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 Logan County Is Hiring!
We're Hiring
Location: Logan County FSA
TEMPORARY HELP WANTED in agricultural office. Salary range
$15.47 - $17.31 per hour. Applications available at 1650 5th
Street Road, Lincoln, IL or email sara.bateson@usda.gov for an
application to be sent to you. We recognize and appreciate the
benefits of diversity in the workplace. People who share this
belief and reflect a diverse background are encouraged to apply.
This vacancy announcement closes April 1, 2022, and applications
must be received by that date. Applicants will be required to
undergo a background investigation and/or fingerprint screening.
FSA is an equal opportunity employer.
What’s New and Improved for Specialty Crop
Producers?
Does your operation include specialty crops? Whether you grow
fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, or
nursery crops - USDA is here for you.
Over the past year, USDA has stepped up our support of specialty
crop producers and local and regional food systems. USDA
believes specialty crop producers are integral to the food
system of the future, and we are working to improve available
options for specialty crop producers as well as ensure equity in
program delivery.
What’s New?
The Risk Management Agency (RMA) rolled out a new insurance
option for small-scale producers who sell locally, which is
named Micro Farm. This new insurance coverage option simplifies
record keeping and covers post-production costs, such as washing
and value-added products. It is available now, and you can learn
more from an Approved Insurance Provider or your RMA specialty
crop liaison.
In addition to Micro Farm, RMA rolled out other new insurance
options in the past year, including: California Citrus Trees,
Florida Citrus, Production and Revenue History option for
Florida strawberries, and Hurricane Insurance Protection-Wind
Index (HIP-WI). These new options either fill gaps in coverage
or offer advantages over other policies. Since 2020, producers
weathered several major hurricanes. The new HIP-WI played a
crucial role in recovery with more than $250 million in
indemnities paid so far with most payments issued in a matter of
weeks following a hurricane.
Interest in growing and insuring specialty crops has grown
significantly with $1 billion in liabilities for 1990 to $22
billion in liabilities for 2021. (For more details, check out
reports on our Specialty Crops webpage.)
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) also offered pandemic assistance
for organic producers. The new Organic and Transitional
Education and Certification Program (OTECP) provided assistance
to help cover loss of markets, increased costs, labor shortages
and expenses related to obtaining or renewing their organic
certification.
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What’s Improved? In the past year, RMA made
improvements to existing policies -- including Whole-Farm Revenue
Protection, a key insurance option for specialty crop producers.
Beginning in the 2021 crop year, direct market producers could
report two or more commodities using a new combined direct marketing
code.
This reduced a tremendous burden for diversified
producers and allowed them to receive a premium rate discount for
diversification. For 2022, RMA increased coverage for organic and
aquaculture producers and enabled organic producers to report
certified organic acreage as long as the request for certification
had been made by the reporting date, which provides additional
flexibility to producers.
Want to Learn More?
These new and improved options for specialty crop producers are but
a few of USDA’s strides over the past year to build a fairer, more
transparent food system rooted in local and regional production. To
learn more, please read USDA’s January 19, 2022, news release.
For crop insurance, visit RMA’s Specialty Crops webpage or contact
your specialty crop liaison.
Also, if there is not a standard offer for the crop you would like
insured, you may still be able to get a written agreement for
coverage. RMA Regional Offices review these requests to help provide
coverage. These requests also provide Regional Offices the
opportunity to review the possible expansion of the policy to your
county.
Lastly, you can read our Specialty Crops webpage on farmers.gov and
question-and-answer with two specialty crop liaisons, Adrienne
Steinacher and Matt Wilkin.
Progression Lending from FSA
The FSA team will help borrowers identify their goals
to ensure financial success. FSA staff will advise borrowers on
developing strategies and a plan to meet your goals and graduate to
commercial credit. FSA borrowers are responsible for the success of
their farming operation, but FSA staff will help in an advisory
role, providing the tools necessary to help you achieve your
operational goals and manage your finances.
Farm Service Agency (FSA) farm loans are considered progression
lending. Unlike loans from a commercial lender, FSA loans are
intended to be temporary in nature. Our goal is to help you graduate
to commercial credit, and our farm loan staff is available to help
borrowers through training and credit counseling.
For more information on FSA farm loan programs, contact the Logan
County FSA Office at (217) 735-5508 Ext. 2 or visit fsa.usda.gov
[Logan and Dewitt County USDA Service
Center] |
