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FSA says online tools offer help to farmers

USDA is working to educate farmers about the new safety net programs available as part of the 2014 Farm Bill.  Recently appointed USDA Farm Service Agency Administrator Val Dolcini made a stop this week in Indiana to visit one on one with farmers.

He says the first thing farmers will need to do is update their yields – which hasn’t happened since 2002 and from there, he says, they may want to update their base acres.

And, Dolcini adds USDA has set deadlines to give farmers plenty of time to make these important changes.  “It’s a process that will go through the end of February of 2015,” he says.  “During that period of time there are some great web-based tools that I encourage farmers all over the country to utilize and familiarize themselves with – so they can decide which is the best program option for them.”

There are two programs available, the Price Loss Coverage program, PLC, or the Agricultural Risk Coverage program, ARC.

Dolcini tells Brownfield both are a little different.  “One deals with revenue shortfalls and the other deals with price shortfalls,” he says.  “And it’s an individual decision that a farmer is going to have to make as to whether it is best for their operation.”

AUDIO: Val Dolcini, USDA FSA Administrator (3:00)

One of the stops Dolcini made yesterday was at Don Garver’s central Indiana farm.  Garver had the opportunity talk with the Administrator about his concerns with the new farm safety programs.

He says it is difficult to make a decision today for a crop that will be planted five years down the road.  “Nobody can tell us what the price is going to be five years from now,” he says.  “It’s very hard to make a determination to what is best.  You can take what we know from last year to determine this year and for next two years’ price to make an educated guess.  But who know what it’s going to be three years from now.”

AUDIO: Don Garver, Shelby County, Ind. Farmer (1:16)

A link to the two online educational tools to choose the program best for your farm can be found HERE.

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