLC proposes to expand the previously approved Illinois Conservation Exchange umbrella banking instrument to include an additional mitigation bank site, generating a minimum of 40 acres of forested wetland mitigation credits in the northwestern part of the state.
About the Wetland Mitigation Banking Program
To participate in most USDA programs, agricultural producers agree to comply with the wetland conservation provisions, which means producers will not farm converted wetlands or convert wetlands to enable agricultural production. In situations where avoidance or on-site mitigation is challenging, the Farm Bill allows for off-site mitigation through the purchase of mitigation banking credits.
WMBP award recipients can use WMBP funding to support the costs of developing and establishing a wetland mitigation bank, like costs for site identification, development of a mitigation banking instrument, site restoration, land surveys, permitting and title searches, and market research. Funding cannot be used to purchase land or a conservation easement.
When a mitigation bank is established, the landowner retains ownership and use of the property, while a conservation easement protects the wetlands from incompatible degrading activities.
NRCS awarded the first WMBP grants in 2016. Since then, NRCS has awarded 31 projects supporting the creation or expansion of wetland mitigation banks in 14 states.
NRCS is prioritizing WMBP funds in specific states that have a large backlog of certified wetland determination requests.
Awardees can request up to $1 million for a project and projects may last up to four years.
For more information about the Wetland Mitigation Program, visit the website, https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/wmpb-wetland-mitigation-banking-program.
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.
 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced improvements to the hemp crop insurance program for the 2025 and succeeding crop years. The Risk Management Agency (RMA) is changing the rotation requirements to allow hemp to be planted behind soybeans in Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. This improvement also applies to Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
“The Risk Management Agency is continuing to work with hemp producers to improve coverage options,” said Brian Frieden, Director of RMA’s Regional Office that covers Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. “This policy change will give producers more options when it comes to their crop rotation.”
In addition to changing the rotation requirements, RMA is clarifying that smoke damage is not a covered cause of loss, as hemp coverage does not allow for quality adjustment.
The hemp Actual Production History (APH) program offers multi-peril crop insurance coverage for hemp in selected production regions and was implemented for the 2020 crop year and subsequently expanded.
Sales closing dates for the 2025 crop year vary by county and include January 31, 2025, February 28, 2025, and March 15, 2025. Producers can contact their crop insurance agent to find the deadline for their county.
RMA collaborated with stakeholders to improve these programs. In crop year 2024, producers insured $750,000 in covered liabilities on 2,600 acres of hemp nationwide.
More Information
Crop insurance is sold and delivered solely through private crop insurance agents. A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA Service Centers and online at the RMA Agent Locator. Producers can learn more about crop insurance and the modern farm safety net at rma.usda.gov or by contacting their RMA Regional Office.
RMA secures the future of agriculture by providing world class risk management tools to rural America through Federal crop insurance and risk management education programs. RMA provides policies for more than 130 crops and is constantly working to adjust and create new policies based on producer needs and feedback.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under 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.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has released a new Tribal Relations Strategy, demonstrating the agency’s commitment to honoring its federal trust relationship with the 574 federally recognized tribes and Alaska Native Villages that have sovereign interest in more than 119 million acres of land across the United States.
“I’m proud to release this Tribal Relations Strategy, which contains six action items that will increase NRCS’s service and commitment to tribes, as they have requested,” said NRCS Chief Terry Cosby. “NRCS is furthering its commitment to work closely with Tribal nations to steward lands and waters. This natural alliance ensures the ongoing health of the nation’s renewable resources. We appreciate Tribal Nations’ consultation, collaboration, and cooperation to enhance and strengthen NRCS’s Nation-to-Nation relationships.”
The strategy was based on feedback from Tribal Nations, including recommendations made to Chief Cosby at the 2021, 2022, and 2023 National Tribal Consultations, and in-depth collaboration that took place at seven Regional Tribal Conservation Advisory Council meetings. Its six action items include:
- Hiring a Tribal Relations Director to establish an NRCS Office of Tribal Relations within the Office of the Chief.
