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April 2025

In This Issue:

• Managers Comments:
• Maintaining ARC/PLC Acreage
• Applying for Youth Loans
• Applying for Farm Storage Facility Loans
• Annual Review of Payment Eligibility for New Crop Year 
• Save Money on Fuel with No-Till Farming

Managers Comments:

The 2025 spring planting season has officially begun. As I have been out and about, I have seen a lot of activity in the fields. We look forward to seeing you in the office to report your acres when you have finished planting. We are working on preparing and printing your 2025 acreage reporting maps and hope to get them mailed out soon. The Yellow Medicine County Service Center wishes for warm weather, timely rains and a safe, profitable, and productive crop year for all our producers.

CRP Participants

• Management Activities- This time of year is a great time of year to take care of your required mid-contract management activities on your CRP. If you have a management activity such as mowing or burning due this year, it needs to be completed outside of the primary nesting season which begins May 15^th and runs through August 1^st.  When you have completed the required management on your CRP acres, please turn in the bills within 30 days of the action. If the management is due in 2025, it must be completed by September 30^th, 2025, and we are not able to extend this deadline. The office will complete the FSA-848B once the bill is received, and this form will require your signature.
  
  
• CRP Seeding- Any seeding activities that are needed cannot start until May 15^th on CRP.  That seeding window runs from May 15-June 30, so make sure if you have seeding to complete on your CRP acres that you have a plan to get that completed during the approved seeding dates.
  
  
• Annual CRP certification- CRP certification forms were mailed out at the beginning of the year so if you haven’t returned the FSA-578 form, please do so before July 15^th in order to receive your annual CRP payment.

Storm Reporting Assistance: As we move into spring and the 2025 growing season, producers are reminded to report weather events that cause significant damage to: crops, livestock and/or buildings. This information will be used to assess damages to determine what type of federal assistance is needed. Reports, as well as pictures, can be sent to stacy.miller@usda.gov

Farm Stress: We know there is a lot of stress in the ag community right now. If you recognize this stress in your family members or friends, do not hesitate to seek the appropriate help. Farmers and rural communities face unique challenges, stress, anxiety, depression, financial burdens, and other mental and emotional challenges are common. The Minnesota Farm & Rural Helpline connects callers to financial help, mental health counselors, legal assistance, and more.

Farmers and rural Minnesotans can contact the Farm 7 Rural Helpline 24/7.

Call: 833-600-2670 Email: farmstress@state.mn.us Text: FarmStress to 898-211

*****We want to thank our producers for their patience as we work through this transition period in our office. Walk-ins are always welcome, but due to high workload and being short staffed, we recommend calling to set up an appointment to avoid longer wait times at the office.*****

Stacy Miller, County Executive Director

Dates, Deadlines, Interest Rates, and CCC Loan Rates  

Important Dates and Deadlines
May 1 - Deadline for for annual certification of asparagus. 
May 26 - FSA offices closed in observance of Memorial Day.
May 31 - Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) Minnesota closing deadline for ornamental and non-ornamental nursery crops.
May 31 - Deadline to request a Marketing Assistance Loan (MAL) for prior year harvested corn, cotton, soybeans and other oilseeds, rice, grain sorghum, and pulse crops.

March 2025 Interest Rates:   

Farm Loan Program    
5.375% - Farm Operating Loans, Direct   
5.750% - Farm Ownership Loans, Direct   
3.750% - Farm Ownership, Joint Financing   
1.750% - Farm Ownership Loans, Beginning Farmer Down Payment       

Farm Storage Facility Loan Program  
4.000% - Farm Storage Facility Loans, 3-Year   
4.125% - Farm Storage Facility Loans, 5-Year   
4.125% - Farm Storage Facility Loans, 7-Year   
4.250% - Farm Storage Facility Loans, 10-Year   
4.375% - Farm Storage Facility Loans, 12-Year   

Commodity Loan Interest Rate   
5.125% - Commodity Loans   

Yellow Medicine COUNTY COMMODITY LOAN RATES for 2024 CROP   
Corn - $2.11
Soybeans - $6.06

Maintaining ARC/PLC Acreage

If you’re enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs, you must protect all cropland and noncropland acres on the farm from wind and water erosion and noxious weeds. By signing the ARC/PLC contract you agree to effectively control noxious weeds on the farm according to sound agricultural practices. If you fail to take the necessary actions to correct a maintenance problem on your farm that is enrolled in ARC or PLC, the County Committee may elect to terminate your contract for the program year. 

