What's Up at the USDA Office?
Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
March 3: Deadline to submit 2024 ELAP, LIP, and LFP applications
March 31: Deadline to request Marketing Assistance Loans (MAL) for prior year harvested wheat, barley, canola, crambe, flaxseed, honey, oats, rapeseed, and sesame.
March 31: 2025 Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) Program Sign-up deadline
April 15: 2025 Agriculture Risk Coverage & Price Loss Coverage Program (ARC/PLC) Signup deadline
2025 ARC/PLC Program Signup
The 2025 Agricultural Risk Coverage & Price Loss Coverage Program (ARC/PLC) signup began January 21, 2025. Our office has worked diligently to mass mail out all 2025 contracts to be signed and returned. We are requesting these be returned by March 31, 2025.
The mailed contracts were run with the same elections and shares as signed up in fiscal year 2024. If nothing has changed and everything is correct as is, please sign, date, and return them to our office.
If you would like to change your election(s) (ARC-CO, PLC, or ARC-IC) on any of the Base Acre commodities (Corn, Soybeans, etc) on the farm(s) you operate, please contact us right away regarding changing elections. Changing elections is optional, however if changed, all producers with a share of cropland will be required to sign to agree to the election change. Failure to obtain all signatures would result in all producers on the contract not being eligible to receive potential payments for the applicable program year.
Even if you choose to keep your election and shares the same as prior year(s), each shareholder needs to sign the contract for it to be considered enrolled.
ARC provides income support payments on historical base acres when crop revenue declines below a specified guaranteed level. PLC provides income support payments on historical base acres when the effective price for a covered commodity falls below its reference price of $4.26 for Corn, $9.66 for Soybeans, and $2.76 for Oats.
Risk Management Agency (RMA) policies state if a producer has elected ARC-CO, they are not eligible for Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) for that commodity on that farm. We advise you to consult with your insurance agent to ensure all coverage options are in line with your signup choice.
Failure to do so could result in FSA ARC/PLC contracts being cancelled and ineligibility for potential payments.
In addition to the 2025 ARC/PLC contract, if not already on file, an Average Adjusted Gross Income Certification form (CCC-941) was included to be completed and returned.
All documents can be returned to office via mail, email, or in person. We do offer electronic signature if that is more convenient for you to sign your documents.
Return documents via mail:
Allamakee County FSA
770 11th Ave SW
Waukon, IA 52172
Return documents via email:
iawaukon-fsa@usda.gov
If you have any questions regarding the ARCPLC program, want to check your signup status, or would like to change elections, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 563-568-2148, ext. 2. If you are a multi-county producer, we can sign up those farms at the office as well. We accept all walk-ins or can schedule you an appointment to sign in office, email/mail you the contracts to sign, or offer digital e-signing.
USDA Offers Disaster Assistance for Producers Facing Inclement Weather
Severe weather events create significant challenges and often result in catastrophic loss for agricultural producers. Despite every attempt to mitigate risk, your operation may suffer losses. USDA offers several programs to help with recovery.
Risk Management
For producers who have risk protection through Federal Crop Insurance or the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), we want to remind you to report crop damage to your crop insurance agent or the local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office.
If you have crop insurance, contact your agency within 72 hours of discovering damage and be sure to follow up in writing within 15 days. If you have NAP coverage, file a Notice of Loss (also called Form CCC-576) within 15 days of loss becoming apparent, except for hand-harvested crops, which should be reported within 72 hours.
Disaster Assistance
USDA also offers disaster assistance programs, which is especially important to livestock, fruit and vegetable, specialty and perennial crop producers who have fewer risk management options.
First, the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) and Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybee and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP) reimburses producers for a portion of the value of livestock, poultry and other animals that died as a result of a qualifying natural disaster event or for loss of grazing acres, feed and forage. And, the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) provides assistance to producers of grazed forage crop acres that have suffered crop loss due to a qualifying drought. Livestock producers suffering the impacts of drought can also request Emergency Haying and Grazing on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres.
Next, the Tree Assistance Program (TAP) provides cost share assistance to rehabilitate and replant tree, vines or shrubs loss experienced by orchards and nurseries. This complements NAP or crop insurance coverage, which cover the crop but not the plants or trees in all cases.
For LIP and ELAP, you will need to file a Notice of Loss for livestock and grazing or feed losses by the application deadline for each program. For TAP, you will need to file a program application within 90 days.
Documentation
It’s critical to keep accurate records to document all losses following this devastating cold weather event. Livestock producers are advised to document beginning livestock numbers by taking time and date-stamped video or pictures prior to after the loss.
Other common documentation options include:
• Purchase records
• Production records
• Vaccination records
• Bank or other loan documents
• Third-party certification
Other Programs
The Emergency Conservation Program and Emergency Forest Restoration Program can assist landowners and forest stewards with financial and technical assistance to restore damaged farmland or forests.
Additionally, FSA offers a variety of loans available including emergency loans that are triggered by disaster declarations and operating loans that can assist producers with credit needs. You can use these loans to replace essential property, purchase inputs like livestock, equipment, feed and seed, or refinance farm-related debts, and other needs.
Meanwhile, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides financial resources through its Environmental Quality Incentives Program to help with immediate needs and long-term support to help recover from natural disasters and conserve water resources. Assistance may also be available for emergency animal mortality disposal from natural disasters and other causes.
Additional Resources
Additional details – including payment calculations – can be found on our NAP, ELAP, LIP, and TAP fact sheets. On farmers.gov, the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Farm Loan Discovery Tool can help you determine program or loan options.
FSA Offers Livestock Indemnity Program for Livestock Losses
The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) provides assistance to you for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by adverse weather, disease and attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government or protected by federal law.
For disease losses, FSA county committees can accept veterinarian certifications that livestock deaths were directly related to adverse weather and unpreventable through good animal husbandry and management.
You must file a notice of loss and provide the following supporting documentation to your local FSA office March 1 after calendar year in which the eligible loss condition occurred.
• Proof of death documentation
• Copy of grower’s contracts
• Proof of normal mortality documentation
USDA has established normal mortality rates for each type and weight range of eligible livestock, i.e. Adult Beef Cow = 1.5% and Non-Adult Beef Cattle = 3%. These established percentages reflect losses that are considered expected or typical under “normal” conditions. In addition to filing a notice of loss, you must also submit an application for payment for 2024 calendar year losses by March 3, 2025.
For more information about LIP, contact your Allamakee County USDA Service Center at 563-568-2148 or visit fsa.usda.gov.
Applying for FSA Guaranteed Loans
FSA guaranteed loans allow lenders to provide agricultural credit to farmers who do not meet the lender’s normal underwriting criteria. Farmers and ranchers apply for a guaranteed loan through a lender, and the lender arranges for the guarantee. FSA can guarantee up to 95 percent of the loss of principal and interest on a loan. Guaranteed loans can be used for both farm ownership and operating purposes.
Guaranteed farm ownership loans can be used to purchase farmland, construct or repair buildings, develop farmland to promote soil and water conservation or to refinance debt.
Guaranteed operating loans can be used to purchase livestock, farm equipment, feed, seed, fuel, farm chemicals, insurance and other operating expenses.
FSA can guarantee farm ownership and operating loans up to $2,251,000. Repayment terms vary depending on the type of loan, collateral and the producer’s ability to repay the loan. Operating loans are normally repaid within seven years and farm ownership loans are not to exceed 40 years.
For more information on guaranteed loans, contact your Allamakee County USDA Service Center at 563-568-2148 or visit fsa.usda.gov.
