Laramie County Service Center Updates - March 2025
In This Issue:
Happy March Laramie County Farmers and Ranchers!
The deadline to sign up for the 2025 Non-insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) for spring planted crops, except hemp, in Laramie County is April 1st. The deadline to sign up for NAP for hemp is March 15th. We are accepting 2024 production on crops that were covered under your NAP policy. Please provide the bale count with a weight ticket for each crop. If you would like your maps with the acres, please let us know and we can get those sent to you.
The Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs sign up will run through April 15th. Please contact us to get your paperwork in order.
National Agriculture week starts Sunday (March 16th - 22nd), and we want to especially thank you for everything you do, during this week dedicated to agriculture!
-Laramie County FSA
Due to county office workload and scheduling, we are asking you to please call the office to make an appointment so we can be prepared for your visit which will save you time in the office. This gives us the chance to review your information and complete all the required paperwork that we can in your one visit.
-Laramie County FSA & NRCS
|
Top of page
USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds you to report prevented planted and failed acres in order to establish or retain FSA program eligibility for some programs.
You should report crop acreage you intended to plant, but due to natural disaster, were prevented from planting. Prevented planting acreage must be reported on form CCC-576, Notice of Loss, no later than 15 calendar days after the final planting date as established by FSA and the Risk Management Agency (RMA).
The final planting date for Barley is 04/25, Chickpeas & Oats & Sugar beets are 05/20, Corn is 05/25, Triticale is 05/31, Sunflowers & Beans are 06/15, Proso Millet is 06/25, and Hay Millet & Sorghum Forage is 07/01.
Additionally, if you have failed acres, you should also use form CCC-576, Notice of Loss, to report failed acres.
For hand-harvested crops and certain perishables, you must notify FSA of damage or loss through the administrative county office within 72 hours of the date of damage or loss first becomes apparent. This notification can be provided by filing a CCC-576, email, fax or phone. If you notify the County Office by any method other than by filing the CCC-576, you are still required to file a CCC-576, Notice of Loss, within the required 15 calendar days.
For losses on crops covered by the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), you must file a Notice of Loss within 15 days of the occurrence of the disaster or when losses become apparent. You must timely file a Notice of Loss for failed acres on all crops including grasses.
To file a Notice of Loss, contact your Laramie County USDA Service Center at 307-772-2314 ext. 2 or visit www.fsa.usda.gov.
The USDA Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Direct Farm Ownership loans can help farmers and ranchers become owner-operators of family farms, improve and expand current operations, increase agricultural productivity, and assist with land tenure to save farmland for future generations.
There are three types of Direct Farm Ownership Loans: regular, down payment and joint financing. FSA also offers a Direct Farm Ownership Microloan option for smaller financial needs up to $50,000.
Joint financing allows FSA to provide more farmers and ranchers with access to capital. FSA lends up to 50 percent of the total amount financed. A commercial lender, a state program or the seller of the property being purchased, provides the balance of loan funds, with or without an FSA guarantee. The maximum loan amount for a joint financing loan is $600,000, and the repayment period for the loan is up to 40 years.
The operation must be an eligible farm enterprise. Farm Ownership loan funds cannot be used to finance nonfarm enterprises and all applicants must be able to meet general eligibility requirements. Loan applicants are also required to have participated in the business operations of a farm or ranch for at least three years out of the 10 years prior to the date the application is submitted. The applicant must show documentation that their participation in the business operation of the farm or ranch was not solely as a laborer.
For more information about farm loans, contact your Platte County USDA Service Center at 307-322-4050 x2 or visit fsa.usda.gov.
Top of page
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service can help you conserve water and build resilience to drought, through conservation practices that improve irrigation efficiency, boost soil health, and manage grazing lands.
Irrigation Efficiency
USDA helps you improve your irrigation efficiency to ensure each drop of water is used wisely. Saving water on your farm can help during drought and can offset rising water costs; reduce expenditures for energy, chemicals, and labor; and enhance revenues through higher crop yields and improved crop quality. Funded conservation practices include conversion to more efficient irrigation systems, such as micro-irrigation or subsurface drip irrigation, installation of irrigation pipeline, irrigation water management, structures for water control, and flow meters. Tools like drip irrigation, which provides water precisely where and when it’s needed, can achieve greater precision with flow meters and soil moisture sensors.
