The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/596385
The Press-Dispatch Pike County Planter SWCD Newsletter November and December 2015 D- 3 FARMERS CREDIT We give . We help rural residents build, farms grow and businesses expand. 1940 Hospitality Dr Jasper, IN 47546 Call (812)482-5417 or go to e-farmcredit.com By Amy R. Barber County Executive Director Pike County Farm Ser vice Agency CONSERVATION INCENTIVES FOR WORKING GRASS, RANGE AND PASTURE LANDS Beginning Sept. 1, farmers and ranchers can now apply for financial assistance to help conser ve working grasslands, rangeland and pastureland while maintaining the areas as livestock grazing lands. The initiative is part of the volun- tar y Conser vation Reser ve Program (CRP), a federally funded program that for 30 years has assisted agricultural producers with the cost of restoring, enhancing and protecting certain grasses, shrubs and trees to improve water quality, prevent soil erosion and reduce loss of wildlife habitat. In return, the U.S. Department of Agri- culture (USDA) provides participants with rental payments and cost-share assistance. The CRP-Grasslands initiative will provide participants who establish long-term, resource-conser ving covers with annual rental payments up to 75 percent of the grazing value of the land. Cost-share assistance also is available for up to 50 percent of the eligible cov- ers and other practices, such as cross fencing to support rotational grazing or improving pasture cover to benefit pol- linators or other wildlife. Participants may still conduct common grazing practices, produce hay, mow, or har- vest for seed production, conduct fire rehabilitation, and construct firebreaks and fences. With the publication of the CRP regulation today, the Farm Ser vice Agency will accept applications on an ongoing basis beginning Sept. 1, 2015, with those applications scored against published ranking criteria, and approved based on the competitive- ness of the offer. The ranking period will occur at least once per year and be announced at least 30 days prior to its start. The end of the first ranking period will be Nov. 20, 2015. To learn more about participating in CRP-Grasslands or SAFE, visit www. fsa.usda.gov/crp or consult with the local Farm Ser vice Agency county office. To locate a nearby Farm Ser vice Agency office, visit http://offices.usda. gov. To learn more about the 30th anniversar y of CRP, visit www.fsa.usda. gov/CRPis30 or follow on Twitter using #CRPis30. USDA Accepting More Farmland for Wildlife Habitat in Indiana The Indiana Farm Ser vice Agency (FSA) announced that an additional 20,150 acres of agricultural land in In - diana is eligible for funding for wildlife habitat restoration. The initiative, known as State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE), is part of the USDA Conser vation Re- ser ve Program (CRP), a federally-fund- ed voluntar y program that for 30 years has assisted agricultural producers with the cost of restoring, enhancing and protecting certain grasses, shrubs and trees to improve water quality, prevent soil erosion and reduce loss of wildlife habitat. In return, USDA pro- vides participants with rental payments and cost-share assistance. CRP has helped farmers and ranchers prevent more than eight billion tons of soil from eroding, reduce nitrogen and phospho- rous runoff relative to cropland by 95 and 85 percent respectively, and even sequester 43 million tons of green- house gases annually, equal to taking eight million cars off the road. In total, up to 400,000 acres of ad- ditional agricultural land will be eligible for wildlife habitat restoration funding through this SAFE announcement. The additional acres are part of an earlier CRP wildlife habitat announcement made by Secretar y Vilsack. Currently, more than one million acres, represent- ing 98 projects, are enrolled in SAFE nationwide. Here in Indiana, 32,800 acres are de- signed specifically to increase habitat for the Indiana Bat, Northern Bobwhite Quail, Sedge Wren/Grasshopper Spar- row, Henslow's Sparrow, Ring-necked Pheasant and the American Wood- cock. Indiana farmers have currently enrolled 27,835 acres, and now Indiana FSA is offering an additional 20,150 acres to interested farmers to continue this progress. Interested producers can offer land for enrollment in SAFE and other CRP initiatives by contacting their local FSA county office at http://offices.usda.gov. To learn more about the 30th anniver- sar y of CRP and to review 30 success stories throughout the year, visit www. fsa.usda.gov/CRPis30 or follow Twitter at #CRPis30. And for more information about FSA conser vation programs, visit www.fsa.usda.gov/conser vation. REPORTING ORGANIC CROPS Producers who want to use the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) organic price and selected the "organic" option