What's Up at the USDA Office?
Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
July 4: Closed in observance of Independence Day
July 15: Deadline for Acreage Reporting
July 30: CRP/Kernza Field Day
August 15: Deadline to enroll in Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP)
Joint Field Day for CRP and Kernza
The Allamakee Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) are hosting a field day reviewing the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and visiting a native/pollinator test plot along with a Kernza test plot both located at the Allamakee USDA office on July 30, 2025.
What to expect for CRP
The CRP session will run from 9-11 a.m. Along with FSA and NRCS, agents from the DNR, and Pheasants Forever will also be in attendance to offer guidance and information. This session will cover the following in an open discussion format:
• How to manage your CRP
- Learn the basics of weed management, seeding, and program compliance
• CRP Programs
- Common programs though CRP and their different requirements
• How to enroll in CRP
- Sign up steps for all CRP programs
• Plant ID
- Learn how to identify plant species that can occur in CRP with a walk through native, pollinator, and cool season grass plots.
This field day is open to anyone with interest in CRP. Come learn more about what to expect when enrolling in CRP from start to finish and all things in-between.
What to expect for Kernza
The Kernza session will be from 1-3 p.m. NRCS will present information on the conservation benefits when implementing Kernza in a farming operation along with a site visit to their test plot. Farm Research Expert, Carmen Fernholz, will also be in attendance to explain data, answer questions, and provide technical assistance to those interested. This session will cover the following:
• What is Kernza?
- Learn what Kernza can be used for and its conservation and farming benefits
• Grain
- Tips for growing, harvesting, and marketing Kernza grain
• Hay/Straw
- Benefits for Kernza hay and straw and when to harvest it
• Grazing
- Feed analysis and other grazing information
Come learn how Kernza can benefit you!
For questions regarding the field day, please contact Anders Lovstuen at anders.lovstuen@ia.nacdnet.net.
Persons with disabilities who require accommodations to attend or participate in this event should contact Rachel Pufahl, CED, at 563.-568-2148 ext.2, or Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339. Questions? Rachel Pufahl, CED, can be contacted by e-mail at rachel.pufahl@usda.gov.
Acreage Reporting Deadline Closing In
In order to maintain program eligibility and benefits, you must file timely acreage reports. Failure to file an acreage report by the crop acreage reporting deadline may cause ineligibility for future program benefits. FSA will not accept acreage reports provided more than a year after the acreage reporting deadline.
The items needed to report your acreage include planting dates, type and variety of crops and accurate acreages. It is the producer’s responsibility to accurately report acres and the producer’s share (risk) in the individual crops, discrepancies found later may affect eligibility for all FSA administered programs. Acreage reports may be filed only after crops are planted.
The acreage reporting deadline for all spring seeded crops in Allamakee County is July 15, 2025. Producers are encouraged to file their acreage reports as soon as planting is completed.
Late Filed Crop Reports: FSA-578’s (Report of Commodities) filed or revised after July 15, 2025, will be charged a measurement service fee of $46 per farm. FSA is required to conduct a site visit on any late filed or revised crop reports. Please review your crop reports before July 15 to ensure accuracy of the crop planted, planting dates, intended uses, acres, and crop shares.
Also this is a reminder for CRP participants that they must file an acreage report annually to maintain and receive their CRP benefits.
File a Notice of Loss for Failed and Prevented Planted Acres With FSA
USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds you to report prevented planted and failed acres in order to establish or retain FSA program eligibility for some programs.
You should report crop acreage you intended to plant, but due to natural disaster, were prevented from planting. Prevented planting acreage must be reported on form CCC-576, Notice of Loss, no later than 15 calendar days after the final planting date as established by FSA and the Risk Management Agency (RMA).
The deadline to timely report prevent plant Corn was June 15th and is June 30th for soybeans.
