What's up at the FSA Office?
The next Allamakee County Committee meeting will be Thursday, August 27 at 9 a.m. at the Allamakee County FSA Office conference room.
Reminders
June 15 - September 30: ARC/PLC sign-up period for 2014/2015 program.
July 1- September 30: 2016 MPP (Dairy) Program sign-up.
September 7: FSA Office closed for Labor Day.
HELI CRP Additional Acres
Iowa has been approved for an additional allocation of Highly Erodible Land Initiative (HELI). HELI provides an excellent opportunity for producers to enroll their most highly erodible acres and also is an avenue for CRP participants to re-enroll expiring acres that if they meet the HELI eligibility requirements. CRP acres on an expiring general tree practice are eligible if they meet the CP3 or CP3A standards, per the foresters review or are willing to bring the cover up to the standards according to the forestry plan.
The acres being offered will need to have a weighted Edibility Index (EI) greater than or equal to 20.
Contact the Allamakee County FSA Office as soon as possible if you are interested at 563-568-2148. Acre allotments for Iowa are limited.
2016 Margin Protection Program (MPP) for Dairy
The Margin Protection Program (MPP) sign-up began July 1. As a reminder, once producers who signed up for the 2015 MPP program year based on MPP regulations, they are required to sign up for the years 2016-2018.
Each year dairy producers will received a bump in their pounds from the previous year. The coverage election will need to be completed each year also. For example: in 2015, a producer elected to go $5.00 at 65% for $100 fee and a premium amount. In 2016 the producer chooses to go $4.00 @ 90% for $100. This is one example what dairy producers can do in the coming years. If you have any questions in regards to this program or you are operating a new dairy, contact the county office.
Update Records
The Allamakee County FSA office would like to remind sellers and buyers of land to contact the office when the recorded deed has been filed. NOTE: If all or part of the land has a CRP contact active there will need to be a succession to the CRP contract. If the buyer does not want to succeed to the CRP contract, the seller will need to refund all payments received, plus interest. Inquire at the FSA Office on the policies of buying/selling CRP land.
Transition Incentives Program Reminder
The Agricultural Act of 2014 amendments to the Food Security Act of 1985, as amended, authorized $33 million for the voluntary transition of land enrolled under an expiring CRP contract from a retired or retiring owner or operator to a veteran, underserved, or beginning farmer or rancher to return the land to production for sustainable grazing or crop production.
To be considered eligible, veteran, underserved, or beginning farmers or ranchers and CRP participants must enroll in TIP during the period beginning one year before the CRP contract expiration date and September 30 of the year when the CRP contract is scheduled to expire.
If you have any questions on the TIP program, contact the Allamakee County FSA Office at 563-568-2148.