on their NAP application must report their crops as organic. When certifying organic acres, the buffer zone acreage must be included in the organic acreage. Producers must also provide a cur - rent organic plan, organic certificate or documentation from a certifying agent indicating an organic plan is in effect. Documentation must include: • name of certified individuals • address • telephone number • effective date of certification • certificate number • list of commodities certified • name and address of certifying agent • a map showing the specific loca - tion of each field of certified organic, including the buffer zone acreage. Certification exemptions are avail- able for producers whose annual gross agricultural income from organic sales totals $5,000 or less. Although exempt growers are not required to provide a written certificate, they are still required to provide a map showing the specific location of each field of certi- fied organic, transitional and buffer zone acreage. For questions about reporting organic crops, contact your local FSA office. To find your local office, visit http://offices.usda.gov. SECRETARY VILSACK ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL 800,000 ACRES DEDICATED TO CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM FOR WILDLIFE HABITAT AND WETLANDS Secretary Hails Program's 30th Anniversary, Announces General Signup Period Agriculture Secretar y Tom Vilsack announced that an additional 800,000 acres of highly environmentally sensi- tive land may be enrolled in Conser va- tion Reser ve Program (CRP) under certain wetland and wildlife initiatives that provide multiple benefits on the same land. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will accept new offers to par- ticipate in CRP under a general signup to be held Dec. 1, 2015, through Feb. 26, 2016. Eligible existing program participants with contracts expiring Sept. 30, 2015, will be granted an option for one-year extensions. Farmers and ranchers interested in removing sensi- tive land from agricultural production and planting grasses or trees to reduce soil erosion, improve water quality and restore wildlife habitat are encouraged to enroll. For 30 years, the Conser vation Reser ve Program has helped farmers and ranchers prevent more than 8 bil- lion tons of soil from eroding, reduce nitrogen and phosphorous runoff rela- tive to cropland by 95 and 85 percent respectively, and even sequester 43 million tons of greenhouse gases annu- ally, equal to taking eight million cars off the road. The voluntar y Conser vation Reser ve Program allows USDA to contract with agricultural producers so that environ- mentally sensitive land is conser ved. Participants establish long-term, resource-conser ving plant species to control soil erosion, improve water quality and develop wildlife habitat. In return, USDA's Farm Ser vice Agency (FSA) provides participants with rental payments and cost-share assistance. Contract duration is between 10 and 15 years. CRP protects water quality and restores significant habitat for ducks, pheasants, turkey, quail, deer and other important wildlife which spurs eco - nomic development like hunting and fishing, outdoor recreation and tourism across rural America. This announce- ment allows an additional 800,000 acres for duck nesting habitat and other wetland and wildlife habitat initiatives to be enrolled in the program. Farmers and ranchers should consider the various CRP continuous sign-up initiatives that may help target specific resource concerns. Financial assistance is offered for many practices including conser vation buffers and pollinator habitat plantings, and initia - tives such as the highly erodible lands, bottomland hardwood tree and longleaf pine. Farmers and ranchers may visit their FSA county office for additional infor- mation. The 2014 Farm Bill authorized the enrollment of grasslands in CRP and information on grasslands enroll- ment will be available after the regula- tion is published later this summer. For more information on CRP and other FSA programs, visit www.fsa. usda.gov. PREVENTED PLANTING AND FAILED ACREAGE CREDIT Producers who wish to receive his- tor y credit for either prevented plant- ing for failed acreage must file a Notice of Loss with the Farm Ser vice Agency. 