Hello again,
The part of my job I like best is talking to folks who come into the office. There was a fellow who stopped in this week who kind of stands out. He is a spry gentleman of 91 years young who doesn’t prescribe to the notion that he is too old to do things.
He is a family man, an active producer, an active pilot who gets along well and embraces change. He even texts!
After his visit, we discussed him just a bit in the office, as people will sometimes do when they come across someone who makes an impression. To think of the changes this man has experienced …
Being born in the late 1920s
Before prohibition, before the crash, before the Hindenburg. … When I think of it, not just from the history of the last century (Lord knows there’s been a lot of that) but of the changes in how we live.
From radio broadcasts to streaming video. From letters to tweets and posts on Facebook. From maps to GPS. From words to emoji’s!
Changing world
It really is a different world. Do you ever get frustrated with all this change? Do you ever want the world to just slow down?
To be honest, as I’ve gotten older and more set in my ways, I have come to embrace change less as well.
You know what, though? Sharing a few moments with a person like the gentleman above makes me wonder, will I continue to embrace change, even grudgingly, or else?
Over a year ago, FSA launched a tool to provide farmers with remote access to their personal farm information using their home computers.
With this you can view, print or export your personal farm data from anywhere you have access to the Internet. The program, known as FSAfarm+, provides you with secure access to view your personal FSA data, such as base and yields, Conservation Reserve Program data, other conservation program acreage, Highly Erodible Land, Conservation and Wetland Conservation status information, field boundaries, farm imagery, name and address details, contact information and membership interest and shares in the operation.
Available to use
This data will be available in real time, at no cost to you and allows both operators and owners to export and print farm records, including maps. You also can electronically share your data with a crop insurance agent from your own personal computer or smartphone.
Farm operators and owners first will need “Level 2 eAuthentication” to access the web portal. This level of security ensures that personal information is protected for each user. Level 2 access can be obtained by going to www.eauth.usda.gov, completing the required information and then visiting your local FSA office to finalize access.
So are you willing to embrace more change? And as always, if you need help with this, come visit us at your county office. Maybe we’ll spend a few minutes talking about those good old days before we start on this dang blasted technology that’s always changing.
That’s all for now,
FSA Andy
