| EQIP Cover Crop Participants - 5/2010 |
Coming soon
| Food, Conservation Act of 2008 - 5/2009 |
While the new Farm Bill (now known as the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008) has been passed, the rules are still being written. The new rules will take effect October 1, 2009 which is the beginning of the new federal fiscal year.
Here is a summary of what we know so far about the new Farm Bill:
The adjusted gross income for eligibility in USDA programs has been reduced from the current $2.5 million down to $1 million, unless 2/3 of the income comes from the farm of forestry.
The former Conservation Security Program (CSP) has been renamed the Conservation Stewardship Program. The old CSP will continue for existing participants but there will be no new enrollments or enhancements. The new CSP will run through 2017 with an annual enrollment cap and an annual average payment rate of $18 per acre.
The Environmental Quality Incentive program (EQIP) continues but with a $300,000 per applicant cap over 6 years. To simplify the paperwork EQIP will now pay a set amount per practice rather than a percentage of the various flat rates used before.
The Agriculture Management Assistance (AMA) program will $15 million per year targeted to the 16 states with the lowest crop insurance participation, which includes Maryland. Eligible practices for the 2009 AMA program are related to Organic Production (crop or livestock producers) and irrigation practices
Producer eligibility for CSP, EQIP, and AMA, an applicant must be an individual, entity or joint operation.
The applicant is engaged in agricultural production.
The land being offered for enrollment in CSP, EQIP and AMA is used in agricultural production or livestock production.
Land eligibility for CSP, EQIP, and AMA is cropland, hayland, pastureland, and forestland (not eligible in CSP) where crops, livestock or forests are produced.
Conservation practices will contribute to an improvement in the identified natural resource concern.
The producer must certify that they have control of the land for the contract period (A deed, lease, written authorization from the landowner.)
Land under other conservation programs may be eligible. EQIP does not pay for the same or similar practices on the same land. Land enrolled in CRP or CREP may only be offered for enrollment during the last year of existing contract before enrolling into new CSP contract.
Participants are limited to payments $50,000.00 per person for any fiscal year.
The practice shall be applied on that land until after the CRP contract has expired or been terminated. Land under other conservation programs that provide a payment is eligible, if AMA is used to treat different resource concern. Land in CRP is not eligible for the AMA program.
The Wildlife Habitat Incentive program (WHIP) has changed slightly from last year. Previously WHIP years were open to non-farms on non-croplands.
Eligible lands:
Agriculture land: Cropland, grassland, woodlands determined by NRCS to be suitable for fish and wildlife habitat development. Agricultural lands may include cropped woodland, marshes, incidental areas included in the farming operation, and other types of land used for the production of livestock.
Nonindustrial private forestland: Rural land that has existing tree cover or is suitable for growing trees.
Privately owned land that is suitable for the production of food or fiber. The land must be located such that agricultural or forest production would be feasible and allowed under local regulations. Lands zoned for residential or commercial use are not eligible unless they are currently in agriculture production or have a current forest management plan.
All lands must be of sufficient size (at least 1 acre, 3 acre for aerial control of Phragmites)
At least $500 of cost-share assistance for eligible practices.
For 2009 contracts, each participant will be limited to no more than $300,000 in financial assistance. Participants are limited to payments $50,000 per person for any fiscal year.
The new Chesapeake Bay Watershed program will channel additional money through existing programs. Funding levels are $23 million in 2009, $43 million in 2010, $72 million in 2011 and $50 million in 2012.
More updates and briefs can be found at: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome
| Food, Conservation Act of 2008 - 1/2009 |
Conservation Program Funding available in 2008 includes an additional $200 million for Environmental Quality Incentives Program to help farmers and ranchers nationwide to solve natural resource problems; $150 million Wetlands Reserve Program; and $7.5 million for Agricultural Management Assistance. For fiscal year 2009, USDA will distribute $1.8 billion in Conservation Reserve Program rental payments to participants across the country.
CSP—Conservation Security Program expired Sept. 30, 2008 but funding will continue for existing contracts. A new CSP program is scheduled for 2009-2017. The Conservation Stewardship Program is to assist producers in implementing conservation activities applicable to their operation and rewarding stewardship on working lands.
Eligible producers must initially meet the stewardship threshold for one resource concern and be willing to achieve the threshold for at least one additional priority resource concern by the end of their five-year contract. Applicants must account for their stewardship activities covering their entire agricultural operation. Applications will be competitively ranked based on present and proposed conservation
activities, the number and extent of resource concerns addressed, and the cost effectiveness of the expected environmental benefits.
The Secretary may enroll up to 12,769,000 acres each year from fiscal years 2009 through 2017 and must manage the program to achieve a national average cost that does not exceed $18 per acre. A person or legal entity cannot receive CSP payments exceeding $200,000 during any fiveyear period.
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
New eligiblily paperwork will be required for new contracts in 2009. Please make sure you stop by the FSA office and update all your paperwork with them in order to be eligible for FY09 program participation. This includes individuals as well as entities. Some changes in eligibility include new forms for members information (501A replaced by 901 form) and new adjusted gross income requirements.
| Food, Conservation Act of 2008 - 10/2008 |
While the new farm bill has been passed the rules are still being written. The new rules will take effect Oct. 1, 2009 which is the beginning of the new federal fiscal year. Here’s a summary of what we know so far about the new farm bill:
The adjusted gross income for eligibility in USDA programs has been reduced from the current $2.5 million down to $1 million unless 2/3 of the income comes from farm or forestry. The former Conservation Security Program (CSP) has been renamed the Conservation Stewardship Program.
The old CSP will continue for existing participants but there will be no new enrollments or enhancements. The new CSP will run through 2017 with an annual enrollment cap of $12,769,000 acres and an annual average payment rate targeted at $18 per acre. The Environmental Quality Incentive program (EQIP) continues, but with a $300,000 per applicant cap over 6 years. To simplify the paperwork EQIP will now pay a set amount per practice rather than a percent of the various flat rates used before. The Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) continues with the biggest change being participants must have at least $1000 farm income reported on a Schedule F. Previously WHIP was open to non farmers on non crop land. The annual per applicant cap for WHIP is $50,000.
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