Iowa receives $10.8 million in farm-flood recovery funds DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa will receive $10.8 million in agriculture disaster funds to help farmers recover from flooding along the Missouri River.
The funds were part of $310 million in USDA funds announced Jan. 18 by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. About 200,000 acres of Iowa farmland were affected by last summer’s Missouri River flooding.
Officials say the aid will help remove debris and sand left behind when the floodwaters receded.
Rich Sims, state conservationist with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Des Moines, said one farmer spent $100,000 for a bulldozer to remove sand from 100 acres of land. He says the funds announced last week may not seem like much but it’s only one part of a funding stream available to producers, and every little bit helps.
Planting pilot project available to Indiana row crop growers
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Julia Wickard, executive director of USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Indiana, announced the Planting Transferability Pilot Project (PTPP) permits Indiana producers to plant approved vegetables for processing on base acres under the Direct and Counter-Cyclical Program (DCP) or Average Crop Revenue Election Program (ACRE).
Eligible producers only have until March 1 to sign up for the PTPP program. USDA will not accept any late-filed applications. PTPP allows producers to plant approved fruits or vegetables for processing on a farm’s base acres. Approved plantings include cucumbers, green peas, lima beans, pumpkins, snap beans, sweet corn or tomatoes.
Base acres on a farm will be temporarily reduced each year on an acre-for-acre basis, for each base acre planted with an approved fruit or vegetable on that farm. Indiana has 9,000 acres approved for PTPP in 2012. Participants must agree to produce one of the approved crops for processing and provide the county FSA office with a copy of the contract between the producer and processing plant.
To learn more, visit www.fsa.usda.gov or call your county FSA office.
Indiana FSA to hold closure meetings for 3 counties
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced Julia Wickard, executive director for Indiana FSA, and members of her management team have scheduled public meetings in the three counties Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced are proposed for consolidation.
The meetings are as follows: •Jan. 25: 1-3 p.m. EST, St. Joseph County Public Library, Main Library, Colfax Auditorium, 304 S. Main St., South Bend •Feb. 1: 1-3 p.m. CST, Lowell Public Library, Program Room, 1505 E. Commercial Ave., Lowell
•Feb. 2: 12:30-3 p.m. EST, Morgan County Administration Building, Lucille Sadler Room, 180 South Main St., Martinsville
These will be the only opportunity to take public comment on USDA’s plan in which the St. Joseph County, Lake County and Morgan County FSA offices are being considered for consolidation. Producers can also provide written comment by emailing Julia.Wickard @in.usda.gov or Nancy.Best@in.usda.gov or sending written comment to: Indiana Farm Service Agency, 5981 Lakeside Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46278 no later than 10 days after each meeting. For more information, contact the FSA at 317-290-3315.
Michigan Farm Bureau warns members to read fine print
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) is warning members to watch for a letter offering to bring farm trucks into compliance with federal rules for hauling commodities. The MFB said the solicitation looks like it comes from a federal agency, but it requests a fee. Attorney Matt Smego said the disclaimers in the letter are in fine print and hard to see. He said the letter offers to help with employee training and drug testing. But he noted farm trucks are exempt from some federal regulations, and the state offers some of the same services at little or no cost.
Smego said the letter appears to be going to anyone who has applied for a U.S. Department of Transportation truck number since 2006.
Two sentenced for attack on Rep. Boswell’s farm
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Two men who pled guilty to breaking into U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell’s southern Iowa farmhouse armed with a BB gun last summer have been sentenced to prison. The judge in Decatur County sentenced David Dewberry, of Fremont, Neb., to 25 years for first-degree robbery. Cody Rollins, of Lamoni, was sentenced to 10 years for aiding and abetting an attempted burglary.
Dewberry entered Boswell’s farmhouse near Leon on July 16 armed with a BB gun. As the 78-year-old Boswell scuffled with him, his adult grandson pointed a shotgun at Dewberry, chasing him off. Prosecutors said Rollins helped plan the burglary and drove Dewberry to Boswell’s house.
In a statement submitted to the court, Boswell called the attack sinister and appalling, and said Dewberry was lucky he wasn't killed. |
