Salem Service Center - February 2025
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| February 17, 2025 |
Service Center closed for Federal Holiday - Washington's Birthday
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| March 1, 2025 |
Deadline for NAP coverage for 2025 alfalfa, clover, grass, millet, mixed forage and lespedeza. |
| April 15, 2025 |
Deadline for ARC/PLC election/enrollment for base acres. |
***CRP signups and re-enrollment details have not been announced.
Are you an agricultural landowner interested in protecting the integrity of your property? Consider safeguarding your land with a conservation easement through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). NRCS accepts agricultural conservation easement applications year-round; however, applications for Fiscal Year 2025 funding are being accepted beginning today through March 7, 2025.
The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) protects the agricultural viability and related conservation values of eligible land by limiting nonagricultural uses which negatively affect agricultural uses and conservation values. The ACEP protects grazing uses and related conservation values by restoring or conserving eligible grazing land, and it also protects, restores and enhances wetlands on eligible land.
The Agricultural Land Easements (ALE) component funds permanent agricultural land easements that not only protect the future of the nation's food supply, but also support environmental quality, wildlife habitat, and historic preservation and protection of open spaces. Landowner applicants who are interested must apply through an eligible entity – such as a land trust, municipality, or State agencies. NRCS will prioritize applications that protect agricultural uses and related conservation values of the land and those that maximize the protection of contiguous acres devoted to agricultural use.
Under the Wetland Reserve Easement (WRE) component, landowners may apply directly to NRCS for a conservation easement to restore wetlands impacted by agriculture. Wetland Reserve Easements provide habitat for fish and wildlife, including threatened and endangered species, improve water quality by filtering sediments and chemicals, reduce flooding, recharge groundwater, protect biological diversity, provide resilience to climate change, and provide opportunities for limited recreational activities.
USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting enrollments and elections for the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) for 2025 from Jan. 21 to April 15. 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. The American Relief Act, 2025 extended many Farm Bill-authorized programs for another year, including 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 your Livingston and Crittenden County USDA Service Center at 270-988-2180.
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FSA guaranteed loans allow lenders to provide agricultural credit to farmers who do not meet the lender's normal underwriting criteria. Farmers and ranchers apply for a guaranteed loan through a lender, and the lender arranges for the guarantee. FSA can guarantee up to 95 percent of the loss of principal and interest on a loan. Guaranteed loans can be used for both farm ownership and operating purposes.
Guaranteed farm ownership loans can be used to purchase farmland, construct or repair buildings, develop farmland to promote soil and water conservation or to refinance debt.
Guaranteed operating loans can be used to purchase livestock, farm equipment, feed, seed, fuel, farm chemicals, insurance and other operating expenses.
FSA can guarantee farm ownership and operating loans up to $2,251,000. Repayment terms vary depending on the type of loan, collateral and the producer's ability to repay the loan. Operating loans are normally repaid within seven years and farm ownership loans are not to exceed 40 years.
For more information on guaranteed loans, contact your Hopkinsville Farm Loan Team at (270) 885-5066 or visit fsa.usda.gov.
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 Livingston/Crittenden County USDA Service Center at (270) 988-2180.
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Salem USDA Service Center
2027 US Hwy 60 E, Ste B
Salem, KY 42078
Phone: 270-988-2180
Fax: 855-774-8958
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Sign up for text notifications by texting: kylivingston or kycrittenden to 372-669.
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Beth Chittenden
FSA 270-988-2180 alizabeth.chittenden@usda.gov
Shelly Ezell
FSA Farm Loan 270-885-5066 shelly.ezell@usda.gov
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Frank Yancey
NRCS 270-885-5066 frank.yancey@usda.gov
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Public Meetings
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Crittenden/Livingston County Committee Meeting: Second Wednesday of the month at 7:30 am at the Salem Service Center Committee Room. Please call the office to make sure the meeting has not been cancelled.
- Questions? Contact Beth Chittenden at alizabeth.chittenden@usda.gov.
- If you would need to request an accommodation, please contact Beth Chittenden at 270-988-2180 or alizabeth.chittenden@usda.gov by the first of the month to request accommodations (e.g., an interpreter, translator, seating arrangements, etc.) or materials in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape – captioning, etc.).
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Livingston Soil and Water Conservation District Meeting: Third Thursday of the month at 8:00 am at Deer Lakes Golf Course.
- Questions? Contact Johnetta Taylor at johnetta.taylor@ky.nacdnet.net.
- If you would need to request an accommodation, please contact Johnetta Taylor at 270-988-2180 or johnetta.taylor@ky.nacdnet.net by the first of the month to request accommodations (e.g., an interpreter, translator, seating arrangements, etc.) or materials in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape – captioning, etc.).
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Crittenden Soil and Water Conservation District Meeting: Third Thursday of the month at 7:00 pm at the Conservation District's office.
- Questions? Contact Bob Guess at robert.guess@ky.nacdnet.net.
- If you would need to request an accommodation, please contact Bob Guess at 270-969-3074 or robert.guess@ky.nacdnet.net.net by the first of the month to request accommodations (e.g., an interpreter, translator, seating arrangements, etc.) or materials in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape – captioning, etc.).
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