Thank you for reading another edition of the Terry County USDA News Bulletin. We have a few important announcements to share with you.
USDA has rolled out the 2022 Emergency Relief Program (ERP) Tract 1 & Tract 2. 2022 ERP Tract 1 – prefilled applications have been mailed to all operators & landlords who filed a crop insurance claim in 2022. Fill in the ERP payment share you want the person listed in section 16 to receive in part C, check box YES or NO in sections 18 & 19, and sign/title/date in part E. If you did not receive an application by mail and believe you are eligible, please contact the office and we’ll be happy to check on it for you.2022 ERP Tract 2 – is a revenue-based program for producers that suffered a loss in revenue due to a qualifying disaster event in 2022 crop year. The producer will need to fill out the FSA-524 application & FSA-525 insurance linkage form using records available to the producer. Links to the 2022 ERP Tract 2 applications along with instructions are listed below. The deadline to apply for both Tracts will be announced at a later date.
Important Dates: June 1, 2024 – Deadline to make farm changes July 15, 2024 – Deadline to certify spring planted crops July 31, 2024 – Deadline to enroll land in Continuous CRP Signup 61
USDA to Provide More Than $3 Billion to Commodity and Specialty Crop Producers Impacted by 2022 Natural Disasters
The U. S Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide more than $3 billion to commodity and specialty crop producers impacted by natural disaster events in 2022. Eligible impacted producers can apply for financial assistance through the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) 2022. The program will help offset the financial impacts of crop yield and value losses from qualifying disasters occurring in 2022. Background On Dec. 29, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023 (P.L. 117-328) that provides about $3.7 billion in financial assistance for agricultural producers impacted by eligible natural disasters that occurred in calendar year 2022. ERP 2022 covers losses to crops, trees, bushes and vines due to qualifying, calendar year 2022 natural disaster events including wildfires, hurricanes, floods, derechos, excessive heat, tornadoes, winter storms, freeze (including a polar vortex), smoke exposure, excessive moisture, qualifying drought and related conditions. ERP 2022 program benefits will be delivered to eligible producers through a two-track process. FSA intends to make both tracks available to producers at the same time. This two-track approach enables USDA to:
Streamline the application process.
Reduce the paperwork burden on producers.
Proactively include provisions for underserved producers who have not been well served by past emergency relief efforts.
Encourage producer participation in existing risk management programs to mitigate the impacts of future severe weather events.
It’s important to note that disaster-impacted producers may be eligible for ERP 2022 assistance under one or both tracks. To avoid duplicative benefits, if a producer applies for both tracks, the Track 2 payment calculation will take into account any payments received through Track 1.
ERP 2022 Application Process – Track 1 ERP 2022 Track 1 leverages existing federal crop insurance or Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) data as the basis for calculating payments for eligible crop producers who received indemnities through these risk management programs. Although FSA is sending pre-filled ERP 2022 Track 1 application forms to producers who have crop insurance and NAP data already on file with USDA, producers indemnified for losses resulting from 2022 natural disasters do not have to wait to receive the application before requesting ERP 2022 assistance. Effective Oct. 31, 2023, producers can apply for ERP 2022 benefits whether they have received the pre-filled application or not. Receipt of a pre-filled application is not confirmation that a producer is eligible to receive an ERP 2022 Track 1 payment. USDA estimates that ERP Track 1 benefits will reach more than 206,000 producers who received indemnities for losses covered by federal crop insurance and more than 4,500 producers who obtained NAP coverage for the 2022 crop year. ERP 2022 Application Process – Track 2 Track 2 is a revenue-based certification program designed to assist eligible producers who suffered an eligible decrease in revenue resulting from 2022 calendar year disaster events when compared with revenue in a benchmark year using revenue information that is readily available from most tax records. In cases where revenue does not reasonably reflect a normal year’s revenue, Track 2 provides an alternative method for establishing revenue. Likewise, Track 2 affords producers of crops that are used within an operation and do not generate revenue from the sale of the crop a method for establishing revenue for the purpose of applying for ERP 2022 benefits. Producers are not required to submit tax records to FSA unless requested by the County Committee if required for an FSA compliance spot check. Although not required when applying for ERP 2022 Track 2, applicants might find the following documents useful to the process: Schedule F (Form 1040) Profit or Loss from Farming or similar tax documents for tax years 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023.Track 2 targets gaps in emergency relief assistance for eligible producers whose eligible losses were not covered by crop insurance or NAP including revenue losses too small (shallow loss) to be covered by crop insurance. Producers interested in applying for ERP 2022 Track 2, should contact their local FSA county office. Additional reference resources can be found on FSA’s emergency relief website. Additional Required Forms For both ERP 2022 tracks, all producers must have certain required forms on file with FSA within 60 days of the ERP 2022 deadline. FSA started accepting applications on Oct. 31, 2023. The application deadline has not yet been determined and will be announced at a later date. If not already on file, producers can update, complete and submit required forms to FSA at any time. Required forms: Form AD-2047, Customer Data Worksheet. Form CCC-902, Farm Operating Plan for an individual or legal entity. Form CCC-901, Member Information for Legal Entities (if applicable). Form FSA-510, Request for an Exception to the $125,000 Payment Limitation for Certain Programs (if applicable). Form CCC-860, Socially Disadvantaged, Limited Resource, Beginning and Veteran Farmer or Rancher Certification, if applicable, for the 2022 program year. A highly erodible land conservation (sometimes referred to as HELC) and wetland conservation certification (Form AD-1026 Highly Erodible Land Conservation (HELC) and Wetland Conservation (WC) Certification) for the ERP producer and applicable affiliates. Most producers, especially those who have previously participated in FSA programs, will likely have these required forms on file. However, those who are uncertain or want to confirm the status of their forms can contact their local FSA county office. Future Insurance Coverage Requirements All producers who receive ERP 2022 payments must purchase crop insurance, or NAP coverage where crop insurance is not available, in the next two available crop years as determined by the Secretary. Purchased coverage must be at the 60/100 coverage level or higher for insured crops or at the catastrophic coverage level or higher for NAP crops. More Information ERP 2022 eligibility details and payment calculation factor tables are available on the emergency relief website, in the ERP Track 1 and ERP Track 2 fact sheets and through your local FSA county office.
