Four_Page_Newsletter

Crawford FSA News

April 2010

Crawford County

USDA Service Center

Crawford County FSA

3115 SR 98

Bucyrus, OH 44820

419-562-8936 (phone)

419-562-8815 ( fa x)

www.fsa.usda.gov/oh

Hours

Monday - Friday

8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

County Committee

Donovan Scott, Chair

Allen Schimpf, V.Chair

Steve Miller, Member

Trudy Ruehle, Advisor

County Committee

meets on the second

Tuesday of the month

At 8:30 Am in the County

Office

Staff

Heather Hiler, PT

Gail Walter, PT

Kate Brause, PT

Crystal McCown, PT

Randy Hiler, FR

Ray Greenick, FR

Jim Greve, CED

The AC RE Program

The ACRE Program provides a safety net based

on state revenue losses and acts in place of the

price-based safety net of counter-cyclical pay-

ments under DCP. The June 1, 2010 deadline to

s i gn -up is mandatory for all participants. F S A w i l l

not accept any late-filed applications. A payment

is based on a revenue guarantee calculated using a

5-year average state yield and the most recent 2-

year national price for each eligible commodity.

For 2010, the 2-year price average will be based

on the 2008 and 2009 crop years.

An ACRE payment is issued when both the state

and the farm have incurred a revenue loss. The

payment is based on 83.3% (85% in 2012) of the

farm's planted acres times the difference between

the state ACRE guarantee and the state revenue

times the ratio of the farm's yield divided by the

state expected yield. The total number of planted

acres for which a producer may receive ACRE

payments may not exceed the total base on the

farm. Participants in ACRE will forego counter-

cyclical payments. Also a farm's direct payment is

reduced by 20% and marketing assistance loan

rates are reduced by 30%.

The decision to enroll in the ACRE Program is ir-

revocable. The owner of the farm and all produc-

ers on the farm must agree to enroll in ACRE.

Once enrolled, the farm shall be enrolled for that

initial crop year and will remain in ACRE through

the 2012 crop year. For more details contact your

local FSA office.

NAP Production Reporting

Production records for individual crops need to be

filed with our local FSA office to establish an ap-

proved NAP yield. If this is the first year you par-

ticipated in NAP, you can provide production and

acreage information from prior years to establish

your yield. If you participated in NAP in previous

years, you must report your production and

acreage on a yearly basis to keep your yield up-to-

date. Records submitted must be reliable or veri-

fiable. Records need to show crop disposition.

We recommend producers submit 2010 produc-

tion records as soon as harvest is complete. All

production records must be submitted by the

subsequent crop year’s final acreage reporting

date.

SURE

Currently applications for the Supplemental Reve-

nue Assistance Program (SURE) are being taken for

the 2008 Crop Year. SURE provides benefits for

farm revenue losses due to natural disaster that were

incurred starting in the crop year 2008 through Sep-

tember 30, 2011. To be eligible for SURE pay-

ments, a producer is required to obtain crop

insurance on all crops in all counties or, if crop in-

surance is not available, to participate in the Non-

Insured Assistance Program (NAP) except for

grazed acreage. However, crop insurance or NAP

coverage is no longer required for crops that are not

of economic significance or those where the admin-

istrative fee required to buy NAP coverage exceeds

10% of the value of the coverage.

Eligible farmers and ranchers who meet the defini-

tion of Socially Disadvantaged, Limited Resource,

or Beginning Farmer or Rancher are exempt from

the risk management purchase requirement.

To trigger a SURE payment, participants must have

at least one crop of economic significance suffer a

10% production loss due by comparing the actual

production on the SURE farm to that crop, and have

either of the following:

 a portion of the SURE farm located in a natural

disaster county designated by the Secretary, in-

cluding contiguous counties; or

 an overall loss greater than 50 percent of the ac-

tual production on the farm compared to ex-

pected revenue for the farm for that crop year.

For more information about SURE, visit the Na-

tional FSA SURE website at:

w w w .fsa.usda.gov/FSA and then click on the “ D i s-

aster Assistance Programs” link and then select the

“Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments Pro -

gram (SURE)” link under the “Related Topics” to

read the factsheet or visit their local FSA office.

