Agriculture USDA Service Center Update

USDA Update

Eads USDA Service Center Staff

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

  • USDA SERVICE CENTER CLOSED FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2017
  • CRP Contract Management - Contact FSA or NRCS with questions.  Producers have been notified of required completion dates.
  • County Committee Meeting – TBA
  • October 1st – November 30th - Fiscal Year 2018 First CRP grazing period – Contract Management.  FSA and NRCS approval required
  • November 12th -  Last date to remove hay bales from CRP (FSA prior approval required)
  • November 15th - 2018 ACREAGE REPORTING DEADLINE - 2018 fall seeded crops, native grass, triticale and alfalfa crop reporting deadline.
  • December 1, 2017 -  2018 Non-insurable Crop Assistance Program (NAP)  application closing date for Alfalfa, Grass, Mixed Forage
  • NOW!! - File form CCC-633 EZ page 1 with FSA before losing beneficial interest to maintain Loan Deficiency Payment (LDP) eligibility.  (To request payments, producers need to submit page 2 of the CCC-633EZ)
  • FARM LOAN Personnel in Kiowa County Service Center – November 14th
  • CRP Continuous Signup - 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.

SERVICE CENTER CLOSED

USDA Service Center will be closed on Friday, November 10th in observance of Veteran’s Day.  The offices will reopen on Monday, November 13th.   If you enjoy your freedom, thank a Veteran!

FSA Encourages Farmers and Ranchers to Vote in County Committee Elections

The 2017 Farm Service Agency County Committee Elections began on Nov. 6, when ballots were mailed to eligible voters. The deadline to return the ballots to local FSA offices is Dec. 4, 2017.

 County committee members are an important component of the operations of FSA and provide a link between the agricultural community and USDA. Farmers and ranchers elected to county committees help deliver FSA programs at the local level, applying their knowledge and judgment to make decisions on commodity price support programs; conservation programs; incentive indemnity and disaster programs for some commodities; emergency programs and eligibility. FSA committees operate within official regulations designed to carry out federal laws.

 To be an eligible voter, farmers and ranchers must participate or cooperate in an FSA program. A person who is not of legal voting age, but supervises and conducts the farming operations of an entire farm may also be eligible to vote.

 Eligible voters in local administrative area 1, the eastern portion of Kiowa County who do not receive a ballot can obtain one from their local USDA Service Center. Dec. 4, 2017, is the last day for voters to submit ballots in person to local USDA Service Centers. Ballots returned by mail must also be postmarked no later than Dec. 4. Newly elected committee members will take office Jan. 1, 2018.

The candidate in this year’s election is:

Sean Harkness is nominated in LAA 1, Kiowa County, to serve as a committee member. Sean resides in Towner and produces wheat, corn, grain sorghum.  This will be Sean’s second term which will last for three years.  

More information on county committees, such as the new 2017 fact sheet, can be found on the FSA website at www.fsa.usda.gov/elections or at a local USDA Service Center.

ACREAGE REPORTING DEADLINE

The acreage reporting deadline of November 15th is fast approaching and the office still has a large number of producers who have not completed their 2018 fall report of acreage. After November 15th, a late-filed fee will be assessed, and the late file fee is $46.00 per farm.  When visiting the office be certain to have the number of acres and the plant dates. 

NAP DEADLINE

Less than thirty days from now will be the deadline for purchasing a 2018 Non insurable Assistance Program (NAP) policy for alfalfa, native grass and mixed forage.  Producers who qualify as Beginning Farmers or Socially Disadvantaged (includes women) the application fee is waived.   If you do not fall under one of those two categories, the application fee is $250.00 per crop per producer.  Again the deadline is Friday, December 1st, 2017. 

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

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.  Friday, by appointment only.

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.

Agriculture