Enrollment climbs as sign up deadline looms
By Janet Kubat Willette
jkubat@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 05/27/2010 9:35 AM
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ST. PAUL — The countdown is on for farmers to sign up for the farm program.
June 1 is the deadline for farmers to enroll in the Average Crop Revenue Election program or the Direct and Counter-cyclical Program.
Last year, 94,300 Minnesota farmers enrolled in the farm program, said Tim Sonnek, state Farm Service Agency assistant program specialist. As of midweek last week, 66,800 farmers had enrolled with 27,500 farmers yet to enroll, Sonnek said. About 2,300 farmers a day need to come to FSA offices across the state to get everyone enrolled by June 1.
"I hope that producers don't want to the last day, they've waited long enough," Sonnek said.
The folks in the Washington office are sticking to the June 1 deadline date, he said.
"Right now, there's no talk of an extension," Sonnek said.
He's concerned that the state office will be flooded with appeals from farmers who miss the June 1 deadline. The state office can't do anything different than the federal procedure allows, Sonnek said. Farmers who are counting on an extension could really be left out in the cold, he said.
The only thing that farmers really need to bring to the FSA office by June 1 is themselves, Sonnek said. Landowners who participate in a share rental agreement also need to sign up by June 1 to participate in the farm program.
The sign up rate varies across the state from 23 percent in Crow Wing County and 27 percent in Itasca County to 85 percent in Watonwan County, 83 percent in Lake of the Woods County, 81 percent in Roseau County and 80 percent in Yellow Medicine County. The state average sign up rate moved from 68 percent on May 11 to 71 percent on May 13, Sonnek said.
He said it's a good idea for producers to call their FSA office to schedule an appointment to make sure the staff have time to meet with them.
Some producers are waiting until they're down planting so they can do all their business at once, but Sonnek said producers shouldn't wait or they'll be fighting their neighbors for counter space at the FSA.