USDA Remind Historically Underserved Producers of Advanced Payment Options

WASHINGTON, January 14, 2019 – USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) reminds historically underserved producers, who are participating in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), of the advance payment option. This option allows them to get conservation practice payments in advance of practice implementation. “The advance payment option makes NRCS conservation assistance more accessible to underserved producers,” said NRCS Chief Matthew Lohr. “It enables them to participate without having to worry about covering up-front costs themselves or looking for a loan to cover the costs. Some farmers don’t have the financial ability to wait for the NRCS reimbursement to arrive.” EQIP provides financial and technical assistance to address natural resource concerns and to deliver environmental benefits, such as improved water and air quality, conserved ground and surface water, reduced soil erosion and sedimentation, and improved or created wildlife habitat. In fiscal 2019, NRCS invested $1.3 billion through EQIP to implement conservation practices on more than 13 million acres. A historically underserved producer is described as one of the below: Beginning Farmer or Rancher – is new to farming or ranching, or, has operated a farm or ranch for less than 10-consecutive years. Socially Disadvantaged Farmer or Rancher – is a member of a group whose members have been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice because of their identity as members of that group without regard to their individual qualities. Veteran Farmer or Rancher – has served in the armed forces and has not operated a farm or ranch, has operated a farm or ranch for less than 10-consecutive years, or first obtained veteran status during the last 10 years. Limited Resource Farmer or Rancher – has a household income at or below the national poverty level. Eligibility can be determined by using this online tool. Under the advance payment option, such producers may request payments when they have final designs and job sheets and are ready to begin their EQIP practices. Advance payments provide at least 50 percent of the payment rate for each practice. The funds must be spent within 90 days of receipt and practices must be completed as agreed to in an EQIP plan of operations. Producers also may opt to have NRCS pay the contractors or vendors directly. EQIP practices include vegetative practices, structural practices, management practices, and other improvements that further program goals such as conservation activity plans. More Information For more information, visit the advance payments webpage where you can download the EQIP Advance Payment Fact Sheet and read the blog # offsite link image FridaysOnTheFarm offsite link image : Advance Payment Helps Extend the Season blog offsite link image.

For more information on NRCS Farm Bill programs, visit nrcs.usda.gov/farmbill or contact your local NRCS field office offsite link image . ##

From the Farm to the Thanksgiving Table

USDA Invites Input on Conservation Stewardship Program Rule

News Release

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FPAC.BC.Press@usda.gov

WASHINGTON, D.C., November 12, 2019 – USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) seeks public comments on its interim final rule for the Conservation Stewardship Program. CSP, the nation’s largest conservation program in terms of participating land, is designed to help farmers have more robust conservation activities. The rule – now available on the Federal Register – takes effect upon publication and includes changes to the program prescribed by the 2018 Farm Bill.

“We’re excited to roll out an updated Conservation Stewardship Program,” NRCS Chief Matt Lohr said. “We know the program is important to American farmers and ranchers, especially those who want to build on existing conservation efforts while strengthening their operations.”

Changes to CSP include:

• Increasing payment rates for adoption of cover crop rotations.

• Introducing a new supplemental payment for advanced grazing management.

• Creating one-time payment for developing a comprehensive conservation plan.

• Providing specific support for organic and transitioning to organic production activities.

As part of implementing the 2018 Farm Bill, NRCS has streamlined CSP by basing contracts on funds instead of acres, bringing it in line with the agency’s other large conservation program, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Additionally, NRCS is aligning CSP with EQIP through common applications, contracting operations, conservation planning, conservation practices and related administrative procedures.

“These changes will result in greater efficiency in program delivery and reduced burden on producers,” Lohr said.

Submitting Comments

The interim final rule becomes effective upon publication in the Federal Register. NRCS invites comments on this interim rule through January 13, 2020.  Electronic comments must be submitted through regulations.gov      under Docket ID NRCS-2019-0020. All written comments received will be publicly available on http://www.regulations.gov.     

NRCS will evaluate public comments to determine whether additional changes are needed. The agency plans on publishing a final rule following public comment review.

