USDA Update

By Eads USDA Service Center

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

•                CCC-633EZ – Loan Deficiency Payment (LDP) agreement and request – MUST BE SIGNED AND ON FILE WITH FSA OFFICE BEFORE HARVEST.  

•                2nd Tuesday each month - Farm Loan personnel in Kiowa County FSA Office. 

•                March 15 – July 15th - Primary Nesting Season for CRP.  No practice or management activity allowed.

•                July 15th - Production submission deadline for 2015 NAP crops.

•                July 15th -  Acreage reporting deadline for planted spring crops and CRP

•                August 1 – Deadline to request farm reconstitution or farm transfer for 2016.

•                August 1 -   2016 ARC-PLC Enrollment Deadline

•                August 1 -  County Committee Nomination Deadline -  LAA 3 – west end

•                CRP GRASSLANDS SIGNUP - No date announced for deadline.

REMEMBERING ROD!

This past week, June 15th would have been Rod Johnson’s 69th birthday.  There aren’t many days, since his passing, that Rod doesn’t cross my mind.  I find it ironic Rod’s birthday and Father’s Day are in the same week.  I lost my father not long after coming to work for Rod at FSA.  I was young and he gave me some great ‘fatherly’ advice now and then.  He had an open door policy and was a great listener. 

It’s been 5 years since Rod retired from FSA and there are days I still ask myself– ‘What would Rod do?’  I am quite sure sometimes I fail; but I try to remember he would tell me during my CED training that , ‘you will have to make hard decisions at times, just be certain it is one you can stand behind and live with’.  Great advice!

It’s been 2 ½ years since he passed away so suddenly leaving many of us in shock and wondering where do we go from here.   I believe Rod would be proud of how far we have come and would remind us - ‘still more to be done’. 

I have viewed pictures on social media of families enjoying the fruits of his labor at Jackson’s pond; that was his goal, along with the annual ‘Fishing for Fun’ event.  Rod’s heart belonged to nature and he wanted to share it with others, a selfless man indeed.   A kid with a fishing pole, I am pretty sure nothing made him happier.  

CRP CONTRACT MANAGEMENT

July 15th – the end of the Primary Nesting Season is a short month away.  After the 15th, producers can begin performing the required mid-contract management for CRP contract.  Producers who have a mid-contract management due by year 6 of the contract; have received their notifications with a recommended practice.  Producers who would like to complete a practice, other than the recommendation, need to call or come into the office and visit with NRCS. 

Approved practices for Mid Contract Management are the following:

•                Inter-seeding

•                Routine Haying or grazing

•                Organic or inorganic fertilizer

•                Residue management (harrowing, shredding, flail chopping)

•                Light tillage

Cost shares are available for practices, with the exception of haying and grazing.  If the livestock of a Beginning Farmer and Rancher (BFR) are grazing the land; there is no charge to the CRP producer.  If not a BFR there is a 25% percent annual rental reduction for the acres hayed or grazed. 

CROP CERTIFICATION – July 15th

Monday, June 20th was the final day to plant grain sorghum and sunflowers in the county; the 25th is the final day for planting millet.  Before wheat harvest takes over your days, get the 2016 final crop certification completed.  July 15th is the last day for certification, after the 15th FSA will charge producers $46.00 per farm for late-filed certification.  If you have a large number of farms, it can get quite costly. 

When visiting the office you will need plant dates, acres, intended use (grain or forage) and crop shares. 

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

Telephone 719-336-3437 (ext2) Natalie Bond; natalie.bond@co.usda.gov; Mary Rhoades, mary.rhoades@co.usda.gov

SERVICE CENTER OFFICE HOURS: 

Monday through Friday - 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  By appointment only on Friday.

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.