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Applying for Youth Loans

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) makes loans to youth to establish and operate agricultural income-producing projects in connection with 4-H clubs, FFA and other agricultural groups. Projects must be planned and operated with the help of the organization advisor, produce sufficient income to repay the loan and provide the youth with practical business and educational experience. The maximum loan amount is $10,000.

Youth Loan Eligibility Requirements:

• Be a citizen of the United States (which includes Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) or a legal resident alien
• Be 10 years to 20 years of age
• Comply with FSA’s general eligibility requirements
• Conduct a modest income-producing project in a supervised program of work as outlined above
• Demonstrate capability of planning, managing and operating the project under guidance and assistance from a project advisor. The project supervisor must recommend the youth loan applicant, along with providing adequate supervision.

For help preparing the application forms, contact your Lyon County USDA Service Center at 507-537-1401 ext. 5 or visit fsa.usda.gov.

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Applying for Farm Storage Facility Loans

The Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Farm Storage Facility Loan (FSFL) program provides low-interest financing to help you build or upgrade storage facilities and to purchase portable (new or used) structures, equipment and storage and handling trucks. 

Eligible commodities include corn, grain sorghum, rice, soybeans, oats, peanuts, wheat, barley, minor oilseeds harvested as whole grain, pulse crops (lentils, chickpeas and dry peas), hay, honey, renewable biomass, fruits, nuts and vegetables for cold storage facilities, controlled atmosphere storage, floriculture, hops, malted small grains, maple sap, maple syrup, rye, milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, meat and poultry (unprocessed), eggs, and aquaculture (excluding systems that maintain live animals through uptake and discharge of water). Qualified facilities include grain bins, hay barns and cold storage facilities for eligible commodities.   

Loans up to $50,000 can be secured by a promissory note/security agreement, loans between $50,000 and $100,000 may require additional security, and loans exceeding $100,000 require additional security. 

You do not need to demonstrate the lack of commercial credit availability to apply. The loans are designed to assist a diverse range of farming operations, including small and mid-sized businesses, new farmers, operations supplying local food and farmers markets, non-traditional farm products, and underserved producers. 

For more information, contact your Yellow Medicine County USDA Service Center at (320)669-4492 ext. 2 or visit fsa.usda.gov/pricesupport.  

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Annual Review of Payment Eligibility for New Crop Year 

FSA and NRCS program applicants for benefits are required to submit a completed CCC-902 Farming Operation Plan and CCC-941 Average Gross Income (AGI) Certification and Consent to Disclosure of Tax Information for FSA to determine the applicant’s payment eligibility and establish the maximum payment limitation applicable to the program applicant. 

Participants are not required to annually submit new CCC-902s for payment eligibility and payment limitation purposes unless a change in the farming operation occurs that may affect the previous determination of record. A valid CCC-902 filed by the participant is considered to be a continuous certification used for all payment eligibility and payment limitation determinations applicable for the program benefits requested.  

Participants are responsible for ensuring that all CCC-902 and CCC-941 and related forms on file in the county office are updated, current, and correct. Participants are required to timely notify the county office of any changes in the farming operation that may affect the previous determination of record by filing a new or updated CCC-902 as applicable.                            

