In This Issue:
As I come to the end of my appointment as State Executive Director at Illinois FSA, 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!
When I began the SED role, I was not exactly sure what to expect. I remember seeing past SED’ s at Farm Bureau events promoting new and existing programs. What I probably didn’t expect is that this job is also all about people and relationships: ◦ it starts with the farmers at the county offices
◦ it’s the 500 staff members in the county offices around the state
◦ it’s the people at the sister agencies, support organizations, congressional offices and the FSA National Office staff
Building friendships and trust comes in very handy when you need to call up with a situation that needs immediate attention, and they already know you.
The State Executive Director job description talks about administration of the farm programs, but it’s really the agency employees that makes that happen.
So often it has been said that producers are some of the most resilient individuals, due to the many uncertain challenges they face daily. Producers face having little or no control over their farming input costs, weather conditions, and market price fluctuations. Together FSA and Illinois producers have formed a great team and continue to work together to embrace so many of these challenges year after year. I have complete faith in this team that WE have built and best of all, you are all GREAT people.
In my three years at FSA, I have listened and learned about the many farm programs and policies that are administered through the agency and shared them with the Illinois producers, partner organizations and stakeholders so they may better understand FSA policies and procedures.
I have always practiced an open-door policy for both producers and employees, making certain to address all questions and concerns presented to me. I developed many close working relationships with many of you, that I appreciate greatly and plan to continue after I leave FSA and return to the farm. It has been said many times that it takes a village to keep things up and running smoothly daily, and I feel that each one of you have played a huge part, toward the success that we accomplished in the past 3 years at FSA.
It was a great honor and a true pleasure to serve as the State Executive Director, that I thoroughly enjoyed every day.
I feel we have accomplished so much! I walk out of here with a right sized staff for a state this size, our farm programs are in really good shape, and we have analyzed our shortcomings and have worked extremely hard to provide the best service to all the Illinois producers.
In closing, I would like to thank my family from the bottom of my heart, my wife Sarah, sons Ty and Cale, daughter Grace, my parents Frank and Deb Halpin, my brother Chris and sister Lynn. Without your constant support, I could not have been here in this position serving Illinois agriculture every day.
I won’t say goodbye but see you around, as I plan to still be around the agriculture community and industry while transitioning back to Halpin Farms full time.
Many thanks to you all!
And as always, please stay safe on and around the farm.
Sincerely,
Scott Halpin
State Executive Director
Farm Service Agency
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the 2025 enrollment periods for key safety-net programs – Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) as well as Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC). Agricultural producers can submit applications to USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) for ARC and PLC for the 2025 crop year from January 21 to April 15 and for DMC for the 2025 coverage year from January 29 to March 31.
ARC and PLC provide financial protections to farmers from substantial drops in crop prices or revenues and are vital economic safety nets for most American farms. Meanwhile, DMC provides producers with price support to help offset milk and feed price differences.
The American Relief Act, 2025 extended many Farm Bill-authorized programs for another year, including ARC and PLC as well as DMC.
ARC and PLC
Producers can elect coverage and enroll in ARC-County (ARC-CO) or PLC, which provide crop-by-crop protection, or ARC-Individual (ARC-IC), which protects the entire farm. Although election changes for 2025 are optional, producers must enroll through a signed contract each year. Also, if a producer has a multi-year contract on the farm it will continue for 2025 unless an election change is made.
If producers do not submit their election revision by the April 15 deadline, their election remains the same as their 2024 election for commodities on the farm from the prior year. Farm owners cannot enroll in either program unless they have a share interest in the cropland.
Covered commodities include barley, canola, large and small chickpeas, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, dry peas, rapeseed, long grain rice, medium grain rice, safflower seed, seed cotton, sesame, soybeans, sunflower seed and wheat.
USDA also reminds producers that ARC and PLC elections and enrollments can impact eligibility for some crop insurance products including Supplemental Coverage Option, Enhanced Coverage Option and, for cotton producers, the Stacked Income Protection Plan (commonly referred to as STAX). For more information on ARC and PLC, producers can visit the ARC and PLC webpage or contact their local USDA Service Center.
DMC
DMC is a voluntary risk management program that offers protection to dairy producers when the difference between the all-milk price and the average feed price (the margin) falls below a certain dollar amount selected by the producer.
DMC offers different levels of coverage, even an option that is free to producers, minus a $100 administrative fee. The administrative fee is waived for dairy producers who are considered limited resource, beginning, socially disadvantaged or a military veteran.
DMC payments are calculated using updated feed and premium hay costs, making the program more reflective of actual dairy producer expenses. These updated feed calculations use 100% premium alfalfa hay. For more information on DMC, visit the DMC webpage.
Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans require applicants to have a satisfactory credit history. A credit report is requested for all FSA direct farm loan applicants. These reports are reviewed to verify outstanding debts, see if bills are paid timely and to determine the impact on cash flow.
