A loan from FSA bought Hongye Gao a new tractor that has helped his farm to flourish.
The USDA Farm Service Agency in Hawaii is going above and beyond to assist minority farmers in the Aloha State. Thomas Nii, Assistant Farm Loan Manager of the Honolulu County Office recently mentored Chinese immigrant farmer Hongye Gao and his wife Sokha Ith through some earlier credit issues, which enabled Gao to secure a loan with the Farm Service Agency for a much needed tractor.
The Newton County Farm Service Agency in Morocco, Ind., expanded its People’s Garden this year to include three plots that were tended by elementary school children. Last week, the group of third and fourth graders who completed the Junior Master Gardener program held a brunch with dishes made with produce grew and harvested from the garden. During the brunch, the youths offered presentations on what they learned this year and spoke on their favorite vegetable, good bugs and bad bugs and the potato bag project (growing potatoes in a garbage bag). The program required the kids to meet once a week and learn about soil, insects and pests. They were also introduced to foods they may not eat and they were taught to prepare a dish with one of the harvested crops. The Purdue Cooperative Extension partnered with FSA to begin planting the gardens that are located at the Newton County Courthouse annex building and the Morocco Methodist Church. About 10 companies and individuals donated supplies.
In an effort to support the Feds Feed Families Food Drive, USDA agencies in the St. Paul, Minn. area joined forces to provide $640, the equivalent of 1,920 pounds of food, to the Second Harvest Heartland food bank by participating in a USDA Interagency Pig Roast. Hosted by the Minnesota FSA FISH Committee — a voluntary employee group that follows the FISH philosophy of workplace management developed by John Christensen, and is dedicated to boosting employee morale by bringing a positive attitude to the workplace — the menu boasted of BBQ pork, coleslaw, chips, beans, watermelon and cookies. Employees paid $8 per plate with the understanding that profits would benefit Feds Feed Families initiative. Attendees played a “PIG Quiz” with an opportunity to win fabulous pig-related prizes such as a can of SPAM, a pig’s ear chew and a can of pork and beans.
Employees at the USDA headquarters in Washington, D.C., collected 2,500 pounds of food last week during the Flavors of USDA: Feds Cook to Feed Families. The event celebrated food from different cultures represented throughout the department and served as an avenue for employees to donate fresh produce and non-perishable goods to help meet the goal of collecting 500,000 pounds for the Feds Feed Families campaign. In June the department collected more than 100,000 pounds of food for hungry families. Additionally, the Farm Service Agency held a “Bring A Can to Work Day” last week and collected 600 pounds of food.
The USDA Commodity Credit Corporation, which helps stabilize, support and protect farm income and prices, released interest rates for August 2011. The borrowing rate-based charge is 0.125, which is unchanged from July 2011, while the 1996 and subsequent crop year commodity and marketing assistance loans dispersed during August is 1.125, unchanged from last month. Interest rates for Farm Storage Facility Loans and discount rates for the Tobacco Transition Payment Program also are available. Read more.
Applications are now being accepted for a People’s Garden Grant Program designed to facilitate the creation of produce, recreation or wildlife gardens in urban and rural areas. The gardens will provide opportunities for science-based informal education. About $750,000 is available through fiscal year 2011. The maximum award to a single applicant will be $150,000. Applications must be received by Friday, Aug. 26. Learn more or download the application package.
Federal employees can breathe a temporary sigh of relief as spending cuts set as part of the deal to raise the debt ceiling will not affect federal pay and benefits. But the deal isn’t totally off of the table. As part of the second half of the deal, republican and democratic lawmakers must find $1.5 trillion in additional savings by Nov. 23. This could mean a hike in employees’ pension contributions, a switch to a high-five system for setting pensions and a new method for determining pensions’ future cost-of-living adjustments. Read more (Federal Times).
Today is the last day that farmer and ranchers can apply for assistance for 2009 crop losses under the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments (SURE) program.
SURE provides crop disaster assistance to eligible producers that have suffered crop production or quality losses. Producers must have suffered at least a 10 percent loss on a crop of economic significance and obtained a policy or plan of insurance under the Federal Crop Insurance Act or the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program.
A limit of $100,000 per person or legal applies to the combination of payments from SURE and the livestock disaster programs administered by FSA that include the Livestock Forage Program, Livestock Indemnity Program and Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-raised Fish (ELAP). Those whose average nonfarm income exceeds $500,000 are not eligible for SURE payments.
Producers must sign up today, Friday, July 29, at their local county FSA office.
More help is on the way for producers.
In an announcement today, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said a high demand for farm ownership and direct farm operating funds has prompted USDA to transfer appropriated funds between programs to meet the urgent credit needs of producers.
“With these funds, we can help thousands of producers establish and maintain their family farming operations and obtain long-term credit assistance through a commercial lender,” said Vilsack. The transfer will make an additional $100 million in loan funds available for the direct operating loan program, which will provide 1,600 small, beginning and minority farmers with resources to establish and maintain their family farming operations. Learn more.
The latest edition of the MIDAS Press newsletter highlights the recent progress made over the past few months. The top story focuses on demo presentations provided by the MIDAS team to provide a better understanding of how FSA data and processes can be integrated within a single system. The sessions, which are happening in various states across the country, provides the team with feedback and input from the field. Other stories include information on the pilot Change Agent Network and a recap of the Northeast area rally. Read the MIDAS Press.
