Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have mailed ballots for the Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committee elections to all eligible agricultural producers and private landowners across the country. Elections are occurring in certain Local Administrative Areas (LAA) for these committee members who make important decisions about how federal farm programs are administered locally. Producers and landowners must return ballots to their local FSA county office or have their ballots postmarked by Dec. 2, 2024, for those ballots to be counted...
USDA in Montana reminds agricultural producers of important Farm Service Agency (FSA) program dates. Contact your local service center to apply and with any questions. Visit online at farmers.gov and fsa.usda.gov/mt. Nov 29: Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP) application deadline Dec. 2, 2024: Voted FSA County Committee Election Ballots to be returned to the FSA County Office or post-marked. Dec. 20: Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) Ranking Date Jan. 30, 2025: Deadline to apply for 2024 ELAP and LFP benefits...
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Montana is accepting applications for Wetland Reserve Easements (WRE) and Agricultural Land Easements (ALE). There are several dates to be aware of for the current funding cycle of these programs. ALE Farm Bill: Nov. 29, 2024 Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (WRE and ALE) Inflation Reduction Act-2: Dec. 20, 2024 Agricultural Land Easements: Part of the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program, ALEs help private and tribal landowners, land trusts, and other entities such as...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that it will begin issuing more than $2.14 billion in payments to eligible agricultural producers, and landowners—providing much needed support through key conservation and safety-net programs. Producers should soon receive payments from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) for their participation in these programs aimed to conserve natural resources and keep family farms economically viable. Specifically, program participants are expected to receive more than $1.7 billion through the Con...
Fiscal year 2025 Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) contracts will not be subject to payment limitations identified in the 2018 Farm Bill. However, the regulatory contract limitations still apply in 2025. Producers are encouraged to apply for conservation assistance even if they have reached their 2018 Farm Bill payment limitation. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Montana is now accepting applications for the EQIP, CSP, Regional Conservation Partnership Program...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced an additional $250 million in automatic payments for distressed direct and guaranteed farm loan borrowers under Section 22006 of the Inflation Reduction Act. This significant step continues USDA’s commitment to keeping farmers and ranchers financially viable and support for agricultural communities. Over the past two years, USDA acted swiftly to assist borrowers in retaining their land and continuing their agricultural operations. Since President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act i...
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Montana is accepting applications for the St. Mary Initiative. Farmers and ranchers in Blaine, Glacier, Hill, Phillips, and Valley counties including the Blackfeet Nation and the Fort Belknap Indian Community directly impacted by the St. Mary Canal siphon failure should visit their local NRCS office now to apply. The final application batching date for the initiative will be Feb. 28, 2025. “We’ve been working closely with partners critical to the rehabilitation of the St. Mary sys...
Agricultural operations in Montana have been significantly impacted by drought and recent wildfires. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has technical and financial assistance available to help farmers and livestock producers recover from these adverse weather events. Impacted producers should contact their local USDA Service Center to report losses and learn more about program options available to assist in their recovery from crop, land, infrastructure, and livestock losses and damages. USDA Disaster Assistance Producers who exp...
This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation, or to refinance certain debts. FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available, and repayment ability....
USDA in Montana reminds agricultural producers of important Farm Service Agency (FSA) program dates. Contact your local service center to apply and with any questions. Visit online at farmers.gov and fsa.usda.gov/mt. Sept. 30, 2024: Acreage Reporting Date for Value-loss and controlled environment crops (except nursery). Sept. 30, 2024: NAP application closing date for all annual & perennial grass & mixed forage, garlic, rye, speltz, triticale & wheat. Please note that the acreage reporting date for your NAP covered crops is the earlier of the...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting offers for more than 2.2 million acres from agricultural producers and private landowners through this year’s Grassland, General, and Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) signups administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA). With these accepted acres, enrollment is very near the 27 million CRP acreage cap. “The popularity of our suite of Conservation Reserve Programs, including the significant success of Grassland Conservation Reserve Program and the fact that we are nearing t...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting applications for Composting and Food Waste Reduction (CFWR) pilot projects for fiscal year 2024. The cooperative agreements, using remaining funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, are jointly administered by USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Selected projects will develop and test strategies for planning and implementing municipal compost plans and food waste reduction plans and are part of USDA’s bro...
Farmers and ranchers know all too well that natural disasters can be a common, and likely a costly, variable to their operation. The Farm Service Agency (FSA) has emergency assistance programs to provide assistance when disasters strike, and for some of those programs, a disaster designation may be the eligibility trigger. When natural disaster occurs, there is a process for requesting a USDA Secretarial disaster designation for a county. You can play a vital role in this process. If you have experienced a production loss as a result of a natur...
USDA in Montana reminds agricultural producers of important Farm Service Agency (FSA) program dates. Contact your local service center to apply and with any questions. Visit online at farmers.gov and fsa.usda.gov/mt. Sept. 2: Office Closure for Labor Day federal holiday. Sept. 3: NAP application closing date for fall and spring seeded Canola and all Value Loss Crops. Sept. 30: Acreage Reporting Date for Value-loss and controlled environment crops (except nursery). Sept. 30: NAP application closing date for all annual & perennial grass & mixed...