Applying for CSP

CSP is offered in all 50 states and the Pacific and Caribbean areas through continuous sign-ups. The program provides many benefits, including increased crop yields, decreased inputs, wildlife habitat improvements and increased resilience to weather extremes. CSP is for working lands including cropland, pastureland, rangeland, nonindustrial private forest land and agricultural land under the jurisdiction of an Indian tribe.

NRCS will make available $750 million for interested producers in fiscal 2020. NRCS state offices will announce sign-up periods for CSP in the coming weeks. Additionally, CSP participants may have an opportunity to renew their contracts in the first half of the fifth year of the five-year contract.

For more information on how to sign up for CSP in your state, visit your state website from nrcs.usda.gov or contact your local NRCS field office.     

Georgia Composing Plan to Comply with Federal and State Hemp Guidlines

The interim final rule formalizing the U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program published in the Federal Register today outlines the regulatory framework for the cultivation of industrial hemp in accordance to the 2018 Farm Bill. The rule includes provisions for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to approve hemp production plans developed by states. The Georgia Department of Agriculture submitted its plan for review on July 10, 2019. We are currently reviewing the USDA proposed rule to amend the Georgia plan to comply with the federal rule.

USDA expects to approve state plans within 60 days of submittal. Once approved, Georgia will move swiftly to propose a final state rule that complies with U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program and the Georgia Hemp Farming Act. Following a 30 day comment period, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, Georgia’s rule will be finalized after posting final notice for 20 days with the Georgia Secretary of State.

2018 Farm Bill Notes

Eligibility for Operators on Heirs Property Land to Obtain a Farm Number

Recognizing that farm operators on land that has been passed down through multiple generations without formal probate proceedings may not have clear title to the land, this part of the Farm Bill ensures that operators of such land, commonly referred to as heirs’ property, who provide certain documentation to USDA are eligible to receive farm numbers for the purpose of accessing programs offered by the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Risk Management Agency. Eligible documents are:

 In states that have adopted the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act (Al,  AR, CT, GA, HI, MT, NV, NM, SC, TX) a court order verifying the land meets the definition of heirs’ property or certification form the local recorder of deeds that the recorded landowner is deceased and not less than one heir has initiated a procedure to retitle the land.

In 2018 (DC, KS, MS, TN and WV) introduced the bill.

A tenancy-in-common agreement that sets out ownership rights and responsibilities among all the landowners.

Tax return for proceeding five years

Self-certification that the farm operator has control of the land.

Any other documentation identified by the Secretary as an alternative form of eligible documentation.

The provisions also requires the Secretary to provide for assignment of a farm number to any farm operator who provides a form of eligibility documentation for purposes of demonstrating that the farm operator has control of the land for purpose of defining that land as a farm, and requires the Secretary to identify alternative forms of eligible forms of documentation that a farm operator may provide in seeking the assignment of a farm number.

Alabama Industrial Hemp Program Registration Open in October

AUBURN UNIVERSITY, Ala.—Registration for the 2020 Alabama Industrial Hemp Program opens Oct 7. Growers, processors, handlers and universities will have until Nov. 14 to submit applications.

Documentation Required

Dennis Delaney, team leader for Alabama Extension’s Hemp Action Team, said it is important applicants submit all required documentation as well the application fee.

“Everyone must submit a fully completed application, a required criminal background check, and the $200 non-refundable application fee,” Delaney said. “Not submitting all your required documentation could delay or prevent your application from being approved.

Interested growers will be able to download application forms and other required materials from the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI). The anticipated dates for accepting hemp applications for the 2020 Hemp Program will be Oct. 7 through Nov. 14.

In 2018, the ADAI rolled out a licensing and inspection program for the production of industrial hemp.

Delaney emphasizes that the program is highly regulated.

“It is important for the public to understand that no one can grow, transport or process hemp without a permit issued by the ADAI,” he said.

In 2019, permitted growers planted the first legal crop of industrial hemp in Alabama since World War II.

Extension’s Hemp Action Team

Alabama Extension’s Hemp Action team is developing management practices and protocols related to cultivation and in particular insect and disease management for industrial hemp.

“The team has identified a number of insects and diseases on hemp in Alabama this year,” said Kassie Conner, a plant pathologist on the team. “We do not know yet if all of them are causing economic damage or are merely incidental.”

