Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the deadline for commodity and specialty crop producers to apply for the Emergency Relief Program for 2022 natural disaster losses is Aug. 14. USDA's Farm Service Agency began accepting ERP 2022 applications in October 2023. "If natural disasters impacted your farm or ranch in 2022, there's still time to submit your application for Emergency Relief Program assistance," said Tim Divis, FSA acting state executive director for Nebraska. "Don't...
Conservation Reserve Program contracts in Nebraska are set to expire on more than 150,000 acres before the end of 2026, leaving landowners with the decision of what to do next. One option to consider is a unique program offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency-the CRP-Transition Incentives Program. When a CRP contract expires, landowners typically choose to either re-enroll their acres or bring them back into production. The decision may depend on a number of factors, in...
Agricultural producers and private landowners can sign up for the general Conservation Reserve Program through March 29. This conservation opportunity gives producers tools to conserve wildlife habitat while achieving other conservation benefits, including sequestering carbon and improving water quality and soil health. The competitive program, administered by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency, provides annual rental payments for land, which is devoted to conservation purposes. As one of the largest private l...
Dear fellow citizens of Holt County, For the past months, the Nebraska Association of County Officials has been an integral part of Gov. Pillen’s tax working group, along with many other entities, state senators, Pillen and his key staff, and other stakeholders such as the cities, Farm Bureau and the realtors.. We have had many meetings striving to craft Nebraska tax policy, to cut taxes, to more equitably define policy and to ensure we have the revenue necessary to provide essential services to our citizens. LB 1067, introduced by State S...
Antelope and Holt counties are two of the 55 Nebraska counties designated as primary natural disaster areas, due to a recent drought. United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack notified Gov. Jim Pillen of the designation, March 31. Based on the U.S. Drought Monitor data, counties included in the designation either suffered from a drought intensity value during the growing season for eight or more consecutive weeks or fell into extreme or exceptional drought categories....
Just one more term. Yes, lawmakers are once again considering giving themselves 12 years instead of eight to figure out how things work and try to do something for their constituents. On a good day, I think term limits should be eliminated as they were until 2006. On a bad day, I think a monthly contract seems too gracious for some of the babbling, bumbling idiotic things that state senators do. Norfolk Sen. Robert Dover has offered LR22CA, a proposed constitutional amendment that potentially...
Nebraska USDA Farm Service Agency, along with several partners in conservation, will be conducting informational meetings for agricultural producers and private landowners interested in the Conservation Reserve Program. The U.S. Department of Agriculture opened a CRP General signup in February and it runs through April 7. CRP is a cornerstone voluntary conservation program offered by USDA. General CRP helps producers and landowners establish long-term, resource-conserving plan species, such as approved grasses or trees, to control soil...
U.S. Department of Agriculture Nebraska Farm Service Agency Executive Director John Berge is reminding the state's producers who suffered livestock losses due to the recent adverse weather, they may be eligible for the Livestock Indemnity Program. "The Livestock Indemnity Program provides producers with a safety net to help them with the financial impact of livestock losses due to extreme or abnormal weather," said Berge. "December has been marked by blizzards and extreme cold and high winds,...
Nebraska USDA Farm Service Agency executive director, John Berge, recently announced the opening of applications for a special Conservation Reserve Program initiative designed to increase habitat for upland wildlife. The Upland Wildlife State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement CRP aims to create more acres for wildlife such as greater prairie chickens, northern bobwhite, plains sharp-tailed grouse, ring-neck pheasants, songbirds and pollinators. It also is designed to improve water quality and soil health and reduce soil erosion and sequester...
Transitioning from military to civilian life can be challenging for veterans. As they contemplate what's next on their career path, the answer may lie in a rural community. Returning veterans are a perfect fit for the next generation of rural small business owners, farmers or ranchers. Some, however, face challenges, including difficulty accessing capital and acquiring training. But with the help of programs offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, veterans can access financial and educati...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture launched a new online tool to help farmers and ranchers better navigate the farm loan application process. This uniform application process will help to ensure all farm loan applicants receive equal support and have a consistent customer experience with USDA's Farm Service Agency, regardless of their individual circumstances. "USDA recognizes more must be done to ensure all customers have equal access to our programs and services," said FSA Administrator Zach...