Physical loss loans through the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) can help producers repair or replace damaged or destroyed physical property essential to the success of the agricultural operation, including livestock losses. Examples of property commonly affected include essential farm buildings, fixtures to real estate, equipment, livestock, perennial crops, fruit and nut bearing trees, and harvested or stored crops and hay. Impacted Area: Montana Triggering Disaster: Tornado, Hail and High Winds A...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced the deadline for commodity and specialty crop producers to apply for the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) for 2022 natural disaster losses is Aug. 14, 2024. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) began accepting ERP 2022 applications in October 2023. “If natural disasters impacted your farm or ranch in 2022, there’s still time to submit your application for Emergency Relief Program assistance,” said FSA State Executive Director for Montana Maureen Wicks. “Don’t delay. Gather up your docume...
USDA in Montana reminds agricultural producers of important Farm Service Agency (FSA) program dates. Contact your local service center to apply and with any questions. Visit online at farmers.gov and fsa.usda.gov/mt. July 15, 2024: The Acreage Reporting Date for Spring Alfalfa Seed, all other spring seeded crops, Perennial Forage, Hemp, CRP acres and Grazing acreage is 15 days before the onset of harvest or grazing, or July 15, whichever is earlier. Aug. 1, 2024: Deadline to request a farm reconstitution or farm transfer for 2024. Aug. 1,...
USDA in Montana reminds agricultural producers of important Farm Service Agency (FSA) program dates. Contact your local service center to apply and with any questions. Visit online at farmers.gov and fsa.usda.gov/mt. June 17, 2024: 2024 County Committee Election Nomination Period opens. June19, 2024: Office closure for Juneteenth federal holiday. June 28, 2024: Last day of CRP Grasslands signup July 15, 2024: The Acreage Reporting Date for Spring Alfalfa Seed, all other spring seeded crops, Perennial Forage, Hemp, CRP acres and Grazing acreage...
USDA in Montana reminds agricultural producers of important Farm Service Agency (FSA) program dates. Contact your local service center to apply and with any questions. Visit online at farmers.gov and fsa.usda.gov/mt. *Note: The Acreage Reporting Date for Spring Alfalfa Seed, all other spring seeded crops, Perennial Forage, Hemp, Grazing acreage and CRP acres is 15 days before the onset of harvest or grazing, or July 15, whichever is earlier. June 2, 2025: Acreage Reporting Date for Nursery Crops for the ensuing crop year. Aug. 1, 2024:...
USDA in Montana reminds agricultural producers of important Farm Service Agency (FSA) program dates. Contact your local service center to apply and with any questions. Visit online at farmers.gov and fsa.usda.gov/mt. Feb. 29, 2024: Deadline to file a 2023 notice of loss and application for payment for LIP. The 30-calendar-day timeframe to submit a notice of loss from the date the loss is apparent for the 2023 and subsequent program years has been waived. The new deadline for filing a notice of loss under LIP will be the same as the final date...
The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) provides assistance to you for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by adverse weather, disease and attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government or protected by federal law. For disease losses, FSA county committees can accept veterinarian certifications that livestock deaths were directly related to adverse weather and unpreventable through good animal husbandry and management. For 2023 livestock losses, you must file a notice and provide the following...
Livestock producers in 21 Montana counties are eligible to apply for 2023 Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) benefits on small grain, native pasture, improved pasture, annual ryegrass, and forage sorghum. LFP provides compensation if you suffer grazing losses for covered livestock due to drought on privately owned or leased land, or fire on federally managed land. County committees can only accept LFP applications after notification is received by the National Office of qualifying drought, or if a federal agency prohibits producers from gr...
USDA in Montana reminds agricultural producers of important Farm Service Agency (FSA) program dates. Contact your local service center to apply and with any questions. Visit online at farmers.gov and fsa.usda.gov/mt. Jan. 30, 2024: Application deadline for 2023 LFP. Producers must complete a CCC-853 and provide required supporting documentation no later than Jan. 30, 2024, for 2023 losses. Jan. 30, 2024: Deadline to file a notice of loss and application for payment for ELAP. The 30-calendar-day (livestock and farm-raised fish) and...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that agricultural producers can now enroll in the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2024 crop year. Producers can now enroll and make election changes for the 2024 crop year. The deadline to complete enrollment and any election change is March 15, 2024. On Nov. 16, 2023, President Biden signed into law H.R. 6363, the Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024 (Pub. L. 118-22), which extended the...
USDA continues to accept applications for assistance through the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program for Montana farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who experienced discrimination in USDA farm lending programs prior to January 2021. The application process will close on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. Borrowers have the option to apply for assistance online via 22007apply.gov or through a paper-based form. Details about the program, including an application and e-filing portal, are available at 22007apply.gov. The website includes an...
