| If a producer acquires additional acreage after the above acreage reporting date, then the acreage must be reported no later than 30 calendars days after purchase or acquiring the lease. Appropriate documentation must be provided to the county office. If a perennial forage crop is reported with the intended use of "cover only," "green manure," "left standing," or "seed," then the acreage must be reported by July 15th. Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) policy holders should note that the acreage reporting date for NAP covered crops is the earlier of the dates listed above or 15 calendar days before grazing or harvesting of the crop begins. County Committee Nominations The election of agricultural producers to Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committees is important to ALL farmers and ranchers. It is crucial that every eligible producer participate in these elections because FSA county committees are a link between the agricultural community and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
County committee members are a critical component of the operations of FSA. They help deliver FSA farm programs at the local level. Farmers and ranchers who serve on county committees help with the decisions necessary to administer the programs in their counties. They work to ensure FSA agricultural programs serve the needs of local producers.
FSA county committees operate within official regulations designed to carry out federal laws. County committee members apply their judgment and knowledge to make local decisions.
The COC nomination period for LAA 1 runs from June 16, 2014 through August 1, 2014. For more information contact your local FSA office. Microloan Program The Farm Service Agency (FSA) developed the Microloan (ML) program to better serve the unique financial operating needs of beginning, niche and small family farm operations. FSA offers applicants a Microloan designed to help farmers with credit needs of $35,000 or less. The loan features a streamlined application process built to fit the needs of new and smaller producers. This loan program will also be useful to specialty crop producers and operators of community supported agriculture (CSA). Eligible applicants can apply for a maximum amount of $35,000 to pay for initial start-up expenses such as hoop houses to extend the growing season, essential tools, irrigation and annual expenses such as seed, fertilizer, utilities, land rents, marketing, and distribution expenses. As financing needs increase, applicants can apply for a regular Operating Loan up to the maximum amount of $300,000 or obtain financing from a commercial lender under FSA's Guaranteed Loan Program. Individuals who are interested in applying for a Microloan or would like to discuss other farm loan programs available should contact their local FSA office to set up an appointment with a loan official. Highly Erodible Land and Wetland Compliance Landowners and operators are reminded that in order to receive payments from USDA, they must be compliant with Highly Erodible Land (HEL) and Wetland Conservation (WC) provisions. Farmers with HEL determined soils must apply tillage, crop residue and rotation requirements as specified in their conservation plan. Producers should notify FSA prior to conducting land clearing or drainage projects to ensure compliance. If you intend to clear any trees to create new cropland, these areas will need to be reviewed to ensure any work will not jeopardize your eligibility for benefits. Landowners and operators can complete form AD-1026 Highly Erodible Land Conservation (HELC) and Wetland Conservation (WC) Certification to determine whether a referral to Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is necessary. For more information on Highly Erodible Land and Wetland Conservation provisions, contact a FSA County Office or visit the FSA website at www.fsa.usda.gov. Signup Restarts for Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) Farmers and landowners committed to protecting and conserving environmentally sensitive land may sign up for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) beginning June 9. CRP provides incentives to producers who utilize conservation methods on environmentally-sensitive lands. For example, farmers are monetarily compensated for establishing long-term vegetative species, such as approved grasses or trees (known as "covers") to control soil erosion, improve water quality, and enhance wildlife habitat. CRP consists of a "continuous" and "general" sign-up period. In lieu of a general sign-up this year, USDA will allow producers with general CRP contracts expiring this September to have the option of a one-year contract extension. The opportunities available to farmers and landowners under the continuous CRP and CREP programs are practical and flexible. Since the Virginia Farm Service Agency (FSA) began enrolling land in CREP in 2002, thousands of participating farmers and landowners made a commitment to protecting natural resources in Virginia by enrolling in CREP. The "enhanced" version of the national CRP program aims to improve Virginia's water quality and wildlife habitat by offering financial incentives, cost-share and rental payments to farmers who voluntarily restore or create: - Filter Strips,
- Riparian forest buffers,
- Grass and shrub buffers,
- Wetlands.
