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 The new programs, established by the 2014 Farm Bill, trigger
financial protections for agricultural producers when market
forces cause substantial drops in crop prices or revenues. More
than 1.76 million farmers have elected ARC or PLC. Previously,
1.7 million producers had enrolled to receive direct payments
(the program replaced with ARC and PLC by the 2014 Farm Bill).
This means more farms have elected ARC or PLC than previously
enrolled under previously administered programs.
Nationwide, 96 percent of soybean farms, 91 percent of corn
farms, and 66 percent of wheat farms elected ARC. 99 percent of
long grain rice farms, 99 percent of peanut farms, and 94
percent of medium grain rice farms elected PLC. For data about
other crops and state-by-state program election results go to
www.fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc.
Covered commodities under ARC and PLC include barley, canola,
large and small chickpeas, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain
sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, dry peas,
rapeseed, long grain rice, medium grain rice (which includes
short grain and sweet rice), safflower seed, sesame, soybeans,
sunflower seed and wheat. Upland cotton is no longer a covered
commodity.
For more information please contact your local FSA office
https://offices.usda.gov
USDA Announces Changes to Fruit, Vegetable and Wild Rice
Planting Rules
Farm Service Agency (FSA) has announced fruit, vegetable and
wild rice provisions that affect producers who intend to
participate in certain programs authorized by the Agricultural
Act of 2014.
Producers who intend to participate in the Agriculture Risk
Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs are subject
to an acre-for-acre payment reduction when fruits and nuts,
vegetables or wild rice are planted on the payment acres of a
farm. Payment reductions do not apply to mung beans, dry peas,
lentils or chickpeas. Planting fruits, vegetables or wild rice
on acres that are not considered payment acres will not result
in a payment reduction. Farms that are eligible to participate
in ARC/PLC but are not enrolled for a particular year may plant
unlimited fruits, vegetables and wild rice for that year but
will not receive ARC/PLC payments for that year. Eligibility for
succeeding years is not affected.
Planting and harvesting fruits, vegetables and wild rice on
ARC/PLC acreage is subject to the acre-for-acre payment
reduction when those crops are planted on either more than 15
percent of the base acres of a farm enrolled in ARC using the
county coverage or PLC, or more than 35 percent of the base
acres of a farm enrolled in ARC using the individual coverage.
Fruits, vegetables and wild rice that are planted in a
double-cropping practice will not cause a payment reduction if
the farm is in a double-cropping region as designated by the
USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation.
ARC, PLC and CTAP Acreage Maintenance
Producers enrolled in Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC), Price
Loss Coverage (PLC) or the Cotton Transition Assistance Program
(CTAP) 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 according
to sound agricultural practices. If a producer fails to take
necessary actions to correct a maintenance problem on a farm
that is enrolled in ARC, PLC or CTAP, the County Committee may
elect to terminate the contract for the program year.
FSA County Committee Nomination Period is Now Open
The nomination period for all FSA county committees began on
June 15, 2015. Nomination forms must be postmarked or received
in the County FSA Office by close of business on Aug. 3, 2015.
County Committees are unique to FSA and allow producers to have
a voice on federal farm program implementation at the local
level.
To be eligible to serve 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 (LAA) where they are nominated.
All producers, including women, minority and beginning farmers
and ranchers are encouraged to participate in the nomination and
election process.
Producers may nominate themselves or others as candidates.
Organizations representing minority and women farmers and
ranchers may also nominate candidates. To become a nominee,
eligible individuals must sign form FSA-669A. The form and more
information about county committee elections is available online
at: www.fsa.usda.gov/elections.
Elected county committee members serve a three-year term and are
responsible for making decisions on FSA disaster, conservation,
commodity and price support programs, as well as other important
federal farm program issues. County committees consist of three
members.
FSA will mail election ballots to eligible voters beginning Nov.
9. Ballots are due back in the County Office by mail or in
person no later than Dec. 7, 2015. All newly elected county
committee members and alternates will take office January 1,
2016.
For more information about county committees, please contact
your local County FSA office or visit
www.fsa.usda.gov/elections.
