IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

• March 15th – July 15^th - CRP primary nesting season. No activity is allowed on CRP contracts, except for Grassland contracts. Break-outs of ANY CRP lands is prohibited during PNS. This includes contracts that are voluntarily terminated with refunds made back to CCC and expired CRP contracts. 
• July 15, 2025 - Deadline for Spring Certification.
• August 15, 2025 - Deadline to submit E-CAP application

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.

Highly Erodible Land (HEL) and Wetland Conservation Compliance

Landowners and operators are reminded that in order to receive payments from USDA, compliance with Highly Erodible Land (HEL) and Wetland Conservation (WC) provisions are required. Farmers with HEL determined soils are reminded of tillage, crop residue, and rotation requirements as specified per their conservation plan. Producers are to notify the USDA Farm Service Agency prior to breaking sod, clearing land (tree removal), and of any drainage projects (tiling, ditching, etc.) to ensure compliance. Failure to update certification of compliance, with form AD-1026, triggering applicable HEL and/or wetland determinations, for any of these situations, can result in the loss of FSA farm program payments, FSA farm loans, NRCS program payments, and premium subsidy to Federal Crop Insurance administered by RMA.

Annual Review of Payment Eligibility for New Crop Year 

FSA and NRCS program applicants for benefits are required to submit a completed CCC-902 Farming Operation Plan and CCC-941 Average Gross Income (AGI) Certification and Consent to Disclosure of Tax Information for FSA to determine the applicant’s payment eligibility and establish the maximum payment limitation applicable to the program applicant.

Participants are not required to annually submit new CCC-902s for payment eligibility and payment limitation purposes unless a change in the farming operation occurs that may affect the previous determination of record. A valid CCC-902 filed by the participant is considered to be a continuous certification used for all payment eligibility and payment limitation determinations applicable for the program benefits requested. 

Participants are responsible for ensuring that all CCC-902 and CCC-941 and related forms on file in the county office are updated, current, and correct. Participants are required to timely notify the county office of any changes in the farming operation that may affect the previous determination of record by filing a new or updated CCC-902 as applicable.                

Changes that may require a new determination include, but are not limited to, a change of:

• Shares of a contract, which may reflect: 
• A land lease from cash rent to share rent
• A land lease from share rent to cash rent (subject to the cash rent tenant rule
• A modification of a variable/fixed bushel-rent arrangement
• The size of the producer’s farming operation by the addition or reduction of cropland that may affect the application of a cropland factor
• The structure of the farming operation, including any change to a member's share
• The contribution of farm inputs of capital, land, equipment, active personal labor, and/or active personal management
• Farming interests not previously disclosed on CCC-902 including the farming interests of a spouse or minor child
• Certifications of average AGI are required to be filed annually for participation in an annual USDA program.  For multi-year conservation contracts and NRCS easements, a certification of AGI must be filed prior to approval of the contract or easement and is applicable for the duration of the contract period. 

Participants are encouraged to file or review these forms within the deadlines established for each applicable program for which program benefits are being requested.