IMPORTANT DATES

• July 15 — Deadline to submit 2021 Crop Acreage Report   

• July 15 — Deadline to submit ARC-Individual Farm Yields

• July 15 — Deadline to submit NAP production

• July 23 — Deadline to submit General CRP signup 56 offer

• August 2 — Deadline to submit COC nominations

• August 6 — Deadline to submit Continuous CRP signup 55 offer

• August 20 — Deadline to submit Grassland CRP offer

Report Notice of Loss within 15 days of occurrence for all crops and grasses.

Edmunds County is Accepting Emergency Conservation

Program Applications for pipelines, tanks, wells

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced that Edmunds County is accepting applications for the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) to address damages from drought. ECP signup will begin on July 1, 2021, and end on August 30, 2021.

The approved ECP practices under this authorization include temporary or permanent water pipelines and tanks, constructing and deepening wells, permanent submersible pumps for wells and solar panels to provide power to pump water for livestock.

ECP assists producers with the recovery cost to restore the farmland to pre-disaster conditions. Approved ECP applicants may receive up to 75 percent of the cost of approved restoration activity. Limited resource, socially disadvantaged, and beginning farmers and ranchers may receive up to 90 percent cost-share.

Dealing with natural disasters is never easy, especially when you have to consider the health and safety of livestock, but it’s important for producers to call the office before they take any action.

Producers with damage from such events must apply for assistance prior to beginning reconstructive work. FSA’s National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and environmental compliance review process is required to be completed before any actions are taken. Submitting an application after reconstructive work has been completed may not qualify for ECP.

FSA county committees will evaluate applications based on an on-site inspection of the damaged land, taking into consideration the type and extent of the damage. An on-site inspection does not guarantee that cost-share funding will be provided.

The 2018 Farm Bill increased the payment limitation for ECP to $500,000 per disaster. The use of ECP funds is limited to activities to return the land to the relative pre-disaster condition. Conservation concerns that were present on the land prior to the disaster are not eligible for ECP assistance.

For more information on ECP, please contact the Edmunds County FSA office at 605-426-6951, or visit farmers.gov/recover.

Nominations Open for the 2021

County Committee Elections

Greg Preszler has been on the Edmunds County Committee for 9 years, many of them serving as chairman. He can longer run due to term limits. Anyone in LAA #2 who is interested, or knows of someone who is interested, should contact the office at 605-426-6951, for a nomination form.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) encourages all farmers, ranchers, and FSA program participants to take part in the Edmunds County Committee election nomination process.

FSA’s county committees are a critical component of the day-to-day operations of FSA and allow grassroots input and local administration of federal farm programs.

Committees are comprised of locally elected agricultural producers responsible for the fair and equitable administration of FSA farm programs in their counties. Committee members are accountable to the Secretary of Agriculture. If elected, members become part of a local decision making and farm program delivery process.

A county committee is composed of three to eleven elected members from local administrative areas (LAA). Each member serves a three-year term. One-third of the seats on these committees are open for election each year.

County committees may have an appointed advisor to further represent the local interests of underserved farmers and ranchers. Underserved producers are beginning, women and other minority farmers and ranchers and landowners and/or operators who have limited resources.

All nomination forms for the 2021 election must be postmarked or received in the local USDA Service Center by Aug. 2, 2021. For more information on FSA county committee elections and appointments, refer to the FSA fact sheet: Eligibility to Vote and Hold Office as a COC Member available online at: https://www.fsa.usda. gov/news-room/county-committee-elections/index