USDA Update - November 5, 2018

Eads USDA Service Center Staff

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

NOVEMBER 12– USDA SERVICE CENTER CLOSEDin observance of VETERAN’S DAY – Thank you to all Veteran’s for your service.
NOVEMBER 13- FARM LOAN Personnel in Eads Service Center County Committee Meeting – TBA
NOVEMBER 15- ACREAGE REPORTING DEADLINE – 2019 planted wheat, alfalfa and triticale
DECEMBER 1- NAP COVERAGE DEADLINE- NATIVE GRASS
DECEMBER 31, 2018– DEADLINE to apply for 2018 (LFP) Livestock Forage Program – EXTENDED to JANUARY 15, 2019
JANUARY 15, 2019- MFP – Market Facilitation Program– Part D of CCC-910 form signature deadline.

Continuous CRP Grassland Signup 201 –Offers being accepted - $5.00 per acre rental rate

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.

ATTENTION: OPERATORS - CALL THE FSA OFFICE TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR 2019 FALL ACREAGE REPORTING.

COUNTY COMMITTEE ELECTION

USDA will begin mailing ballots to eligible agricultural producers for the 2018 FSA county committee elections on Monday, Nov. 5, 2018. Producers must return ballots to their local FSA offices by Dec. 3, 2018, to ensure their vote is counted.

“County committee members represent the farmers, ranchers and foresters in our Colorado communities,” said Navarro. “Producers elected to these committees have always played a vital role in local agricultural decisions. It is a valued partnership that helps us better understand the needs of the farmers and ranchers we serve.”

Nearly 7,700 FSA county committee members serve FSA offices nationwide. Each committee has three to 11 elected members who serve three-year terms of office. One-third of county committee seats are up for election each year. County committee members apply their knowledge and judgment to help FSA make important decisions on its commodity support programs; conservation programs; indemnity and disaster programs; emergency programs and eligibility.

Farmers and ranchers who supervise and conduct the farming operations of an entire farm, but are not of legal voting age, may also be eligible to vote.

Farmers and ranchers will begin receiving their ballots the week of Nov. 5. Ballots include the names of candidates running for the local committee election. Voters who did not receive a ballot can pick one up at their local FSA office. Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked no later than Dec. 3, 2018. Newly elected committee members will take office Jan. 1, 2019.

For more information, visit the FSA website at www.fsa.usda.gov/elections. You may also contact your local USDA Service Center or FSA office. Visit http://www.farmers.govto find an FSA office near you.

In Kiowa County, Destiny Duff Haase who is currently serving as County Committee Chairperson on the COC and represents producers in Local Administrative Area 2, she will be seeking re-election for a second term. Duff and her husband Jay have three children, she farms alongside her husband and brother. The family produces mainly dryland wheat and grain sorghum.

CRP CONTRACT SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST

Throughout the year the FSA office will complete several successions in interest CRP contracts due to mostly sale of the land. Person(s) becoming successors to active CRP contracts need to aware of the following responsibilities when signing the CRP-1 contract.

An eligible person who acquires an interest in land under CRP-1 and becomes a successor-in-interest by signing CRP-1, regardless of the division of shares, is:

entering into a binding agreement with CCC for the remainder of the CRP-1 period
jointly and severally liable for complying with terms and conditions of CRP-1
refunding all payments made since the effective date of CRP-1, including payments
earned by previous participant, if CRP-1 is subsequently terminated
complying with payment limitation provisions
complying with landlord and tenant provisions

The realtor and buyer should always be fully aware of the status of the CRP contract and what is still required to establish a permanent approved cover. The current owner is most cases has given permission for information concerning the CRP contract(s) to be released, normally to the realtor. Depending on the status of the contract, these are a few questions that should be addressed:

status of cover crop
status of permanent cover, has it been seeded.
is the permanent cover considered established?
has the required contract management been completed?

Remember, if the contract is terminated for non-compliance the current CRP participant is responsible for refunding ALL payments that have been issued for the contract, including all incentive payments.

MAINTAINING CRP COVER

CRP cover maintenance is the participant’s responsibility. Participants shall maintain practices, according to the conservation plan and this paragraph, without additional C/S assistance. The maximum payment rate calculation considers the cost of maintenance, if

applicable, for the participant throughout the CRP-1 period.

NRCS or TSP shall work with participants to plan appropriate maintenance practices, such as mowing, spraying, or prescribed burning in a logical and practical manner. All practices necessary for the successful establishment and maintenance of the approved cover shall be included in the conservation plan and agreed to by the participant. Maintenance practices shall meet CRP and participant objectives. NRCS or TSP, in consultation with COC or CED, shall determine when maintenance practices can be rescheduled. For CRP-1’s where maintenance was not scheduled, the conservation plan shall be modified to include

appropriate maintenance.

participants shall ensure:

that adequate approved vegetative cover is maintained to control erosion for the CRP-1 period
compliance with State noxious weed laws, if applicable, as determined by the State or local noxious weed commission
control of other weeds that are not considered noxious, as determined by COC or CED, for CRP-1’s entered into after November 28, 1990

that undesirable vegetation, weeds (including noxious weeds), insects, rodents, etc., that pose a threat to existing cover or adversely impact other landowners in the area are controlled.

Kiowa County FSA Committee

Destiny Haase - LAA 2 – Central area – Committee Chairperson
Sean Harkness – LAA 1 – East area – Committee Vice-Chairperson
Michael Zimmerman – LAA3 – West area – Committee Regular Member

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