- Filling positions dedicated to tribal conservation.
- Providing housing assistance on tribal lands (in partnership with the Department of the Interior).
- Implementing a tribal knowledge training plan.
- Creating an advanced tribal development program.
- Recording correctly tribal conservation data.
This strategy builds on many years of listening, working and consulting with tribes to address their natural resources concerns. NRCS is committed to carrying out its federal trust responsibilities by ensuring that the agency has tribal operations built into its organizational structure.
NRCS plans to announce a new national Tribal Relations Director in the coming months. Tribal organizations can reach out to their State Conservationist for more information and submit a request for assistance.
More information
In addition to NRCS, USDA’s Farm Service Agency and Risk Management Agency are also supporting Tribal Nations. Learn more on the Partnerships with Tribal Nations webpage on farmers.gov.
For more than 90 years, NRCS has helped farmers, ranchers and forestland owners make investments in their operations and local communities to improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and wildlife habitat. NRCS uses the latest science and technology to help keep working lands working, boost agricultural economies, and increase the competitiveness of American agriculture. NRCS provides one-on-one, personalized advice and financial assistance and works with producers to help them reach their goals through voluntary, incentive-based conservation programs. Now, with additional funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, NRCS is working to get even more conservation practices on the ground while ensuring access to programs for all producers. For more information, visit nrcs.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.
Landowners and operators are reminded that in order to receive payments from USDA, compliance with Highly Erodible Land (HEL) and Wetland Conservation (WC) provisions are required. Farmers with HEL determined soils are reminded of tillage, crop residue, and rotation requirements as specified per their conservation plan. Producers are to notify the USDA Farm Service Agency prior to breaking sod, clearing land (tree removal), and of any drainage projects (tiling, ditching, etc.) to ensure compliance. Failure to update certification of compliance, with form AD-1026, triggering applicable HEL and/or wetland determinations, for any of these situations, can result in the loss of FSA farm program payments, FSA farm loans, NRCS program payments, and premium subsidy to Federal Crop Insurance administered by RMA.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) today announced that it has expanded the Post-Application Coverage Endorsement (PACE) insurance option for corn farmers who “split-apply” nitrogen.
To “split-apply” nitrogen, growers make multiple fertilizer applications during the growing season rather than providing all the crop’s nitrogen requirements with a single treatment before or during planting. This practice can lead to lower input costs and helps prevent runoff and leaching of nutrients into waterways and groundwater.
“Expanding PACE provides corn growers with critical financial protection against weather conditions that prevent timely nitrogen application, helping them manage both yield risks and environmental stewardship effectively,” said Brian Frieden, Director of RMA’s Regional Office that covers Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.
PACE provides payments for the projected yield lost when producers are unable to apply the post/split nitrogen application during the V3 through V10 corn growth stages (from a plant with three visible collared leaves to ten visible collared leaves) due to field conditions created by weather.
For crop year 2025, PACE will be available in all counties in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin where non-irrigated corn is insurable. See map.
PACE is available as supplemental coverage for Yield Protection (YP), Revenue Protection (RP), and Revenue Protection with Harvest Price Exclusion (RP-HPE) policies. The next sales closing date to purchase insurance is March 15, 2025.
This expansion builds upon RMA’s efforts to support conservation-minded farmers and ranchers. To further encourage farmers and ranchers to integrate conservation and climate-smart practices, RMA recently released an updated Good Farming Practices handbook. This updated handbook recognizes all conservation practices offered by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) as Good Farming Practices in crop insurance.
More Information
Crop insurance is sold and delivered solely through private crop insurance agents. A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA Service Centers and online at the RMA Agent Locator. Producers can learn more about crop insurance and the modern farm safety net at rma.usda.gov or by contacting their RMA Regional Office.
