USDA ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO FRUIT, VEGETABLE AND WILD RICE PLANTING RULES Farm Service Agency (FSA) has announced fruit, vegetable and wild rice provisions that affect producers who intend to participate in certain programs authorized by the Agricultural Act of 2014. Producers who intend to participate in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs are subject to an acre-for-acre payment reduction when fruits and nuts, vegetables or wild rice are planted on the payment acres of a farm. Payment reductions do not apply to mung beans, dry peas, lentils or chickpeas. Planting fruits, vegetables or wild rice on acres that are not considered payment acres will not result in a payment reduction. Farms that are eligible to participate in ARC/PLC but are not enrolled for a particular year may plant unlimited fruits, vegetables and wild rice for that year but will not receive ARC/PLC payments for that year. Eligibility for succeeding years is not affected. Planting and harvesting fruits, vegetables and wild rice on ARC/PLC acreage is subject to the acre-for-acre payment reduction when those crops are planted on either more than 15 percent of the base acres of a farm enrolled in ARC using the county coverage or PLC, or more than 35 percent of the base acres of a farm enrolled in ARC using the individual coverage. Fruits, vegetables and wild rice that are planted in a double-cropping practice will not cause a payment reduction if the farm is in a double-cropping region as designated by the USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation. Calhoun County is not in a double-cropping region. Conservation Reserve Program Transition Incentive Program
The Transition Incentive Program (TIP) encourages the voluntary transition of land enrolled under an expiring CRP contract from a retired or retiring operator to a veteran, beginning farmer, or socially disadvantaged farmer to return the land to production. Qualifying CRP contract holders would be eligible for two additional years of rental payments after the CRP contract expires providing the transition is not to a family member. COC Election Nomination Period The Calhoun County Committee (COC) Election process has begun! As of June 16, the Calhoun FSA Office started accepting nominations for individuals who wish to serve on the Calhoun COC for Local Administrative Area (LAA) #3. LAA #3 covers the townships of Albion, Clarence, Clarendon, Eckford, Homer, Marengo, and Sheridan. If you are a farmer or landowner from one of these townships, we encourage you to get involved with FSA's County Committee system. Nomination forms for the 2014 election must be postmarked or received in the Calhoun County FSA Office by close of business on Aug. 1, 2014. Elections will take place this fall. Please contact our office for more information or to obtain an FSA-669A Nomination form. Loans for Socially Disadvantaged FSA has a number of loan programs available to assist applicants to begin or continue in agricultural production. Loans are available for operating type loans and/or to purchase or improve farms or ranches. While all qualified producers are eligible to apply for these loan programs, FSA has provided priority funding for members of socially disadvantaged groups. A socially disadvantaged applicant belongs to a group whose members have been subjected to racial, ethnic or gender prejudice because of his or her identity as a member of the group, without regard to his or her individual qualities. For purposes of this program, socially disadvantaged groups are women, African Americans, American Indians, Alaskan Natives, Hispanics, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
FSA loans are only available to applicants who meet all of the eligibility requirements and are unable to obtain the needed credit elsewhere. Important Dates to Remember June 20th - Prevented planting deadline for corn
June 30th - Prevented planting deadline for soybeans
July 4th - FSA office closed for Independence Day holiday
July 15th - Acreage reporting deadline for spring-seeded 2014 crops
July 15th - Deadline to report 2013 Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) production evidence
July 15th - Deadline to report 2013 crop production for 2013 ACRE participants
August 1st - Final date for County Offices to receive FSA-669A's, County Committee nomination forms
August 1st - 2012 and 2013 Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) sign-up deadline
August 1st - Deadline to request a farm reconstitution for 2014
November 1st - 2014 ELAP sign-up deadline USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay),
(866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users). | 
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