Final Loan and LDP Availability

Date

Producers are reminded that the final commodity

loan and LDP availability date for 2009 Crop

Year Corn, Dry Peas, Grain Sorghum, Lentils,

Mustard Seed, Safflower Seed, Small Chickpeas,

Soybeans and Sunflower seed will be June 1,

2010.

Report Failed Crop Acreage Prior to

Destruction

With spring planting here, the Crawford County Farm Service

Agency (FSA) encourages farmers to report failed crop acreage

that will not be brought to harvest to their FSA office. Failed

acreage must be reported to FSA before destroying and replant-

ing to allow time for a field check.

"It is very important that farmers report failed acreage that will

not be brought to harvest to the FSA office prior to destruction,"

said Crawford County Executive Director, Jim Greve. "This

simple act of insuring that failed acres are documented could be

the determining factor in whether or not a farmer is eligible for

future crop disaster program payments."

Form CCC-576, Notice of Loss, is used to report failed acreage

and may be completed by any producer with an interest in the

crop. For crop losses covered by the Non-insured Assistance

Program (NAP), producers must contact their local FSA office

within 15 days of the occurrence of the disaster or when losses

become apparent. Producers with crop insurance should also

contact their local agent when losses occur and before destroying

the crop.

Producers are encouraged to keep good production records on

acreage with a low crop yield to document crop losses. To be el-

i g i ble for crop disaster programs in the future, production

records may help support crop loss claims.

Additional information in regard to failed crop acreage or crop

losses covered by the Non-Insured Assistance Program (NAP)

can be obtained by contacting your local FSA office. FSA pro-

gram information is also available online at:

http://www/fsa/usda/gov .

Selected Interest Rates for

April 2010

90-Day Treasury Bill

0.125%

Farm Operating Loans — Direct

2.875%

Farm Ownership Loans — Direct

5.000%

Farm Ownership Loans — D o w n

Payment

1.500%

E m e r g e nc y Loans

3.750%

Farm Storage Facility Loan -- 7 year

3.125%

Farm Storage Facility Loan -- 10 year

3.625%

Farm Storage Facility Loan -- 12 year

4.000%

Sugar Storage Facility Loans

4.250%

Commodity Loans 1996-Present

1.375%

Controlled Substance

Any person who is convicted under federal or state law of a con-

trolled substance violation could be ineligible for USDA pay-

ments or benefits. Violations include planting, harve s t i n g o r

growing a prohibited plant. Prohibited plants include marijuana,

opium, poppies and other drug producing plants.

2010 DCP Sign-up

Enrollment for the 2010 Direct and Counter-cyclical Pro-

gram (DCP) will continue through June 1, 2010. USDA

u r ge s producers to make use of the eDCP automated web-

site to sign-up, or producers can visit any USDA Service

Center to complete their 2010 DCP contract.

USDA computes DCP Program payments using base acres

and payment yields established for each farm. Eligible

producers receive direct payments at rates established by

statute regardless of market prices. For 2010, eligible pro-

ducers may request advance direct payments based on 22

percent of the direct payment.

For more information on this or other programs, simpl y

contact the nearest FSA office.

Cold Storage Facility Loans

The Farm Storage Facility Loan program has been

amended to allow producers to build cold storage facilities

to store their fresh fruits and vegetables. To be eligible,

cold storage facilities must have a useful life of 15 years

and include:

 New structures suitable for a cold storage facility;

 N e w w a l k -in prefabricated permanently installed

coolers suitable for storing fresh fruits and vegeta-

bles;

 New permanently affixed cooling, circulating and

monitoring equipment;

 Electrical equipment integral to the proper operation

of a cold storage facility; and must be

 An addition or modification to an existing storage fa-

cility.

USDA will not make cold storage facility loans for porta-

ble structures, portable handling and cooling equipment,

used, or pre-owned structures or cooling equipment or

structures deemed unsuitable.

The maximum loan amount for a Farm Storage Facility

loan is $500,000 per loan, which requires a down paym e n t

of at least 15 percent. Applications must be approved be-

fore construction can begin. Loan terms of 7, 10 or 12

years are available depending on the amount of the loan.

