June 2014  Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. Roseau County Topics for June County Executive Director Message This spring's planting season, much like last spring, was definitely a challenge to say the least. With the continual cool and wet conditions across Minnesota, planting and crop development were delayed in many areas of our state. Hopefully, as the summer progresses, we can get back to a normal weather pattern, which in turn will help the conditions of crops across the state.
On the office side of things, we continue to keep very busy with the Livestock Disaster Signup, Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Signup 46, and Prevented Planting/Acreage Reporting. There has been no word yet on when producers will be able to sign up for the new Annual Farm Programs (ARC and/or PLC) that were included in the 2014 Farm Bill. The way it stands now, it is looking like it will probably be sometime this fall or winter. In the meantime, producers should plan on setting up an appointment at their local FSA office to complete their 2014 Acreage Reports, as well as, any prevented plant acres, as soon as possible.
NOTE: The reporting deadline for prevented plant acres has been extended to July 15, 2014. Producers will now be able to file their acreage report and the Notice of Loss on prevented plant acres at the same time. All certifications are due by July 15, 2014.
Also - I wanted to make all subscribers to GovDelivery aware that you may change subscriptions and your e-mail address by going into the "Subscriber Preferences Page" at the bottom of this e-mail. If you are not getting State and/or National News Releases you may want to consider subscribing to them to keep up with the latest information from FSA. | | | Roseau County FSA Office 502 7th St. SW, Suite 7
Roseau, MN 56751 Office Hours:
Monday - Friday
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Phone: 218-463-2452
Fax: 855-771-5568
County Executive Director:
Dustin Grabowska
Program Technicians:
Teri Petersen
KLynn Thompson
Karina Tinnes
Becca Werk
Lori Lasneski
Stephanie McFarlane
Farm Loan Staff:
Paula Lund, FLM
Gretchen Smeby, FLO
Dawn Bachleitner, PT
County Committee:
Mark Bakken
Teresa Dahlgren
Shayne Isane
District Director:
Sue Westrom
Next County Committee Meeting:
June 17, 2014 at 8:30 AM | Please File Your 2014 Acreage Reports The Roseau County FSA Office wants to remind producers that annual acreage reports are required to be filed with FSA in order to be eligible to receive payments for the new annual farm programs (Price Loss Coverage & Agricultural Risk Coverage), CRP , LDP's, commodity loans, NAP, Livestock Forge Disaster Program (LFP), etc.
After spring planting season, producers are reminded to certify their 2014 acreage reports at their local FSA office. The deadline for submitting 2014 acreage reports is July 15, 2014, for spring seeded crops, CRP, and applicable NAP crops. Filing an accurate acreage report for all crops and land uses, including failed or prevented planting acreage, can prevent the loss of benefits for a variety of programs, as noted above.
For 2014, prevented plant acres are no longer required to be reported to FSA within 15 days after the RMA final planting date. The final date to report prevented plant acres has been extended to July 15, 2014. It should be noted that failed acreage still must be reported within 15 calendar days of the disaster event and before disposition of the crop.
2014 perennial forage crops were to be reported by November 15, 2013. This will remain the same for 2015 acreage reporting, in which producers must report any fall-seeded crops and perennial forage/pasture by November 15, 2014, to be considered timely filed. 2014 County Committee Nomination Period The Roseau County Farm Service Agency (FSA) wants to remind producers of the upcoming 2014 County Committee (COC) Nomination/Election activities.
The election of agricultural producers to FSA county committees is important to ALL farmers and ranchers. It is crucial that every eligible producer participate in these elections because FSA county committees are a link between the agricultural community and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). They help deliver FSA farm programs at the local level. Farmers and ranchers who serve on county committees help with the decisions necessary to administer the programs in their counties. They work to ensure FSA agricultural programs serve the needs of local producers.
Roseau County is divided into three local administrative areas (LAA's). Each LAA is represented by one member of the Roseau County Committee. This fall, LAA-2 (central Roseau County), will be electing a representative. LAA-2 is currently represented by Teresa Dahlgren.
Eligible candidates must actively participate in FSA programs, own or operate land, AND be a resident of Dieter, Jadis Addition, Spruce Valley, Ross, Jadis, Spruce, Stokes, Stafford, Malung, Nereson, Grimstad, Mickinok, Poplar Grove, Palmville, or Golden Valley townships.
Nominations will be accepted from June 16 through August 1, 2014. The nomination form is available at the county office or online at www.fsa.usda.gov/elections, scroll down to "Nomination Forms", and select the "2014 Nomination Form". Fact sheets are also available at this site with information about the election process and eligibility criteria to vote and hold office. Agricultural producers who participate or cooperate in an FSA program may be nominated for candidacy for the COC. Individuals may nominate themselves or others as a candidate. Additionally, organizations representing minority and women farmers or ranchers may nominate candidates. Nomination forms are filed for the COC at the office that administers a producer's farm records.
For more information contact the FSA County Office or visit www.fsa.usda.gov/elections. | | 2013 ACRE Production Deadline If you had farms enrolled in the 2013 Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) program, the deadline to submit your 2013 production evidence is July 15, 2014. Please be aware that failure to report production for those covered commodities planted on ACRE farms may result in contract termination. If the contract is terminated, all payments, including direct payments previously received plus interest will be required to be refunded. Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Restarting CRP Continuous Signup
Beginning June 9, 2014, FSA County Offices are authorized to begin accepting new offers under all CRP continuous (CCRP), CREP, FWP and SAFE signup types. The authority for accepting Signup 46 offers expires on September 30, 2014. If you have land expiring from CRP on 09-30-2014 or are interested in enrolling new land into the CCRP program, please contact your local FSA office.
