USDA Update – January 6, 2021
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:
- 2021 ARCPLC signup – begins October 13 - ends March 15, 2021
- LFP – Signup ends January 30, 2021
- NRCS EQIP & CSP Deadline – January 8, 2021
- CRP General CRP signup #56 - Begins January 4
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.
GOODBYE HALLIE -
Hallie Barlow is no longer working out of the Kiowa County office; she has begun her training in the County Office Trainee program. This training, upon her completed certification will allow her to apply for County Executive Director positions within FSA.
We will miss Hallie and wish her all the best in her new adventure.
STAFFING CHANGES
With Hallie gone, this now leaves just Charla and Dawna in the office, handling all the workload, phone calls, emails etc. If Hallie emailed you any paperwork to sign, please send the completed paperwork back to Dawna or Charla.
In the future, when the office staff emails or mails out information that requires signatures or any action by producers, it’s imperative that you complete the required actions immediately. The staff is not going to have time to follow up and resend emails, call producers asking, ‘have you read your email’, etc. If you have questions regarding any information that is emailed or mailed to you, by all means please call the office.
NEW CFAP PROGRAM
In the news media there are articles stating that the new Stimulus package, that was recently approved by the Administration has funds set aside for another CFAP program. FSA offices HAVE NOT received any information regarding the program. Be assured, when the office does receive information there will be information in this article and there the Ag news media will have the information also. In the meantime, DO NOT call the offices asking, ‘have we heard’, because we know exactly what you know.
2018 WHIP+
In the continuing saga of issuing the 2018 WHIP+ payments; the office is currently waiting on approval to move forward on paying the applications, it’s our hope to begin issuing payments late this week or early next week.
Reminder - There is an insurance linkage requirement for the 2018 WHIP+ payments. Producers must agree to purchase a level of insurance of at least 60/100 on the crop(s) in which they are receiving a WHIP+ payment. The linkage requirement applies only to crops in which the payment is earned.
Example: Producer earns a WHIP+ payment on 2018 sunflowers and common millet - in 2018 the sunflowers had a CAT policy with crop insurance agent and the common millet was uninsured through FSA with a NAP policy. For the WHIP+ payment to be issued, said producer must agree to purchase a 60% coverage – 100% price crop insurance policy on sunflowers for the two crop years and purchase a buy-up policy on the common millet with FSA for the next two crop years. The linkage requirement only attaches if the crop is planted or claimed as prevented planted, if the producer does not plant or claim prevent planting on the crop there is no linkage requirement.
CRP SIGNUP
CRP general signup 56 is to begin Monday, January 4th, however the CRP software is not available. Producers who call the office inquiring about the signup will be placed on a list and once the software is available the office will contact the producers on the list.
To help in the process, if a producer with an expiring contract IS NOT going to submit an offer for renewal, we ask that you contact the office with by phone or email. If FSA and NRCS know that offers on expiring CRP tracts will not be submitted, it will save a lot of unneeded work.
CRP SIGNUP NOTIFICATION LETTERS
Producers who have active CRP contracts that are due to expire September 30, 2021 received notification last week that expiring contracts will be eligible for reenrollment during General CRP signup #56 which is set to begin January 4, 2021 and will end on February 12, 2021.
The letter states the following regarding opportunities to reenroll expiring acres. This information is also relevant for producers wanting to offer new land into CRP; and also for producers who have expired CRP and have maintain ownership and the cover is being maintained as though still in CRP.
- General Signup: All or a portion of your CRP contract acres may be eligible for enrollment in CRP through the CRP general signup from January 4, 2021, through February 12, 2021. If FSA accepts your offer for such enrollment, you will be eligible to receive a 10- to 15-year CRP contract that would become effective on October 1, 2021. You-will be required-to have a new-conservation plan and meet other eligibility requirements before the CRP contract can be approved.
- Continuous Signup: All or a portion of your CRP contract acres, including acreage expiring from certain SAFE wetland and buffer practices may be eligible for enrollment in CRP through CRP continuous signup. If you plan to return a portion· of your land to production, important conservation benefits may still be achieved by enrolling sensitive acres such as buffers or wetlands. Offers for continuous enrollment will be considered on a first come-first serve basis from April 1, 2021, through August 6, 2021. If FSA accepts your offer for enrollment, you will be eligible to receive a 10- to 15-year CRP contract that would become effective on October 1, 2021. You will be required to have a new conservation plan and meet other eligibility requirements before the CRP contract can be approved.
- Grasslands Enrollment: All or a portion of your CRP contract acres may be eligible for enrollment in CRP through CRP Grasslands signup. If FSA accepts your offer for such enrollment, you will be eligible to receive a 10- or 15-year CRP contract that would become effective on October 1, 2021. You will be required to have a new conservation plan and meet other eligibility requirements before the GRP contract can be approved. The signup period for CRP Grasslands-is March 15, 2021, through April 23, 2021.
- Transition Incentives Program (TIP): If you are not planning to farm the land from your expiring CRP contract, TIP may provide you two addition \1 annual rental payments after your contract expires on the condition that you sell or rent your land to a beginning or veteran farmer or rancher or a member of a socially disadvantaged group. New landowners or renters are required to- use sustainable grazing or farming methods as they return the land to production. TIP offers a way to create new farming opportunities while continuing conservation efforts. If you are interested in TIP, contact your local FSA office no later than August 6, 2021.
We encourage producers to visit website www.Farmers.gov website for more information regarding CRP signup and other FSA/NRCS programs.
NRCS PROGRAMS DEADLINE
EQIP and CSP Deadline
Colorado farmers interested in applying for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) should apply by Friday, January 8, 2021. While USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) accepts applications throughout the year, you must apply by the date to be considered for 2021 funding.
EQIP is a voluntary conservation program that helps make conservation work for you. Together, NRCS will help you invest in solutions that conserve natural resources for the future while also improving your agricultural operation.
Through EQIP, NRCS provides you with financial resources and one-on-one help to plan and implement improvements, or what we call conservation practices.
NRCS sets aside 10 percent of EQIP funding for historically underserved customers, which include beginning farmers, socially disadvantaged farmers, limited resource producers, Tribal farmers and veterans. These customers receive a higher EQIP payment rate on their conservation practices.
CSP offers additional opportunities to expand on existing conservation efforts by offering conservation practices, enhancements, bundles, and other conservation activities.
If you decide to enroll in CSP, your local NRCS conservation planner will have a one-on-one consultation with you to evaluate your current management system and the natural resources on your land. Then, the NRCS conservation planner will present a variety of CSP conservation activities for you to consider implementing on your land in order for you to address additional natural resource concerns.
Once you choose the conservation activities that best fit your operation, CSP offers annual payments for installing these activities on your land and operating and maintaining your current conservation efforts.
To apply, contact your NRCS field office for an appointment