Loans applications should be submitted to the administra-

tive FSA county office that maintains the records of the

farm or farms to which the application applies. If the

commodities are produced on land that does not have farm

records established, the application must be submitted to

the FSA county office that services the county where the

facility will be located.

For more information on this program or other FSA farm

programs please contact your local FSA county office or

http://www.fsa.usda.gov.

Continued Success on the Family Farm

through Ohio AgrAbility

By Kent McGuire – Ohio AgrAbility Program Coordinator / OSU

Ag Safety and Health

It is not a surprise that farming consistently ranks as one of Ohio’s

most dangerous occupations. And with Ohio’s 77,000 farms, agri-

culture is the largest industry in the state. Because of the size of the

agricultural industry and the hazards associated with it, each year

agricultural workers in Ohio experience injuries that limit their abili-

ty to perform essential tasks.

At OSU Ag Safety and Health, the highest priority is injury preven-

tion. However, what happens if there has been an incident that leaves

a farmer questioning their ability to continue farming because of an

injury, disability or chronic illness? OSU Ag Safety and Health is

proud to have a program that addresses that issue. In September

2009, Ohio State University Extension introduced the Ohio AgrAbil-

ity Program, to assist farmers who are facing obstacles on the farm

due to an injury or illness.

Ohio AgrAbility is part of a national program from the U.S. Depart-

ment of Agriculture that promotes independence for people in agri-

culture who want to continue to farm after experiencing a disabling

condition. OSU Extension has partnered with Easter Seals Work

Resource Center to help bring this program to farmers and farm fam -

ilies at a local level. The partnership combines resources, know-

ledge, and outreach to bridge the gap between individuals in

agricultural and the resources, technical assistance, assistive technol-

ogies and services available throughout the state that will enable the

farmer, their families, and their communities to continue to succeed

in rural Ohio.

The mission of the program is to enable a high quality of life for

farmers by advancing efforts to address a wide variety of disabli ng

conditions faced by many working in agriculture, including brain or

spinal cord injuries, back pain or injury, amputations, visual or hear-

ing impairments, disabling diseases, respiratory problems, repetitive

motion injuries, diabetes, and arthritis.

The program provides several “no cost” services to farmers and agri-

cultural communities. For local farmers, services include provi d in g

technical assistance or on-site assessments, provide training on pre-

venting secondary injuries, initiating peer support, and providing in-

formation and referral materials about services available for

agricultural assistance and rehabilitation. For the agricultural com-

munity, the primary focus is providing direct education and initiating

community programs with local civic organizations, health care pro-

viders, agricultural business and educational institutions.

Two key elements to the success of the on-site assessments and

technical assistance for the farmers are utilizing assistive technolo-

gies and applying universal design concepts to the farm. With both

of these elements, the program is solving problems a farmer with a

limitation may be facing. In many cases solving these problems can

increase efficiency, productivity, and safety for the farmer.

A fundamental component of the program is preventing secondary

injuries, and increasing awareness to these injuries on the farm. Far-

mers often face aches / pains, an injury or even a disability as a part

of every day life. Farming with these limitations can in-

crease risk in an already dangerous occupation and lead to

secondary injuries. In simple terms, secondary injuries can

be defined as injuries resulting from a previous injury. O f t e n

these secondary injuries occur because the farmer may at-

tempt work tasks that exceed his/her abilities.

On a national level, AgrAbility helps over 1500 farmers and

ranchers each year. In the first six months since establishi n g

the program in Ohio, 12 farmers have been enrolled in the

program and received on site assessments and technical as-

sistance to increase quality of life by empowering the farmer

to be more productive. At the same time, many individuals

have contacted the program to simply receive resources or

information about solving specific problems they are facing

on the farm.

For more information contact the Ohio AgrAbility Program

Coordinator – Kent McGuire at The Ohio State University

(614-292-0588) (Email: agrability@osu.edu). Additional in-

formation about AgrAbility can be found at:

www.agrability.org .

