Coffee Shop Talk

by Mandi Bird, FSA County Executive Director
Hi folks, thanks for reading the June edition of Coffee Shop Talk. It’s hard to believe it is already June and 2020 will soon be half over and what a strange one it’s been. Let’s all hope for some sort of peace and normalcy to return soon. We finished off the month of May with 6.26 inches of rain falling on 13 different days. I know May wasn’t the most ideal month for planting, but there were a few days in early June where lots of planters were rolling. Hopefully, Mother Nature will cooperate the rest of the summer.
On the subject of planting, I want to bring to discuss the topic of 2020 crop reports. Due to the current health concerns we will have to do things a little different this year. We will try to be as accommodating as possible while still following our guidelines, but as of now crop reporting will have to take place either via phone, email, mail or by dropping items off at the FSA service window. We know this is not ideal but are trying to make the best out of the situation.
When you are complete, please contact the office so we can decide on how we are going to complete your 2020 crop reports. In order to comply with FSA program eligibility requirements, all producers must file an accurate crop acreage report by July 15, 2020.This includes reporting ALL cropland on a farm, including CRP.
Signup for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) began on May 26 and will run through August 28, 2020. Producers of corn, soybeans, wheat, milo, and oats, and wool (as well as other crops not commonly grown in our area) may be eligible for CFAP payments if the producer had 2019 production that was still subject to price risk as of January 15, 2020. The payment will be based on 50 percent of the producer’s total 2019 production or the 2019 unpriced inventory as of January 15, 2020, whichever is less.
Livestock eligible for CFAP include cattle and hogs, as well as sheep that are less than 2 years old. For livestock, payments will be made based on head of livestock sold between January 15, 2020 and April 15, 2020, as well as the highest inventory of livestock the producer had between April 16, 2020 and May 14, 2020.
The production and livestock numbers needed for the CFAP application will be certified by producers, however documentation to support those certifications may be requested at a later date. To ensure the availability of funding throughout the application period, producers will receive 80 percent of their maximum total payment upon approval of their application. The remaining portion of the payment will be paid at a later date as funds remain available. The program is not first-come, first-served. Additional information, as well as payment rates can be found at farmers.gov/cfap.
CRP reminder, we are in the primary nesting season for wildlife, which is important for producers with Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts. From now through July 15th, no CRP maintenance activities can be conducted on CRP acreage, including disking, spraying, burning, or rotary mowing. The only exception is if you discover an invasive weed that will adversely affect the CRP cover if left untreated, such as Musk Thistles, Sericea Lespedeza, or Palmer Amaranth. If that occurs, you will need to notify our office and request permission from the Daviess County FSA Committee to spot-treat the affected area.