IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

• NAP DEADLINE - September 1, 2021
• SERVICE CENTER CLOSED – Monday, September 6, 2021
• PLIP Signup deadline September 17, 2021. 
• Non-Emergency CRP Haying and Grazing available for eligible acreage subject to payment reduction.   

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. 

COVID-19 UPDATE - The USDA Service Center received instructions last week that all customers visiting any Service Center will be required to wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status.  

GOODBYE to NADENE!

FSA employees said goodbye to Nadene Gaynor last Thursday.  Nadene retired in 2014 but was hired to fill a temporary position in January 2021.  For the past seven months she has been answering phones and the doorbell and completing mounds of paperwork for 2021 farm changes.  She assisted with 2021 ARCPLC signup, acreage certification and did about anything that she was asked to do.  

Thank you Nadene, we’ll miss you.  

HELLO to KATIE 

There is a new face in the NRCS Office. Kathleen ‘Katie’ Johnson from the Wild Horse area began her duties as a technician a few weeks ago.  She graduated from Kit Carson High School in 2016, attended college and began her NRCS career in Kansas.    

Welcome aboard, Katie.  

CRP GENERAL SIGNUP #56 ACCEPTANCE LETTERS

CRP producers who made an offer for Signup #56 earlier this summer were notified last week either by email or mail regarding the status of the offer.  Kiowa County had only one offer rejected due to the low EBI points.  All other offers were accepted.  Producer who received the letter and have not contacted the office need to read the entire letter.  

The acceptance letter states the following. 

‘You have 15 days from the date of this letter to notify this office of whether you want your offer approved to participate in the CRP so that NRCS may begin plan development.  If I do not hear from you within the 15-day period, we will reject your offer.’ 

Therefore, if you have received your letter and have not contacted the office regarding moving forward with the offer; the offer could be rejected within the next 10 days.  

Few reminders for accepted offers – 

• Offers are scheduled to become an approved CRP contract on October 1, 2021.
• No practices can begin until after October 1, 2021 when the offer becomes an approved contract. 
• FSA does not allow succession-in-interest to offers, unless death of the participant occurs.  Producers who are currently working with a realtor on selling CRP acreage; closing on the property needs to occur after October 1, 2021. 
• FSA is emailing or mailing participants missing paperwork.  It’s vitally important producers pay attention to their email and USPS mail.  If you receive an email or envelope; open it and complete the attachments or contents ASAP.

CRP GRASSLAND SIGNUP #203

There are a few producers who made offers for both CRP General #56 and CRP Grasslands.  FSA Office should be receiving the accepted and rejected offer report for submitted CRP Grassland offers the week of September 6^th.  Producers with offers in both programs, if the Grassland offer is accepted will need to decide ASAP as to what CRP program they will continue with.  

NAP DEADLINE

Wednesday, September 1^st is the final day to apply for coverage with the required service fee to the FSA Office for the following crops. 

• Rye
• Triticale
• Canola
• Asparagus

Service Fees

Service Fees and Premiums For all coverage levels, the NAP service fee is the lesser of $325 per crop or $825 per producer per administrative county, not to exceed a total of $1,950 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. 

For value loss crops, premiums will be calculated using the maximum dollar value selected by the producer on form CCC-471, “Application for Coverage.” The maximum premium for a person or legal entity that is a NAP covered producer is $15,750 (the maximum payment limitation times a 5.25 percent premium fee) for an application for basic coverage only. If the NAP covered producer is a joint operation, the maximum premium is based on the number of multiple persons or legal entities comprising the joint operation. Beginning, limited resource, socially disadvantaged and qualifying veterans’ 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, Veteran, or Beginning Farmer or Rancher Certification.