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Rhode Island Service Center Newsletter - March 11, 2025

In This Issue:

• Important Upcoming Dates & Deadlines
• Producers Can Now Enroll in Dairy Margin Coverage
• Producers Can Now Enroll in ARC and PLC
• Maintaining Good Credit History
• Highly Erodible Land (HEL) and Wetland Conservation Compliance
• Communication Is Key in Lending
• Beginners Guide to Crop Insurance
• Native Plants Provide Abundant Benefits for Farms, Yards
• Farmers Help Rhode Island Keep Soil Healthy
• Conservation at Work Video Series

Important Upcoming Dates & Deadlines

• March 17, 2025 - Deadline to submit application for coverage for spring planted crops for the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP).
• March 31, 2025 - Deadline to enroll in the 2025 Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program.
• April 15, 2025 - Deadline to enroll in the 2025 Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program.

Producers Can Now Enroll in Dairy Margin Coverage

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting applications for Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) for the 2025 coverage year from Jan. 29 to March 31. 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. The American Relief Act, 2025 extended many Farm Bill-authorized programs for another year, including DMC.

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 or contact the RI FSA Office at (401) 828-3120 (ext. 1) or email Lillian Toth at Lillian.Toth@usda.gov.

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Producers Can Now Enroll in ARC and PLC

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 the RI FSA Office at (401) 828-3120 (ext. 1) or email Lillian Toth at Lillian.Toth@usda.gov.

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Maintaining Good Credit History

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 the RI FSA Office at (401) 828-3120 (ext. 2) or email Emma Schlam at Emma.Schlam@usda.gov or visit fsa.usda.gov.

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Highly Erodible Land (HEL) and Wetland Conservation Compliance

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.

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Communication Is Key in Lending

Farm Service Agency (FSA) is committed to providing our farm loan borrowers the tools necessary to be successful. FSA staff will provide guidance and counsel from the loan application process through the borrower’s graduation to commercial credit. While it is FSA’s commitment to advise borrowers as they identify goals and evaluate progress, it is crucial for borrowers to communicate with their farm loan staff when changes occur. It is the borrower’s responsibility to alert FSA to any of the following:

• Any proposed or significant changes in the farming operation
• Any significant changes to family income or expenses
• The development of problem situations
• Any losses or proposed significant changes in security

If a farm loan borrower can’t make payments to suppliers, other creditors, or FSA on time, contact your farm loan staff immediately to discuss loan servicing options.

For more information on FSA farm loan programs, contact the RI FSA Office at (401) 828-3120 (ext. 2) or email Emma Schlam at Emma.Schlam@usda.gov or visit fsa.usda.gov.

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Beginners Guide to Crop Insurance

Don’t know much about Federal crop insurance, but you want to learn more?

Crop insurance is a risk management strategy that farmers use to protect their livelihoods. By purchasing a policy through a crop insurance agent, farmers are financially protected if there are losses due to a covered cause of loss. It’s not so different from car or homeowners insurance.

Start your journey out right by reading RMA’s Beginners Guide to Crop Insurance.

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Native Plants Provide Abundant Benefits for Farms, Yards

When it comes to sprucing up the farm or yard, native plants are a great option. These plants are indigenous to a particular area and provide advantages when used in the right place. Native plants are typically low maintenance and resistant to pests if planted in a place similar to their natural surroundings. Many farmers recognize the benefits of native plants and are incorporating them into working lands, a practice commonly called “farmscaping.” Farmers incorporate natives into field borders, hedgerows and buffer strips – all conservation activities that help agricultural production and the environment. On farms, native trees, shrubs and plants help: Reduce the need for pesticides because native plants attract beneficial insects and birds that eat agricultural pests and also help pollinate Protect farmsteads, crops and livestock from wind and dust Keep soil in place, enabling it to become healthier and not wash into and pollute waterways; Provide pollinator and wildlife habitat Increase the beauty of the farm landscape Rhode Island has a variety of pollinator-friendly wildflowers, such as butterfly milkweed, golden alexander, wild beebalm, calico aster, and showy goldenrod. For more information, contact your local NRCS Field Office or Conservation District Office (see below) or visit RI.nrcs.usda.gov. ^ back to top

Farmers Help Rhode Island Keep Soil Healthy

Our lives are dependent on healthy soil. Healthy soil gives us clean air and water, bountiful crops and forests, productive grazing lands, diverse wildlife and beautiful landscapes. It’s the reason why USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service experts are in your community and across the nation. Soil is composed of air, water, organic matter and minerals. A community of organisms – functioning as a soil food web – lives all or parts of their lives in soil. More individual organisms are in a teaspoon of soil than there are people on earth. Increasing soil organic matter typically improves soil health, since organic matter improves several critical functions of soil. To improve the health of their soil, more and more farmers and ranchers are keeping soil covered, reducing disturbance activities such as tilling, keeping plants growing throughout the year, and diversifying the crops they’re planting in a rotation. Taking these steps allow farmers and ranchers to help reduce erosion while increasing the soil’s ability to provide nutrients and water to the plant at critical times during the growing season.  When farmers focus on improving soil health, they often have larger harvests, lower input costs, optimized nutrient use, and improved crop resilience during drought years like last year. In heavy rainfall years, healthy soil holds more water, reducing runoff that helps avert flooding downstream. And because healthy soil allows for greater water infiltration and less erosion, nutrients and pesticides stay on the farm where they benefit crops, and are far less likely to be carried off the farm into streams and lakes where they can cause harm. NRCS helps farmers install conservation practices such as cover crops to maintain and improve soil health – all of which can lead to productive, profitable and sustainable farming and ranching operations for generations to come. For more information, contact your local NRCS Field Office or Conservation District Office (see below) or visit RI.nrcs.usda.gov. ^ back to top

Conservation at Work Video Series

A video series from NRCS and farmers.gov, Conservation at Work, presents short and easy to understand videos about popular conservation practices. These videos feature producers explaining how an individual practice helps their land and why they are using it. The videos shine the spotlight on farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners from across the U.S. who explain why they’ve implemented the conservation practices and how they work on their land. They also provide insight into how each practice is helping them protect and improve resources and save time and money. We’ve got videos showcasing high tunnels, no-till, cover crops, prescribed grazing, and many more. Check out the Conservation at Work video series at farmers.gov/conserve/conservationatwork. ^ back to top