IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

• CRP Contract Management - Contact FSA or NRCS with questions.  Producers have been notified of required completion dates.   
• County Committee Meeting – Wednesday, March 21^st
• NAP APPLICATION FOR COVERAGE DEADLINE -  March 15^th for spring crops
• FARM LOAN Personnel in Kiowa County Service Center – Tuesday, March 13th
• CRP Continuous Signup - CRP Grassland OFFERS ONLY.  Producers interested are urged to contact FSA Office.  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)
• 2018 ARCPLC Enrollment deadline -  August 1, 2018

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.

Noninsured Crop Assistance Program (NAP) DEADLINE

The deadline for 2018 Application for Coverage for NAP is March 15^, 2018; for the following crops:

• Common Millet
• Sorghum Forage
• Oats
• Dual Purpose Sorghum

BUY-UP COVERAGE

The 2014 Farm Bill authorizes higher levels of coverage ranging from 50 to 65 percent of production, in 5 percent increments, at 100 percent of the average market price. Additional coverage must be elected by a producer by the application closing date. Producers who elect additional coverage must pay a premium in addition to the service fee. Crops intended for grazing are not eligible for additional coverage.

SERVICE FEES AND PREMIUMS

For all coverage levels, the NAP service fee is the lesser of $250 per crop or $750 per producer per administrative county, not to exceed a total of $1,875 for a producer with farming interests in multiple counties.

Producers who elect higher levels of coverage must also pay a premium equal to:

The producer’s share of the crop; times

The number of eligible acres devoted to the crop; times

The approved yield per acre; times

The coverage level; times

The average market price; times

A 5.25 percent premium fee.

Beginning, limited resource and targeted underserved farmers or ranchers are eligible for a waiver of the service fee and a 50 percent premium reduction when they file form CCC-860, “Socially Disadvantaged, Limited Resource and Beginning Farmer or Rancher Certification.” To be eligible for a service fee waiver or premium reduction, the NAP covered producer must qualify as one of the following:

Beginning farmer or rancher – a person or legal entity who:

• Has not operated a farm or ranch for more than 10 years; and
• Materially and substantially participates in the operation.

For legal entities to be considered a beginning farmer, all members must be related by blood or marriage and must be beginning farmers.

Limited resource farmer or rancher – a person or legal entity that:

Earns no more than $173,600 in each of the two calendar years that precede the complete taxable year before the program year, to be adjusted upwards in later years for inflation; and

Has a total household income at or below the national poverty level for a family of four, or less than 50 percent of county median household income for both of the previous two years. Limited resource producer status may be determined using the USDA Limited Resource Farmer and Rancher Online Self Determination Tool located at http://lrftool.sc.egov.usda.gov. The automated system calculates and displays adjusted gross farm sales per year and the higher

of the national poverty level or county median household income.

Targeted underserved farmer or rancher – a farmer or a rancher who is a member of a group whose members have been subject to racial, ethnic or gender prejudice because of their identity as members of a group without regard to their individual qualities. Groups include:

American Indians or Alaskan Natives;

Asians or Asian Americans;

Blacks or African Americans;

Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders;

Hispanics; and

MARKETING ASSISTANCE LOAN DEADLINE

The deadline for producers to request a Marketing Assistance Loan (MAL) for 2017 harvested wheat is March 31, 2018.  To be eligible for MAL, the producer must:

• Comply with conservation and wetland protection requirements;
• Submit an acreage report to account for all cropland on all farms;
• Have and retain beneficial interest in the commodity until the MAL is repaid or CCC takes title to the commodity; and
• Meet adjusted gross income limitations

The loan rate for wheat in Kiowa County is $2.84.  Contact the FSA information for more information.

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.