Rural Youth Loans

The Farm Service Agency makes loans to rural youths to es-

tablish and operate income-producing projects in connection

with 4-H clubs, FFA and other agricultural groups. Projects

must be planned and operated with the help of the organiza-

tion advisor, produce sufficient income to repay the loan and

provide the youth with practical business and educational

experience. The maximum loan amount is $5000.

 Be a citizen of the United States (which includes Puerto

Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) or a

legal resident alien

 Be 10 years to 20 years of age

 Live in a rural area or in a town of 50,000 people or

fewer

 Must obtain a written recommendation and consent

from a parent or guardian if the applicant has not

reached the age of majority under state law

 Comply with FSA’s general eligibility requirements

 Be unable to get a loan from other sources

 Conduct a modest income-producing project in a super-

vised program of work as outlined above

 Demonstrate capability of planning, managing and op-

erating the project under guidance and assistance from a

project advisor. The project supervisor must recom-

mend the project and the loan, along with providing

adequate supervision.

To find out more about the FSA Rural Youth loan program,

contact your local FSA county office to setup an appoint-

ment with a Loan Approval Official.

Dates to Remember

May 31

Memorial Day Holiday. FSA

Offices Closed.

June 1

Deadline to apply for 2009 commod-

ity loans and LDP's on feed grains,

soybeans, pulse crops.

June 1

Deadline to sign-up for 2010 Direct

and Counter-cyclical Payment Pro-

g ram . USDA will not accept any late-

filed applications.

June 15

County Committee Nomination

period begins.

June 15

Deadline to submit the CCC-927 and

CCC-928 consent forms to the IRS.

June 30

Final certification date for small

grains.

Continues

Farm Storage Facility Loan Prog ram.

Continues

Continuous Conservation Reserve

program.

Visit our website at: www.fsa.usda.gov/oh

Adjusted Gross Income

USDA has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Internal Revenue Service to establish an electronic information ex-

change process for verifying compliance with the adjusted gross income (AGI) provisions for farm programs. Written con-

sent will be required from each producer or payment recipient for the tax review process. No actual tax data will be included

in the report that IRS sends to USDA.

The average AGI verification and data comparison processes begin with participants providing consent to IRS for the use and

disclosure of tax information to FSA for AGI compliance purposes. By completing the CCC-927 (Individual) and/or CCC-

928 (Legal Entity) forms, it authorizes CCC/FSA to share program participant information with IRS. This also allows IRS to

use and disclose certain tax information to CCC/FSA for AGI compliance verification purposes.

To safeguard privacy of all program participants and confidentiality of the information, program participants are required to:

 complete CCC-927 and/or CCC-928

 mail the completed forms:

 directly to IRS at the address specified on the forms

 within 60 calendar days of the signature date

 to the IRS no later than June 15, 2010.

Completed CCC-927’s and CCC-928’s will not to be accepted or retained in any FSA office.

Participants that choose not to submit a completed CCC-927, or CCC-928, as applicable, will be determined noncompliant

with AGI limitations for the 2009 and 2010 crop, and program.

Copies of the CCC-927, CCC-928 forms are available at your local FSA office. Participants can also visit the Ohio FSA State

website and download the forms at: www.fsa.usda.gov/oh under the “I Want To” section. The AGI factsheet is available at:

http://www.fsa.usda.gov/Internet/FSA_File/irsmou10.pdf .

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national

origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, po-

litical beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance programs. (Not all prohibited bases ap-

ply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print,

audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Di-

rector, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202)-720-6382

(TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.”

Power of Attorney

FSA has a required power of attorney form available for

those who find it difficult to visit the county office perso -

nally because of work schedules, distance, health, etc., that

enables the participant to designate another person to con-

duct his or her business at the office. This can be done by

completing an FSA-211, Power of Attorney. The form is

available at your local USDA Service Center or online at:

http://forms.sc.egov.usda.gov/efcommon/eFileServices/For

ms/FSA0211-0211A_081217V02.pdf .

Appeal Process

After an FSA official makes a decision on your request for

USDA services or application, you will be sent a letter in-

forming you of the decision and options your can pursue if

you disagree.

Generally, program participants have three choices — an

informal review with the original agency decision-maker,

an opportunity for mediation and finally an appeal to the

next level of authority within the agency.