IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

• EMERGENCY GRAZING AVAILABLE ON CERTAIN CRP CONTRACTS 
• 2023 ARCPLC Election and Enrollment -  Deadline March 15, 2023
• 2023 NAP APPLICATION FOR COVERAGE DEADLINE -  March 15, 2023

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. 

THE USDA SERVICE CENTER HAS A DROP BOX AVAILABLE ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE BUILDING. 

DROUGHT MONITOR

After the 8 inches of snow received last week, thought maybe there would be some significant changes to the drought monitor, however Kiowa and the counties south remain in a D2 intensity, with a D3 intensity remaining in eastern Kiowa, Prowers and Baca counties.  

IRS 1099 forms

Producers who earned USDA payment in excess of $600.00 will be receiving the 1099 for 2022 calendar year for tax purposes.  If producers have questions regarding the 1099, please call the FSA office.   

CSU extension ARCPLC webinar

The March 15^th deadline for farmers to make their ARC/PLC decisions for the 2023 crop year is fast approaching. In an effort to provide growers with the most up to date information needed to make this important decision, CSU Extension and the USDA Farm Service Agency have teamed up to conduct a Farm Bill Decisions webinar.

The webinar will be held Tuesday, February 7th from 6:00pm to 8:30pm. Topics to be addressed are: the mechanics of ARC/PLC and the limitations of ARC-IC for fruit and vegetable producers, the payment outlook in 2023 for ARC-CO/PLC for the major program crops in Colorado and managing the 2023 margin squeeze.

The webinar is free but you must preregister at this web link https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAlduygrDMiGdHZrPz1udlQMAhvPM5eYa_Z

To get a copy of the registration link, contact Brent Young at brent.young@colostate.edu or call 970-522-7207.

Obtaining Payments Due to Deceased Producers

In order to claim a Farm Service Agency (FSA) payment on behalf of a deceased producer, all program conditions for the payment must have been met before the applicable producer's date of death.

If a producer earned a FSA payment prior to his or her death, the following is the order of precedence for the representatives of the producer:

• administrator or executor of the estate
• the surviving spouse
• surviving sons and daughters, including adopted children
• surviving father and mother
• surviving brothers and sisters
• heirs of the deceased person who would be entitled to payment according to the State law

For FSA to release the payment, the legal representative of the deceased producer must file a form FSA-325 to claim the payment for themselves or an estate. The county office will verify that the application, contract, loan agreement, or other similar form requesting payment issuance, was signed by the applicable deadline by the deceased or a person legally authorized to act on their behalf at that time of application.

If the application, contract or loan agreement form was signed by someone other than the deceased participant, FSA will determine whether the person submitting the form has the legal authority to submit the form.

Payments will be issued to the respective representative's name using the deceased program participant's tax identification number. Payments made to representatives are subject to offset regulations for debts owed by the deceased.

FSA is not responsible for advising persons in obtaining legal advice on how to obtain program benefits that may be due to a participant who has died, disappeared or who has been declared incompetent.

KIOWA COUNTY FARM SERVICE AGENCY COUNTY COMMITTEE

• Sean Harkness – LAA 1 – East area – Committee Chairperson
• Destiny Haase - LAA 2 – Central area – Committee Vice-Chairperson
• Michael Zimmerman – LAA 3 – West area – Committee Regular Member

USDA SERVICE CENTER CONTACT INFORMATION

409 E Lowell Ave.

PO Box 188 – Eads, CO  81036

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

FSA - Farm Service Agency  

• Dawna Weirich – CED dawna.weirich@usda.gov
• Charla Ferris – PT  charla.ferris@usda.gov
• Brandi Nevius – PT brandi.nevius@usda.gov
• Teri Ellis – PT teri.ellis@usda.gov

NRCS – Natural Resource Conservation Service

• Scott Smith – Resource Team Leader 719-767-5648 ext. 3 scott.smith3@usda.gov - Cheyenne Wells
• Steve Schmidt – steven.schmidt2@usda.gov  Eads Office

• Marty Miller - marlin.miller@usda.gov Eads Office
• Kathleen Johnson – kathleen.johnson@usda.gov  Eads Office

KIOWA COUNTY FARM LOAN CONTACT INFO – CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT

Telephone 719-336-3437 (ext. 2) 

• Mary Rhoades, mary.rhoades@usda.gov,
• Nicole Lubbers, nicole.lubbers@usda.gov

SERVICE CENTER OFFICE HOURS:  

Monday through Friday - 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  

RECEIVE USDA INFORMATION

Visit website www.Farmers.gov  for up-to-date information for FSA/NRCS programs.

Receive text messages - Text COKiowa to FSANow (372-669) to subscribe.

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Subscribe to GovDelivery emails:  Visit www.fsa.usda.gov/subscribe  or contact your local FSA Office. 

For information on programs visit our website located at www.fsa.usda.gov or like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.  USDA is an equal opportunity employer.