MicroLoans
Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds farmers and ranchers that the
FSA borrowing limit for microloans increased from $35,000 to
$50,000, on Nov. 7, 2014. 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.
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.
Conduct USDA Business Online by Creating an eAuthentication
Account
The Internet allows you, the customer, access to USDA
information 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can fill out
and submit electronic forms (eForms) any time of the day or
night from anywhere you have Internet access. This new service
delivery option allows you to complete and file your own forms
or applications online, because your signature is already
electronically "on file."
Information submitted to the Federal Government remains safe and
secure because every customer has a unique User ID and password;
only authorized USDA employees can access your information. It's
safe, saves paper, saves a visit to your local USDA Service
Center and provides electronic tracking of all your USDA
transactions.
How to Sign Up for eAuth :
Begin the process by reviewing the information at the USDA
Website https://www.eauth.usda.gov. This website describes the
services available for Level 1 and Level 2 Accounts. Level 1 and
Level 2 accounts require that you have an email address so you
can register, create a customer profile, and be able to respond
to a confirmation email. Level 1 Accounts do not require you to
provide proof of your identity at a local USDA Service Center.
Level 1 Accounts provide limited access to certain USDA Web site
portals that require no authentication or authorization. A Level
2 Account does require a visit to a USDA Service Center with
proof of your identity. That is because a Level 2 account allows
you access to complete and submit documents and forms
electronically.
LEVEL 1 ACCOUNT
STEP 1. To obtain a Level 1 Account, you may self-register
online at
www.eauth.egov.usda.gov.
Scroll down and click on the button that says “Sign Up for a
Level 1 Account.” Complete the brief customer profile.
STEP 2. You will receive a confirmation email, and you must
respond to it within 7 days to activate your account.
LEVEL 2 ACCOUNT
STEP 1. To obtain a Level 2 Account, you must complete an 18
question customer profile and prove your identity by presenting
state or federal photo ID at a local USDA Service Center. Go to
www.eauth.egov.usda.gov,
scroll down and click on “Sign Up for a Level 2 Account.”
Complete your customer profile, which includes designating your
user ID and password created by you, contact information and
email information. The data you enter in your customer profile
must match the data on the document you use as identification at
your local USDA Service Center. Example: Your first and last
names and address must match the government-issued photo ID you
plan to use to prove your identity. Identify proof can only be
verified by one of the following documents: Current State
Driver’s License, State Photo ID, US Military ID, or United
States Passport.
STEP 2. After completing your customer profile and submitting it
online, you will receive a
confirmation email, and you must respond to it within 7 days to
activate your account.
STEP 3. Then you must complete the “Identify Proofing” process
by visiting a local USDA Service Center. You will be required to
present the eligible photo ID to an USDA employee who will
verify your identity and enter the expiration date of the ID
document used.
STEP 4. The USDA employee then will update your customer profile
to a Level 2 Account. You will have access to USDA online
applications and forms within one hour of your account being
updated.
You now have access to complete and submit documents and forms
electronically. USDA continues to update and make more forms and
programs available electronically.
Producers Must Report Prevented Planting and Failed Acres
USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds producers to report
prevented planting and failed acres in order to establish or
retain FSA program eligibility.
Producers must report crop acreage they intended to plant, but
due to natural disaster, were prevented from planting. Prevented
planting acreage must be reported on form FSA-576, Notice of
Loss, no later than 15 calendar days after the final planting
date as established by RMA.
If a producer is unable to report the prevented planting acreage
within the 15 calendar days following the final planting date, a
late-filed report can be submitted. Late-filed reports will only
be accepted if FSA conducts a farm visit to assess the eligible
disaster condition that prevented the crop from being planted. A
measurement service fee will be charged.
Additionally, producers with failed acres should also use form
FSA-576, Notice of Loss, to report failed acres before
disposition of the crop.
For losses on crops covered by the Non-Insured Crop Disaster
Assistance Program (NAP), producers must file a Notice of Loss:
- For prevented planted acreage, within calendar days
after the final planting date
- For low yield, the earlier of
- 15 calendar days after the disaster occurrence or
date of loss to the crop first becomes
apparent
- 15 calendar days after the normal harvest date.
