What's Up at the USDA Office?
Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
April 29: Deadline to sign up for Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC)
May 14: Deadline to complete CRP Management Activities
May 15 - August 1: CRP Primary Nesting Season
May 31: Deadline to apply for a Marketing Assistance Loan (MAL) for 2023 crops
Meet Our New Hires!
Hello, my name is Becky Winkie and I just transferred to the Allamakee County FSA in February 2024 from the Houston County, MN FSA Office. I have been working for the Farm Service Agency since February 2016. I grew up on a small beef and grain farm in north central Iowa near Sheffield (Franklin County).
I graduated from Iowa State University in May 2015 with a degree in Agricultural Business and Finance. At Iowa State, I met my husband, Jared, and moved to his family farm near Waukon after getting married in August 2015. On our farm, we raise corn, soybeans, alfalfa, and have a sheep flock. We also have three children who keep us very busy.
In my eight years with FSA, I have gotten familiar with most of the programs available through the agency. Currently, I handle reconstitutions and administrative duties. My administrative duties include supply ordering, direct deposits, power of attorney information, banking, and time and attendance.
I was prompted to take this position to be closer in distance to my home and be more easily available to my family and their activities. In this position, my goal is to get to know the producers better in the county and what program best benefits their operation needs. I hope to serve the producers of Allamakee County with the best customer service possible.
My name is Trygve Lien, and I am thrilled to be the newest Program Technician for the Allamakee County Farm Service Agency. I am originally from Castalia and attended school at South Winneshiek in Ossian and Calmar.
While in high school I was extremely active in FFA serving as an officer for two years as well as receiving a National gold level Proficiency Award for Agriscience Research Plant Systems. After graduating high school, I attended Iowa State University for Agronomy and Seed Science and received my bachelor’s degree in 2019.
I farm in the Castalia area with my wife Amy Lien and my parents Kelly and Sandra Lien. Our farming operation includes grain, a cow calf herd, and a small pig farrow to finish operation.
I have always had a passion for agriculture and as a young farmer I enjoy seeing all types of farming operations succeed and I look forward to working with Allamakee producers in the future.
2024 Crop Acreage Reporting
2024 acreage certification map packets will be sent out to all operators in Allamakee County. This mailing will be done the last week of April. Please look through your packets to verify all your operated farms were included.
Policy Updates for Acreage Reporting
The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) recently made several policy updates for acreage reporting for cover crops, revising intended use, late-filed provisions, grazing allotments as well as updated the definitions of “idle” and “fallow.”
Reporting Cover Crops:
Cover crop types can be chosen from the following four categories:
• Cereals and other grasses
• Legumes
• Brassicas and other broadleaves
• Mixtures
If the cover crop is harvested for any use other than forage or grazing and is not terminated according to policy guidelines, then that crop will no longer be considered a cover crop, and the acreage report must be revised to reflect the actual crop.
Permitted Revision of Intended use After Acreage Reporting Date:
New operators or owners who pick up a farm after the acreage reporting deadline has passed and the crop has already been reported on the farm, have 30 calendar days from the date when the new operator or owner acquired the lease on land, control of the land or ownership and new producer crop share interest in the previously reported crop acreage. Under this policy, appropriate documentation must be provided to the County Committee’s satisfaction to determine that a legitimate operator or ownership and producer crop share interest change occurred to permit the revision.
Acreage Reports:
To maintain program eligibility and benefits, you must timely file acreage reports. Failure to file an acreage report by the crop acreage reporting deadline may result in ineligibility for future program benefits. FSA will not accept acreage reports provided more than a year after the acreage reporting deadline.
FSA Is Accepting CRP Continuous Enrollment Offers
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting offers for specific conservation practices under the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Continuous Signup.
In exchange for a yearly rental payment, farmers enrolled in the program agree to remove environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production and to plant species that will improve environmental health and quality. The program’s long-term goal is to re-establish valuable land cover to improve water quality, prevent soil erosion, and reduce loss of wildlife habitat. Contracts for land enrolled in CRP are 10-15 years in length.
Under continuous CRP sign-up, environmentally sensitive land devoted to certain conservation practices can be enrolled in CRP at any time. Offers for continuous enrollment are not subject to competitive bidding during specific periods. Instead, they are automatically accepted into the program provided the land and producer meet certain eligibility requirements and the enrollment levels do not exceed the statutory cap.
For more information, including a list of acceptable practices, contact the Allamakee County USDA Service Center at 563-568-2148 or visit fsa.usda.gov/crp.
