Logan County FSA Updates

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[August 25, 2015]  ENROLL in the ARC/PLC safety-net by signing your contracts Now! - After a long marathon of progressing through implementation of the 2015 Farm Bill, the Logan County FSA office NOW has your contracts ready for enrollment in both the 2014 and the 2015 ARC/PLC programs. The enrollment period officially began on June 17th and will continue through September 30, 2015.

Many producers have commented that they "thought they had already signed up." Please remember that this has been a multi-phase process. Last winter owners were given the opportunity to UPDATE program yields and decide whether or not to reallocate base acres. Producers were then given the choice to ELECT which program each farm would be in for crop years 2014 through 2018; however, the enrollment period and software just became available in late June. We are now in the ENROLLMENT and final stage for the 2014 and 2015 crop years!

The Logan County office has your contracts ready to go, so the enrollment process is relatively simple! We just need you to visit the office, verify payment shares and sign the FSA-861 contracts for 2014 AND 2015 prior to the September 30, 2015 deadline.

ALL owners and operators with a share interest in base acres on the farm must sign the annual contracts. Owners with zero shares will also need to sign the ARC or PLC contract, unless they have signed in a previous year and the operation has not changed in anyway. A signed lease or valid power-of-attorney may also be used in lieu of collecting an owner’s signature.
 


For more information about the programs as well as to review the ARC/PLC Enrollment Contract Appendix, please visit: www.fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc.

As always, the Logan County office is not requiring an appointment to complete this process. Please just stop in at your convenience and we would be happy to assist you in this final step for 2014 & 2015!

CRP Re-enrollments & New Signup

Logan County has many CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) contracts expiring on September 30, 2015. Producers of expiring contract(s) received a letter in the mail outlining options that MAY be available to them. If you received one of these letters and haven’t already contacted the office, please do so immediately, so that the appropriate paperwork can be initiated.

Currently, there is also acreage available for New Continuous CRP enrollments into high priority practices such as waterways, filter strips, field borders and pollinator habitat. If you have an area that you think is well suited for CRP, please contact the office. We would be happy to run a report to let you know what you may be eligible for as well as the new soil rental rates being offered for your acreage!

Additionally, a general CRP signup is scheduled to begin December 1, 2015. Please stay tuned for additional information on this competitive process.

More information on the CRP program can be found at: www.fsa.usda.gov/crp

Microloans

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds farmers and ranchers that the FSA borrowing limit for microloans increased from $35,000 to $50,000. Microloans offer borrowers simplified lending with less paperwork.

The microloan change allows beginning, small and mid-sized farmers to access an additional $15,000 in loans using a simplified application process with up to seven years to repay. Microloans are part of USDA’s continued commitment to small and midsized farming operations.
 


To complement the microloan program additional changes to FSA eligibility requirements will enhance beginning farmers and ranchers access to land, a key barrier to entry level producers. FSA policies related to farm experience have changed so that other types of skills may be considered to meet the direct farming experience required for farm ownership loan eligibility. Operation or management of non-farm businesses, leadership positions while serving in the military or advanced education in an agricultural field will now count towards the experience applicants need to show when applying for farm ownership loans. Important Note: Microloans cannot be used to purchase real estate.

Microloan uses are the same as all approved Direct Operating loan expenses on a smaller scale, including, and not limited to:

  • Essential tools
  • Fencing and trellising
  • Hoop houses
  • Bees and bee equipment
  • Milking and pasteurization equipment
  • Maple sugar shack and processing equipment
  • Livestock, seed, fertilizer, utilities, land rents, family living expenses, and other materials essential to the operation
    Irrigation
  • GAP (Good Agricultural Practices), GHP (Good Handling Practices), and Organic certification costs
  • Marketing and distribution costs, including those associated with selling through Farmers’ Markets and Community Supported Agriculture operations
  • Borrower training expenses

Since 2010, more than 50 percent of USDA's farm loans now go to beginning farmers and FSA has increased its lending to targeted underserved producers by nearly 50 percent.

Please review the FSA Microloan Program Fact Sheet for program application, eligibility and related information.

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Important Dates & Reminders

  • August 2          End of Primary Nesting & Brood Rearing Season (CRP maintenance allowed)
  • August 3          Final date to request a Farm Reconstitution for 2015
  • August 3          Candidate Nomination period ends for 2015 County Committee Election - LAA #2
  • August 28        Final date to request 1-year extension for expiring general CRP practice

     
  • September 7    Labor Day Observed *Office Closed*
  • September 30  Final date to enroll in 2014 & 2015 ARC/PLC Program
  • September 30  Final date to re-enroll continous CRP expiring in 2015

     
  • October 12       Columbus Day *Office Closed*

     
  • November 9     County Committee Election Ballots to mailed to all voters in LAA #2
  • November 11   Veterans Day *Office Closed*
  • November 26    Thanksgiving *Office Closed*

     
  • December 1     General CRP signup period begins
  • December 7     Final date to return County Committee Election ballots for LAA #2
  • December 15   Final date to report 2016 fall-seeded crops such as wheat, hay & pasture
  • December 25   Christmas *Office Closed*
     


 

  • Continuous      Farm Record Changes (new owners, new operators, direct deposits, etc.)
  • Continuous      Farm Storage Facility Loan Applications      
  • Continuous      CRP Applications (grassed waterways, filter strips, field borders, pollinator habitat)

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).

Logan County USDA
1650 5th Street
Lincoln, IL, 62656
Hours:
Monday - Friday
8:00 am - 4:30 pm

Phone: 217-735-5508 ext. 2
Fax: 855-693-7125

County Committee:
Kenton Stoll - Chairman
Dennis Ramlow - Vice Chairman
Tim Southerlan - Member
Dorothy Gleason - Advisor

County Executive Director:
John Peters

Program Technicians:
Ann Curry
Tammy Edwards
Mari Anne Komnick
Cindy Mayfield
Chelsie Peddicord

Farm Loan Manager:
Tony Schmillen

Next COC Meeting is 08/26/2015 at 9:00 AM

 

 

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