Please contact the local County FSA Office to schedule an
appointment to file a Notice of Loss. To find your local FSA
office visit
http://offices.usda.gov.
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Producers with CRP Contracts Scheduled to Expire September
30, 2015
CRP contracts scheduled to expire on September 30, 2015 may be
eligible for one or more of the following options:
1-Year Extension. Producers with expiring general CRP
contracts that are 14 years or less in length, may submit a
request to extend the expiration for an additional year under
the same terms and conditions as the expiring contract(s),
including the rental rate per acre. General sign-up contracts
which are already 15 years in length are not eligible for an
extension, but may be eligible for a combination of the other
options described below. The sign-up for the 1-year extension is
June 22, 2015 through August 28, 2015.
Continuous Re-enrollment in a new 10- to 15-year CRP
contract. Producers with an expiring CRP contract may re-enroll
all or a portion of the expiring acreage. The aceage may be
eligible to be enrolled in a new 10- to 15-year continuous CRP
contract. If interested in re-enrolling expiring acreage, please
submit an offer at your local FSA office no later than September
4, 2015.
Transition Incentive Program (TIP). For those producers
with an expiring contract who are not planning to farm the land
themselves, TIP may provide two additional annual rental
payments on the condition a producer sells or rents their land
to a beginning farmer or rancher or a member of an underserved
group. New landowners or renters are required to use sustainable
grazing or farming methods as they return the land to
production. TIP offers a way to create new farming opportunities
while continuing conservation efforts. If interested in TIP,
contact your local FSA office no later than September 4, 2015.
Contract Expiration. If a producer does nothing, their
CRP contract will expire. Producers will receive their final
payment in October in 2015. They may plant, graze, or hay the
acreage after September 30, 2015. Since CRP land typically does
not have a recent history of pesticide or herbicide application,
the land may be valuable for organic production without a
transition period. Prior to contract expiration, producers
should visit with the local FSA office and review the current
crop acreage base re-instatement provisions. Before planting,
check with FSA or Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
to see if the land is subject to conservation and wetland
compliance provisions.
Producers should contact their local FSA Office to reinstate
crop acreage bases if they were reduced when the contract was
originally approved. Expired contract acres that were devoted to
trees will no longer be considered cropland and may be
ineligible for subsequent CRP contracts and other farm programs.
Conservation Easements or Working Lands Programs. CRP
land may transition into conservation easements to provide
longer term benefits. NRCS’s Agricultural Conservation Easement
Program (ACEP) or state or private easement programs may be an
option. If a producer is planning to convert CRP land to
agriculture use, the forthcoming CRP grasslands initiative,
NRCS’s working lands Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), or
the Environmental Quality Incentives Program may be available to
address a producer’s resource needs. In many cases, a
combination of approaches can be taken on the same parcel.
Producers should contact their local USDA Service Center, or
visit http://www.fsa.
usda.gov/crp to explore possible options.
Tree Assistance Program (TAP) Sign-up
Orchardists and nursery tree growers who experience losses from
natural disasters during calendar year 2015 must submit a TAP
application either 90 calendar days after the disaster event or
the date when the loss is apparent. TAP was authorized by the
Agricultural Act of 2014 as a permanent disaster program. TAP
provides financial assistance to qualifying orchardists and
nursery tree growers to replant or rehabilitate eligible trees,
bushes and vines damaged by natural disasters.
Eligible tree types include trees, bushes or vines that produce
an annual crop for commercial purposes. Nursery trees include
ornamental, fruit, nut and Christmas trees that are produced for
commercial sale. Trees used for pulp or timber are ineligible.
To qualify for TAP, orchardists must suffer a qualifying tree,
bush or vine loss in excess of 15 percent mortality from an
eligible natural disaster. The eligible trees, bushes or vines
must have been owned when the natural disaster occurred;
however, eligible growers are not required to own the land on
which the eligible trees, bushes and vines were planted.
If the TAP application is approved, the eligible trees, bushes
and vines must be replaced within 12 months from the date the
application is approved. The cumulative total quantity of acres
planted to trees, bushes or vines, for which a producer can
receive TAP payments, cannot exceed 500 acres annually.