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 estab- lished by FSA and Risk Management Agency (RMA). The final planting date for corn in In- diana was June 5 and the final planting date for soybeans was June 20 (for both initial and double crop). The date to timely file a prevented planting request for corn and soybeans in Indiana has passed for 2015. However, producers may submit a late filed report. FSA will accept the report as timely if it was filed timely with crop insurance. If not, producers will be assessed a measure - ment ser vice fee per farm and FSA will consider late filed requests dependent upon the assessment of the disaster condition during a farm visit. The final planting date for wheat was either October 20 or October 30 in Indi- ana, depending on location. Producers should contact their local office if they are unaware of the final planting date in their county. Additionally, producers with failed acres should file this form to report acreage destroyed or damaged by disaster. This must be filed prior to destruction of the crop to provide FSA with an opportunity to inspect the acreage. For losses on crops covered by the Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) and crop insurance, producers must file a Notice of Loss within 15 days of the occurrence of the disaster or when losses become appar- ent. Additionally, many crops covered by NAP require an initial notification of loss be made to the FSA adminis- trative office within 72 hours of loss occurrence or loss becoming apparent. Producers must timely file a Notice of Loss for failed acres on all crops includ- ing grasses to ensure the opportunity to receive acreage reporting histor y credit for the crop as well as potential program benefits. For questions regarding crop certi- fication and crop loss reports, contact your local county FSA office. 2015 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 ac- curate crop certification report by the applicable deadline. The following acreage reporting dates are applicable for Indiana: Januar y 2 – Honey Januar y 15 – Apples June 15 – Cucumbers (Planted 5/1- 5/31 in Knox County) July 15 – Cucumbers (Planted 5/10- 6/15 in all counties), all other crops August 15 – Cucumbers (Planted 6/16-8/5 in Fulton, LaPorte, Porter, and St. Joseph Counties) September 15 – Cucumbers (Planted 6/1-8/15 in Knox County) September 30 – Value Loss and Controlled Environment Crop (for the coming program year) December 15 – Fall Mint, Fall-Seed - ed 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 additional acreage after the above acreage report- ing 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 re- ported with the intended use of "cover only," "green manure," "left standing," or "seed," then the acreage must be reported by July 15. • Cucumbers and crops for NAP coverage may have dates not included on the chart above. Visit your local county office for details. Noninsured Crop Disaster Assis- tance Program (NAP) policy holders should note that the acreage report- ing date for NAP covered crops is the earlier of the dates listed above or 15 calendar days before grazing or har- vesting of the crop begins. For questions regarding crop certi- fication and crop loss reports, contact your local county FSA office. ARC AND PLC ACREAGE MAINTENANCE Producers enrolled in Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC), or the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) must protect all cropland and noncropland acres on the farm from wind and water erosion and noxious weeds. Producers who sign ARC county or individual contracts and PLC contracts agree to effectively control noxious weeds on the farm ac- cording to sound agricultural practices. If a producer fails to take necessar y actions to correct a maintenance prob- lem on a farm that is enrolled in ARC or PLC, the County Committee may elect to terminate the contract for the program year. A list of noxious weeds can be found on the following website: http://plants. usda.gov/java/noxiousDriver. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FOR LIVESTOCK, HONEYBEE, AND FARM-RAISED FISH PROGRAM (ELAP) The Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) provides emer- gency assistance to eligible livestock, honeybee, and farm-raised fish produc- ers who have losses due to disease, adverse weather or other conditions, such as blizzards and wildfires, not covered by other agricultural disaster assistance programs. Eligible livestock losses include graz- ing losses not covered under the Live- stock Forage Disaster Program (LFP), loss of purchased feed and/or mechani- cally har vested feed due to an eligible adverse weather event, additional cost of transporting water because of an eligible drought and additional cost associated with gathering livestock to treat for cattle tick fever. Eligible honeybee losses include loss of purchased feed due to an eligible adverse weather event, cost of ad- ditional feed purchased above normal quantities due to an eligible adverse weather condition, colony losses in excess of normal mortality due to an eligible weather event or loss condition, including CCD, and hive losses due to eligible adverse weather. Eligible farm-raised fish losses in- clude death losses in excess of normal mortality and/or loss of purchased feed due to an eligible adverse weather event. The filing deadline for notice of loss and application