Changes that may require a new determination include, but are not limited to, a change of: 

• Shares of a contract, which may reflect: 
  • A land lease from cash rent to share rent
  • A land lease from share rent to cash rent (subject to the cash rent tenant rule
  • A modification of a variable/fixed bushel-rent arrangement

• The size of the producer’s farming operation by the addition or reduction of cropland that may affect the application of a cropland factor 
• The structure of the farming operation, including any change to a member's share 
• The contribution of farm inputs of capital, land, equipment, active personal labor, and/or active personal management 
• Farming interests not previously disclosed on CCC-902 including the farming interests of a spouse or minor child 
• Certifications of average AGI are required to be filed annually for participation in an annual USDA program.  For multi-year conservation contracts and NRCS easements, a certification of AGI must be filed prior to approval of the contract or easement and is applicable for the duration of the contract period.  

Participants are encouraged to file or review these forms within the deadlines established for each applicable program for which program benefits are being requested. 

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Save Money on Fuel with No-Till Farming

How much fuel can farmers save each year by transitioning from conventional tillage to continuous no-till? According to a report from USDA’s Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP), 3.6 gallons per acre is a reasonable estimate. With current off-road diesel fuel prices, this could translate into approximately $17 per acre saved annually.

Nearly 87 percent of all cropland acres nationwide are farmed using some form of conservation tillage, where tillage is reduced for at least one crop within a given field. Continuous no-till accounts for 33 percent of this total.

Improving soil health is one known benefit of limiting disturbance. Farmers who minimize tillage across their operation may reduce soil erosion, maximize water infiltration, improve nutrient cycling, build organic matter, and strengthen resilience to disaster events or challenging growing conditions. Based on the latest data, they may also use significantly less fuel than with conventional tillage and reduce their associated carbon dioxide emissions.

According to CEAP, farmers who implement conservation tillage practices instead of continuous conventional tillage:

• Reduce potential nationwide fuel use by 763 million gallons of diesel equivalents each year, roughly the amount of energy used by 2.8 million households.
• Reduce potential associated emissions by 8.5 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) equivalents each year, equivalent to removing nearly 1.7 million gasoline-powered passenger vehicles from the road.

How is this possible? Annually, farmers who practice continuous no-till use approximately 3.6 fewer gallons of fuel per acre than if they practiced continuous conventional tillage. Farmers who practice seasonal no-till – farming without tilling for at least one crop – use approximately 3 fewer gallons of fuel per acre than they would with conventional tillage year-round.

Acre by acre, fuel saved is money saved. Let’s assume an average off-road diesel fuel price of $4.75 per gallon*. By transitioning from continuous conventional tillage to continuous no-till, a farmer can save just over $17 per acre each year in fuel costs. A farmer who transitions from continuous conventional tillage to seasonal no-till can save more than $14 per acre on fuel annually. These potential savings are significantly larger than with CEAP’s first fuel savings report, primarily due to the current price of diesel fuel.

The bottom line for farmers: Reducing tillage leads to fuel savings that deliver significant financial benefits while building healthier soils for a more resilient operation.

USDA Can Help

If you’re a farmer interested in reducing tillage or pursuing other conservation efforts across your operation, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) can help.

• This blog offers five simple tips for farmers interested in trying no-till for the first time.
• This 90-second video provides a description of no-till and associated benefits according to a Delaware farmer.
• This 23-minute video follows five South Carolina farmers seeking to quantify the benefits of conservation practices that support soil health.
• This webpage details principles to improve soil health, including reduced tillage and complimentary conservation practices such as cover crops, crop rotations, and rotational grazing.

NRCS has local USDA Service Centers in nearly every county across the United States. You may find contact information for your nearest Service Center here. NRCS staff are available to provide free, one-on-one assistance with a suite of practices to strengthen your operation, conserve natural resources, and boost your bottom line. SMART nutrient management, for example, is important to consider with no-till and may help you save money on fertilizer while improving water quality – another win-win.

Visit the NRCS website to learn more about conservation basics, getting assistance from NRCS, programs and initiatives, and resources to inform management decisions. Visit the CEAP webpage for additional information about USDA’s efforts to quantify the effects of conservation practices across croplands and other working lands.

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