The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/847960
The Press-Dispatch Pike County Planter SWCD Newsletter May and June 2017 B- 9 By Amy R Barber Pike County FSA FARM SERVICE AGENCY COUNTY COMMITTEE NOMINATION NOW OPEN U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Ser vice Agency (FSA) Executive Director Amy R. Barber in Pike County today announced that the nomina- tion period for local FSA county committees began on June 15, 2017. Nomination forms must be postmarked or received in the Pike County FSA office by close of business on August 1, 2017. "County committees are unique to FSA and allow producers to have a voice on federal farm program implementation at the local level," said Barber. "It is also important that committees are comprised of members who fairly represent the diverse demograph- ics of production agriculture for their community. I encourage all producers, including women, minority and beginning farmers and ranchers, to participate in the nomination and election process." To be eligible to ser ve on the FSA county committee, a person must participate or cooperate in an agency-administered program, be eligible to vote in a county committee election and reside in the local administrative area where they are nominated. This year, nominations and elections will be held in local administrative area 1, which includes Clay, Logan and Madison Townships. Producers may nominate themselves or others as candi- dates. Organizations representing minority and women farmers and ranchers may also nominate can- didates. To become a nominee, eligible individuals must sign an FSA-669A nomination form. The form and more information about FSA county committee elections are available online at www.fsa. usda.gov/elections. Elected county committee members ser ve a three-year term and are responsible for making decisions on FSA disaster, conser- vation, commodity and price sup- port programs, as well as other important federal farm program issues. County committees consist of three to 11 members. FSA will mail election bal- lots to eligible voters beginning November 6, 2017. Ballots are due back in the Dubois County FSA office by mail or in person no later than December 4, 2017. All newly elected county committee members and alternates will take office Januar y 1, 2018. "Nominating potential county committee members, voting for candidates and ser ving on the committees are truly ser vices to your community and the agri- culture industr y," said Barber. "County committee members make important decisions on how federal farm programs are admin- istered locally to best ser ve local needs and interests." For more information about county committees, contact the Pike County FSA office at 812-354- 6120 or visit www.fsa.usda.gov/ elections 2017 ACREAGE REPORTING DATES In order to comply with FSA program eligibility requirements, all producers are encouraged to visit your local county FSA office to file an accurate crop certifica- tion report by the applicable deadline. Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) policy holders should note that the acreage reporting date for NAP covered crops is the earlier of the dates listed below or 15 calendar days before grazing or har vesting of the crop begins. The following acreage report- ing dates are applicable for Indiana: Januar y 2 – Honey July 15 – Corn, Soybeans, grain sorghum and all other crops September 30 - Value Loss and Controlled Environment Crop (for the coming program year) November 15 - Perennial Graz- ing and Forage Crops (alfalfa, grass, mixed forages, clover, etc.) December 15 - Fall Mint, Fall- Seeded Small Grains The following exceptions apply to the above acreage reporting dates: • If the crop has not been planted by the above acreage reporting date, then the acreage must be reported no later than 15 calendar days after planting is completed. • If a producer acquires ad- ditional acreage after the above acreage reporting date, then the acreage must be reported no later than 30 calendar days after purchase or acquiring the lease. Appropriate documentation must be provided to the county office. • If a perennial forage crop is reported with the intended use of "cover only," "green manure," "left standing," or "seed," then the acreage must be reported by July 15. For questions regarding crop certification and crop loss reports, contact your local county FSA office. Pike County Upcoming Dead- lines and Important Dates The final date to submit a prevented planting claim for soybeans is July 5. The reporting date for most spring planted crops is July 15. Contact or visit the Pike County FSA office for a full customer calendar with program deadlines, NAP crop closure dates, obser ved holidays and more. The Dubois County office can be reached at 812-354-6120 ext 2. FARM STORAGE FACILITY LOANS FSA's Farm Storage Facility Loan (FSFL) program provides low-interest financing to produc- ers to build or upgrade storage facilities. The low-interest funds can be used to build or upgrade per- manent facilities to store com- modities. Eligible commodities