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McKenzie County Service Center Updates- December 2024

In This Issue:

• Side Stepping into the New Year
• McKenzie County FSA is Hiring!
• USDA Farm Loan Program Changes Now in Effect
• New Marketing Assistance Now Available for Specialty Crop Producers
• County Committee Election Results

Side Stepping into the New Year

With the onslaught of colder weather, we made the management decision to put a winter blanket on my daughter’s barrel horse. There is an age-old debate regarding the benefits of blanketing a horse in the wintertime. Some feel that it doesn’t offer any more protection because it lays the hair flat which hinders their body’s natural insulation. Nevertheless, the barrel horse is short-haired and sleek compared to the others in the barn. Considering his lack of hair, we always like to blanket him during the colder months. This year, we decided to add an extra layer of protection underneath his winter coat in the form of a “slinky”, which can be likened to a form-fitting pair of thermal underwear. He didn’t know what to think of it at first and tried to rub it off, but after a couple minutes, he settled down and ate his grain. We feed their individual rations in hanging feeders, so we separate the horses and wait for them to finish eating. Lately, we have been watching from the warmth of the pickup. Well, on that particular night, the other horses finished long before “Snipit”. They headed back out to the pasture several minutes before he was done, so we figured we better check on him as his feeder was hanging just around the barn out of sight from where the pickup was parked. He had in fact finished his feed, but with his new duds on, he was hesitant to move. He was thoroughly confused! All he would do is side pass in his pen with absolutely no forward motion. We put a halter on him and coaxed him out to the bale feeder in the pasture, but it took some convincing to get him to take that first step forward. He acted like he was frozen in one spot! 2024 can be likened to the effects of putting the slinky on that horse. While we did get weekly measurable precipitation from May through June, the moisture shut off as soon as the calendar flipped to July. We side-passed all summer long with no forward motion due to the lack of rainfall. Thankfully, our hay crops and small grains benefitted substantially from that early moisture and held on until harvest; however, the brittle conditions and lack of rain was no match for the high winds in early October as wildfires ripped across the state, further putting a halt to any forward movement, and now we have gone from above average temperatures in mid-November to sub-zero windchills without allowing us any time to acclimate to Mother Nature’s icy grip! 2025 will be here before you know it, so we need to put our best foot forward! At FSA, we have programs available to help you achieve positive forward motion into the New Year! Check out the following disaster programs and their applicable deadlines. If you haven’t signed up yet, give us a call at (701) 842-3628. LFP – covers Grazing Losses due to Drought/Wildfires – Jan 30th deadline ELAP – offsets costs of additional feed/water transportation due to the drought (after October 8th) or extra feed purchased due to damages caused by the wildfire – Jan 30th deadline LIP – 2024 cattle death Losses (above normal mortality) due to natural disasters – March 1st deadline ECP – Conservation Cost share program to offset costs of fence repair, windbreak/shelterbelt restoration, debris removal, etc. due to the wildfires – We are submitting a request for National Office approval to implement this program. Stay tuned! We wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and we look forward to a Happy New Year!

McKenzie County FSA is Hiring!

The McKenzie County USDA-Farm Service Agency (FSA) office located in Watford City, ND is now accepting applications for a permanent full-time Program Analyst position. This position involves general office, computer, and customer service activities. FSA's diverse culture and benefits allow for a healthy balance between your career and home life. In addition to a generous salary, FSA offers a friendly and professional working environment with a diverse workforce, flexible hours/work schedules, and other family-friendly benefits such as: paid vacation and sick leave, paid holidays, retirement and supplemental savings plan, a wide array of health, dental, vision, and life insurance plans, flexible spending accounts, and long-term care insurance. The vacancy announcement and application process can be found on the USA JOBS website located at: USA Jobs - Job Announcement Applications are to be completed online through USA Jobs. The deadline to apply is 10:59 PM Central Standard Time on December 30, 2024. For additional information please contact Marcy Feilmeier via email at marcy.feilmeier@usda.gov or by telephone at 701-842-3628 Ext-2. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

USDA Farm Loan Program Changes Now in Effect

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) long-awaited updates to the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Farm Loan Programs are officially in effect. These changes, part of the Enhancing Program Access and Delivery for Farm Loans rule, are designed to increase financial flexibility for agricultural producers, allowing them to grow their operations, boost profitability, and build long-term savings.

