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PROMO 660 x 440 Agriculture USDA Service Center Update

USDA Update – July 2, 2025

Kiowa/Cheyenne County USDA Service Center Staff
(Kiowa County Press)

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

  • March 15 – July 15 - CRP primary nesting season. No activity is allowed on CRP contracts, except for Grassland contracts. Break-outs of ANY CRP lands is prohibited during PNS. This includes contracts that are voluntarily terminated with refunds made back to CCC and expired CRP contracts. 
  • July 15, 2025 - Deadline for Spring Certification.
  • July 16 - August 1, 2025 - COC Nomination deadline, interested candidates need to complete an FSA-669A form. Contact the local FSA Office and one can be emailed. 
  • August 15, 2025 - Deadline to submit E-CAP application.

END OF NESTING SEASON

The annual CRP nesting season is coming to an end on July 16th. CRP activities such as contract management can resume. With the moisture that has been received this spring, producers wanting to perform light disking activities should contact the local NRCS office for contractor listings and the job sheets for light disking. The job sheet will give the producer the specifics on both block and strip tillage. Grazing for contract management does not begin until October.

CRP producers need to ensure the conservation plan on the property specifies the activity that is going to be performed on the property.

NOTE: There is no cost share from FSA for contract management. A contract management must be performed on a 10-year CRP contract before year 6 of the contract. Grassland contracts are exempt from contract management requirements.

SPRING ACREAGE REPORTING

Before producers get too busy with wheat harvest, don’t forget to get your planting spring acres reporting to crop insurance and FSA.  In both Cheyenne and Kiowa counties, the FSA offices have a good relationship with the area crop insurance agents, so information is shared between the two.

Information that is needed on the FSA maps

  • Crop planted
  • Plant date
  • Intended use of planted crop - (grain, forage, grazing)
  • Shares
  • Irrigated - please note on the map

COUNTY COMMITTEE NOMINATION PERIOD

It’s that time of the year again to begin thinking about County Committee elections. Nominations for COC elections opened on June 16th. Eligible voters in the LAA or Local Administrative Areas should have received a postcard in the mail recently.

In Kiowa County, LAA 3, which is Galatea Road west to the Kiowa/Crowley County line is eligible for election. Michael Zimmerman currently is the COC member representing that area and he has termed out and is not eligible for re-election.

In Cheyenne County, LAA 3, which is the western portion of the county, Judy Jacobs is also termed out and is not eligible for re-election.

We thank Michael and Judy for their dedication to serving the producers in Kiowa and Cheyenne counties by serving on the County Committees. They will be missed.

If you are an eligible voter in either of these LAA’s and counties, please consider serving on the County Committee. Producers who has served or is currently serving will tell you that it’s a learning experience, but also one that doesn’t take a lot of time away from the field. Most committees meet monthly, currently in Kiowa and Cheyenne they are meeting every other month. Eligible producers must submit an FSA-669A by August 1st to the respective FSA Office