Coffee Shop Talk

Hi folks, thanks for reading the November issue of Coffee Shop Talk with FSA.

I know many farmers are thankful for the ideal weather we’ve been having this fall. We finished off October with 2.66 inches of rain, only the second month of 2019, behind April, to receive below average monthly rainfall. I know harvest is everyone’s priority right now, but there are quite a few things going on at FSA. When you get finished up in the fields, or on the next rainy day, take a few minutes to come in and learn about all the different programs. I’ve listed them briefly below, but please feel free to call or come by the office for additional information on any of our programs.

ARC PLC — It’s time to make your decision between ARC and PLC for commodities for the 2019 and 2020 crop years. Agricultural producers can now enroll in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs, two popular safety net programs, for the 2019 crop year. Interested producers must sign up for either program by March 15, 2020.

The 2018 Farm Bill reauthorized and made updates to these two USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) programs. ARC provides income support payments on historical base acres when actual crop revenue declines below a specified guarantee level. PLC program provides income support payments on historical base acres when the price for a covered commodity falls below its effective reference price.

You are also given the opportunity to update the yields on your farms using crop years 2013-2017. If you remember back to 2014 when we last updated yields, you’ll recall that it was not a speedy process. Please do not wait until the deadline to signup for this program.

Marketing Assistance Loans — Marketing Assistance Loans are low-interest grain loans that are made on grain being stored by a producer, either on the farm, or in commercial storage. These loans are intended to give farmers cash flow flexibility without being forced to market their crop sooner than they would like. The interest rate on these loans is currently 2.625% and remains fixed for the life of the loan with the exception of a one-time adjustment to the January interest rate after the first of the year. Loans mature 9 months after disbursal, at the end of the month, so any loans made in November will mature August 31, 2020.

The timeframe for these loans is very short – these can typically be approved in as little as a day or two. To be eligible for a Marketing Assistance Loan, you must have produced the crop that will be placed under loan, you must be in compliance with FSA eligibility and acreage reporting requirements, and you must still have beneficial interest in the crop. The grain is used as collateral and there are no early pay off penalties.

COC Election — Ballots will be mailed out soon for the upcoming 2020 County Committee Member Election. To be an eligible voter, farmers and ranchers must participate or cooperate in an FSA program.

Eligible voters in local administrative area 2, consisting of Grand River, Union, Jackson, Monroe and Harrison Townships, who do not receive a ballot can obtain one from their local USDA Service Center. Dec. 2, 2019, is the last day for voters to submit ballots in person to local USDA Service Centers. Ballots returned by mail must also be postmarked no later than Dec. 2. Newly elected committee members will take office Jan. 1, 2020.

Wesley Gay of Gallatin is running for LAA #2. He is a 3rd generation farmer and currently farms with his dad, Keith. Together they grow approximately 1,800 acres of corn and soybeans. After graduating from SMSU with a B.S in Agronomy, Wesley worked in the Precision Agriculture field covering parts of Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Nebraska for 10 years, and helped on the family farm when he could. He started farming full-time in 2012 and a short time later, he and his wife Marcy bought their first farm together. They have two children, Milly, 5, and Abe, 3, who love checking crops, playing in the dirt, and tractor or combine rides. Wesley hopes to carry the values, knowledge and integrity he’s been taught forward to keep production agriculture viable and vibrant for future generations. Wesley is an active member of the First Christian Church in Gallatin, is a lunch buddy volunteer for the Bright Futures-Gallatin program, is a member of the Missouri Farm Bureau and has been a part of many productions of the Gallatin Theater League.

Report all fall-seeded crops by Dec. 15. Wheat, rye, and triticale must be reported by Dec. 15 or within 15 calendar days after planting to avoid a late file fee. If planted, these crops must be reported to maintain program eligibility.

CRP General Signup — FSA will be holding a General CRP signup this winter, exact dates yet to be determined. If you are interested in offering land into the CRP program it must be free of trees, brush and noxious weeds, have been owned for a least one year, and been farmed four of the six years between 2012-2017. Daviess County will be taking appointments for this signup once the timeframe is known.

WHIP+ — There is a new disaster program (Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program-Plus) for years 2018 and 2019 that includes compensation for failed acres and low yields due to flooding. In Daviess County, WHIP+ will be available for producers who have suffered eligible losses of crops as a result of 2018 and 2019 flooding along the Grand River and its major tributaries.

Producers applying for WHIP+ must provide supporting documentation to establish that the crops were directly affected by a qualifying disaster loss, including failed, low-yield, or uninsured prevented planting acreage. Both insured and uninsured producers are eligible to apply for WHIP+. If you suffered crop losses due to flooding in the fall of 2018, please stop by the office to make an application. Harvest will need to be complete before a 2019 WHIP+ application can be made. For more details about the WHIP+ program or to make a 2018 application, please call or come by the office.

From all the staff here at FSA, we wish all our farmers a happy and blessed Thanksgiving.