These program updates reflect USDA’s ongoing commitment to supporting the financial success and resilience of farmers and ranchers nationwide, offering critical tools to help borrowers manage their finances more effectively.

What the new rules mean for you:

· Low-interest installment set-aside program: Financially distressed borrowers can now defer up to one annual loan payment at a reduced interest rate. This simplified option helps ease financial pressure while keeping farming operations running smoothly.
· Flexible repayment terms: New repayment options give borrowers the ability to increase their cash flow and build working capital reserves, allowing for long-term financial planning that includes saving for retirement, education, and other future needs.
· Reduced collateral requirements: FSA has lowered the amount of additional loan security needed for direct farm loans, making it easier for borrowers to leverage their existing equity without putting their personal residence at risk.

These new rules provide more financial freedom to borrowers. By giving farmers and ranchers better tools to manage their operations, we’re helping them build long-term financial stability. It’s all about making sure they can keep their land, grow their business, and invest in the future.

If you’re an FSA borrower or considering applying for a loan, now is the time to take advantage of these new policies. We encourage you to reach out to your local FSA farm loan staff to ensure you fully understand the wide range of loan making and servicing options available to assist with starting, expanding, or maintaining your agricultural operation.

For more information, contact our Farm Loan Program staff located in the Ward County USDA Service Center in Minot, ND at (701) 852-5434.

New Marketing Assistance Now Available for Specialty Crop Producers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) $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 Dec. 10, 2024 through Jan. 8, 2025.

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.

MASC covers the following commercially marketed specialty crops:
• Fruits (fresh, dried);
• Vegetables (including dry edible beans and peas, lentils, mushrooms, and vegetable seed);
• Tree nuts;
• Nursery crops, Christmas trees, and floriculture;
• Culinary and medicinal herbs and spices; and
• Honey, hops, maple sap, tea, turfgrass and grass seed.

Applying for MASC
Eligible established specialty crop producers can apply for MASC benefits by completing the FSA-1140, Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) Program Application, and submitting the form to any FSA county office by Jan. 8, 2025. When applying, eligible specialty crop producers must certify their specialty crop sales for calendar year 2023 or 2024.

New specialty crop producers are required to certify 2025 expected sales, submit an FSA-1141 application and provide certain documentation to support reported sales i.e., receipts, contracts, acreage reports, input receipts, etc. New producers are those who began producing specialty crops in 2023 or 2024 but did not have sales due to the immaturity of the crop, began producing specialty crops in 2024 but did not have a complete year of sales or will begin growing specialty crops in 2025.

For MASC program participation, eligible specialty crop sales only include sales of commercially marketed raw specialty crops grown in the United States by the producer. The portion of sales derived from adding value to a specialty crop (such as sorting, processing, or packaging) is not included when determining eligible sales. Further explanation of what is considered by FSA for specialty crop sales as well as an online MASC decision tool and applicable program forms, are available on the MASC Program webpage

MASC Payments
For established specialty crop growers, those who certify crop sales in 2023 or 2024, FSA will calculate MASC payments based on the producer’s total specialty crop sales for the calendar year elected by the producer. Payments for new producers will be based on their expected 2025 calendar year sales. Payment calculation details and examples are available on the MASC webpage or related questions can be directed to local FSA county office staff.

FSA will issue MASC payments after the end of the application period. If demand for MASC payments exceeds available funding, MASC payments may be prorated, and the payment limitation of $125,000 may be lowered. If additional funding is available after MASC payments are issued, FSA may issue an additional payment.

Specialty crop producers interested in applying for MASC benefits, are encouraged to review the program fact sheet for detailed information on program eligibility, required documentation, payment calculations and more.

More Information
Contact the McKenzie County Farm Service Agency at (701) 842-3628 for more information.

County Committee Election Results

The votes are in!  The ballots have been counted!  We would like to congratulate Jesse Monson on being re-elected for his third and final term on the McKenzie County FSA Committee representing LAA #1! We would like to thank all those who took the time to vote!