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Farm Stored Facility Loans (FSFL)
Looking ahead to crop year 2017 and producers needing any additional storage or handling equipment may be eligible to apply for the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Farm Stored Facility Loan (FSFL) program.  The FSFL program provides low interest financing to eligible producers to build, upgrade, or acquire eligible storage facilities or equipment for the eligible commodities they produce.

Producer eligibility requirements must be met in order to be eligible to apply:

• producing an eligible commodity such as but not limited to grain, hay, honey, milk, and fruits and vegetables
• Demonstrates the need for storage
• Satisfactory credit rating and ability to repay
• No delinquent federal debts
• Applicable insurance (crop, flood, automotive etc.)
• Compliance with farming conservation plan  

Eligible facility types may be permanently affixed or portable, new or used, and include grain bins, hay barns, bulk tanks, and facilities for cold storage, storage and handling equipment and handling trucks. A producer can borrow up to $500,000.00 on a regular FSFL and $50,000.00 for a FSFL microloan.  Producers can select a 3, 5, 7, 10, or 12 year term to repay the loan depending on the amount borrowed.  Interest rates are fixed for the term of the loan.  Applicants are required to pay a minimum down payment of 15% towards a regular FSFL and 5% down on a FSFL microloan. A nonrefundable $100 application fee will be collected. 

Highly Erodible Land Conservation (HELC)
Many farms in Allamakee County have highly erodible land. These fields must be following conservation plans that are established by the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). Some plans were developed in the 1980’s. If you are not following your soil saving plan, you may be in violation of the HELC provisions. Violations could have fines that are up to $10,000 per farm and prevent you from obtaining all government payments. We encourage you to be cautious when developing your tillage plans for crop year 2017. If you haven’t reviewed your conservation plan in a while, it’s time to do it. Stop at the USDA Service Center to review plans on all the land you operate.

Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP)
With the cold temperatures arriving that can be hazardous and cause livestock death, livestock producers may be eligible to apply for the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) through their local FSA office.  If livestock producers suffered a loss from an eligible adverse weather event, disease, or an attack are eligible to apply for a notice of loss at the FSA office that administers their farm records.  Eligible livestock must have been in the legal possession of the producer the day the death occurred, been used for commercial purposes only, and in excess of normal morality.  A notice of loss must be filed at the FSA office within 30 calendar days of when the loss was apparent to the producer.  Producers must submit verifiable supporting documentation of the loss including, but not limited to, number and kind of livestock that died, photographs, purchase records, veterinarian records, production records or written contracts.  The final date to submit an application for payment is 90 days after the calendar year has ended in which the notice of loss was filed. LIP payments are calculated by multiplying the national payment rate for each livestock category by the number of eligible livestock in each category.

For more information or any questions related to FSA programs, contact the Allamakee County FSA office at (563) 568-2148.