Eligible farmers encouraged to apply for 'Physical' Location Waiver Policy at FSA

Important dates:
•March 15: 2016 NAP Pasture and Spring-seeded Annual Crops sales deadline
•March 30: MPP Premium Payment Deduction authorization deadline
•March 31: 2015 Small Grains Loans and LDS request deadline
•April 1: 2016 Maple Sap Acreage certification deadline
•April 15: 2014 and 2015 ARC-Co Payment waiver request deadline.
•Ongoing: Continuous CRP sign-up
 
2014 and 2015 ARC-CO “Physical” Location Waiver Policy
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) encourages those producers who have a farm or tract that is located in another county, and for which there is an Agriculture Risk Coverage - County (ARC-CO) program election, to give the Rock County FSA Office a call at 507-283-2369 to schedule an appointment to consider an option that has recently become available.
These ARC-CO producers have a one-time opportunity to request that the farm’s 2014 and/or 2015 ARC-CO payment be calculated based on the physical location of the farm or tract.
Currently payments are made based upon payment factors associated with the county where the FSA records are administered. There are several farms and tracts that received the 2014 Rock County ARC-CO payment that are physically located in a neighboring county. The FSA Office has been provided with a payment calculator to assist these producers with their 2014 waiver decision.
The waiver request is a separate decision for 2014 and 2015. However, a 2015 calculator is not available due to the fact that county actual yields and marketing year prices will not be determined until later in the year. All that is currently available for 2015 are projected but not final marketing year average prices; and NASS yields for each county that USDA will finalize in September 2016.
To assist producers with their 2015 waiver decision, FSA will publish 2015 benchmark revenues and guarantees on the public-facing ARC-PLC internet site. Preliminary payment rates are also available on the site.
If the waiver option is requested, all producers with payment shares on the farm’s enrollment contract must sign the waiver request form CCC-861-A for 2014 and/or 2015 and submit it to the FSA office that administers the farm, by the April 15, 2016, deadline.
While Rock County 2014 ARC-CO payments were mostly higher than our neighboring counties, because of the very poor yields that we had in 2014, the same might not be true for 2015 when Rock County enjoyed record-setting crop yields. Please contact the Rock County FSA Office by April 15, 2016, with any questions.
Postcards have been mailed to all operators with ARC-CO farms that meet the criteria for the waiver policy.
For 2016 and future years, the waiver policy will not be available. However, producers will continue to have the flexibility to request farm record changes (including moving their records to another county office or dividing their farm) through August 1 of each year.
Contact Fraser Norton, FSA County Executive Director, at fraser.norton@mn.usda.gov or call 507-283-2369, ext. 2.