RMA secures the future of agriculture by providing world class risk management tools to rural America through Federal crop insurance and risk management education programs. RMA provides policies for more than 130 crops and is constantly working to adjust and create new policies based on producer needs and feedback.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under 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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It Takes a Village (ITAV) community farm is a nearly three-acre urban agriculture operation in Sauk Village, IL, a suburb of Chicago. This non-profit community farm opened in response to the last grocery store closing in their community in 2019. Some residents were limited to accessing food from gas stations and convenience stores without fresh options available within walking or driving distance.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) not only helps large row crop farmers, but also can provide assistance to small urban agriculture operations and community farms. When ITAV needed to expand with a second high tunnel, they called on their local urban conservationists at NRCS.
More about ITAV
It Takes a Village isn’t just a name, but a true statement that reflects how the organizations that lead the farm approach their work. The farm is collaboratively led by Just Roots Chicago and Grace United Church of Christ. Reverend Melody Seaton, the Senior Pastor of Grace United Church of Christ, and Beverly Long, a member of Grace UCC and founding member of the farm, have been instrumental in the visioning, development, and leadership of the project. Partnering with other organizations in the community and seeking USDA assistance has helped them extensively in their mission.
That mission is to provide access to quality food and education for their community. As we came to interview Sean Ruane and Paul Krysik from ITAV, we worked between groups of incoming school children being bussed in for a field trip of the farm. As Paul put it, “We want to help people reconnect with food. They don’t only access food here, they learn how to grow it themselves. Food is a catalyst for education.”
In addition to providing over 2,000 people annually with access to fresh, healthy food, they provide the knowledge to their customers so that they can grow their own food in what space they have.
You can find out more about ITAV and Just Roots at justrootschicago.org.
Working with NRCS
Whenever Just Roots was ready to expand to a second high tunnel, they sought out assistance from NRCS to offset the cost and provide technical assistance by contacting their local field office. NRCS now has urban conservationists and will be expanding into Chicago with a new office in the future. Urban Conservationist Joseph Bridges had this to say about working with ITAV.
“Just Roots was in our first batch of Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) participants since our inception. Sean and his team were ecstatic to learn about how we at NRCS could assist them with our financial assistance programs. They were adamant about learning the importance of conservation and how our practices could help address their resource concerns. Not only has the Just Roots team applied the NRCS conservation practices to their operation, but they have become spokespeople for their community about the good we can do when we all work together.”
What’s Next
Other NRCS practices that are still pending at ITAV farm are cover crops and wildlife habitat planning. Through NRCS assistance, the farm will be able to protect the soil and provide needed habitat for wildlife in an urban environment.
The Illinois Urban Service Center was established in 2023 and is comprised of Natural Resource Conservation Service Urban Conservationist Joseph Bridges, Urban Conservationist Alicia Lozano, and Farm Service Agency County Executive Director Jacey Fears. The team’s jurisdiction covers Cook County, Illinois.
If you would wish to learn more about Urban Conservation, please give us a call at 815-462-3106 or visit our website at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/conservation-basics/conservation-by-state/illinois/urban-agriculture-illinois.
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December 13 - Deadline to Apply for 2024 Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP)
December 16 - Deadline to report the 2025 Fall Seeded Crops for fall barley, fall wheat and all other fall-seeded small grains.
December 25 - Christmas Day Holiday - FSA Offices closed.
January 1 - Elected County Committee Members and alternates take office.
January 1 - New Year's Day Holiday – FSA Offices closed.
January 2 - Deadline to report honeybees for 2025 FSA program eligibility (ELAP, NAP) programs.
January 2 - Deadline to report honey and maple sap to FSA.
January 8 - Deadline for specialty crop producers to apply for Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) Program, aimed at helping specialty crop producers expand markets and manage higher costs. |
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Farm Storage Farm Facility Loan Rates
3 year - 4.125%
5 year - 4.125%
7 year - 4.250%
10 year - 4.375%
12 year - 4.375%
Farm Loan Interest Rates
Direct Farm Operating - 4.750%
Direct Farm Ownership - 5.250%
Direct Joint Financing - 3.250%
Farm Ownership Loans - Direct Down Payment, Beginning Farmer or Rancher 1.500%
Emergency Loans - 3.750%
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