Hello friends:
Yesterday our county office had a county committee meeting. During this time of the year, local farmers setting around a table always leads to conversations about the weather, soil temperatures, livestock prices and, of course, getting into the fields and plant something!
They went on to discuss how it is just too cold to start planting, and then … one of them said, “Well, I am thinking about planting,” which made nearly ever ear in the room perk up. You could almost hear the wheels grinding, when another said, “Well, if you are thinking about it, then I am thinking about it too!”
It made me chuckle how quick our attention is diverted to things we want to do.
Get paperwork done
Having said this, I realize that FSA paperwork is not something fun that the producers want to do, so hurry up, get it done.
March 31 is right around the corner and all ARC/PLC reallocations, yields and elections need to be completed. Get it done before you walk out the back door on that sunshiny, ready-to-plant day, and the gleam off the tractors diverts your attention and you finally actually get to plant something.
Once again, here is the information on the ARC/PLC program. They did give us an extension, so keep your options open and get signed up.
According to some recent information, more than 60 percent of the nation’s eligible farms have their elections already complete.
If no changes are made to yield history or base acres by March 31, the farm’s current yield and base will be used.
A program choice of ARC or PLC coverage also must be made by March 31, 2015, or there will be no 2014 payments for the farm and the farm will default to PLC coverage through the 2018 crop year.
The online tools, available at www.fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc, allow producers to explore projections on how ARC or PLC coverage will affect their operation under possible future scenarios. Covered commodities include barley, canola, large and small chickpeas, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, dry peas, rapeseed, safflower seed, sesame, soybeans, sunflower seed and wheat.
To learn more, farmers can contact your local Farm Service Agency office.
Until next time, happy farming!
FSA Andy
