CRP

Two Notes from USDA on Conservation Reserve Program

August 28, 2014 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

USDA has issued two recent notices on the Conservation Reserve Program.

The first is just a reminder for farmers or landowners selling acres enrolled in CRP. Essentially, if CRP acres are sold, the original CRP contract must be revised and signed by the new owner within 60 days. If the contract is terminated by the new owner, the original CRP participant will be on the hook to refund USDA some payments:

If the new landowner elects not to continue the CRP contract, the contract will be terminated. When a contract is terminated, refund of the following payments plus interest is required from the original CRP participant: all annual rental payments, all cost share payments, signup incentive payments, and practice incentive payments. Liquidated damages are also assessed.

Refunds of payments will not be required in cases where the owner’s estate or the heirs do not succeed to the contract. There are other cases that do not require the refund of payments, when a participant loses control of the land, such as eminent domain.

The other notice was that under the new Farm Bill early termination of some CRP contracts will be allowed. Early outs are available for the following contract types:

CP1-establishment of permanent grasses
CP2-establishment of permanent grasses
CP3-tree planting
CP10-grass cover already established
CP11-tree cover already established

Here’s a link to a USDA fact sheet on early CRP contract terminations under the new Farm Bill

As always, you can receive more information by contacting your local USDA Farm Services Agency office.

New CRP Signup Announced

May 7, 2013 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

FSA has announced a new Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) sign-up will be held beginning May 20, 2013.

This will begin a four week offer period. All offers must be signed and submitted to the FSA office by June 14, 2013.

The purpose of the CRP Program is to take environmentally sensitive acres out of crop production and to plant long-term, resource-conserving covers to improve the quality of water, control soil erosion, and enhance wildlife habitat. Producers with acres that are accepted in the sign-up can receive cost-share assistance to plant their choice of resource-conserving cover, and receive an annual rental payment for the length of the contract.

Your local Ohio FSA office may be conducting a public meeting to discuss CRP and to answer questions. Contact your local office to find out.

USDA FSA extends emergency haying, grazing two months

August 30, 2012 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced a two-month extension for emergency grazing on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres, freeing up forage and feed for ranchers as they look to recover from this challenging time. This flexibility for ranchers marks the latest action by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide assistance to producers impacted by the drought, which has included opening CRP and other conservation acres to emergency haying and grazing, lowering the interest rate for emergency loans, and working with crop insurance companies to provide flexibility to farmers.

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Ohio FSA: Continuous sign-up for CRP Highly Erodible Land Initiative

August 1, 2012 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Steve Maurer, State Executive Director for Ohio’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), announced that continuous sign-up for the Highly Erodible Land (HEL) Initiative under the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) started on July 23, 2012. Ohio received a total allocation of 24,300 acres to enroll in the HEL CRP program. Offers will be accepted until either the state acreage allocation limit is reached or September 30, 2012, whichever occurs first.

“CRP is a voluntary program that has protected environmentally sensitive land for more than 25 years,” said SED Maurer. “This initiative will accept offers with an erosion rate of at least 20 tons per acre per year for new cropland or CRP acres that expire on September 30, 2012; however, existing grass stands that are not expiring CRP will not be considered eligible,” he said.

Producers can stop by their local FSA office to determine if their land qualifies for the Highly Erodible Land Initiative and to receive additional location-specific details.

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CRP Lands: Emergency Haying and Grazing for all Ohio counties

August 1, 2012 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

Ohio Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced additional drought relief for Ohio’s livestock producers today. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack authorized the release of emergency haying and grazing lands for all Ohio counties for certain practices and acres enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).

USDA will allow acres under CRP to be used for haying or grazing under emergency conditions, for the following approve practices: Permanent Grasses and Native Grasses, Permanent Wildlife Habitat Noneasement, and Vegetative Cover (Grass) already established, the following practices are not eligible for haying and grazing Water Ways and acreage under the SAFE program. This will allow lands that are not yet classified as “under severe drought” but that are “abnormally dry” to be used for haying and grazing. This will increase available forage for livestock.

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Obama Admin details new efforts to assist farmers and ranchers affected by drought

July 23, 2012 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

USDA Secretarial Drought Designations by County, July 20, 2012

With 62 percent of U.S. farms currently affected by nationwide drought conditions, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today several ways in which the agency is attempting to make it easier for farmers and ranchers to get help.

“President Obama and I are committed to getting help to producers as soon as possible and sustaining the success of America’s rural communities through these difficult times,” said Vilsack. “Beginning today, USDA will open opportunities for haying and grazing on lands enrolled in conservation programs while providing additional financial and technical assistance to help landowners through this drought. And we will deliver greater peace of mind to farmers dealing with this worsening drought by encouraging crop insurance companies to work with farmers through this challenging period.”

The assistance announced uses the Secretary of Agriculture’s existing authority to help create and encourage flexibility within four USDA programs: the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), and the Federal Crop Insurance Program.

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