What's Up at the USDA Office?

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
May 26 - August 28: Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) Signup
September 30: PLC Yield Update

Weather the Storm: FEMA Mobile App Provides Weather Alerts and Safety Tips
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently launched a free mobile app that will instruct the public on what to do before, during and after emergencies. The app is available for download for Apple, Android and Blackberry mobile devices.
Download the app to:

• Receive alerts from the National Weather Service for up to five locations
• Get safety reminders, read tips to survive natural disasters and customize your emergency checklist
• Locate open shelters and where to talk to FEMA in person (or on the phone)
• Upload and share your disaster photos to help first responders.

For more information about the FEMA app, visit fema.gov/mobile-app.

FSA Reminds Producers of Ongoing Disaster Assistance Program Sign-up
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has started making payments through the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program - Plus (WHIP+) to agricultural producers who suffered eligible losses because of drought or excess moisture in 2018 and 2019. Signup for these causes of loss opened March 23, and producers who suffered losses from drought (in counties designated D3 or above), excess moisture, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, typhoons, volcanic activity, snowstorms or wildfires can still apply for assistance through WHIP+.

To be eligible for WHIP+, producers must have suffered losses of certain crops, trees, bushes or vines in counties with a Presidential Emergency Disaster Declaration or a Secretarial Disaster Designation (primary counties only) for qualifying natural disaster events that occurred in calendar years 2018 or 2019. Also, losses located in a county not designated by the Secretary as a primary county may be eligible if a producer provides documentation showing that the loss was due to a qualifying natural disaster event.

For losses due to drought, a producer is eligible if any area of the county in which the loss occurred was rated D3, or extreme drought, or higher on the U.S. Drought Monitor during calendar years 2018 or 2019. Producers who suffered losses should contact their FSA county office.

More information on Service Centers can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus, and more information on WHIP+ can be found at farmers.gov/whip-plus.

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.

Farm Safety
Flowing grain in a storage bin or gravity-flow wagon is like quicksand - it can kill quickly. It takes less than five seconds for a person caught in flowing grain to be trapped. The mechanical operation of grain handling equipment also presents a real danger.  Augers, power take offs, and other moving parts can grab people or clothing.

These hazards, along with pinch points and missing shields, are dangerous enough for adults; not to mention children. It is always advisable to keep children a safe distance from operating farm equipment.  Always use extra caution when backing or maneuvering farm machinery. Ensure everyone is visibly clear and accounted for before machinery is engaged. Farm Service Agency wants all farmers to have a productive crop year and that begins with putting safety first.