IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

• COUNTY FOR CRP EMERGENCY GRAZING THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30th
• CRP Emergency hayed  bales – removed from field by September 15^th
• MFP – Market Facilitation Program – SIGNUP DEADLINE January 15,2019
• Apply for Livestock Forage Program - Call office for appointment – SIGNUP DEADLINE DECEMBER 31, 2018
• NAP COVERAGE DEADLINE- December 1^st, native grass 
• FARM LOAN Personnel in Kiowa County Service Center – Tuesday, September 11^th– CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT
• FSA County Committee Meeting – TBA
• 2018 ARCPLC Enrollment deadline -  September 30, 2018 _ EXTENSION RECEIVED
• 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. 

MARKET FACILITATION PROGRAM 

The FSA Office received training for the MFP program this past week.  The producer side of the program is not a difficult process. The program is available for producers who have a crop share interest in the 2018 mechanically harvestedproduction on the following commodities. 

• Corn
• Grain Sorghum
• Soybeans
• Wheat 
• Dairy – N/A Kiowa
• Hogs - number of live hog animals in ownership inventory as of August 1, 2018. 

NOTE:  The above-mentioned crops must have an intended use on the FSA-578, Report of Acreage of Grain or Seed to be eligible for MFP; other intended uses of silage, forage are NOT eligible for MFP.  Intended uses cannot be changed after the acreage-reporting deadline, which was July 15^th. 

Acreage intended to be harvested as grain, but mechanically harvested as other than grain, are eligible for MFP and must be converted to grain basis. 

APPLYING FOR MFP 

Producers must sign a CCC-910, Part D prior to the application deadline of January 15, 2019. Any CCC-910’s filed past the January 15 deadline will be disapproved. Part C of the CCC-910 is completed when the producer submits the production information for the harvested commodity. Producers may submit an application using any of the following methods: 

• In person
• By mail
• Electronically by: 
  • Fax
  • Email with a scanned or photocopy of CCC-910 attached
  • Online through www.farmers.gov/MFPRequires Level 2 eauth account- 
  • see information below for creating a level 2 account.

FSA Offices nationwide are implementing this program using the Farmers.gov website; this is a new website for FSA employees so your patience is requested as the employees navigate through the new software. Producers with Level 2 authentication access can complete the application online. (See article below regarding Level 2 access). 

Producers who have an interest in 2018-harvested wheat production and will have additional production of any fall-harvested commodity are urged to delay applying for MFP until ALL crop production is available to complete the MFP application. Producers with only 2018 harvested wheat production can complete an application.  Sold or priced production is eligible for MFP. Producers can apply at any FSA office nationwide; however, the producers recording county will be responsible for completing the application and payment process. Only multiple county producers will have a designated recording county. 

PRODUCTION INFORMATION 

Producers requesting an MFP payment may certify to their actual harvested production; however if selected for a spot check the producer must provide acceptable production evidence which must be both verifiable and reliable.  Here in Kiowa County, we are requesting to submit your production evidence when completing the application, as it will save everyone time in the end. Below are the documents that are considered a source of acceptable production evidence. 

PAYMENTS

MFP payments are NOT subject to sequestration. Producers will receive 100% of the computed payment. 

MFP can potentially consist of two payment rates. 

• The initial payment rate is effective September 4, 2018 and applies to the first 50% of actual production. 
• The second payment rate (if determined necessary) will be announced December 3, 2018 and will apply to the remaining 50% of actual production.

The initial payment rate is as follows:

• Soybeans – 1.65 bushel 
• Wheat – 0.14 bushel
• Grain sorghum – 0.86 bushel 
• Corn – 0.01 bushel 
• Hogs - $8.00 per head (number of head as of August 1, 2018)

ELIGIBILITY  

To be considered eligible for MFP payment, producers must have filed the following forms for the 2018 production year: 

• AD-1026 Highly erodible land conservation form 
• CCC-902 Farm operating plan
• CCC-941 Adjusted Gross Income Certification
• FSA- 578 Report of crop acreage on file. N/A for hogs. 
  • NOTE: Late-filed acreage reports can be completed and must be approved by County Committee. Late-filed fees WILL NOT BE WAIVED. 

CREATING USDA CUSTOMER LEVEL 2 eAUTH ACCOUNT 

Producers with a computer and email account can create a Level 2 eauth account and can complete the MFP application online.  Below are the instructions for requesting an account; as always producers with questions can contact the FSA Office for assistance. 

STEP 1: Online Self-Registration Form Completion

·      Go tohttps://www.eauth.usda.gov

·      Click the “Create an Account”Option.

·      Click the “Register for Level 2 Account” button. (IMPORTANT--make sure you select the Level 2button)

·      Complete onlineform.

§  All fields are required, except Middle Initial and HomePhone

§  User NameRequirements:

·      Length between 6-20characters

·      NoSpaces

·      Cannot begin or end with aperiod

·      The only special characters allowed are.-_@

§  PasswordRequirements:

·      Length between 12-24characters

• Must contain at least 1 number, 1 uppercase letter, 1 lowercase letter, and 1 special character ! # $ - % = + : ; ? ~*

·      Nospaces

·      Cannot be a dictionaryword

§  User creates a four-digit PIN for futurereference

§  User answers 4 security questions that can be used to reset password in thefuture.

• After submitting form, and verifying the information, you will receive an email to validate email address and activateaccount.

STEP 2: Validate Email and Activate eAuth Account

• Watch for an email from eems.support with the subject, “eAuthentication: Action Required - Instructions to Activate Your USDA Account with Level 2Access”.

·      Click the “ACTIVATE MY ACCOUNT” link in theemail.

·      The USDA office will not be able to complete Step 3 until account has beenactivated.

STEP 3: In-Person Identity Proofing

·      Visit a USDA office to verify identity. Remember to bring a government-issued photoID.

·      You will receive a confirmation email after identity is confirmed and your account is ready touse.

DROUGHT MONITOR

It’s been a cooler and in some areas a good week of moisture; a the monsoon moisture moves through. The Drought Monitor map expanded the D4 category in parts of SW Colorado. In Kiowa County a D2 and D1 category is designated. Below is the weather data through the month of August for the county. More drought information across the state is available in this article.