Honoring a Fallen Farmer

Posted on October 30, 2013 by tanya brown
Photograph by Matt Rubel

Photograph by Matt Rubel

Kyle Hendrix, chairman of the FSA Piatt County Committee, received a tribute fit for a farmer. Hendrix died of cancer on Sept. 23, 2013, leaving his wife and two young children. His life touched many farmers in Illinois that area producers paid tribute to his life by lining up nearly 60 tractors and other pieces of farm equipment alongside the road stretching from the edge of Bement, Ill., to the cemetery. The farmers also harvested Kyle’s crop to help the bereaved family. A photojournalist visiting the area at the time photographed the tribute. Read more and view the photos by Matt Rubel (Modern Farmer).

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Dairy Producers Must Submit MILC Documentation by Nov. 1

Posted on October 25, 2013 by tanya brown

Dairy producers participating in the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) program must submit final production evidence and any supporting documentation by Nov. 1, 2013. Documentation must be submitted for all eligible months that MILC payments were available, which include fiscal years 2009, 2010, 2012 and 1013. More information is available at local county offices. Learn more about MILC or find a local county office.

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82-Year-Old Still Tills Land With Donkey

Posted on October 24, 2013 by tanya brown

Drive through Mars Bluff, S.C., and 82-year-old Clarence “Chubby” Jeffords may be out tilling his 20-acre farm the old fashioned way — with a donkey. Despite having two tractors, Chubby prefers hitching up a donkey he named Rabbit and putting him to work. Before that, he used an ox until it died. The traditional method of farming has made Chubby a main attraction in Mars Bluff, as passersby stop and take pictures of him and Rabbit tilling the land. Any given year, Chubby plants everything from cabbage and collards to squash, string beans and sugar cane. He lives off of his land that he has had since 1952 when he moved to Mars Bluff. The only reason he goes to the market is for a few household products. Read more (SCNow.com).

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Census of Agriculture Delayed

Posted on October 23, 2013 by tanya brown

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will delay the publication of the 2012 Census of Agriculture due to the recent lapse in federal funding. The publication was originally scheduled to be released on Feb. 4, 2014. A new release date had not been set. Learn more.

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Man Sentenced for FSA Loan Fraud

Posted on October 23, 2013 by tanya brown

A man has been sentenced to one year in prison and ordered to pay $163,000 for selling cattle, hay and other equipment pledged as collateral for several loans from the Farm Service Agency. Patrick Charles Thomas, 55, pleaded guilty to unlawful conversion of property. Thomas sold the collateral property without consulting FSA and without using the money to repay the loan. Read more (Associated Press).

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Wyoming Sugar Still Sweet: Community Support, FSA Assistance Makes a Difference

Posted on October 23, 2013 by tanya brown
Cement forms encircle the new Wyoming Sugar silos

Cement forms encircle the new Wyoming Sugar silos.

By Paul Lehman, West Region FSA Public Affairs

This is a story of Wyoming tenacity, teamwork and stepping up to the plate when called on to save a company that was worth saving.  The story began in 1916 in the Big Horn Basin when the Wyoming Sugar Company (an Ogden, Utah firm) built a sugar factory in Worland, Wyo., processing its first beets in the 1917 crop year. Prior to that time, Wyoming growers shipped their sugar beets via rail to Montana for processing.  The new plant provided new opportunity for Big Horn Basin beet growers to expand acreage and output.

Fast forwarding to today, this year the company sought to make additional factory improvements during the off season, including a major increase in the storage capacity to hold their processed commodity for more effective marketing. Currently the factory has to rely on rail cars and outside storage for the processed sugar.  Building new concrete sugar storage silos is costly, so the company decided to seek financing.  Continue reading →

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Commodity Credit Corporation Releases Lending Rates for October

Posted on October 22, 2013 by tanya brown

The USDA Commodity Credit Corporation, which helps stabilize, support and protect farm income and prices, released interest rates for October 2013. The borrowing rate-based charge is 0.125, which is unchanged from September 2013, while the 1996 and subsequent crop year commodity and marketing assistance loans dispersed during October 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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We Still Want to Hear Your #MyFarmBill Stories!

Posted on October 21, 2013 by tanya brown

As we get back to work following the lapse in appropriations, USDA remains focused on sharing the importance of Farm Bill programs for all Americans. A Food, Farm and Jobs Bill is critical to growing the rural economy, providing nutrition to families in need, strengthening agricultural research, growing a biobased economy and much more. Read more (USDA blog).

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FSA Working to Provide Service to Farmers, Ranchers After Lapse in Funding

Posted on October 18, 2013 by tanya brown

The Farm Service Agency is in the process of an orderly start-up of farm program and loan activities. The Congressional lapse in funding created a backlog in requests and service delivery. We are committed to a proactive and customer-focused approach to prioritize activities so that we can provide the service our customers expect and deserve as quickly as possible. We encourage producers to contact their local FSA office if they have any questions or need additional information. Find a local FSA office.

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Some USDA Reports Canceled or Postponed Due to Lapse in Federal Funding

Posted on October 18, 2013 by tanya brown

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the World Agricultural Outlook Board have canceled or postponed several statistical reports due to the lapse in federal funding. The Crop Production and Cotton Ginnings reports along with the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates scheduled for Oct. 11 are canceled. The next release date is Nov. 8. The Crop Progress Reports scheduled for Oct. 7 and Oct. 15 are canceled while the Cattle on Feed and Peanut Prices reports scheduled for Oct. 18 are postponed. Learn more.

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