Information on your credit report is strictly confidential and is used only as an aid in conducting FSA business.
Our farm loan staff will discuss options with you if you have an unfavorable credit report and will provide a copy of your report. If you dispute the accuracy of the information on the credit report, it is up to you to contact the issuing credit report company to resolve any errors or inaccuracies.
There are multiple ways to remedy an unfavorable credit score:
- Make sure to pay bills on time
- Setting up automatic payments or automated reminders can be an effective way to remember payment due dates.
- Pay down existing debt
- Keep your credit card balances low
- Avoid suddenly opening or closing existing credit accounts
FSA’s farm loan staff will guide you through the process, which may require you to reapply for a loan after improving or correcting your credit report.
For more information on FSA farm loan programs, contact your local County USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing the launch of the Debt Consolidation Tool, an innovative online tool available through farmers.gov that allows agricultural producers to enter their farm operating debt and evaluate the potential savings that might be provided by obtaining a debt consolidation loan with USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) or a local lender.
A debt consolidation loan is a new loan used to pay off other existing operating loans or lines of credit that might have unreasonable rates and terms. By combining multiple eligible debts into a single, larger loan, borrowers may obtain more favorable payment terms such as a lower interest rate or lower payments. Consolidating debt may also provide farmers and ranchers additional cash flow flexibilities.
The Debt Consolidation Tool is a significant addition to FSA’s suite of improvements designed to modernize its Farm Loan Programs. The tool enhances customer service and increases opportunities for farmers and ranchers to achieve financial viability by helping them identify potential savings that could be reinvested in their farming and ranching operation, retirement accounts, or college savings accounts.
Producers can access the Debt Consolidation Tool by visiting farmers.gov/debt-consolidation-tool. The tool is built to run on modern browsers including Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or the Safari browser. Producers do not need to create a farmers.gov account or access the authenticated customer portal to use the tool.
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 September 25, 2024, are designed to better assist borrowers to make strategic investments in the enhancement or expansion of 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 impactful 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 be a fit for 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 and servicing options available to assist with starting, expanding, or maintaining their agricultural operation. To conduct business with FSA, please contact your local USDA Service Center.
The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) provides assistance to you for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by adverse weather, disease and attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government or protected by federal law.
For disease losses, FSA county committees can accept veterinarian certifications that livestock deaths were directly related to adverse weather and unpreventable through good animal husbandry and management.
For 2024 livestock losses, you must file a notice and provide the following supporting documentation to your local FSA office no later than 60 calendar days after the end of the calendar year in which the eligible loss condition occurred.
· Proof of death documentation
· Copy of grower’s contracts
· Proof of normal mortality documentation
· Livestock beginning inventory documentation
USDA has established normal mortality rates for each type and weight range of eligible livestock, i.e. Adult Beef Cow = 1.5% and Non-Adult Beef Cattle = 3%. These established percentages reflect losses that are considered expected or typical under “normal” conditions.
In addition to filing a notice of loss, you must also submit an application for payment by March 3, 2025.
For more information, contact the your County USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov.
Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybee, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP)
ELAP provides emergency assistance to eligible livestock, honeybee, and farm-raised fish producers who have losses due to disease, adverse weather or other conditions, such as blizzards and wildfires, not covered by other agricultural disaster assistance programs.
Eligible losses include:
· Livestock - grazing losses not covered under the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP), loss of purchased feed and/or mechanically harvested feed due to an eligible adverse weather event, additional cost of transporting water and feed because of an eligible drought and additional cost associated with gathering livestock to treat for cattle tick fever.
· Honeybee - loss of purchased feed due to an eligible adverse weather event, cost of additional feed purchased above normal quantities due to an eligible adverse weather condition, colony losses in excess of normal mortality due to an eligible weather event or loss condition, including CCD, and hive losses due to eligible adverse weather.
· Farm-Raised Fish - death losses in excess of normal mortality and/or loss of purchased feed due to an eligible adverse weather event.
If you’ve suffered eligible livestock, honeybee, or farm-raised fish losses during calendar year 2024, you must file a notice of loss and an application for payment by January 30, 2025.
In support of Climate Smart efforts to expand renewable fuel sources, today the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) announced additional insurance options for soybeans planted behind domesticated pennycress in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio and Tennessee.
Domesticated pennycress is a feedstock used to produce renewable fuels and sustainable aviation fuel that has a lower carbon intensity score than many other crops. It is planted in the fall when many fields are left dormant. By planting in the fall, the living root system of domesticated pennycress can help improve soil health, reduce nutrient run-off, and sequester carbon, providing many of the same benefits of a cover crop. Unlike a cover crop, domesticated pennycress can be harvested as an additional cash crop, utilizing a practice known as double cropping within a Conservation Crop Rotation. The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) lists Conservation Crop Rotation as one of many Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry (CSAF) Mitigation Activities for 2025.
