What's up at the FSA Office?
by Joyce Davidshofer, Allamakee County Executive Director
(563) 568-2148
The next Allamakee County Committee meeting will be announced at a later date.
REMINDERS
May 15- August 2, 2016 – Nesting season on CRP ground. Please contact the county office before you do anything in regards to noxious weeds etc.
CRP producers who will need to conduct Mid Contract Management activity the deadline is May 14, 2016. If there is a situation this cannot be completed by this date, please call the county office as soon as possible. Example: Seed is not available.
May 30, 2016 – Closed Memorial Day
May 31, 2016 – Last day to obtain a commodity, nine month loan for 2015 for - Corn, Dry Peas, Grain Sorghum, Lentils, Mustard Seed, Rice, Safflower Seed, Chickpeas, Soybeans, Sunflower Seed
If you have any questions on these reminders, please contact the Allamakee County FSA Office.
Announcement: Joyce Davidshofer, County Executive Director, for Allamakee County FSA office is retiring on May 15, 2016. Her last day of work is May 13, 2016.
After 10 years in Allamakee County, Joyce is moving back to her farm in Dubuque County. Her plans are to put in a garden, enjoy the grandkids and take mini vacations with her husband. Joyce enjoyed living in Waukon and will miss the people she met.
2016 ARC/PLC Program Signup
The county office is conducting the 2016 ARC/PLC applications at this time. The signup deadline is August 1, 2016. Please call ahead if you will be stopping in the office. This will shorten the time in the office and gives staff to prepare the forms. If you have any questions, please contact the office at (563)568-2148.
2016 Crop Certification
In order to comply with FSA program eligibility requirements, all producers are encouraged to visit the Allamakee County FSA office to file an accurate crop certification report by the applicable deadline.
The following acreage reporting dates are applicable for Allamakee County:
July 15, 2016: All crops
Maintaining the Quality of Loaned 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.
Breaking New Ground
Agricultural producers are reminded to consult with FSA and NRCS before breaking out new ground for production as doing so without prior authorization may put a producer’s federal farm program benefits in jeopardy. This is especially true for land that must meet Highly Erodible Land (HEL) and Wetland Conservation (WC) provisions.
Producers with HEL determined soils must apply tillage, crop residue and rotation requirements as specified in their conservation plan.
Producers should notify FSA prior to conducting land clearing or drainage projects to ensure compliance. If you intend to clear any trees to create new cropland, these areas will need to be reviewed to ensure any work will not risk your eligibility for benefits.
Landowners and operators can complete form AD-1026 Highly Erodible Land Conservation (HELC) and Wetland Conservation (WC) Certification to determine whether a referral to Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is necessary.