include corn, grain sorghum, rice, soybeans, oats, peanuts, wheat, barley, minor oilseeds har vested as whole grain, pulse crops (lentils, chickpeas and dr y peas), hay, honey, renewable biomass, fruits, nuts and vegetables for cold storage facilities, floricul- ture, hops, maple sap, r ye, milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, meat and poultr y (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 promissor y note/ security agreement and loans between $50,000 and $100,000 may require additional security. Loans exceeding $100,000 require additional security. Producers do not need to dem- onstrate the lack of commercial credit availability to apply. The loans are designed to assist a di- verse range of farming operations, including small and mid-sized businesses, new farmers, op- erations supplying local food and farmers markets, non-traditional farm products, and underser ved producers. To learn more about the FSA Farm Storage Facility Loan, visit www.fsa.usda.gov/pricesupport or contact your local FSA county office. To find your local FSA county office, visit http://offices. usda.gov. MAL and LDP Policy The Agricultural Act of 2014 authorized 2014-2018 crop year Marketing Assistance Loans (MALs) and Loan Deficiency Pay- ments (LDPs), with a few minor policy changes. MALs and LDPs provide financ- ing and marketing assistance for wheat, feed grains, soybeans, and other oilseeds, pulse crops, wool and honey. MALs provide produc- ers interim financing after har vest to help them meet cash flow needs without having to sell their commodities when market prices are typically at har vest-time lows. A producer who is eligible to ob- tain 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. Before MAL market gain repay- ments and LDP disbursements can be made, producers must meet the requirements of actively engaged in farming, cash rent ten- ant and member contribution. Additionally, form CCC-902 and CCC-901 must be submitted for the 2016 crop year, if applicable, with a county committee deter- mination and updated subsidiar y files. To be considered eligible for an LDP, producers must have form CCC-633EZ, Page 1 on file at their 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. The 2014 Farm Bill also estab- lishes payment limitations per individual or entity not to exceed $125,000 annually on certain commodities for the following pro- gram benefits: price loss coverage payments, agriculture risk cover- age payments, marketing loan gains (MLGs) and LDPs. These payment limitations do not apply to MAL loan disbursements. Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) provisions were modified by the 2014 Farm Bill, which states that a producer whose total applicable three-year average AGI exceeds $900,000 is not eligible to receive an MLG or LDP. For more information and additional eligibility require- ments, please visit a nearby USDA Ser vice Center or FSA's website www.fsa.usda.gov. Maintaining the Quality of Farm-Stored Loan Grain Bins are ideally designed to hold a level volume of grain. When bins are overfilled and grain is heaped up, airflow is hin- dered and the chance of spoilage increases. Producers who take out market- ing assistance loans and use the farm-stored grain as collateral should remember that they are responsible for maintaining the quality of the grain through the term of the loan. UNAUTHORIZED DISPOSITION OF GRAIN If loan grain has been disposed of through feeding, selling or any other form of disposal without pri- or written authorization from the county office staff, it is considered unauthorized disposition. The financial penalties for unauthor- ized dispositions are severe and a producer's name will be placed on a loan violation list for a two-year period. Always call before you haul any grain under loan. In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Depart- ment of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohib- ited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental sta- tus, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines var y by program or incident. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of com- munication for program informa- tion (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Lan- guage, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Ser vice at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. To file a program discrimina- tion complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at http://www.ascr.usda. gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the in- formation requested in the form. To request a copy of the com- plaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretar y for Civil Rights, 1400 Indepen- dence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.in- take@usda.gov. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. Pike County Farm Service Agency news Above: The final product! Feel free to stop by and check out the plot progress. Left: American Dreamscapes sent a crew to help rip out the old shrubbery in the landscape and prep the beds for planting.