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 As part of FSA’s mission to provide enhanced customer service,
producers who visit FSA will receive documentation of services
requested and provided. From December through June, FSA issued
more than 327,000 electronic receipts.
The 2014 Farm Bill requires a receipt to be issued for any
agricultural program assistance requested from FSA, the National
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Rural Development
(RD). Receipts include the date, summary of the visit and any
agricultural information, program and/or loan assistance
provided to an individual or entity.
In some cases, a form or document – such as a completed and
signed program enrollment form –serve as the customer receipt
instead of a printed or electronic receipt. A service is any
information, program or loan assistance provided whether through
a visit, email, fax or letter.
To learn more about FSA, visit www.fsa.usda.gov.
USDA to Provide Agricultural Credit Training, Expand
Opportunities for Farmer Veterans and Beginning Farmers
USDA is partnering with the Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC) to
conduct agricultural credit training sessions in the Midwest for
military veterans and beginning farmers and ranchers. States
under consideration to host the workshops include Iowa,
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and Nebraska.
These workshops will provide individuals interested in farming
as a career, including military veterans, with methods to
improve business planning and financial skills, and improve
understanding of the risk management tools that can help small
farm operations.
Other partners include Niman Ranch a community network of more
than 700 independent family farmers and ranchers, and the Farm
Credit Council and the Farm Credit System, which provides loans,
leases and financial services to farmers, ranchers and rural
businesses across the United States. The workshops will also
include assistance with credit applications and introductions to
local or regional food markets.
To learn more about veterans in agriculture, visit www.usda.gov/veterans.
Visit www.fsa.usda.gov/farmloans or your local Farm Service
Agency (FSA) office to learn more about FSA's farm loan
programs.
To find your local FSA office, visit http://offices.usda.gov.
More information also is available from the Farmer Veteran
Coalition at
www.farmvetco.org.
Maintaining the Quality of Loaned Grain
Bins are ideally designed to hold a level volume of grain. When
bins are overfilled and grain is heaped up, airflow is hindered
and the chance of spoilage increases.
Producers who take out marketing 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.
MAL’s Available for Crop Years 2015-2018
The 2014 farm bill authorizes 2014-2018 crop year Marketing
Assistance Loans (MAL’s).
MALs provide financing and marketing assistance for wheat, feed
grains, soybeans, and other oilseeds, pulse crops, wool and
honey. MALs provide producers interim financing after harvest to
help them meet cash flow needs without having to sell their
commodities when market prices are typically at harvest-time
lows.
FSA is now accepting requests for 2015 crop MALs for all
eligible commodities after harvest.
The 2014 Farm Bill also establishes payment limitations per
individual or entity not to exceed $125,000 annually on certain
commodities for the following program benefits: ARC PLC,
marketing loan gains (MLGs) and LDPs. These payment limitations
do not apply to MAL loan disbursements.
For more information and additional eligibility requirements,
please visit a nearby USDA Service Center or FSA’s website
www.fsa.usda.gov.
Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP)
The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) provides assistance to
eligible producers for livestock death losses in excess of
normal mortality due to an extreme or abnormal adverse weather
event and/or attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by
the federal government or protected by federal law. LIP
compensates livestock owners and contract growers for livestock
death losses in excess of normal mortality due to adverse
weather, including losses due to hurricanes, floods, blizzards,
wildfires, extreme heat or extreme cold.
For 2016, eligible losses must occur on or after Jan. 1, 2016,
and before December 31, 2016. A notice of loss must be filed
with FSA within 30 days of when the loss of livestock is
apparent. Participants must provide the following supporting
documentation to their local FSA office no later than 30
calendar days after the end of the calendar year for which
benefits are requested:
- Proof of death documentation
- Copy of growers contracts
- Proof of normal mortality documentation
ELAP provides emergency assistance to eligible producers of
livestock, honeybees and farm-raised fish that have losses due
to disease, adverse weather, or other conditions, such as
blizzards and wildfires.
