IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

• 2021 ARCPLC signup – deadline March 15, 2021
• CRP General CRP signup #56 – Extended indefinitely
• CRP EMERGENCY GRAZING AVAILABLE – Contact the FSA Office if interested.  

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.  

COLD

To say it’s cold would be a complete understatement for the past few days for the eastern plains.  This cold snap has engulfed the state of Texas, parts of Oklahoma and western Kansas.  Thankful to all those who have ‘kept the lights on’ for us; you are appreciated. 

CRP GENERAL SIGNUP #56 

The office has received no new established deadline to submit offers for CRP General signup #56.  Offices are accepting offers from producers with interest in re-offering expiring CRP, eligible expired CRP and existing cropland.  Producers are encouraged to contact their local FSA offices for more information.  

CRP EMERGENCY GRAZING 

Many of the counties in Colorado are eligible for Emergency grazing of eligible CRP acres.  If interested in Emergency grazing of CRP; we encourage producers to contact your local FSA office for more information.  

Currently producers can graze at 100% stocking rate until March 15, which is the beginning of the Primary Nesting season for wildlife.  Producers can request to graze during the primary nesting season if all of the following occur: 

• Payments are authorized for the county under Livestock Forage Program or LFP
• NRCS grazing plans are written at 50% of the normal carrying capacity. 

Haying is not authorized during PNS or primary nesting season.  

Ineligible acres are: SAFE or State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement acres.   In Kiowa those are acres enrolled into the Lesser Prairie Chicken SAFE CRP program. 

NRCS will be required to make a site visit to determine if the acres can be grazed. Acres that were grazed last year, could potentially be ineligible this year.  

AT NO TIME CAN FEEDING OF BALES BE ALLOWED ON THE CRP ACRES. 

2021 ARCPLC ENROLLMENT 

The office sent out postcards to operators with farms that are currently not enrolled into the ARCPLC program for 2021.  The deadline to enroll is Monday, March 15.  

REMINDER:  If you didn’t receive a postcard; your farm(s) are still eligible to make an election.  ARCPLC elections can be made each year through 2023.  The 2018 Farm Bill made that possible.  

Offices are encouraging producers not to wait until the last minute to enroll especially if owners’ signatures must be obtained either by mail or email.  

There are a couple of different tools available to learn and choose the option right for your farm.  

• The CSU-FSA webinar on Farm Bill decision scheduled for Tuesday, February 16 will be recorded for later viewing.  A link will be provided in next week’s edition.  
• Visit Farmers.gov website and search ARCPLC decision for more information. 
• On Farmers you will find two online tools to assist you in making your decision.  Website addresses are provided below. 

https://fd-tools.ncsa.illinois.edu/

https://www.afpc.tamu.edu/tools/farm/farmbill/2018/

Currently for 2020 PLC payments are projected at zero for corn and grain sorghum.  Will that trend remain for 2021 crop year? Last week in the UPDATE it was mentioned that producers need to be making this decision by March 15, 2021 for farm(s) with eligible base acres.

Producers have three options for enrollment.  

• PLC or Price Loss Coverage 
• ARC-CO or Agricultural Risk Coverage County 
• ARC-IC or Agricultural Risk Coverage - Individual

Once the operator and owner have made their decision; please contact the office so that the contract can be sent out for signature.  

COLD WEATHER and CALVING 

With the recent cold snap and some ranchers have started the calving process; it’s extremely important to be documenting those losses with pictures and record books.  

Couple of good tips to following documenting any loss -  

• pictures must be date stamped - there are many free phone apps available – be certain to download one to your phone.  
• Documentation - keep an up to date, legible calving record.  Those daily diaries work well.  

The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) provides assistance to ranchers for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by adverse weather, disease and attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government or protected by federal law. 

For disease losses, FSA county committees can accept veterinarian certifications that livestock deaths were directly related to adverse weather and unpreventable through good animal husbandry and management.

For 2020 livestock losses, you must file a notice within 30 calendar days of when the loss is first apparent. You then must provide the following supporting documentation to your local FSA office no later than 60 calendar days after the end of the calendar year in which the eligible loss condition occurred. 

• Proof of death documentation
• Copy of grower’s contracts 
• Proof of normal mortality documentation

USDA has established normal mortality rates for each type and weight range of eligible livestock, i.e. Adult Beef Cow = 1.5% and Non-Adult Beef Cattle (less than 250 pounds) = 3%. These established percentages reflect losses that are considered expected or typical under “normal” conditions.

In addition to filing a notice of loss, you must also submit an application for payment by March 1, 2022.