IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

• NAP APPLICATON FOR COVERAGE DEADLINE -  
  • Triticale - September 1, 2023
  • Alfalfa and Grass - December 1, 2023
• SERVICE CENTER CLOSED - Monday, September 4, 2023
• 2023 LIVESTOCK FORAGE PROGRAM or LFP – Kiowa County eligible – deadline to apply January 30, 2024. 
• CRP Non-Emergency Haying and Grazing Available (excluding CRP Grassland contracts)

Disclaimer:  Information in this UPDATE is pertinent to Kiowa County FSA only. Producers reading this and that do not have FSA interest in Kiowa County are advised to contact their local FSA Office. 

THE USDA SERVICE CENTER HAS A DROP BOX AVAILABLE ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE BUILDING. 

 USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

SERVICE CENTER CLOSED

All USDA Service Centers will be closed Monday, September 4, 2023 in observance of Labor Day.  Offices will be open Tuesday, September 5, 2023.  

GRASSLAND CRP SIGNUP #205 CONSERVATION PLANS

The local NRCS office has been notifying producers with accepted Grassland SU #205 offers to visit the Service Center or have the Conservation Plan information emailed to them for signatures.  When producers are notified by NRCS, it’s important to respond ASAP.  

The NRCS Conservation Plan is the last piece of the offer process and the final opportunity for producers to voluntarily terminate the offer.  These offers will become active CRP contracts on October 1, 2023.   

USDA Accepts Nearly 2.7 million Acres in Grassland CRP Signup, Successfully Closing the Gap and bringing CRP Near to Acreage Cap

USDA is accepting offers for nearly 2.7 million acres from agricultural producers and private landowners through this year’s Grassland Conservation Reserve Program(CRP) signup, which received a record setting sign-up of 4.6 million acres in offers. This working lands program allows producers and landowners to continue grazing and haying practices while protecting grasslands and further the CRP’s impacts. Grassland CRP is part of the Biden-Harris administration’s broader effort to address climate change and conserve natural resources. 

Grassland CRP leverages working lands practices to improve biodiversity and conserve environmentally sensitive land. To target conservation in key geographies, USDA prioritizes land within two National Priority Zones: the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and the Dust Bowl area. Building upon the nearly 2.4 million acres already in the Priority Zones, this year’s more than 900,000 acres continues to robustly demonstrate that producers in these areas recognize the keen conservation value of Grassland CRP. Land enrolled in these zones will contribute to broader USDA conservation efforts through Working Lands for Wildlife by conserving working grasslands and other lands that underpin iconic big game migrations.  

Grasslands enrolled in CRP help sequester carbon in vegetation and soil, while enhancing resilience to drought and wildfire. Meanwhile, producers can still conduct common grazing practices, such as haying, mowing or harvesting seed from the enrolled land, which supports agricultural production.      

In addition to the Grassland signup, FSA also has accepted more than 1 million acres through the General signup, and more than 465,800 acres have been submitted through the Continuous CRP signup so far this year, on pace to be like last year’s nearly 900,000-acre enrollment.  

As part of USDA’s Justice40 efforts, producers and landowners who are underserved, including beginning farmers, limited-resource producers, and military veterans, received 20 additional ranking points to enhance their offers. USDA accepted 1.8 million acres from underserved producers, about 74% of the total acres submitted by the 6,400 underserved producers who submitted offers.    

Additionally, USDA is working to broaden the scope and reach of Grassland CRP by leveraging CREP to engage underserved communities. CREP is a partnership program that enables states, Tribal governments, and non-profit entities to partner with FSA to implement CRP practices and address high priority conservation and environmental objectives. Interested entities are encouraged to contact FSA.    

KIOWA COUNTY FARM SERVICE AGENCY COUNTY COMMITTEE

• Sean Harkness – LAA 1 – East area – Committee Chairperson
• Destiny Haase - LAA 2 – Central area – Committee Vice-Chairperson
• Michael Zimmerman – LAA 3 – West area – Committee Regular Member

USDA SERVICE CENTER CONTACT INFORMATION

409 E Lowell Ave.

PO Box 188 – Eads, CO  81036

Telephone 719-438-5851 FSA (Ext 2), NRCS (Ext 3). FSA Fax number: fax2mail 844-332-7501

FSA - Farm Service Agency  

• Dawna Weirich – CED dawna.weirich@usda.gov
• Charla Ferris – PT  charla.ferris@usda.gov
• Brandi Nevius – PT brandi.nevius@usda.gov
• Teri Ellis – PT teri.ellis@usda.gov

NRCS – Natural Resource Conservation Service

• Scott Smith – Resource Team Leader 719-767-5648 ext. 3 scott.smith3@usda.gov - Cheyenne Wells
• Steve Schmidt – steven.schmidt2@usda.gov  Eads Office

• Marty Miller - marlin.miller@usda.gov Eads Office
• Trey McDowell – tmcdowell@pheasantsforever.org

KIOWA COUNTY FARM LOAN CONTACT INFO – CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT

Telephone 719-336-3437 (ext. 2) 

Mary Rhoades, mary.rhoades@usda.gov, 

Nicole Lubbers, nicole.lubbers@usda.gov

SERVICE CENTER OFFICE HOURS:  

Monday through Friday - 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

RECEIVE USDA INFORMATION

Visit website www.Farmers.gov  for up-to-date information for FSA/NRCS programs.

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Subscribe to GovDelivery emails:  Visit www.fsa.usda.gov/subscribe  or contact your local FSA Office. 

For information on programs visit our website located at www.fsa.usda.gov or like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. USDA is an equal opportunity employer.