Every Successful Farm Starts with a Plan
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) works to help farmers, ranchers and forest landowners invest in their operations and local communities to keep working lands working, boost rural economies, increase the competitiveness of American agriculture and improve the quality of our air, water, soil and wildlife habitat. Simply put – NRCS helps America’s farmers, ranchers and forestland owners make conservation work for them. Our Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) program enables every acre of voluntary conservation applied through every program NRCS administers. It is the foundation of our financial and technical assistance delivery system. Every farm and acre is unique and requires tailored management; and every decision maker has different management concerns and needs. Our technical assistance is one-on-one, personalized advice and support to help producers make the best decisions for their lands – and is offered free of charge. This personalized assistance provides producers with the science-based data and tools to make informed decisions about where to target efforts to get the greatest return on their investment and ensure the long-term sustainability of American agriculture. A comprehensive conservation plan is the first step to managing all the natural resources on a farm. NRCS walks the farm with the producer and develops options to address that producer’s needs. Our toolbox includes aerial photos, soil surveys, engineering solutions and individual science-based analysis customized for the producer’s property. The plan we develop with the producer combines existing production methods with recommended conservation practices to best manage that farm’s unique natural resources, while allowing the producer to grow sustainably and productively. Supported by our expert analysis and recommendations, the producer chooses which option best meets their needs. These decisions become the producer’s conservation plan, a step-by-step guide to reach their objectives. This planning process also makes it easier to identify how and when the farmer, rancher or forest landowner could qualify for Farm Bill financial assistance to help them install conservation systems or receive incentives for trying new ones. We have the expertise to see our customers through this process. Because identifying when, where and how to implement practices is not plug and play. The final plan provides a roadmap for the producer to meet their natural resource conservation goals. It includes helpful information on each of the producer’s practices, such as how they benefit the farm, how to maintain them, and how they help the soil, water and wildlife.By developing a conservation plan and adding conservation to the land, farmers, ranchers and forest landowners can protect the land’s ability to provide for their family and future generations.With offices in communities nationwide, NRCS staff provide the information, tools and delivery systems necessary for producers – in every state and territory – to conserve, maintain and improve their natural resources.Contact your local USDA service center to find out more.
Reminders for FSA Direct and Guaranteed Borrowers with Real Estate Security
Farm loan borrowers who have pledged real estate as security for their Farm Service Agency (FSA) direct or guaranteed loans are responsible for maintaining loan collateral. Borrowers must obtain prior consent or approval from FSA or the guaranteed lender for any transaction that affects real estate security. These transactions include, but are not limited to:
Leases of any kind
Easements of any kind
Subordinations
Partial releases
Sales
Failure to meet or follow the requirements in the loan agreement, promissory note, and other security instruments could lead to nonmonetary default which could jeopardize your current and future loans. It is critical that borrowers keep an open line of communication with their FSA loan staff or guaranteed lender when it comes to changes in their operation. For more information on borrower responsibilities, read Your FSA Farm Loan Compass.
The Farmers.gov Local Dashboard Is Now Available for All 50 States
We’re excited to share that the farmers.gov local dashboard, a dashboard of farming data and USDA resources for your state and county, is now available for all 50 states!
Why We Created the Dashboard
We created the farmers.gov local dashboard to provide farmer-focused data sets and resources from USDA and other government agencies in a single place so you can easily access materials that you may need as you run your farm operation. We also transformed some of the complex data sets into easy-to-read charts and graphs to help you quickly find and analyze information that matters to you.
Dashboard Features
Like the other states, the additional state dashboards include:
Commodity Prices. View daily or weekly commodity prices and trends in prices over time to make data-driven business decisions with data provided by the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). Corn and soybean data is available for Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Ohio, and South Dakota. Corn and wheat pricing is available for Kansas. Whole chicken and chicken parts data is available for Alaska, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. Weather Forecast. View local current, upcoming, and severe weather information to plan and prepare for weather conditions that may impact your operation with data from the National Weather Service (NWS). Historical Climate Data. View historical temperature and precipitation data to analyze weather patterns over time with data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). Past Storm Events. View past storm events data from the NOAA NCEI storm events database to be aware of storm events that may occur in your area during certain time periods or use as a reference when applying for crop insurance from the Risk Management Agency (RMA) or USDA disaster assistance programs. USDA Service Centers. View your local USDA service center contact information to connect with FSA, NRCS, or Rural Development (RD) staff for your business needs. Additional State Resources. View additional resources, like your county’s drought data from the U.S. drought monitor, contact information for your state’s beginning farmer and rancher coordinator or state agency offices, and state GovDelivery subscription. What’s Next Over the past year, we received and reviewed all of your feedback on how to expand and improve the dashboard. Based on your responses, we’re planning new features and updates to the dashboard to better meet your needs. We’ve also made a number of fixes and adjustments to the existing features as a result of your feedback. Improving the dashboard is an ongoing effort, so your continued feedback is welcomed and appreciated. Explore the farmers.gov local dashboard and let us know what you think! Subscribe to the farmers.gov email list to get updates on the latest news from farmers.gov, including information about updates to the dashboard.
