Farm Service Agency has several programs to help farmers impacted by June storms
By Janet Kubat Willette
jkubat@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 07/15/2010 4:07 PM
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The Farm Service Agency is compiling reports on the widespread storms that occurred June 18-26.
The storms have really been spread out geographically, said Jeff Bloomquist, state Farm Service Agency geographical information specialist. Crop losses have been minimal from the storms and some farmers have been able to replant beans to replace crops battered by the storms.
The storms are unusual in that they have been so spread out from northwest to southeast and everywhere in between, Bloomquist said. Typically, two or three counties are effected.
FSA officials document crop loss and also agricultural structure losses. Impacted counties will continue to track impacts of the storm through harvest, Bloomquist said.
In Freeborn County, Farm Service Agency county executive director Lee Crawford estimated initial crop damage at 3 percent to 5 percent, far short of the 30 percent loss countywide needed to trigger a presidential disaster declaration.
In Blue Earth County, FSA county executive director Doug Westphal said excessive moisture has been a problem throughout the county in June. The northwest part of the county received high wind damage and hail damage and the east central part of the county has significant hail damage.
He submitted a report to the state FSA office and will continue to revise it as the year goes on.
As of last week, there hadn't been any replanting because the ground was too wet, Westphal said. Some of the crops may recover, others may not. It's really too early in the season to say how much yield loss there will be as a result of the storm damage, he said.
Farmers who have been impacted by the storms should contact their county FSA for information about resources.
The Livestock Indemnity Program is designed to pay farmers whose livestock are killed as a result of adverse weather events, said Kevin Beekman, FSA agricultural programs specialist in the state office. Farmers need to notify the county office by phone, fax or email within 30 days of the event or the date of discovery, he said.
That initial contact is the what they call the notice of loss, Beekman said. The application process can then be completed at a later date, he said.
Another key element to qualify for LIP is that the death loss be verified. County FSA staff or a veterinarian can make the verification. Also, rendering receipts can serve as verification.
Another program out there for producers is the Emergency Livestock Assistance Program or ELAP.
This program is for livestock producers who lost feed as a result of adverse weather conditions. The notice must be filed at the county office within 30 days of the event.
In general, the livestock and feed must be owned by the producer, but there are special provisions for contract growers, Crawford said.
ELAP has a linkage requirement that producers have coverage on the crop through RMA or NAP, Beekman said.
A third potential program that farmers may access is the Emergency Conservation Program. The ECP has not been implemented yet for any of the June storms, but county committee and county executive directors may request its activation, said Greg Anderson, agricultural programs specialist at the FSA state office.
The ECP can provide up to 75 percent cost share for eight different practices, including the restoration of field and farmstead windbreaks.
The program is not intended for everyone who suffered a loss, rather the objective is to provide cost share to agricultural producers who suffered severe disturbances to their fields or farmstead and don't have the financial wherewithal to repair the damage.
To qualify for ECP, the damage need not be widespread, Anderson said. It could be just a few farms.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture also has programs to help farmers impacted by storms.
The Minnesota Farmer Assistance Network provides financial, legal and other forms of assistance. Call the toll-free helpline at 1-877-898-MFAN.
Farm Advocates provide one-on-one assistance for farmers. Call 218-346-4866 for more information.
Thirdly, the state's Disaster Recovery Loan Program helps farmers pay for the cost of cleanup and debris removal, lost seed or other crop inputs. Call 1-800-967-2474 for more information.