What's Up at the FSA Office?

by Jeremy Leitz, Allamakee County Executive Director (563) 568-2148

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
December 6: Market Facilitation Program; Dairy Margin Coverage Program for 2020

Market Facilitation Program (MFP)
Signup for the 2019 Market Facilitation Program began July 29 and continues through December 6, 2019.  For non-specialty crops such as corn, soybeans and alfalfa, payments are based on a single-county payment rate multiplied by a farm’s total plantings of MFP-eligible crops in aggregate in 2019. Those per-acre payments are not dependent on which of those crops are planted in 2019. A producer’s total payment-eligible plantings cannot exceed total 2018 plantings. The Allamakee County payment rate is $40 per planted acre.

Dairy producers who were in business as of June 1, 2019, will receive $0.20 a hundredweight payment on production history, and hog producers will receive $11 per number of live hogs owned on a day selected by the producer between April 1 and May 15, 2019. There is no need to bring dairy production evidence if you had signed up for the Margin Protection Program or the Dairy Margin Coverage program.  Hog producers can certify their numbers.

Specialty crops eligible for payment include table grapes ($0.03 per lb. at 20,820 lbs. per acre), sweet cherries ($0.17 per lb. at 9,148 lbs. per acre), and cranberries ($0.03 per lb. at 21,371 lbs. per acre). Ginseng and nut payments also available.

The first payment will be comprised of 50% of your total calculated payment and will be issued shortly after the application is signed and approved. The second and third payments will go in November and January if conditions warrant.

For more information and payment rates, visit https://www.farmers.gov/manage/mfp.

Dairy Margin Coverage Program
Signup for the 2020 Dairy Margin Coverage Program began October 7 and continues through December 6. 

Coverage levels range from $4.00 to $9.50 per cwt, in $0.50 increments. Coverage percentage of the dairy operation’s production history ranges from 5 percent to 95 percent, in 5 percent increments. If you locked in during the 2019 signup, your selections stay the same, but you still need to stop in and sign an application each year.  If you did not lock in you can make the same elections, new elections, or choose not to participate in 2020. If you decide not to participate in 2020, you can still participate in 2021. You have the flexibility to participate or not each year.

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Payments
We will soon be issuing payments for the Conservation Reserve Program. CRP payments begin with those contracted prior to 2008.  Barring no computer delays, those payments will begin being issued October 2. For CRP contracts that began after the 2008 Farm Bill, payments will be issued starting October 9. Remember that these take a few days to be deposited into your account.

ACR/PLC Payments
If Allamakee receives ARC or PLC payments this year, those will also begin processing in early October.  However, at this time we do not know if Allamakee will receive payments for beans or corn and won’t know for sure until early October.

We plan on holding a few meetings around the area regarding 2019 ARCPLC signup in November and December. Dates and locations have not been finalized, but we are planning one joint meeting with Winneshiek County and the local Extension offices in Decorah sometime in November. We are also planning on two more meetings with just Allamakee County in November or December.  We’d like to do one in Waukon, and another possibly near the Lansing area. Once dates, times, and locations are known, we will get those posted.

More information can be found at https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/arcplc_program/index. 

CRP Mid-Contract Management
Some CRP contract holders will receive a packet of information detailing the activities that need to be completed in FY20. You can begin those activities as early as October 1, 2019. However, all activities need to be completed by May 14, 2020 unless otherwise indicated on your forms. Now is a great time to line up contractors, if needed. Their schedules fill up quickly. Stop in or call if you have any questions. 

CRP Maintenance
FSA recommends everyone routinely check the quality of your CRP acres. Remove volunteer trees, spray or mow weedy areas, ensure waterways are still the appropriate width, watch for cropping getting a little too close, wildlife food plots are accurate size and seeding, and make sure hunting shacks are not on CRP ground. Hunting shacks are allowed during the hunting season, but once the season is over, the shack must be removed. The nesting season (May 15 - August 1) is over so work can resume on maintaining your acres. If you have questions or would like technical assistance, call or stop in.