Producers who suffer eligible livestock, honeybee, or
farm-raised fish losses from October 1, 2015 to September 30,
2016 must file:
- A notice of loss the earlier of 30 calendar days of
when the loss is apparent or by November 1, 2016
- An application for payment by November 1, 2016
The Farm Bill caps ELAP disaster funding at $20
million per federal fiscal year.
To view ELAP Farm-Raised Fish, ELAP for Livestock or
ELAP for Honeybee fact sheets visit the FSA fact sheet
web page at
www.fsa.usda.gov/factsheets.
- Proof of death documentation
- Copy of growers contracts
- Proof of normal mortality documentation
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 current 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 location of each
field of certified organic, including the buffer
zone acreage
Certification exemptions are available 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
certified organic, transitional and buffer zone acreage.
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Unauthorized Disposition of Grain
If loan grain has been disposed of through feeding, selling or
any other form of disposal without prior written authorization
from the county office staff, it is considered unauthorized
disposition. The financial penalties for unauthorized
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. If you have questions concerning
the movement of grain under loan, please contact your local
county FSA office.
Direct Loans
FSA offers direct farm ownership and direct farm operating Loans
to producers who want to establish, maintain or strengthen their
farm or ranch. FSA loan officers process, approve and service
direct loans.
Direct farm operating loans can be used to purchase livestock
and feed, farm equipment, fuel, farm chemicals, insurance and
other costs including family living expenses. Operating loans
can also be used to finance minor improvements or repairs to
buildings and to refinance some farm-related debts, excluding
real estate.
Direct farm ownership loans can be used to purchase farmland,
enlarge an existing farm, construct and repair buildings, and to
make farm improvements.
The maximum loan amount for both direct farm ownership and
operating loans is $300,000 and a down payment is not required.
Repayment terms vary depending on the type of loan, collateral
and the producer's ability to repay the loan. Operating loans
are normally repaid within seven years and farm ownership loans
are not to exceed 40 years.
Please contact your local FSA office for more information or to
apply for a direct farm ownership or operating loan.
Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised
Fish Program (ELAP)
ELAP provides emergency assistance to eligible producers of
livestock, honeybees and farm-raised fish that have losses due
to disease, adverse weather, or other conditions, such as
blizzards and wildfires.
Producers who suffer eligible livestock, honeybee, or
farm-raised fish losses from October 1, 2015 to September 30,
2016 must file:
- A notice of loss the earlier of 30 calendar days of when the
loss is apparent or by November 1, 2016
- An application for payment by November 1, 2016
- The Farm Bill caps ELAP disaster funding at $20 million per
federal fiscal year.
To view ELAP Farm-Raised Fish, ELAP for Livestock or ELAP for
Honeybee fact sheets visit the FSA fact sheet web page at
www.fsa.usda.gov/factsheets.
Changing Administrative Counties
Producers who wish to transfer their farm records to a different
administrative county for Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 must file a
request no later than August 1, 2016. Restrictions do apply when
transferring to an office other than the county in which the
land is physically located. Contact your local FSA office for
more information.
Final Planting Dates
All producers are encouraged to contact their local FSA office
for more information on the final planting date for specific
crops. The final planting dates vary by crop, planting period
and county so please contact your local FSA office for a list of
county-specific planting deadlines. The timely planting of a
crop, by the final planting date, may prevent loss of program
benefits.
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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. 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).
Illinois Farm Service Agency
3500 Wabash Ave.
Springfield, IL 62711
Phone: 217-241-6600
Fax: 855-800-1760
www.fsa.usda.gov/il
State Executive Director:
Scherrie V. Giamanco
State Committee:
Jill Appell - Chairperson
Brenda Hill - Member
Jerry Jimenez - Member
Joyce Matthews - Member
Gordon Stine - Member
Executive Officer:
Rick Graden
Administrative Officer:
Dan Puccetti
Division Chiefs
Doug Bailey
Jeff Koch
Stan Wilson
To find contact information for your local office go to
www.fsa.usda.gov/il
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