From the Desk of the SED: Maureen Wicks

Dear Editor,

I am incredibly pleased to see that spring planting is underway. Everywhere I travel, I see our agricultural producers out in the field getting their crops seeded. The days are long, and the work is hard. I know how important it is. The farthest thing on our minds at the end of the day is completing paperwork.

However, I want to remind agricultural producers in Montana, who have not yet completed their crop acreage reports after planting, should make an appointment with their U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) service center before the applicable deadline.

July 17, 2023 is the 2023 Program Year acreage reporting deadline for spring seeded crops. Which includes, but is not limited to, spring wheat, barley, peas, corn, potatoes, alfalfa seed, forage seeding, CRP, perennial forage not covered under NAP, and all other crops not required to be reported by a previous reporting date.

An acreage report documents a crop grown on a farm or ranch and its intended uses. Filing an accurate and timely acreage report for all crops and land uses, including failed acreage and prevented planted acreage, can prevent the loss of benefits.

These benefits include, but are not limited to, acquiring Marketing Assistance Loans and participation in disaster programs we've seen in recent years due to drought.

Marketing assistance loans provide producers interim financing at harvest time to meet cash flow needs without having to sell their commodities when market prices are typically at harvest-time lows. Review the Marketing Assistance Loans and Loan Deficiency Payments fact sheet or go to the Commodity Loans Website or contact your local USDA Service Center to learn more.

You can help simplify future acreage reporting of perennial crops and also help streamline the application process for many of our farm programs, by asking about Continuous Certification.

The perennial crop continuous certification process requires a producer to initially complete an acreage report certifying the perennial crop acreage. The producer may select the continuous certification option any time after the crop is certified.  Once the continuous certification option is selected, the certified acreage will roll forward annually and does not require additional action on the producer's part in subsequent years unless the acreage report changes.  Read the full News Release: USDA Reminds Producers of Continuous Certification Option for Perennial Forage.

Before the deadline is upon us, I encourage you to take advantage of this time to complete your crop acreage reports once you have finished planting. Schedule an appointment with your local USDA Service Center to learn more.

Thank you for your continued hard work and your ongoing determination as we continue to look forward to a successful year.

Sincerely,

State Executive Director Maureen Wicks

Maureen Wicks was appointed by the Biden Administration to serve as the State Executive Director of the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Montana in June 2022.