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Agriculture USDA Service Center Update

USDA Update April 4, 2023

Eads USDA Service Center Staff

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

  • EMERGENCY GRAZING AVAILABLE ON CERTAIN CRP CONTRACTS -  after March 15, 2023 -  50% reduced stocking rate
  • February 27, 2023 - April 7, 2023 - CRP General Sign Up 60 signup period
  • March 15 – July 15 - PRIMARY NESTING SEASON for CRP General and Continuous contracts. 
  • June 2, 2023 - ERP Phase 2 and PARP Deadline

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. 

DROUGHT MONITOR

The D3 extreme and D4 exceptional drought intensity remains in much of Kansas; part of the D3 and D4 intensities are also shown in far Southeast Colorado including the counties of Baca, Prowers and Cheyenne.  This past week the wind was relentless; hopefully this week it will bring some moisture to the area. 

Agriculture Disaster Relief & Recovery Funding (Webinar) 

This webinar will provide an overview for farmers, ranchers, and other ag producers of the state and federal funding programs that could be available when disasters strike our ag communities. Experts from the state and federal government will introduce these important programs and be available to answer questions.

The webinar is scheduled on Friday, April 14,2023, 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.; registration is required and the link to register is – 

https://ag.colorado.gov/events/agriculture-disaster-relief-recovery-funding-webinar?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

You can also call the FSA Office and the information can be emailed to you to register.   We urge all producers to register and listen to the information being presented.  It is the producer’s responsibility to know the programs that are available.  

Administrative Policy Reminders

Changing Bank Accounts

FSA program payments are issued electronically into your bank account. In order to make timely payments, you need to notify your FSA servicing office if you close your account or if your bank information is changed for whatever reason (such as your financial institution merging or being purchased). Payments can be delayed if FSA is not notified of changes to account and bank routing numbers.

For some programs, payments are not made until the following year. For example, payments for crop year 2020 through the Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage program aren’t paid until 2021. If the bank account was closed due to the death of an individual or dissolution of an entity or partnership before the payment was issued, please notify your local FSA office as soon as possible to claim your payment.

Civil Rights/Discrimination Complaint Process

As a participant or applicant for programs or activities operated or sponsored by USDA you have a right to be treated fairly. If you believe you have been discriminated against because of your race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, or marital or familial status, you may file a discrimination complaint. The complaint should be filed with the USDA Office of Civil Rights within 180 days of the date you became aware of the alleged discrimination. To file a complaint of discrimination, write U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication,1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington DC 20250-9410 or call 202-260-1026 (voice or TDD), USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. A complaint must be filed within 180 calendar days from the date the complainant knew, or should have known, of the alleged discrimination.

Power of Attorney

FSA has a power of attorney form available that enables persons and legal entities to designate another person to conduct business on behalf of the person or legal entity. If you are interested, please contact our office or any FSA office near you for more information. FSA’s power of attorney form and provisions do not apply to farm loan programs.  

Reasonable Accommodations

Special accommodations will be made upon request for individuals with disabilities, vision impairment or hearing impairment. If accommodations are required, individuals should contact the county FSA office directly or by phone or dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunication relay services.

Translation Services Available

It is FSA's policy to provide equal opportunity in all programs, services, and activities to Limited English Proficiency (LEP) persons.

LEP persons are individuals who do not speak English as their primary language and who have a limited ability to read, speak, write, or understand English. FSA offers three types of language translation and interpretation services available to customers at no cost: (1) document translation; (2) telephonic interpretation; and (3) in-person interpretation. These language translation and interpretation services will assist both customers and staff with overcoming language barriers.

Contact FSA more information.