Search Site   
Current News Stories
Solar eclipse, new moon coming April 8
Mystery illness affecting dairy cattle in Texas Panhandle
Teach others to live sustainably
Gun safety begins early
Hard-cooked eggs recipes great for Easter, anytime
Michigan carrot producers to vote on program continuation
Suggestions to celebrate 50th wedding anniversary
USDA finalizes new ‘Product of the USA’ labeling rule 
U.S. weather outlooks currently favoring early planting season
Weaver Popcorn Hybrids expanding and moving to new facility
Role of women in agriculture changing Hoosier dairy farmer says
   
News Articles
Search News  
   

U of I rolls out online toolbox to help farmers pick coverage

 

 

By TIM ALEXANDER

Illinois Correspondent

 

URBANA, Ill. — An Oct. 3 webinar on farm bill decision aids and programs sponsored by the University of Illinois Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics (ACES) was attended by 450 farmers eager to learn more about the three sets of decisions they will soon make for each Farm Service Agency (FSA) farm, including expected deadlines.

The farmers also registered for the webinar to receive guidance on how to navigate ACES’ new Farm Bill Toolbox, developed this summer through a USDA grant, linked online at www.farmdocdaily.illinois.edu

During the hour-plus webinar, Jonathan Coppess, clinical assistant professor for ACES, and Nick Paulson, associate professor, described the seven-step process outlined in the Farm Bill Toolbox for making crucial decisions on program yield updating and program acre reallocations, before selecting a program choice between Agricultural Risk Coverage-County (ARC-CO), Price Loss Coverage (PLC) and ARC individual coverage for each FSA farm.

"The seven steps in the toolbox are there to help walk you through the decisions, the information you need to collect and the information you need to enter, so that you know what your options are," said Paulson.

Those steps include the collecting of information, the decision whether to maintain or update yields, the decision whether to keep or reallocate base acres, comparing ARC-CO and PLC, considering ARC individual coverage, considering SCO and navigating the signup process:

STEP 1: Collect Information: Landowners and producers should have already received a letter from FSA dated July 28 documenting the current allocation of base acres in crops, the current program yields for all programs crops and plantings in each program crop from 2008-12.

In addition, yields from 2009-12 are needed when evaluating yield updating decisions and could be subject to audit by the FSA.

STEP 2: Yield Updating: A one-time option exists to retain the current program yield for each crop or update the yield to 90 percent of average yields from 2008-12. However, if any yield during those years is below a "plug" yield or if evidence doesn’t support a yield, the plug yield will be used in calculating the updated yield.

STEP 3: Area Reallocation: Another one-time option is to retain the current allocation of base acres by program crop or update each crop’s acres based on average program plantings from 2009-12.

STEPS 4-6: Program Choice Decisions: ACES suggests farmers wait until later in the signup period to make their program choice decisions. More detail on making those decisions will be provided through the Farm Bill Toolbox as the signup period approaches.

Coppess addressed the various decision deadlines during the webinar. "The deadline for the base acre allocation and yield update decisions is not until February 27, 2015. There is a significant amount of time available yet for the landowners to make these decisions," he said.

"For the ARC-PLC decision, the timeframe does not begin until November 17 and is expected to run at least through March 31, 2015. You do not have to feel in any rush to make your decisions."

He and Paulson stressed the most important upcoming date for farm bill decisions is June 1, 2015, which is the deadline for when program choice contacts must be signed at FSA offices. Consequences for not enrolling in a program include the forfeiture of any payments for the 2014 crop year and automatic enrollment in PLC through 2018, or the duration of the farm bill.

Webinar attendees’ queries included whether producers enjoy power-of-attorney rights to make program decisions for a farm (yes), if landowners may change their program selection as tenancy varies (no) and whether farm purchasers can declare a new program after assuming ownership of the farm (no).

Paulson urges landowners and producers to "take the time we have between now and the deadline to try and understand the options you have in front of you. All the resources we’re providing are designed to help you."

The Oct. 3 webinar is archived on the farmdoc website. More ACES farm bill decision webinars will be offered live on Oct. 10 and each successive Friday morning from 8-9 a.m. "through harvest," according to Coppess. For a full schedule, visit www.farmdoc.illinois .edu/webinars

10/8/2014