What's Up at the FSA Office?
by Jeremy Leitz, Allamakee County Executive Director (563) 568-2148
Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
• August 17: CRP Signup 51
• ARCPLC: September 28
• September 28: MPP-Dairy Premiums Due
Facility Loan Interest Rates
The interest rates for August are as follows:
• 2.625% for 3 years
• 2.750% for 5 years
• 2.875% for 7 years
• 2.875% for 10 years
• 2.875% for 12 years
• 2.875% for 15 years
Maintaining the Quality of Farm-Stored Loan Grain
Bins are ideally designed to hold a level volume of grain. When bins are overfilled, and grain is heaped up, airflow is hindered, and the chance of spoilage increases.
Producers who take out marketing assistance loans and use the farm-stored grain as collateral should remember that they are responsible for maintaining the quality of the grain through the term of the loan.
Unauthorized Disposition of Grain
If loan grain has been disposed of through feeding, selling or any other form of disposal without prior written authorization from the county office staff, it is considered unauthorized disposition. The financial penalties for unauthorized dispositions are severe and a producer’s name will be placed on a loan violation list for a two-year period. Always call before you haul any grain under loan.
Livestock Inventory Records
Producers are reminded to keep updated livestock inventory records. These records are necessary in the event of a natural disaster. When disasters strike, the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) can assist producers who suffered excessive livestock death losses and grazing or feed losses due to eligible natural disasters.
To participate in livestock disaster assistance programs, producers will be required to provide verifiable documentation of death losses resulting from an eligible adverse weather event and must submit a notice of loss to their local FSA office within 30 calendar days of when the loss of livestock is apparent. For grazing or feed losses, producers must submit a notice of loss to their local FSA office within 30 calendar days of when the loss is apparent and should maintain documentation and receipts.
Producers should record all pertinent information regarding livestock inventory records including:
• Documentation of the number, kind, type, and weight range of livestock
• Beginning inventory supported by birth recordings or purchase receipts;
For more information on documentation requirements, contact your local FSA office. County Office
Elections for the 2018 County Committee – LAA3
It is important that every eligible producer participate in these elections because FSA county committees are a link between the agricultural community and the USDA. The 2018 election in Allamakee County will be conducted for the representative of Local Administrative Area (LAA) 3. This LAA includes Iowa, Lansing, Center, LaFayette, Paint Creek, and Taylor townships.
County committee members are a critical component of FSA operations. Committees should be comprised of members who reflect the diversity of producers involved in production agriculture in Allamakee County. This means that producers representing underserved groups or communities should be on the committee to speak on behalf of their constituency.
Underserved producers are beginning, women and other minority farmers and ranchers and land owners and/or operators who have limited resources. Other minority groups including Native American and Alaska Natives; persons under the poverty level, and persons that have disabilities are also considered underserved.
County committee election ballots will be mailed to eligible voters on Nov. 5, 2018. The last day to return completed ballots to the Allamakee County USDA service center is Dec. 3, 2018.
For more information on eligibility to serve on FSA county committees, visit: www.fsa.usda.gov/elections.
