What's up at the FSA Office?

by Cindy Mensen, Acting Allamakee County Executive Director (563) 568-2148

ATTENTION FARMERS - REMINDER:

December 12:    Deadline: ECP application sign up
December 13: Deadline: County Committee election ballots returned to the Allamakee County FSA office
December 15:    Deadline: Acreage intended to be used for forage and pasture in 2017 needs to be reported to FSA
December 15:    County Committee meeting at 9:15am
December 16:    Deadline: 2017 MPP coverage election decision
December 26:    Office closed due to Holiday

Fall Certification
REMINDER to all area producers who have any fall seeded crops, such as hay and pasture, you have until December 15, 2016 to get those acres certified for the 2017 crop year.  Failure to do so will result in a late file fee for each farm with hay or pasture.

Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) Application Deadline December 12
Due to flooding and heavy rains in Allamakee County, farms suffering severe damage may be eligible for assistance under the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) administered by the Allamakee County Farm Service Agency (FSA) if the damage:

• will be so costly to rehabilitate that Federal assistance is or will be needed to return the land to productive agricultural use
• is unusual and is not the type that would recur frequently in the same area
• affect the productive capacity of the farmland
• will impair or endanger the land.

There is NO GUARANTEE for funding at this time, but failure to complete an application to report damages by December 12, 2016 may prevent an application from getting processed. If funding becomes available, a producer qualifying for ECP assistance may receive cost-share levels not to exceed 75 percent of the eligible cost of restoration measures. No producer is eligible for more than $200,000 cost sharing per natural disaster occurrence.

County Committee Election
Nationwide it was recognized that some eligible voters did not receive county committee election ballots.  County producers living in the townships of Waterloo, Union City, Hanover, French Creek, Union Prairie, and Makee have until December 13th to return voting ballots to the Allamakee County FSA office.  The Allamakee County Committee is set to meet on December 15 at 9:15am for their monthly meeting and will count election ballots at that time.

Margin Protection Program 2017 coverage of election deadline December 16
Area dairy producers have until December 16 to make a decision for their 2017 coverage election for the Margin Protection Program (MPP).  The Margin Protection Program offers dairy producers protection when the difference between the all milk price and the average feed cost falls below a certain dollar amount (margin) selected by the producer.  Catastrophic coverage begins at $4.00 with an administration fee of $100.00 and no premium for the producer.  Producers have the option to buy-up coverage starting at $4.50 with increments of $0.50 reaching a maximum coverage of $8.00.  When buy-up coverage is elected, an administration fee of $100.00 will be collected and a premium will be calculated.  Payments will be triggered when average actual dairy production margin for a consecutive two-month period is less than the coverage level threshold selected by the participating dairy operation.
For more information or any questions related to FSA programs, please contact the Allamakee County FSA office at (563) 568-2148.