Farm Scoop – July 2017
August 1, 2017 – Androscoggin County Producers FSA County Committee Nominations Due
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Acting Executive Director for Maine, Sherry Hamel today reminded farmers and ranchers that they have until Aug. 1, 2017, to nominate eligible candidates to serve on local FSA county committees.
County committees are made up of farmers and ranchers elected by other producers in their communities to guide the delivery of farm programs at the local level. Committee members play a critical role in the day-to-day operations of FSA. Committees consist of three to 11 members and meet once a month or as needed to make important decisions on disaster and conservation programs, emergency programs, commodity price support loan programs, county office employment and other agricultural issues. Members serve three-year terms. Nationwide there are over 7,700 farmer and ranchers serving on FSA county committees.
To be eligible to serve on an FSA county committee, a person must participate or cooperate in an agency administered program, and reside in the local administrative area where the election is being held. A complete list of eligibility requirements, more information and nomination forms are available at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/elections.
Deadline to Enroll in Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) – Maine Producers Have until Aug. 1 to Enroll in ARC/PLC
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Maine Farm Service Agency (FSA) Acting State Executive Director (SED) Sherry Hamel reminds farmers and ranchers that they have until Aug. 1 to enroll in Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and/or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2017 crop year. These programs trigger financial protections for participating agricultural producers when market forces cause substantial drops in crop prices or revenues.
Covered commodities under the programs include barley, canola, large and small chickpeas, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, dry peas, rapeseed, long grain rice, medium grain rice (which includes short grain and sweet rice), safflower seed, sesame, soybeans, sunflower seed and wheat.
For more program information, contact your local FSA office or visit www.fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc. To find your local FSA office, visit http://offices.usda.gov.
Malt Workshop and Field Tour July 25, 2017
On July 25, from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m., join experts and colleagues at the University of Maine Rogers Farm, 914 Bennoch Road, Old Town, for an afternoon at the farm as we explore malting barley and its influences on malt and craft beer.
Our guest speakers this year are Richard Horsley and Paul Schwarz, both leading experts in malting barley sciences at North Dakota State University.
Presentations, discussion, and a field tour will be followed by an After Party at Black Bear Brewing in Orono at 4:30 p.m.
This is a FREE event. Please RSVP here by July 23rd.
When a wet spring prevents planting… or a spring frost kills your plants… what happens to your crop insurance coverage?
In stark contrast to last year this spring has been a wet one which means fields may be too wet to till and plant on time. Those with crop insurance might find some comfort knowing that their coverage can also help manage risk at planting time- in addition to helping with recovery from crop failure. This is because most crop insurance policies include provisions that provide compensation if weather related issues prevent planting or cause losses that warrant replanting.
More Information
Farmers we’d like to receive your feedback on crop insurance, whether or not you use it, please take our short survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SKP7HCS
Visit the UMaine Risk Management and Crop Insurance website at: https://extension.umaine.edu/agriculture/crop-insurance/
A list of agents serving Maine can be found online using the Agent Locator tool at: http://prodwebnlb.rma.usda.gov/apps/AgentLocator/#/. This article has material from the University of Vermont’s Crop Insurance Outreach Education Program.
Contact Crop Insurance Education Program Manager Erin Roche or 207.949.2490.
Farm Business Planning Course Starting November 2017
Starting this November, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry – Maine Farms for the Future Program and Jed Beach of FarmSmart Business Services will offer NxLevel™ Tilling the Soil of Opportunity, a business planning course tailored for Maine farmers.
SAVE THESE DATES NOW: 11/29, 12/13, 1/8, 1/24, 2/7, 2/21
Course registration will begin on-line in early August 2017 Want to know more? Want to get on the waiting list? Visit http://www.farmsmartmaine.com/ag-business-planning-class.html, or contact Jed Beach, FarmSmart Business Services, or call 207.370.9238