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 The following are FSA signature guidelines:
A married woman must sign her given name: Mrs. Mary Doe,
not Mrs. John Doe
For a minor, FSA requires the minor's signature and one
from the minor’s parent
Note, by signing a document with a minor, the parent is
liable for actions of the minor and may be liable for refunds,
liquidated damages, etc.
When signing on one’s behalf the signature must agree with the
name typed or printed on the form or be a variation that does
not cause the name and signature to be in disagreement.
Example - John W. Smith is on the form. The signature may be
John W. Smith or J.W. Smith or J. Smith.
Or Mary J. Smith may be signed as Mrs. Mary Joe Smith, M.J.
Smith, Mary Smith, etc.
FAXED signatures will be accepted for certain forms and other
documents provided the acceptable program forms are approved for
FAXED signatures. Producers are responsible for the successful
transmission and receipt of FAXED information.
Examples of documents not approved for FAXED signatures include:
Promissory note
Assignment of payment
Joint payment authorization
Acknowledgement of commodity certificate purchase
FSA-211, Power of Attorney
Spouses may sign documents on behalf of each other for FSA and
CCC programs in which either has an interest, unless written
notification denying a spouse this authority has been provided
to the county office.
Spouses cannot sign on behalf of each other as an authorized
signatory for partnerships, joint ventures, corporations or
other similar entities. Likewise, a spouse cannot sign a
document on behalf of the other in order to affirm the
eligibility of oneself.
Any member of a general partnership can sign on behalf of the
general partnership and bind all members unless the Articles of
Partnership are more restrictive. Spouses may sign on behalf of
each other’s individual interest in a partnership, unless
notification denying a spouse that authority is provided to the
county office. Acceptable signatures for general partnerships,
joint ventures, corporations, estates, and trusts must consist
of an indicator “by” or “for” the individual’s name,
individual’s name and capacity, or individual’s name, capacity,
and name of entity.
For additional clarification on proper signatures contact your
local FSA office.
Policy Changes for Crop Acreage Reporting
The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) recently made several policy
updates for acreage reporting for cover crops, revising intended
use, late-filed provisions, grazing allotments as well as
updated the definitions of “idle” and “fallow.”
Reporting Cover Crops:
Cover crop types can be chosen from the following four
categories:
Cereals and other grasses
Legumes
Brassicas and other broadleaves
Mixtures
If the cover crop is harvested for any use other than forage or
grazing and is not terminated according to policy guidelines,
then that crop will no longer be considered a cover crop and the
acreage report must be revised to reflect the actual crop.
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Permitted Revision of Intended use After Acreage Reporting
Date:
New operators or owners who pick up a farm after the acreage
reporting deadline has passed and the crop has already been
reported on the farm, have 30 calendar days from the date when
the new operator or owner acquired the lease on land, control of
the land or ownership and new producer crop share interest in
the previously reported crop acreage. Under this policy,
appropriate documentation must be provided to the County
Committee’s satisfaction to determine that a legitimate operator
or ownership and producer crop share interest change occurred to
permit the revision.
Acreage Reports:
In order to maintain program eligibility and benefits, you must
timely file acreage reports. Failure to file an acreage report
by the crop acreage reporting deadline may result in
ineligibility for future program benefits. FSA will not accept
acreage reports provided more than a year after the acreage
reporting deadline.
Reporting Grazing Allotments:
FSA offices can now accept acreage reports for grazing
allotments. You will use form “FSA-578” to report grazing
allotments as animal unit months (AUMs) using the “Reporting
Unit” field. Your local FSA office will need the grazing period
start and end date and the percent of public land.
Definitions of Terms
FSA defines “idle” as cropland or a balance of cropland within a
Common Land Unit (CLU) (field/subfield) which is not planted or
considered not planted and does not meet the definition of
fallow or skip row.
Fallow is considered unplanted cropland acres which are part of
a crop/fallow rotation where cultivated land that is normally
planted is purposely kept out of production during a regular
growing season.
For more information, contact your local County USDA Service
Center or visit fsa.usda.gov.
Update Your Records
FSA is cleaning up our producer record database and needs your
help. Please report any changes of address, zip code, phone
number, email address or an incorrect name or business name on
file to our office. You should also report changes in your farm
operation, like the addition of a farm by lease or purchase. You
should also report any changes to your operation in which you
reorganize to form a Trust, LLC or other legal entity.
FSA and NRCS program participants are required to promptly
report changes in their farming operation to the County
Committee in writing and to update their Farm Operating Plan on
form CCC-902.
If you have any updates or corrections, please call your local
FSA office to update your records.
[USDA Farm Service Agency] |
