IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

• CONTINUOUS CRP SIGNUP 61- Deadline July 31, 2024
• GENERAL CRP SIGNUP 62- Deadline March 29, 2024
• GRASSLAND CRP SIGNUP - BEGINS April 29 
• CRP PRIMARY NESTING SEASON - March 15 through July 15

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.

USDA Now Accepting Farm Loan Payments Online

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today that most farm loan borrowers will soon be able to make payments to their direct loans online through the Pay My Loan feature on farmers.gov in early February. Pay My Loan is part of a broader effort by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) to streamline its processes, especially for producers who may have limited time during the planting or harvest seasons to visit a local FSA office; modernize and improve customer service; provide additional customer self-service tools; and expand credit access to assist more producers. 

On average, local USDA Service Centers process more than 225,000 farm loan payments each year. Pay My Loan gives most borrowers an online repayment option and relieves them from needing to call, mail, or visit a Service Center to pay their loan installment. Farm loan payments can now be made at the borrower’s convenience, on their schedule and outside of FSA office hours. 

Pay My Loan also provides time savings for FSA’s farm loan employees by minimizing manual payment processing activities. This new service for producers means that farm loan employees will have more time to focus on reviewing and processing new loans or servicing requests.

The Pay My Loan feature can be accessed at farmers.gov/loans. To use the payment feature, producers must establish a USDA customer account and a USDA Level 2 authentication (“eAuth”) account or a Login.gov account. This initial release only allows individuals with loans to make online payments. For now, borrowers with jointly payable checks will need to continue to make loan payments through their local office.

FSA has a significant initiative underway to streamline and automate the Farm Loan Program customer-facing business process. For the over 26,000 producers who submit a direct loan application annually, FSA has made various improvements including: 

• The Online Loan Application, an interactive, guided application that is paperless and provides helpful features including an electronic signature option, the ability to attach supporting documents such as tax returns, complete a balance sheet, and build a farm operating plan.
• The Loan Assistance Tool that provides customers with an interactive online, step-by-step guide to identifying the direct loan products that may be a fit for their business needs and to understanding the application process. 
• A simplified direct loan paper application, which reduced loan applications by more than half, from 29 pages to 13 pages.

Colorado USDA Webinar Series for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers

USDA is an “Every Day, Every Way” department that touches the lives of every American, every day by supporting the agriculture sector, strengthening rural communities, promoting healthy eating, and helping to protect our natural resources. At the forefront of our mission is the support we provide to farmers to help them start—and continue—farming. If you have been wondering where to start at USDA, this is the place for you.

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Farm Service Agency (FSA), Risk Management Agency (RMA), Rural Development (RD), and other partner organizations have come together to create a webinar series for all. The Webinar series will take place virtually every third Wednesday of the Month from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.

Register for the March Meeting here - https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/1e2cb82f-9ada-43ab-b485-5f6af881c404@ed5b36e7-01ee-4ebc-867e-e03cfa0d4697?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Our Agenda for the year is as follows (subject to change):

• March 20, Working with the Farm Service Agency (FSA) Loans
• April 17, How to get Started with FSA and Why it’s important
• May 15, RD financial assistance programs REAP Program and Value-Added Producer Grants
• June 19, Working with the Risk Management Agency (RMA) Crop & Livestock Insurance
• July 17, Technical and financial assistance to producers and forest landowners to address natural resource concerns (NRCS)
• August 21, Soil Health and how use Web Soil Survey
• September18, Urban Ag
• October 16, What CSU has to offer!
• November 18, Colorado Department of Agriculture New Farmer & Rancher Resources

For more information for beginning farmers visit at www.farmers.gov.