New Farm Bill Offers Increased Opportunities for Producers
The 2014 Farm Bill offers increased opportunities for producers
including farm loan program modifications that create
flexibility for new and existing farmers. A fact sheet outlining
modifications to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA)
Farm Service Agency (FSA) Farm Loan Programs is available here.
The Farm Bill expands lending opportunities for thousands of
farmers and ranchers to begin and continue operations, including
greater flexibility in determining eligibility, raising loan
limits, and emphasizing beginning and targeted underserved
producers.
Changes that will take effect immediately include:
Elimination of the 15 year term limit for guaranteed operating
loans.
Modification of the definition of beginning farmer, using the
average farm size for the county as a qualifier instead of the
median farm size.
Modification of the Joint Financing Direct Farm Ownership
Interest Rate to 2 percent less than regular Direct Farm
Ownership rate, with a floor of 2.5 percent. Previously, the
rate was established at 5 percent.
Increase of the maximum loan amount for Direct Farm Ownership
Down Payment Loan Program from $225,000 to $300,000.
Elimination of rural residency requirement for Youth Loans,
allowing urban youth to benefit.
Debt forgiveness on Youth Loans, which will not prevent
borrowers from obtaining additional loans from the federal
government.
Increase of the guaranteed percentage on Conservation Loans from
75 to 80 percent and 90 percent for targeted underserved
borrowers and beginning farmers.
Microloans will not count toward direct operating loan term
limits for veterans and beginning farmers.
Additional modifications must be implemented through the
rulemaking processes. Visit the FSA Farm Bill website for
detailed information and updates to farm loan programs.
2015 Crop Reporting Dates
Producers who file accurate and timely reports for all crops and
land uses, including failed acreage can prevent the potential loss
of FSA program benefits. Please pay close attention to the acreage
reporting dates below, as some dates have changed.
In order to comply with FSA program eligibility requirements, all
producers are encouraged to visit their local County FSA office to
file an accurate crop certification report by the applicable
deadline.
August 15 - Cabbage (planted 6/1-7/20)
September 15 - Cucumbers (planted 6/1-8/15) in Gallatin,
Lawrence, and White Counties
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
reporting date, then the acreage must be reported no later than 30
calendars 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, 2016.
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 above or 15 calendar days before
grazing or harvesting of the crop begins.
For questions regarding crop certification and crop loss reports,
please contact the your local County FSA office.
If filing for prevented planting, an acreage report and CCC-576 must
be filed within 15 calendar days of the final planting date for the
crop.
July Interest Rates
90-Day Treasury Bill .125 %
Farm Operating Loans — Direct 2.50 %
Farm Ownership Loans — Direct 3.75 %
Farm Ownership Loans — Direct Down Payment, Beginning Farmer or
Rancher 1.50 %
Emergency Loans - 3.50 %
Farm Storage Facility Loans - 7 years - 2.00 %
Farm Storage Facility Loans - 10 years - 2.25 %
Farm Storage Facility Loans - 12 years - 2.375 %
Commodity Loans 1996-Present - 1.250 %
Important Dates to Remember
August 3 - Last Day to File
County Committee Nomination Forms at Local FSA Office
June 22 - August 28 - Sign up for September 30, 2015 Expiring CRP
contract 1 year extension
September 30 - Final Date to Sign 2014 and 2015 ARC or PLC contracts
September 30 - Final Date to Enroll in MPP - Dairy for 2016 Coverage
Illinois Farm Service Agency
3500 Wabash Ave
Springfield, IL 62711
www.fsa.usda.gov/il
State Committee:
Jill Appell - chair
Brenda Hill - member
Jerry Jimenez - member
Joyce Matthews - member
Gordon Stine - member
State Executive Director:
Scherrie V. Giamanco
Executive Officer:
Rick Graden
Administrative Officer:
Dan Puccetti
Division Chiefs:
Doug Bailey
Jeff Koch
Stan Wilson
Please contact your local FSA Office for questions specific to your
operation or county. |
