By NANCY VORIS
Indiana Correspondent
 
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The winter of 2011 has blindsided the United States with extreme snowfalls, ice and temperatures, catching everyone from school officials to highway departments off guard and scrambling for answers and help.
Many farmers are also facing severe weather crises, from slick newborn calves adhered to icy ground to lack of adequate forage.

 “This is turning out to be a tough winter for many ranchers and farmers in the nation’s heartland, and learning about our FSA (USDA Farm Service Agency) programs is an important step for producers to take,” said FSA Administrator Jonathan Coppess.

FSA disaster assistance programs are available for producers, provided they have proper documentation and report losses within the proper time period.
 “We need producers to document the number and kind of livestock that have died as a direct result of these winter storms and timely notify their local FSA office of these losses. There may be situations where producers are transporting feed to their livestock, and producers should document these additional costs,” he explained.

In Indiana, FSA Executive Director Julia Wickard said there have been reports of severely injured animals, but no deaths, as of last Friday.

“Farmers should report any losses immediately to their county FSA office so we can document the losses within the 30-day reporting period,” she advised.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, most animal deaths in winter are because of dehydration. Wickard said backup generators are required in FSA programs, but cases will be looked at on a site-by-site basis.

FSA administers several programs to help producers recover from livestock (including poultry) deaths that are beyond normal mortality rates, losses of purchased and/or harvested forage and with the additional costs of providing or transporting feed.

Among the key programs are the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) and Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP). To be eligible for assistance for livestock death loss or feed losses, producers must file a notice of loss with their local FSA office within 30 calendar days from when the loss is apparent to the producer. Fact sheets for these two programs can be found at www.fsa.usda.gov by clicking on “Newsroom,” then “Fact Sheets.”

Coppess also encouraged producers to use Hay Net on the FSA website www.fsa.usda.gov/haynet which is an online service that allows farmers with hay and those who need it to post ads so they may make connections. Hay Net is a popular site for farmers who have an emergency need, such as the one caused by the current wintry conditions.

Individual ads may be posted free of charge by producers who complete a simple online registration form the first time they use the site.

“We encourage all who have suffered a disaster due to the recent cold weather and blizzards to read the fact sheets and visit with their local FSA county office staff, so they get a quick start in the recovery process,” added Coppess.