Conner and Delaney said current licensed growers should contact members of the team for help identifying insect pests and diseases.

More Information

Find more information about the Alabama Extension Hemp Action Team as well as contact information by visiting Alabama Extension online.

Accurate 2020 Census count means access to resources

Ag News

The 2020 U.S. Census will determine how many members of the U.S. House of Representatives each state will have. According to Georgia Department of Community Affairs Deputy Commissioner Rusty Haygood, Georgia’s delegation appears likely to remain at 14 seats.

But Haygood, co-chairman of the Georgia Complete Count Committee, says the ramifications of the census the United States conducts every 10 years go well beyond congressional representation and carry enormous importance at the local level.

“The purpose of this committee is to make sure everybody around the state knows that the census is coming and it’s important,” Haygood told the Georgia Farm Bureau Policy Development Committee on Oct. 7. “Number two, it’s to make resources available to communities, organizations and individuals around the state, for them to use to make sure the count is as successful as possible.”

GFB President Gerald Long is one of 75 members appointed to the Complete Count Committee by the office of the governor.

The census, Haygood said, boils down to political power and money.

In addition to congressional reapportionment, census data is the basis for drawing state and local political districts, from the Georgia General Assembly down to local school boards, county commissions and city councils.

There are 55 federal rural programs for which funding is determined in whole or in part by census data. These include Medicaid, Medicare Part B, the National School Lunch Program, the Head Start program, the aid for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), USDA business and industry loans and the Cooperative Extension Service.

Haygood noted that in 2016 Georgia received $23.8 billion in federal funding for rural  programs, an average of $2,300 per Georgia resident. It was the most federal money received by any state for those rural programs.

“If you know somebody that benefits for these programs, then it’s very important that they are counted, because that’s going to equal dollars coming back to the state of Georgia. If we are undercounted, those dollars are going to go somewhere else,” Haygood said.

Haygood said the most undercounted demographic groups are children from birth up to five years old. More than a million children in that age group went uncounted in 2010. The effect of undercounting preschool-age children is that when they reach school age and there is need for more classroom space, the financial burden for adding that space falls more on local funding sources.

 Haygood said people who do not have English as their primary language are also historically undercounted.

“Two demographics right there that historically have a significant undercount of millions of people are present within each of your communities,” Haygood said.

The 2020 Census will be the first that is done primarily online. It is scheduled to launch in March, when the U.S. Census Bureau will send out postcards instructing individuals where to go online to fill out the census. The Complete Count Committee is partnering with libraries around the state to provide local internet connections for people with limited access.

Those who do not fill out the nine-question census form online have the option of doing so by phone or doing so in person when a census employee visits them.

Haygood encouraged the GFB Policy Development Committee members to participate in or form local complete count committees in their communities.

Disaster Recover Assistance Hurricane Michael

Disaster Recovery Assistance

Hurricane Michael

The 2018 growing season was one of extreme difficulty for Georgia producers. Last October one of the most productive crop years on record was battered and destroyed by Hurricane Michael. According to the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service, Hurricane Michael caused more than $2.5 billion in losses to Georgia’s agricultural sector.

Responding to this devastation, Congress passed, and President Trump signed, the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019. The law provides assistance for production losses from Hurricane Michael through the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+).

The disaster relief package also includes new Milk Loss and On-Farm Storage Loss programs to help producers who had to dump or remove milk without compensation or for losses of harvested commodities, including hay that was stored in on-farm structures.

Peach and blueberry producers will also receive assistance from 2017 freezes that affected 2017 and 2018 production through the original regulations of the 2017 WHIP program.

WHIP+

Signup for WHIP+ began on September 11 and will continue into 2020. WHIP+ builds off the 2017 Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program (WHIP) and is available to producers who have suffered eligible losses of certain crops, trees, bushes, or vines.

To be considered eligible for WHIP+, producers must farm land in a Secretarially or Presidentially-declared disaster county. Producers outside one of those counties may be still be eligible for assistance if they can prove that they experienced the minimum level of loss due to a qualifying, eligible disaster event.