“By working with and listening to our stakeholders, RMA is able to provide farmers with flexible insurance options for soybeans planted after domesticated pennycress,” said Brian Frieden, Director of RMA’s Regional Office that covers Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. “If you’re considering planting soybeans after domesticated pennycress, please contact your crop insurance agent for details on requesting a written agreement.”
Beginning in 2025, this change will provide farmers who plant soybeans following domesticated pennycress in counties with the Following Another Crop (FAC) practice an option to request a higher yield and reduced rate through a written agreement, to reflect the longer soybean growing season when soybeans follow domesticated pennycress.
See map for where expanded opportunities for soybeans are located. Producers should contact a crop insurance agent or visit RMA’s Double Cropping Initiative page for additional information.
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.
ELAP provides emergency assistance to eligible livestock, honeybee, and farm-raised fish producers who have losses due to disease, adverse weather or other conditions, such as blizzards and wildfires, not covered by other agricultural disaster assistance programs.
Eligible losses include:
· Livestock - grazing losses not covered under the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP), loss of purchased feed and/or mechanically harvested feed due to an eligible adverse weather event, additional cost of transporting water and feed because of an eligible drought and additional cost associated with gathering livestock to treat for cattle tick fever.
· Honeybee - loss of purchased feed due to an eligible adverse weather event, cost of additional feed purchased above normal quantities due to an eligible adverse weather condition, colony losses in excess of normal mortality due to an eligible weather event or loss condition, including CCD, and hive losses due to eligible adverse weather.
· Farm-Raised Fish - death losses in excess of normal mortality and/or loss of purchased feed due to an eligible adverse weather event.
If you’ve suffered eligible livestock, honeybee, or farm-raised fish losses during calendar year 2024, you must file a notice of loss and an application for payment by January 30, 2025.
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires Federal agencies to consider all potential environmental impacts for federally funded projects before the project is approved.
For all Farm Service Agency (FSA) programs, an environmental review must be completed before actions are approved, such as site preparation or ground disturbance. These programs include, but are not limited to, the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP), Farm Storage Facility Loan (FSFL) program and farm loans. If project implementation begins before FSA has completed an environmental review, the request will be denied. Although there are exceptions regarding the Stafford Act and emergencies, it’s important to wait until you receive written approval of your project proposal before starting any actions.
Applications cannot be approved until FSA has copies of all permits and plans. Contact your local FSA office early in your planning process to determine what level of environmental review is required for your program application so that it can be completed timely.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service Illinois State Conservationist, Tammy Willis, announces a funding opportunity for Environmental Quality Incentives Program Landscape Conservation Initiatives and Urban Ag using “Act Now” authority. Through Act Now, NRCS can quickly fund a ranked application when it meets or exceeds a determined minimum ranking score and continue to fund applications while funds are available.
The Act Now process is available for the five ranking pools whose purpose is to use a local or regional process to address conservation goals and make the most impact. Urban Ag meets the same objective and is also being offered with the Act Now process. The ranking pools and the parts of Illinois they cover are:
• Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watershed Initiative– Available in three watersheds:
o Clinton Lake – Located in DeWitt, McLean and Piatt Counties.
o Upper Macoupin Creek – Located in Macoupin County.
o Vermilion Headwaters – Located in Ford, Iroquois, Livingston and McLean Counties.
• National Water Quality Initiative– Available in three watersheds:
o Friends Creek – Located in DeWitt, Macon and Piatt Counties.
o Money Creek – Located in McLean County.
o Panther Creek – Located in Sangamon County.
• Joint Chiefs' Landscape Restoration Partnership – Available in designated areas in Alexander, Hardin, Jackson, Johnson, Massac, Pope and Union Counties.
• Northern Bobwhite – Available in 70 counties in southern and western Illinois.
• Monarch Butterflies – Available in all Illinois counties.
• Urban Ag – Available in urban areas in all Illinois counties.
The Mississippi and National initiative ranking pools have a water quality focus and conservation practices identified in the local watershed plans are available for funding. The Joint Chiefs’ partnership ranking pool targets upland oak ecosystem restoration through forest stand improvement and invasive plant treatments. The Northern Bobwhite and Monarch Butterflies pools are to establish or improve habitat for these species. Lastly, the Urban Ag pool is for agricultural land that is in urban or incorporated areas.
Program applications are accepted on a continuous basis, however, EQIP Act Now applications will be accepted through May 30, 2025. Applications assessed and ranked by February 13, 2025, will be funded if above the established ranking score. Funding decisions will be made monthly until June or when funds are no longer available.
Producers who have an application on file with your NRCS field office should contact the office if you are interested in competing for any of these EQIP ranking pools. For information on EQIP or other NRCS programs, contact the local NRCS field office or visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/il.
