By Eads USDA Service Center Staff

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

• County Committee Meeting - 2^nd Tuesday each month – May 9^th- 9:00 a.m.
• FARM LOAN Personnel in Kiowa County Service Center – May 
• May 31^st - final loan request date for corn, grain sorghum and sunflowers.
• March 15^th – July 15^th -  CRP Primary Nesting Season – NO Activity permitted on CRP
• August 1 -  2017 ARCPLC enrollment deadline
• CRP Continuous Signup - Lesser Prairie Chicken, CRP Grassland acres are available.  Producers interested are urged to contact FSA Office. 

Disclaimer:  Information in this UPDATE is pertinent to Kiowa County FSA only.  Producers reading this and that do not have FSA interest in Kiowa County are advised to contact their local FSA Office.

MAY

A few weeks ago I was writing that it was the first part of April and now it’s already May.  I am writing this on Thursday and there is snow in the forecast for the weekend.  If there is cold weather, hopefully it won’t last long as the planted wheat is getting to the stage a freeze could do some damage. 

2017 ARC – PLC Enrollment

The office has your 2017 ARC-PLC contracts ready for signature.  If you are in town, stop in and sign your contracts.  The process will take only a few minutes depending on the number of farms.  The office also has other eligibility paperwork for you to complete while you are in the office.  Again, we prefer you stop Monday – Thursday – any time before 4:30 p.m.  The deadline for enrollment is August 1^st, 2017. 

FSA’s Customer Self-Service Portal

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) has launched a new tool to provide farmers and ranchers with remote access to their personal farm information using their home computers. Farmers and ranchers can now view, print or export their personal farm data all without visiting an FSA county office. The program, known as FSAfarm+, provides you with secure access to view your personal FSA data, such as base and yields, Conservation Reserve Program data, other conservation program acreage, Highly Erodible Land Conservation and Wetland Conservation status information, field boundaries, farm imagery, name and address details, contact information and membership interest and shares in the operation. This data will be available in real time, at no cost to the producer and allow operators and owners to export and print farm records, including maps. Producers also can electronically share their data with a crop insurance agent from their own personal computer. Farm operators and owners first will need “Level 2 eAuthentication” to access the web portal. This level of security ensures that personal information is protected for each user. Level 2 access can be obtained by going to www.eauth.usda.gov, completing the required information and then visiting your local FSA office to finalize access. For more information on FSAfarm+, the customer self-service portal, contact your local FSA office. To find your local FSA county office, click http://offices.usda.gov.

CRP GRASSLANDS

CRP Grasslands is authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) FSA administers the program on behalf of the USDA Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC).  FSA Offices are still accepting offers for the CRP Grasslands program.  Producers not familiar with the Grasslands program are encouraged to visit an FSA office for more information. 

With CRP Grasslands, landowners and operators can protect grassland, including rangeland and pastureland, and certain other lands, while maintaining the areas as grazing lands. The program emphasizes support for grazing operations, plant and animal biodiversity and grassland and land containing shrubs and forbs under the greatest threat of conversion. Participants receive annual payments and cost-share assistance. Contract duration is between 14 and 15 years.  Producers make an offer by tract and determine the number of ranking points that will be offered, ranking points are determined by the following:

• Current and future use - 
  • 15 points for expiring CRP
  • 5 points is offer is part of a livestock operation
• Beginning Farmer/Rancher, Veteran or underserved producer (women included) – 20 points
• Threat of conversation -  Kiowa County land garners 10 points
• Vegetative cover
  • CP87- Introduced Grasses  - 0-10 points
  • CP88- Native Grasses -  existing stand of at least 3 native grasses – 20 points
• Environment Factor
  • Offer is with CRP Conservation Priority Area Wildlife Zone  - 5 points
  • 50% of offer is within State Priority Grassland Zone – 5 points
  • Producer agree to a Wildlife Focus or Resource Management Plan – 10 points

 If the land is accepted into the program, a grazing plan with NRCS is required to be written and followed.  Producers who are interested in the program are encouraged to visit with NRCS prior to making an offer, to completely understand stocking rates that will be required.  Producers are encouraged to contact the office for further information.  

MARKETING ASSISTANCE LOANS

Producers with warehouse and farm-stored marketing loans are encouraged to track the posted county price.  Producers contact the FSA office for more information for paying off loans at market price (aka FSA’s term) of PCP (posted county price) or with a commodity certificate exchange.    

The website to check daily LDP rates is as follows:

 http://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/price-support/ldp-rates/index

Kiowa County FSA Committee

• Destiny Haase -  LAA 2 – Central area – Committee Chairperson
• Sean Harkness – LAA 1 – East area – Committee Vice-Chairperson
• Michael Zimmerman – LAA3 – West area – Committee Regular Member

USDA SERVICE CENTER CONTACT INFORMATION

Telephone 719-438-5851 FSA (Ext 2), NRCS (Ext 3). FSA Fax number: fax2mail 844-332-7501

E-mail individuals firstname.lastname@co.usda.gov (Example firstname.lastname@co.usda.gov, dawna.weirich, charla.ferris, hallie.barlow, marvin.watson, marlin.miller, Alicia.L.james

KIOWA COUNTY FARM LOAN CONTACT INFO – CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT

Telephone 719-336-3437 (ext2) Mary Rhoades, mary.rhoades@co.usda.gov

SERVICE CENTER OFFICE HOURS: 

Monday through Friday - 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  By appointment only on Friday.

FSA INFORMATION

For information on programs visit our website located at www.fsa.usda.gov or like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.