for payment was November 1, 2015, for producers who suffered eligible livestock, honeybee, FARM SERVICE AGENCY NEWS EROSION FACTSHEET Soil erosion is the loss of soil from the land, either by wind or water. The energy of a falling raindrop or blowing wind dislodges soil particles and then carries them away downslope, down- stream or downwind. Ero- sion results in damage to the soil resource, but often also to water, air, land and other resources. Erosion is a major worldwide problem to ag- riculture and the environ- ment. It is estimated that over 80 billion tons of soil are eroded globally each year. This is comparable to 6-inches of topsoil lost from 40 million acres – roughly the area of the entire state of Wisconsin! In the U.S., erosion has contributed to the loss of productivity and subse - quent abandonment of 30 percent of our farmland during the past 200 years. Today, 90 percent of our farm fields continue to lose soil at a rate greater than the rate of soil formation. How much greater? Soil scientists es- timate that the rate of soil erosion in the U.S. aver- ages about seven tons per acre per year, whereas soil formation ranges from 0.15 to 0.8 tons per year. In other words, soil loss occurs nine to 50 times faster than soil is being formed. So, during a farmer's career, erosion may have removed one thousand years' worth of soil from the farm! Besides physical depth, what is lost when soil erodes? First, erosion reduces the soil's abil - ity to infiltrate and hold water. When soil particles are dislodged, they first move into and clog pores. This first stage of erosion prevents water from infiltrating, and causes runoff from the surface. Runoff of rainwater results in an estimated loss of 12 inches of poten - tially crop-available water which should have been absorbed by the soil and stored for future use by plants. Runoff carries soil particles with it, begin- ning with organic matter and fine soil particles. The loss of organic mat- ter reduces the soil's ability to store water. For ever y percentage point loss in soil organic matter content, one inch of water storage capacity is lost. Secondly, erosion – whether by wind or water – selectively removes the most productive portion of the soil. Organic matter and fine mineral particles are the first soil components to be removed by erosion. They are also the most nutrient-rich particles. In fact, eroded soil material typically contains three times more nutrient than contained in the soil which is left behind. The value of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) removed by erosion is estimated to average $130 per acre per year. Thirdly, soil loss carries an energy price tag. When we lose soil, water and nutrients from our land, it requires an estimated 10 percent more energy expended to compensate for the loss. In today's world, this energy comes at an ever- increasing price. Considering the vari - ous short- and long-term costs of soil erosion, our goal should be to elimi- nate erosion, not tolerate or manage it. Soil conser- vation technologies, in- cluding no-till cultivation, cover cropping, contour planting, grass water ways and windbreaks, are a few of the tools that can be employed to save soil. It is not too late to save this most precious resource – but it is not too early either. Now is the time to heed President F.D. Roosevelt's warning that "A nation that destroys its soils, destroys itself." be a few. From the Indiana De- partment of Ag, Amy Sims gave the ladies details on her responsibilities as a Resource Specialist. Her job takes her out into the farmers' fields, designing conser vation practices, assisting with transect data and SWCDs and in the office reporting her accomplishments. Next, Betsy Wilkinson from the Natural Resourc- es Conser vation Ser vice shared information on Earth Team Volunteering and the many ways the public can help. Volunteers can help from working outside doing conser vation projects such as planting trees, to assisting in the of- fice. As the Regional Earth Team Volunteer Coordina- tor she provided informa- tion on how to become a volunteer. The evening concluded with Sher yl Seib, District 9 Education Outreach Co- ordinator for Indiana Farm Bureau. She started by reminiscing the humorous stories of how she became a farmer's wife and as- sisted her husband on the farm in their early years together. Seib told of her travels overseas to offer as- sistance and advocate for women who were involved in agriculture in other cultures. She wrapped up her presentation with her current project – lobbying for agricultural based bills in Washington, DC. The Southwest SWCD's would like to thank First Financial Bank for being a contributor to this event. And another round of thanks goes out to the speakers who took the time out of their schedules to present. WOMEN Continued from page 1