CRP 1-Year Contract Extensions
Beginning June 9, 2014, certain CRP participants with CRP contracts that are scheduled to expire on September 30, 2014, may extend all or part of the contract acreage for a 1-year period at the same payment rate. Contract extensions are only available for general signup contracts. No general signup is scheduled for Fiscal Year 2014. The signup period for the 1-year extension ends August 8, 2014. Contracts ineligible to be extended for 1-year are those contracts that will exceed a total of 15 years. Therefore, contracts that were approved for contract lengths of 14 years and 1 month up to 15 years will NOT be eligible for the 1-year extension. Very few of the CRP contracts expiring this year in Roseau County are eligible since they have already been in effect for 15 years.
Restart of Transition Incentive Program (TIP)
The 2014 Farm Bill authorized $33 million (nationwide) for the voluntary transition of land enrolled under an expiring CRP contract from a retired or retiring owner or operator to a veteran or beginning farmer or rancher, or Socially Disadvantaged farmer or rancher to return the land to production for sustainable grazing or crop production.
Retired or retiring owners and operators who qualify under TIP may be eligible to receive annual rental payments for up to 2 additional years after the CRP-1 expiration date provided the transition is not to a family member.
Eligible retired or retiring owners and operators and veteran, beginning, or SDA farmers or ranchers may enroll in TIP on a continuous basis beginning June 9, 2014. To be considered eligible, enrollment in TIP must occur during the final year of the CRP contract.
Minnesota received an allotment of $3.135 million in TIP funds. When this allotment has been reached, TIP enrollment will cease. Livestock Disaster Assistance Sign-Up Underway Livestock disaster program enrollment opened on April 15, 2014. These disaster programs are authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill as permanent programs and provide retroactive authority to cover losses that occurred on or after Oct. 1, 2011. To expedite applications, all producers who experienced losses are encouraged to bring records documenting those losses to their local FSA Office. Producers should record all pertinent information of natural disaster consequences, including:
• Documentation of the number and kind of livestock that have died, supplemented if possible by photographs
or video records of ownership and losses
• Dates of death supported by birth recordings or purchase receipts
• Crop records, including seed and fertilizer purchases, planting and production records Eligible producers can sign-up for the following livestock disaster assistance programs: Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP):
LFP provides compensation to eligible livestock producers that have suffered grazing losses due to drought on privately owned or cash leased land. Roseau County experienced a D-3 drought level in 2012 making livestock producers with qualifying grazing losses eligible for payment. Producers who suffered 2012 grazing losses should contact FSA to schedule an appointment to file an LFP application. The deadline to submit an application for 2012 LFP is January 30, 2015. For losses in 2015 and subsequent years, applications are due no later than 30 days after the end of the calendar year in which the loss occurred.
Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP):
LIP provides compensation to eligible livestock producers that have suffered livestock death losses in excess of normal mortality due to adverse eligible weather events and attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government or protected by federal law. In preparation for making an application for LIP, producers need to compile records such as dates of livestock deaths, beginning and ending inventories for each applicable year, calving records, adverse weather events, etc. Producers who suffered livestock death losses from October 1, 2011 through December 31, 2014 should submit a notice of loss and an application for payment to their local FSA office by January 30, 2015.
Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP):
ELAP provides emergency assistance to eligible producers of livestock, honeybees and farm-raised fish that have losses due to disease, adverse weather, or other conditions, such as blizzards and wildfires. ELAP assistance is provided for losses not covered by LFP and LIP. Producers who suffered eligible livestock, honeybee or farm-raised fish losses during 2012 and 2013 fiscal years must submit a notice of loss and application for payment to their local FSA office by August 1, 2014. For fiscal 2014 program year losses, the notice of loss and an application for payment must be submitted by November 1, 2014. For fiscal year 2015 and subsequent years, a Notice of Loss must be filed within 30 days of when the loss is apparent, with an application for payment due no later than November 1 after the end of the program year in which the loss occurred.
For more information, producers can review the LFP, LIP and ELAP Fact Sheets on the Farm Bill webpage. Producers who have questions or wish to make an appointment to enroll in these programs should contact the FSA County Office. FSA Bulletin Board June Interest Rates
Marketing Assistance Loans – 1.125%
Farm Storage Facility Loans – 7 years – 2.25%; 10 years – 2.625%; 12 years – 2.75%
Farm Loan Programs – Operating – 2.25%; Farm Ownership (FO) – 4.00%; FO Down Payment – 1.50%
Important Dates and Deadlines
June 16 – County Committee nomination period begins – LAA2
June 17 – Roseau COC Meeting
July 4 – Office Closed – Independence Day
July 15 – Acreage and Prevented Plant (PP) Reporting deadline for all spring-seeded crops, forage, NAP, and CRP acres
July 15 – 2013 ACRE and NAP production evidence due in county office
August 1 - Sign-up Ends for 2012 & 2013 ELAP
August 1 - County Committee nomination period ends
Reasonable Accommodation
Special accommodations will be made upon request for individuals with disabilities, vision impairment or hearing impairment. If accommodations are required, individuals should contact Dustin Grabowska at 218-463-2452. 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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