USDA serving beginning farmers in Ohio

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is standing up a new team that will lead a department-wide effort focused on serving beginning farmers and ranchers. To institutionalize support for beginning farmers and ranchers and to build upon prior agency work, the 2018 Farm Bill directed USDA to create a national coordinator position in the agency and state-level coordinators for four of its agencies — Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Risk Management Agency (RMA), and Rural Development (RD). Doug Deardorff was selected as the NRCS USDA Beginning Farmer Rancher state coordinator in Ohio. Deardorff has spent more than 35 years serving farmers with land stewardship and conservation assistance. He and his brother are co-owners of a farm and working with their tenant farmer to protect soil, water and related resources is important to them. Deardorff is very aware of the challenges and risks that young farmers face to get started and achieve some stability in their farming careers. Others on the team coordinating Ohio's beginning farmers efforts include, Kurt Leber, Farm Loan Manager with FSA; Jennifer Brown, Community Program Specialist with RD; and Jacob Brockhouse, Risk Management Specialist with RMA. This is a collateral duty for all team members. Each state coordinator will receive training and develop tailored beginning farmer outreach plans for their state. Coordinators will help field employees better reach and serve beginning farmers and ranchers and will also be available to assist beginning farmers who need help navigating the variety of resources USDA has to offer. More on beginning farmers Twenty-seven percent of farmers were categorized as new and beginning producers, with 10 years or less of experience in agriculture, according to the 2017 Census of Agriculture. USDA offers a variety of farm loan, risk management, disaster assistance, and conservation programs to support farmers, including beginning farmers and ranchers. Additionally, a number of these programs have provisions specifically for beginning farmers, including targeted funding for loans and conservation programs as well as waivers and exemptions. Learn more about USDA's resources for beginning farmers as well as more information on the national and state-level coordinators at farmers.gov/newfarmers. For more information on available programs in your area, contact your local USDA Service Center. One-time PLC yield updates — deadline is nearing Farm owners have a one-time opportunity to update PLC yields of covered commodities on the farm, regardless of Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC)program election. The deadline to request a PLC yield update is Sept. 30. The updated yield will be equal to 90 percent of the average yield per planted acre in crop years 2013-2017 (excluding any year where the applicable covered commodity was not planted), subject to the ratio obtained by dividing the 2008-2012 average national yield by the 2013-2017 average national yield for the covered commodity. If the reported yield in any year is less than 75 percent of the 2013-2017 average county yield, then the yield will be substituted with 75 percent of the county average yield. It is the owner's choice whether to update or keep exiting PLC yields. If a yield update is not made, then no action is required to maintain the existing PLC yield. An existing or updated PLC yield will be maintained and effective for crop years 2020 through 2023 (life of the 2018 Farm Bill). PLC yields may be updated on a covered commodity-by-covered commodity basis using FSA form CCC-867. For more information, reference resources and decision tools, visit farmers.gov/arc-plc or contact your County FSA office for additional assistance. FROM THE HURON/ERIE COUNTY FARM SERVICE AGENCY AGRI-BUSINESS NOTES FOR THE HURON AND ERIE COUNTY PRODUCERS.