IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

• Farm Loan personnel in Eads Office – 2^ndTuesday every month
• COC Meeting - September 25 – 9:00 a.m.
• CRP Routine Haying & Grazing - 
• Marketing Assistance Loans Available - $2.80 loan rate - wheat
• 2019 MFP - Call and schedule your appointment!
• 2019 & 2020 - ARCPLC signup - Begins October 1
• 2020 Acreage Reporting Deadline - Wheat, perennial grasses and alfalfa - November 15, 2019

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. 

COUNTY FAIR 

The FSA Office will be open normal business hours during the county fair. Office hours are 8:00 – 4:30, Monday – Friday. The office will be short staffed on Friday and normally we reserve Friday’s to appointments only. If you are in town and need to complete some paperwork, please do so. 

FARM BILL TRAINING

Two employees of the FSA Office will be attending Farm Bill Training the week of September 16 – 19, Monday through Thursday and will be away from the office for that week. That will leave one employee to answer phones and handle the counter traffic. We ask that please be mindful when visiting or calling the office of this fact. If whatever you may be needing, we ask that if it can wait until the next week when we are fully staffed once again, please do so. All Colorado FSA Offices will have employees attending this training, therefore all offices will be short staffed during that week. 

2018 PLC rates

This past week, the 2018 PLC final payment rates were issued for wheat, barley and oats. Below is a table showing the details for each commodity (Kiowa County only). Payments will be issued in October 2019 to eligible producers on 2018 approved ARCPLC contracts that chose Price Loss Coverage (PLC) for the commodity on the farm. 

Below is a comparison chart between 2018 and 2019 PLC payment rates. Be reminded producers have not completed a program election and have not completed an enrollment contract for 2019. As you can see with the lower commodity prices for 2019 crops, the PLC rates are projected higher than the 2018 rates. Be reminded, ‘P’ after the rate represents projected and the ‘F’ represents final rate.

2019 and 2020 ARCPLC Election 

In the 2014 Farm Bill if the producers did not make an election on a farm with covered commodity base acres; the farm was defaulted into the Price Loss Coverage program (PLC). In the 2018 Farm Bill that portion of the election process has been removed. Read below for the new rule. 

All farm producers with interest in the cropland must make a unanimous election in 2019 of either ARC-CO or PLC on a crop-by-crop basis; or ARC-IC for all covered commodity base acres on a farm. This election will apply to the farm for 2019 through 2023. Program election changes are permitted in crop years 2021, 2022 and 2023. Failure to make a valid election in 2019 will result in a continuation of the program elected for 2014 through 2018 crop years for all covered commodities with base acres on the farm; and 2019 payments for those unelected covered commodities will not be issued.

Again, the 2019 and 2020 election process in Kiowa County will begin in October. At this time, the plan is for producers to call the office and make an appointment and complete the election process and complete the enrollment for 2019 and 2020 and 2020 acreage reporting. 

PRODUCER RESPONSIBILIES 

Below is a workload schedule for the FSA Office, the next six months will be busy to say the least. It’s important for producers to be connected and engaged with impending deadlines and requirements. There will be no way the office will be able to notify each producer of the program deadlines. The office will be relying on farm operators to notify their respective non-resident owners of program deadlines. 

Owners who haven’t already done so; should consider granting their farm operator(s) power of attorney using the FSA-211 form. The power of attorney is valid only in FSA offices and crop insurance agents. The producer granting power of attorney must have their signature notarized or witnessed by an FSA county office employee. The form is available online and also at any FSA Office nationwide. Below are the various methods of obtaining up to date program information. 

RECEIVING USDA/ FSA INFORMATION

• Visit website www.Farmers.govfor up to date information on the 2018 Farm Bill.
• Receive text messages - Text COKiowa to FSANow (372-669) to subscribe. 
• Subscribe to GovDelivery emails: Visit www.fsa.usda.gov/subscribeor contact your local FSA Office. 
• For information on programs visit our website located at www.fsa.usda.govor like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

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

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
• Hallie Barlow - PT hallie.barlow@usda.gov

NRCS– Natural Resource Conservation Service 

• Scott Smith - Cheyenne Wells - 719-767-5648 ext. 3 scott.smith3@usda.gov

KIOWA COUNTY FARM LOAN CONTACT INFO – CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT

Telephone 719-336-3437 (ext2) 

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. Friday, by appointment only.

RECEIVE FSA INFORMATION

Visit website www.Farmers.govfor up to date information on the 2018 Farm Bill.

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

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

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

USDA is an equal opportunity employer.