 FSA is cleaning up our producer record database and needs your help. Please report any changes of address, zip code, phone number, email address or an incorrect name or business name on file to our office. You should also report changes in your farm operation, like the addition of a farm by lease or purchase. You should also report any changes to your operation in which you reorganize to form a Trust, LLC or other legal entity.
FSA and NRCS program participants are required to promptly report changes in their farming operation to the County Committee in writing and to update their Farm Operating Plan on form CCC-902.
To update your records, contact your local County USDA Service Center.
Marketing Assistance Loans (MALs) and Loan Deficiency Payments (LDPs) provide financing and marketing assistance for wheat, feed grains, soybeans, and other oilseeds, pulse crops, rice, peanuts, cotton, wool and honey. MALs provide you with interim financing after harvest to help you meet cash flow needs without having to sell your commodities when market prices are typically at harvest-time lows. A producer who is eligible to obtain a loan, but agrees to forgo the loan, may obtain an LDP if such a payment is available. Marketing loan provisions and LDPs are not available for sugar and extra-long staple cotton.
FSA is now accepting requests for 2024 MALs and LDPs for all eligible commodities after harvest. Requests for loans and LDPs shall be made on or before the final availability date for the respective commodities.
Commodity certificates are available to loan holders who have outstanding nonrecourse loans for wheat, upland cotton, rice, feed grains, pulse crops (dry peas, lentils, large and small chickpeas), peanuts, wool, soybeans and designated minor oilseeds. These certificates can be purchased at the posted county price (or adjusted world price or national posted price) for the quantity of commodity under loan, and must be immediately exchanged for the collateral, satisfying the loan. MALs redeemed with commodity certificates are not subject to Adjusted Gross Income provisions.
To be considered eligible for an LDP, you must have form CCC-633EZ, Page 1 on file at your local FSA Office before losing beneficial interest in the crop. Pages 2, 3 or 4 of the form must be submitted when payment is requested.
Marketing loan gains (MLGs) and loan deficiency payments (LDPs) are no longer subject to payment limitations, actively engaged in farming and cash-rent tenant rules.
Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) provisions state that if your total applicable three-year average AGI exceeds $900,000, then you’re not eligible to receive an MLG or LDP. You must have a valid CCC-941 on file to earn a market gain of LDP. The AGI does not apply to MALs redeemed with commodity certificate exchange.
For more information and additional eligibility requirements, contact your County USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov.
Farm Service Agency (FSA) program payments are issued electronically into your bank account. In order to receive timely payments, you need to notify your FSA servicing office if you close your account or if your bank information is changed for any reason (such as your financial institution merging or being purchased). Payments can be delayed if FSA is not notified of changes to account and bank routing numbers.
For some programs, payments are not made until the following year. For example, payments for crop year 2019 through the Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage program aren’t paid until 2020. If the bank account was closed due to the death of an individual or dissolution of an entity or partnership before the payment was issued, please notify your local FSA office as soon as possible to claim your payment.
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducts hundreds of surveys every year and prepares reports covering virtually every aspect of U.S. agriculture.
If you receive a survey questionnaire, please respond quickly and online if possible.
The results of the surveys help determine the structure of USDA farm programs, such as soil rental rates for the Conservation Reserve Program and prices and yields used for the Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage programs. This county-level data is critical for USDA farm payment determinations. Survey responses also help associations, businesses and policymakers advocate for their industry and help educate others on the importance of agriculture.
NASS safeguards the privacy of all respondents and publishes only aggregate data, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified. NASS data is available online at nass.usda.gov/Publications and through the searchable Quick Stats database.
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January 20 - Martin Luther Kings Birthday - FSA Offices Closed
January 30 - Final Date to Apply for 2024 Emergency Livestock Assistance Program (ELAP) Losses
January 31 - Final Date to Request 2024 Crop Year Wool & Unshorn Pelts MAL
March 3 - Final Date to Submit an Application for Payment for 2024 Livestock Indemnity Program
March 15 - Final Date to Request 2025 Crop Year NAP for Spring & Summer planted crops, Oats, and Potatoes
March 31 - Final Date to Submit an Application for Payment for 2024 Livestock Indemnity Program
March 31 - Final Date to Request 2024 Crop Year Wheat MAL
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Farm Storage Farm Facility Loan Rates
3 year - 4.125%
5 year - 4.125%
7 year - 4.250%
10 year - 4.250%
12 year - 4.375%
Commodity Loans 5.250%
Farm Loan Interest Rates
Direct Farm Operating - 5.125%
Direct Farm Ownership - 5.625%
Direct Joint Financing - 3.625%
Farm Ownership Loans - Direct Down Payment, Beginning Farmer or Rancher 1.625%
Emergency Loans - 3.750% |
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