Logan County FSA November updates

[November 12, 2016]    Please Verify Your FSA Records are Current - Farm Record Changes - If you have bought, sold, or are renting different land, make sure you report the changes to the FSA office as soon as possible after they occur. For farm ownership changes, a copy of the “RECORDED” deed must be furnished to the county office. For farm operator changes, a written request by the owner(s) is (are) required. Failure to maintain accurate records with FSA on all land you have an interest in can lead to possible program ineligibility and fines.

Bank Account Changes: All FSA payments should be electronically transferred into your bank account. In order to make timely payments this fall, you need to notify the office if you have closed/changed your account or if your bank has been purchased by another financial institution. Payments will be delayed if we are not aware of changes made to account and routing numbers.

Personal Data Changes - If you have a new address, phone number or email address, please notify the county office. Keeping the Logan County FSA Office informed reduces postage costs, ensures the program payments are issued correctly and timely, and helps the county office keep all involved producers up-to-date with current program issues.

Deceased Producers / Successor in Interest – When an FSA program participant dies, FSA must be notified timely. Failure to do so may result in a loss of benefits for the deceased producer’s share (or beneficiaries) and also the other producers on the program contracts. Producers are also cautioned to never sign using a power-of-attorney for a person who is deceased. Once a person dies, the power-of-attorney is no longer valid. Any document signed with a power-of-attorney for a deceased person is invalid, and usually all producers on the document are ineligible to earn payments for the year. Entities and joint operations that participate in FSA programs also need to notify FSA if a shareholder or member passes away.

Ownership - FSA requires that current owners of real estate be listed on ARC/PLC and CRP contracts. It’s important to remember that changes of ownership, including transferring land into Trusts and Life Estates must be reported to the FSA Office. If you choose to deed your land to a Trust or change the way ownership is held in the real estate, bring a copy of your recorded deed to FSA. For Trusts, a copy of your Trust Agreement must accompany the copy of the deed, so FSA may determine who can legally sign for the Trust.

Offers to Re-Enroll CRP Acres Expiring on September 30, 2017 are Being Accepted Now

The 2014 Farm Bill requires that beginning October 1, 2016, no more than 24 million acres can be enrolled in CRP. Although the USDA, Farm Service Agency (FSA) is close to the 24 million acre national statutory cap, contracts on 2.5 million acres of land previously enrolled in CRP will expire from the program on September 30, 2017.

FSA county offices are continuing to accept offers from producers seeking to enroll lands in the program. In order to manage the record demand for CRP acres, producers submitting CRP offers for any continuous enrollment will have the option to request a contract effective date of October 1, 2017 or pending availability of acres, request a contract with an effective date during fiscal year (FY) 2017.

Participants with CRP contracts expiring on September 30, 2017 will be contacted by our office to discuss re-enrolling their acreage and to determine if all or a portion of their expiring acreage is eligible for re-enrollment in CRP continuous signup 50.

If you have any questions on CRP, please feel free to contact to our office.

Crop Certification

Fall seeded crops: Wheat, Rye, Cover Crops, etc., and all pasture and hay ground MUST BE reported and certified by December 15, 2016. A late file fee will be accessed to all farms that are not timely reported.

Please contact the Logan County FSA Office to schedule an appointment at 217-735-5508 Ext. 2. To certify fall seeded crops and to avoid late fees.

USDA Expands Microloans to Help Farmers Purchase Farmland and Improve Property

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is offering farm ownership microloans, creating a new financing avenue for farmers to buy and improve property. These microloans are especially helpful to beginning or underserved farmers, U.S. veterans looking for a career in farming, and those who have small and mid-sized farming operations.

The microloan program, which celebrates its third anniversary this week, has been hugely successful, providing more than 16,800 low-interest loans, totaling over $373 million to producers across the country. Microloans have helped farmers and ranchers with operating costs, such as feed, fertilizer, tools, fencing, equipment, and living expenses since 2013. Seventy percent of loans have gone to new farmers.

Now, microloans will be available to also help with farm land and building purchases, and soil and water conservation improvements. FSA designed the expanded program to simplify the application process, expand eligibility requirements and expedite smaller real estate loans to help farmers strengthen their operations. Microloans provide up to $50,000 to qualified producers, and can be issued to the applicant directly from the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA).

This microloan announcement is another USDA resource for America’s farmers and ranchers to utilize, especially as new and beginning farmers and ranchers look for the assistance they need to get started. To learn more about the FSA microloan program visit www.fsa.usda. gov/microloans,  or contact your local FSA office. To find your nearest office location, please visit http://offices.usda.gov.

Questions?

Please contact, John Peters, County Executive Director, at 217-735-5508 ext 2, [e-mail]  or for Farm Loans, please contact Tony Schmillen, Farm Loan Manager, at 217-735-5508 ext 2, [e-mail].

Logan County FSA Office
1650 5th Street
Lincoln, IL, 62656

Hours:
Monday - Friday
8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Phone: [phone] ext. 2
Fax:[phone]

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

County Executive Director:
John Peters

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

Farm Loan Manager:
Tony Schmillen

County Operations Trainee:
Miranda Belcher

Next COC Meeting :
TBD

Persons with disabilities who require accommodations to attend or participate in this meeting should contact John Peters at 217-735-5508 extension 2 or Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339.

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 [phone] (Toll-free Customer Service), [phone] (Local or Federal relay), [phone] (Relay voice users).