Eligibility will be determined for each producer based on the size of the loss and the level of noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) or conventional crop insurance coverage obtained by the producer. A “WHIP+ factor” will be determined for each crop based on the producer’s coverage level. Producers who elected higher coverage levels will receive a higher WHIP+ factor. Producers who suffered crop losses due to Hurricane Michael will be compensated at 100 percent of their calculated WHIP+ payment, once the application is approved.

WHIP+ benefits will be subject to a per person or legal entity payment limitation of $125,000 or $250,000 if at least 75 percent of the person’s or legal entity’s average income is derived from farming, ranching, or forestry-related activities, provided the participant submits the required certification and documentation.

Both insured and uninsured producers are eligible to apply for WHIP+. Producers receiving assistance through WHIP+ will be required to purchase crop insurance or NAP coverage, at the minimum 60 percent level for the next two consecutive crop years.

USDA is also working with Georgia Department of Agriculture Commissioner to further assist growers through state block grants for producer losses not covered by WHIP+ or other USDA disaster programs.

For county rates, a WHIP+ application or related program information, visit farmers.gov/whip-plus.

For more information, your local USDA Farm Service Agency Service Center farmers.gov/service-locator.

STUDENT TRAINEE POSITIONS

Student Trainee Soil Science

Student Trainee Ecology

HURRICANE MICHAEL SIGN UP

USDA Expands Sign-UP for Georgia

Forest Debris Management Program

Hurricane Michael Relief Package

GFB Taking Applications for Hurricane Damage Assistance

Georgia Farm Bureau is now applications from farmers who sustained  agricultural damage from Hurricane Michael in all counties declared primary disaster areas by the USDA…..

HURRICANE MICHAEL LOAN INFORMATION FOR FARMERS

The applicant  will be a farmer suffering a loss to their income as a result of Hurricane Michael.

Click Link  for Additional  Information

USDA launches nomination period for local committee

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is encouraging America’s farmers and ranchers to nominate candidates to lead, serve and represent their community on their local county committee.

According to USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) Beauregard/Vernon County Executive Director David Vidrine, FSA will accept nominations for county committee members beginning Friday, June 15.
Producers across the country are already serving on committees where they play a critical role in the day-to-day operations of FSA, making important decisions on programs dealing with disaster and conservation, emergencies, commodity loan price support, county office employment and other agricultural issues.

“County committees are unique to FSA and allow producers to have a voice on federal farm program implementation at the local level,” said Vidrine. “It is also important that committees are comprised of members who fairly represent the diverse demographics of production agriculture for their community. I encourage all producers, including women, minority and beginning farmers and ranchers, to participate in the nomination and election process.”

Nationwide, more than 7,700 dedicated farmers and ranchers serve on FSA county committees, which consist of three to 11 members and meet once a month, or as needed. Members serve three-year terms.
Producers can nominate themselves or others. Organizations, including those representing beginning, women and minority producers, may also nominate candidates to better serve their communities. To be eligible to serve on an FSA county committee, producers must participate or cooperate in an FSA program and reside in the area where the election is being held.

This year, nominations and elections for Beauregard Parish will be held in local administrative area LAA3, which includes Wards 7 and 8 and Ward 3 East of Highway 171.
To be considered, a producer must sign an FSA-669A nomination form. The form and other information about FSA county committee elections are available at www.fsa.usda.gov/elections, or from the Beauregard/Vernon Parish FSA office. All nomination forms for the 2018 election must be postmarked or received in the local FSA office by Aug. 1, 2018. Visit farmers.gov for more information.
Election ballots will be mailed to eligible voters beginning Nov. 5. Read more to learn about important election dates.

Elementary FFA program application due by June 30

Georgia school systems interested in implementing a pilot program for elementary agricultural education have until June 30 to submit their applications.

The pilot program, authorized under Senate Bill 330 passed unanimously by the Georgia Legislature this year, will take the FFA education model into a minimum of six elementary schools. The state’s FFA program has 42,000 student members from middle schools and high schools around the state. The elementary school pilot program will last three years and will help determine whether and how elementary agriculture education can be implemented statewide.

The application can be found online at http://bit.ly/ElemFFAapplication.

For more information, contact Georgia Agricultural Education Program Manager Chip Bridges at jbridges@doe.k12.ga.us or 404-656-8311.