CREP helps producers overcome financial barriers of buffer projects and grazing systems by providing financial incentives and cost-share reimbursement for expenses; including costs for associated components such as wells, pipeline, watering troughs, and livestock crossings. CREP participants quickly realize that the program offers more than environmental benefit and peace of mind. Livestock producers see herd health benefits after excluding animals from natural water sources. A decreased instance of waterborne illness, improved rate of gain, and overall production benefits are a few. Crop producers also enjoy economic benefit from removing marginal, shaded field border from production and dedicating those acres to a conserving use. Input costs are reduced on enrolled acres and CREP also provides an annual rental payment on the acres. Producers who decide to offer acreage for enrollment in CREP will benefit from technical assistance from Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). NRCS helps CREP participants by assessing natural resources on the farm and helping to determine conservation objectives and make decisions. Offers to enroll in CRP and CREP will be accepted at all FSA offices beginning June 9. For more information on CRP and other FSA programs, visit a local FSA county office or go online to www.fsa.usda.gov. USDA Announces Changes to Fruit, Vegetable and Wild Rice Planting Rules Farm Service Agency (FSA) has announced fruit, vegetable and wild rice provisions that affect producers who intend to participate in certain programs authorized by the Agricultural Act of 2014. Producers who intend to participate in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) Programs are subject to an acre-for-acre payment reduction when fruits and nuts, vegetables or wild rice are planted on the payment acres of a farm. Payment reductions do not apply to mung beans, dry peas, lentils or chickpeas. Planting fruits, vegetables or wild rice on acres that are not considered payment acres will not result in a payment reduction. Farms that are eligible to participate in ARC/PLC but are not enrolled for a particular year may plant unlimited fruits, vegetables and wild rice for that year but will not receive ARC/PLC payments for that year. Eligibility for succeeding years is not affected. Planting and harvesting fruits, vegetables and wild rice on ARC/PLC acreage is subject to the acre-for-acre payment reduction when those crops are planted on either more than 15 percent of the base acres of a farm enrolled in ARC using the county coverage or PLC, or more than 35 percent of the base acres of a farm enrolled in ARC using the individual coverage. Fruits, vegetables and wild rice that are planted in a double-cropping practice will not cause a payment reduction if the farm is in a double-cropping region as designated by the USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation. Fruits, vegetables and wild rice that are planted in a double-cropping practice will not cause a payment reduction if the farm is in a double-cropping region as designated by the USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation. USDA Enhances Farm Storage Facility Loan Program The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the expansion of the Farm Storage and Facility Loan program, which provides low-interest financing to producers. The enhanced program includes 22 new categories of eligible equipment for fruit and vegetable producers. Producers with small and mid-sized operations, and specialty crop fruit and vegetable growers, now have access to needed capital for a variety of supplies including sorting bins, wash stations and other food safety-related equipment. A new more flexible alternative is also provided for determining storage needs for fruit and vegetable producers, and waivers are available on a case-by-case basis for disaster assistance or insurance coverage if available products are not relevant or feasible for a particular producer. Additionally, Farm Storage Facility Loan security requirements have been eased for loans up to $100,000. Previously, all loans in excess of $50,000 and any loan with little resale value required a promissory note/security agreement and additional security, such as a lien on real estate. Now loans up to $50,000 can be secured by only a promissory note/security agreement and some loans between $50,000 and $100,000 will no longer require additional security. The low-interest funds can be used to build or upgrade permanent facilities to store commodities. Eligible commodities include grains, oilseeds, peanuts, pulse crops, hay, honey, renewable biomass commodities, fruits and vegetables. Qualified facilities include grain bins, hay barns and cold storage facilities for fruits and vegetables. Contact your local FSA office or visit www.fsa.usda.gov for more about FSA programs and loans, including the Farm Storage Facility Loan Program. Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Do you want to decrease the Nation's Dependency on foreign fuels? Is your poultry house in need of upgrades? Are your tobacco barns curing as efficiently as they could be? Is that grain dryer using more electricity and propane? Do you just want to save energy? Yes? That's great because USDA Rural Development has the program for you. Through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), agricultural producers and rural small businesses can obtain grants to make energy efficiency improvements or install renewable energy systems to their operations. Grants can pay up to 25% of the total eligible project costs. This competitive grant program has an application deadline of July 7, 2014. Virginia receives an annual allocation with over $1 Million in grant funds expected. For additional information please contact Laurette Tucker, Rural Business Specialist, at 434-392-4906, Ext. 125 or laurette.tucker@va.usda.gov or Craig Barbrow, Rural Business Specialist, at 276-228-3513, Ext. 123 or craig.barbrow@va.usda.gov. Dates to Remember - June 9 - Sept. 30, 2014 - CRP Signup 46 - County Offices are authorized to begin accepting new offers under all CRP continuous, CREP, FWP, and SAFE signup types according to 2-CRP.
- June 16 - Aug 1 - Nominations for COC to be submitted to USDA Service Center
- July 4, 2014 - Independence Day - office will be closed
- July 15, 2014 - Deadline for Acreage Reports: Beans (planted 5/26-7/10), Tomatoes (fresh, planted 5/16-7/5), tomatoes (all other uses, planted on or before 6/15), ALL other crops (CRP, Tobacco, Grain Sorghum, Corn, Millet, Peanuts, Cotton, Wildlife Food Plots)
Special Accommodations
Reasonable accommodations will be made, upon request, for individuals with disabilities, vision impairment, or hearing impairment to attend or participate in meetings or events sponsored by the Farm Service Agency. If you require special accommodations to attend or participate in one of our events, please call the FSA county office and we will be happy to make any needed arrangements. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay),
(866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users). | 
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