Soil Health
In addition, soil health conservation practices, such as reduced- or no-till, cover crops, mulching and residue management can help to make your soil, and the plants you grow or animals you raise, healthier. Healthier soil can absorb and retain more water for longer periods of time, making your farm or ranch more resilient to drought. Using soil health practices, you can conserve water by increasing your soil’s water-holding capacity and use conservation tillage to keep the ground covered, reducing water loss through transpiration and evaporation.
And soil health practices increase organic matter, and each pound of organic matter can hold up to 20 pounds of water. Every 1% increase in organic matter results in as much as 25,000 gallons of soil water per acre. Each 1% increase in organic matter can also provide up to 30 pounds of more available nitrogen per acre. That means less money and time spent on inputs like water and fertilizer, which make your operation more profitable.
Rotational/Prescribed Grazing, Water Sources for Livestock
Drought also impacts grazing lands, and NRCS works with you to increase the resilience of your livestock operation. Ranchers can adapt to dry conditions in two main ways: increasing the availability and suitability of forage and ensuring that cattle have an adequate and reliable source of water. For forage, rotational or prescribed grazing (rotating cattle among pastures) can relieve pressure on stressed vegetation and ensure a more consistent supply of forage for animals. NRCS conservationists can also work with you to plant more drought-tolerant forage species, plants best suited to local soils and conditions. For reliable sources of water, NRCS can help you with installing watering facilities, water wells, or water pipeline for livestock. Having available forage and water for livestock can make a big difference in difficult drought conditions.
USDA and NRCS are here for you, helping you recover from drought and prepare for the next one. For more information on drought recovery assistance at farmers.gov/protection-recovery/drought#recovery. For more information on conservation practices to make your operation more resilient to drought in future years, go to www.nrcs.usda.gov.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds agricultural producers that the final date to apply for or make changes to their existing crop insurance coverage is quickly approaching for spring planted crops, Whole-Farm Revenue Protection and Micro Farm. Sales closing dates vary by crop and location, but the next major sales closing dates are Feb. 28, March 15 and April 15.
The USDA’s Risk Management Agency lists sales closing dates in the Actuarial Information Browser, under the “Dates” tab.
Producers can also access the RMA Map Viewer tool to visualize the insurance program date choices for acreage reporting, cancellation, contract change, earliest planting, end of insurance, end of late planting period, final planting, premium billing, production reporting, sales closing, and termination dates, when applicable, per commodity, insurance plan, type and practice. Additionally, producers can access the RMA Information Reporting System tool to specifically identify applicable dates for their operation, using the “Insurance Offer Reports” application.
Federal crop insurance is critical to the farm safety net. It helps producers and owners manage revenue risks and strengthens the rural economy. Producers may select from several coverage options, including yield coverage, revenue protection and area risk plans of insurance.
Crop insurance options include Whole-Farm Revenue Protection and Micro Farm. Whole-Farm Revenue Protection provides a risk management safety net for all commodities on the farm under one insurance policy and is available in all counties nationwide. Micro Farm, introduced in 2021, aims to help direct market and small-scale producers that may sell locally, and this policy simplifies record keeping and covers post-production costs like washing and value-added products.
Producers can find additional information on the Actuarial Information Browser.
Producers are encouraged to visit their crop insurance agent soon to learn specific details for the 2025 crop year. Crop insurance coverage decisions must be made on or before the sales closing date.
Crop insurance is sold and delivered solely through private crop insurance agents. A list of crop insurance agents is available 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.
Top of page
Laramie County USDA Service Center
11221 US Hwy 30
Cheyenne, WY 82009
Phone: 307-772-2314
Fax: 855-415-3429
|
|
Service Center Locator
|
|
FSA County Executive Director
Lori Meier 307-274-9391
FSA Farm Loan Manager
Rob Weppner 307-322-4050
FSA Program Analysts
Sarah Marquardt 307-274-9393
Karla Warren 307-274-9394
|
Acting NRCS District Conservationist
Tami Jorns 307-274-9273
|
|
FSA County Committee:
Heidi Romsa, Dave Bowman, T.J. Hollingsworth
Next County Committee Meeting: TBD
|
|