Additionally, if you have failed acres, you should also use form CCC-576, Notice of Loss, to report failed acres. For hand-harvested crops and certain perishables, you must notify FSA of damage or loss through the administrative county office within 72 hours of the date of damage or loss first becomes apparent. This notification can be provided by filing a CCC-576, email, fax or phone. If you notify the County Office by any method other than by filing the CCC-576, you are still required to file a CCC-576, Notice of Loss, within the required 15 calendar days.
For losses on crops covered by the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), you must file a Notice of Loss within 15 days of the occurrence of the disaster or when losses become apparent. You must timely file a Notice of Loss for failed acres on all crops including grasses.
USDA Offers Options for Signing and Sharing Documents Online
Farmers and ranchers working with USDA’s Farm Service Agency or Natural Resources Conservation Service can now sign and share documents online in just a few clicks. By using Box or OneSpan, producers can digitally complete business transactions without leaving their homes or agricultural operations. Both services are free, secure, and available for multiple FSA and NRCS programs.
Box is a secure, cloud-based site where FSA or NRCS documents can be managed and shared. Producers who choose to use Box can create a username and password to access their secure Box account, where documents can be downloaded, printed, manually signed, scanned, uploaded, and shared digitally with Service Center staff. This service is available to any FSA or NRCS customer with access to a mobile device or computer with printer connectivity.
OneSpan is a secure eSignature solution for FSA and NRCS customers. Like Box, no software downloads or eAuthentication is required for OneSpan. Instead, producers interested in eSignature through OneSpan can confirm their identity through two-factor authentication using a verification code sent to their mobile device or a personalized question and answer. Once identity is confirmed, documents can be reviewed and e-signed through OneSpan via the producer’s personal email address. Signed documents immediately become available to the appropriate Service Center staff.
Box and OneSpan are both optional services for customers interested in improved efficiency in signing and sharing documents with USDA, and they do not replace existing systems using eAuthentication for digital signature. Instead, these tools provide additional digital options for producers to use when conducting business with FSA or NRCS.
USDA Service Center staff are available to help producers get started with Box and OneSpan through a few simple steps. Please visit farmers.gov/service-locator to find your local office and let Service Center staff know you’re interested in signing and sharing documents through these new features. In most cases, one quick phone call will be all that is needed to initiate the process. Visit farmers.gov/mydocs to learn more about Box and OneSpan, steps for getting started, and additional resources for conducting business with USDA online.
Myth Busters: Common Misconceptions about the Conservation Stewardship Program
The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) is sometimes misunderstood. It is perceived by some as complicated or not for small operations, and neither of those perceptions is true. CSP is designed to help you take your existing conservation efforts on your operation to the next higher level while maintaining your current ones. It’s supposed to help you add to what you’re already doing, either by enhancing your current practices or adding new ones.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) works one-on-one with you to develop a conservation plan under CSP to implement these additions or enhancements and help strengthen your operation.
Under CSP, you receive annual payments to help you maintain your existing conservation efforts and enhance them using new conservation practices or activities. CSP contracts last five years, with the opportunity to compete for a contract renewal if you successfully fulfill the initial contract and agree to achieve additional conservation objectives.
CSP is often misunderstood, so here are a few “myths” about the program that we want to dispel.
Myth #1: The deadline to apply for CSP in my state has already passed, so I don’t need to think about applying until next year.
Don’t wait to apply! We accept applications year-round, but funding decisions are made locally at specific times and that “ranking date” may be coming up soon in your area. If we already have your application, it will be considered at the next ranking date. Plus, if you start planning now, you will be ready for application ranking dates as they approach. See program application ranking dates for all states at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/ranking-dates.
Myth #2: Enrolling land in CSP is complicated and time-consuming.
If you have a farm and tract number (available from USDA’s Farm Service Agency) and have kept good farm records, you’re already well on your way. You just need to complete a three-page NRCS-CPA-1200 form. You can even complete this form online if you create a farmers.gov account at https://www.farmers.gov/account.
