Proud to be an American…

Posted on November 6, 2014 by tanya brown
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Veterans Day Celebration – Honoring All Who Served, at the USDA headquarters’ Jefferson Auditorium, in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014. Keynote speaker (U.S. Army) Lt. General (Retired) Russel L. Honoré. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Veterans Day Celebration – Honoring All Who Served, at the USDA headquarters’ Jefferson Auditorium, in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014.
Keynote speaker (U.S. Army) Lt. General (Retired) Russel L. Honoré. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

By Latawnya Dia, FSA Public Affairs Specialist

This week, USDA honored its military veterans who have served and are serving in the Armed Forces during a program at the national headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Before I entered the auditorium, I took a minute to speak to the Color Guards — each one looking so proud to serve in the military. Looking at their faces and stature, I had a quick flashback of a United Service Organizations (USO) show I saw while serving in the Army in Ft. Leonard Wood, MO.

In 1986, I saw my one and only USO show, and I will never forget it. At the end of the show, the cast sang Lee Greenwood’s, “God Bless the USA.”  While the cast sang the song, every soldier joined hands. As I listened to the words, I found myself crying with pride. I looked around and noticed that I wasn’t the only one crying. I don’t think there was a dry face in the room and there had to be at least 1,000 or more soldiers at the show. I stood there holding hands with the soldiers to my left and right and I continued to listen to the words…

“Cause the flag still stands for freedom, and they can’t take that away…Well there’s pride in every American heart, and it’s time we stand and say…  [CHORUS]  I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free.  And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.  And I’d gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today.  ‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land God bless the USA.”

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Vote in the 2014 County Committee Elections

Posted on November 6, 2014 by tanya brown

Voting for the 2014 County Committee Elections is underway. Ballots were mailed last week. Eligible Producers who have not received a ballot may obtain one in their local county office. County committee members provide an important link between the local agricultural community and USDA. Farmers and ranchers elected to county committees help deliver FSA programs at the local level, applying their knowledge and judgment to make decisions on commodity support programs; conservation programs; indemnity and disaster programs; emergency programs and eligibility. Producers must return ballots to their local FSA offices by the Dec. 1, 2014, deadline to ensure their vote is counted. Learn more or find your local county office.

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FSA Encourages Farmers to Work With Decision Tools

Posted on November 6, 2014 by tanya brown

It’s a busy time for Farm Service Agency (FSA) employees across the nation as they assist farmers and ranchers in signing up for new assistance programs, field questions about a farm bill that’s different from any program in recent memory and go through comprehensive training sessions to master those new programs.

“It’s a complex new program,” said Val Dolcini, FSA’s newly appointed administrator. Dolcini was in San Antonio Monday for a National Noninsured Crop Assistance Program (NAP) Buy-up farm bill training session. Continue reading →

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Commodity Credit Corporation Releases Lending Rates for November

Posted on November 3, 2014 by tanya brown

The USDA Commodity Credit Corporation, which helps stabilize, support and protect farm income and prices, released interest rates for October 2014. The borrowing rate-based charge is 0.125, which is unchanged from October 2014, while the 1996 and subsequent crop year commodity and marketing assistance loans dispersed during November 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.

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USDA Extends Dairy Margin Protection Program Deadlines

Posted on October 31, 2014 by tanya brown

Dairy farmers now have more time to make a decision on the dairy Margin Protection Program. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced this week that the deadline for the program has been extended until Dec. 5, 2014. “We want dairy producers to have enough time to make thoughtful and well-studied choices,” said Vilsack. “Markets change and the Margin Protection Program can help protect dairy producers from those changes.” The program provides financial assistance to participating farmers when the margin — the difference between the price of milk and feed costs — falls below the coverage level selected by the farmer. Producers can use the Web resource at www.fsa.usda.gov/mpptool to calculate the best levels of coverage for their dairy operation. Comments also are being accepted on both the Margin Protection Program and the Dairy Product Donation Program until Dec. 15, 2014. Learn more about the dairy Margin Protection Program or submit a comment.

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Let Your Voice be Heard: County Committee Voting Opens Nov. 3

Posted on October 31, 2014 by tanya brown

Voting for the 2014 County Committee Elections opens Monday, Nov. 3, with the mailing of new ballots to eligible voters. County committee members provide an important link between the local agricultural community and USDA. Farmers and ranchers elected to county committees help deliver FSA programs at the local level, applying their knowledge and judgment to make decisions on commodity support programs; conservation programs; indemnity and disaster programs; emergency programs and eligibility. Producers must return ballots to their local FSA offices by the Dec. 1, 2014, deadline to ensure their vote is counted. Learn more.

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USDA Issues Series of Dates for Several Census of Agriculture Reports

Posted on October 31, 2014 by tanya brown

The Agriculture Statistics Board of the U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced new dates for several Census of Agriculture Reports. The reports and their new release dates are:

Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey, Nov. 13
Watersheds, November 2014
Race, Ethnicity and Gender County Profiles, December 2014
Congressional District Rankings, January 2015
Typology, January 2015
Specialty Crops, February 2015

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Bringing Back Columbian Sharp-Tailed Grouse

Posted on October 30, 2014 by tanya brown

By Candy Moore, Idaho FSA Communications Coordinator

The USDA’s State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) program in Idaho has enrolled 100,000 acres, making it the largest allocation of SAFE acres enrolled the United States.

The program is based on a partnership between state government and the USDA Farm Service Agency’s Conservation Reserve Program.

SAFE programs vary nationwide but for Idaho it is concentrated on increasing habitat for Columbian Sharp-Tailed Grouse as well as other upland game birds. Since its implementation, Idaho has seen a marked increase in nesting areas, known as Leks, for this bird. Continue reading →

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Farm Bill Program to Provide Relief to Farmers Affected by Severe Weather

Posted on October 24, 2014 by tanya brown

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a new Farm Bill initiative that will provide relief to farmers affected by drought and other severe weather. The Actual Production History Yield Exclusion (APH) allows eligible producers to receive a higher approved yield on their insurance policies through the federal crop insurance program. Spring crops eligible for APH include corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, grain sorghum, rice, barley, canola, sunflowers, peanuts and popcorn. The new initiative is available to farmers nationwide beginning next spring. Learn more.

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Disaster Funding Brings Joy Just in Time for Christmas

Posted on October 24, 2014 by tanya brown

Terry and Cheryl Hammerstrom lost 90 percent of their herd when winter storm Atlas hit South Dakota last October. “One of the first things that came to my mind after the blizzard, and I know it sounds kind of silly in the scope of things, but it was that, gosh, we wouldn’t be able to buy Christmas presents for the grandchildren,” said Cheryl. But all was not lost. The 2014 Farm Bill allowed for disaster assistance to be made available to farmers and ranchers affected by natural disasters. The financial assistance didn’t cover all of their losses, but it was a huge help. Lynn Stoltenburg of the South Dakota Farm Services Agency said a total of $37.1 million had been distributed, mostly to ranchers in the area of the storm, but some to other areas of the state, too, after about 1,670 applications were made at FSA offices. He said that as of Oct. 1, only about 100 requests were pending. Read more (Tri-State Neighbor).

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