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»FSA news
Posted Local at Oct 02, 2010
By Mike Goetzinger
Conservation
Recently the 39th Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) sign up was held at FSA County Offices throughout the nation. Basically, CRP provides long term enduring conservation practices/benefits in return for annual rental payments on enrolled cropland.
The results of this sign up are in! It was reported that interest in this open enrollment was high with more than 50,000 offers received on more than 4.8 million acres, nationwide. USDA accepted 4.3 million acres offered which equals a 90 percent acceptance rate. CRP’s 39th signup will bring the total national enrollment in the CRP program to 31.2 million acres. This leaves room under the 32 million acre statutory cap for Continuous CRP acres devoted to trees, buffers and other small acreage conservation practices.
Locally, we did not fare as well with the acceptance of our offers in this signup, coming in with a 25percent acceptance rate. This was due in a big part to not being able to earn extra Environmental Benefits Index (EBI) points for being located in what is known as a Priority Area. This is the first time since the beginning of the EBI/Priority Area concept that Bennett or Shannon counties was not in a Priority Area. Producers with accepted offers and those that were not successful with their CRP bids have been notified.
Also, on a conservation note, FSA is administering a new program that is called the Conservation Loan Program. This program will provide farm/ranch owners/operators and farm related businesses access to credit to implement conservation practices to conserve natural resources.
Eligibility requires a conservation plan approved by NRCS (old Soil Conservation Service). Funds are to be used to implement conservation programs approved by USDA, such as the Conservation Reserve Program, Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program, Wetlands Reserve Program, and the Conservation Stewardship Program. Stop by your local FSA County Office for details and/or to apply. Information on all USDA/FSA programs/benefits can also be found on the FSA website at www.fsa.usda.gov.
Important Dates
Today-Report changes to your farming operation (this includes landowner changes/deaths, bankruptcy, etc.) and/or bank info changes if you have Direct Deposit
9/30-Sales closing date for fall seeded uninsurable crops (rye and wheat for forage) covered under NAP
9/30 – Deadline to apply for 2008 Crop Disaster-SURE. If you had any payable insurance/NAP losses in 2008, stop by and we can determine if you are eligible for any benefits under this program.
10/11 – USDA Ag Service Center closed in observance of Columbus Day
11/11– USDA Ag Service Center closed in observance of Veterans Day
11/25-– USDA Ag Service Center closed for Thanksgiving holiday
On-Going – Report your livestock losses to FSA timely, if you are participating in the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP)
On Going - Every 2nd Thursday at Pine Ridge and 4th Thursday of the month at Kyle (by appointment) is USDA Sub-Office Day on the Pine Ridge Reservation. FSA office personnel are located at the USDA Trailer (NW of south BIA parking lot) in Pine Ridge and upstairs in the Lakota Fund building in Kyle. Contact the Martin USDA Ag Service Center agencies (Farm Service Agency, Natural Resource Conservation Service or Rural Conservation and Development) if you would like to meet with one of these USDA agency representative on these dates at these locations.