Given this year’s spike in corn and soybean prices, commodity crop producers may be tempted to break ground on land not previously used for cash crop production. Before doing so, however, producers need to make sure they are following conservation compliance regulations to ensure important federal benefits are not at risk. The 1985 farm bill set forth provisions to protect highly erodible lands. Commonly referred to as sodbuster provisions, these rules require producers to have an HEL d...
As producers work to harvest their cash crops this fall, some will also be turning their attention to another. Cover crops, which can be a grass, legume, or brassica, are seeded for both on-farm and natural resources benefits. Those benefits include reduced soil erosion, improved soil health, improved weed control and nutrient availability for the next cash crop, water quality protection, and improved bottom line for the operation. Seeding of cover crops is done in multiple ways, depending on...
While traveling the Third District in recent weeks, I have been encouraged by the expertise and creativity our communities possess and sobered by the challenges we face. We have much to be thankful for, but there is also no shortage to the adversity we must overcome. After closely monitoring the recent severe wildfires across southern Nebraska, I joined Governor Ricketts, Nebraska National Guard Adjutant General Daryl Bohac and other local officials earlier this week to survey the devastation...
1. Every county has a U.S. Department of Agriculture Service Center that houses Farm Service Agency and National Resource Conservation Services. This is where farmers and landowners go to access their programs. As a renter, you can still work with these agencies. 2. With FSA and NRCS, you can access financial assistance through conservation programs, farming loans and disaster assistance. 3. What are farm numbers? As a farmer, renter or landowner, you need a farm number to access NRCS or FSA pro...
A large number of America's military veterans have returned home to civilian careers and often want to continue the service mission they committed to in the armed forces. Many veterans from rural areas have found that mission through farming and ranching. These farmer-veterans provide food, protect natural resources, and contribute to the vitality of their local communities while running their own businesses. With the average age of a U.S. farmer at nearly 60 years, and millions of acres...
Any farmer or rancher who is interested in conservation programs through the Natural Resources Conservation Service is required to have a farm number for the application process. Farm numbers are issued for free and allow access to key U.S. Department of Agriculture programs including working lands conservation, farm loans and others that require farm records to be shared as part of the application process. There is no minimum acreage requirement to register as a farm. Having a farm number also...
ANNA JOHNSON Policy Manager, Center for Rural Affairs In approving a $9.5 billion agriculture relief package in March, Congress asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to use the funds to support producers, including livestock, specialty crops and local food producers. However, USDA’s new Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) includes multiple provisions designed to allow the largest producers to side-step normal payment limitations and provides almost no support for small producers selling to local markets. First, CFAP allows o...
The Antelope County USDA Service Center will continue to be open for business by phone appointment only and field work will continue with appropriate social distancing. While program delivery staff will continue to come into the office, they will be working with producers by phone and using online tools whenever possible. USDA Service Centers are encouraging visitors to take precautionary measures to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. All customers wishing to conduct business with the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Ser...
Darrel Timm of Neligh and Julie Krause of Brunswick were appointed to the Antelope County Extension Board by the county commissioners, when the county leaders met last week at the Neligh courthouse. Local extension educator Brittany Spieker proposed the appointments of Timm and Krause to replace Gayle Wortman and Derek Zuhlke, who had each completed two terms on the board. The new board members were affirmed on 4-0 votes of the commissioners. Commissioner Eli Jacob was absent. Spieker also presented the annual extension office report. She...
Antelope County Commissioners adopted a new snow removal policy when they met last Tuesday at the courthouse in Neligh. Casey Dittrich, road superintendent, presented the policy that he and road foreman Aaron Boggs have been drafting over the past few weeks, with input from Tim Baxter from the Nebraska Intergovernmental Risk Management Agency, the county’s liability-insurance carrier. Input also came from road crew members and, according to Dittrich, has the “blessing” of county attorney Joe Abler. The policy establishes protocol for the order...
The Holt County supervisors addressed a recent article submitted to area media when they met at the courthouse Monday, Nov. 18. According to the letter submitted by Holt County attorney Brent Kelly, published in the Nov. 20 edition of the Advocate and online at SummerlandAdvocate.com, and by other area news media, his purpose was to explain some of the issues county residents and elected officials will face as TC Energy proceeds with its effort to build a pipeline. Chairman Bill Tielke turned...
Nebraska Extension and USDA Farm Service Agency in Nebraska will host a series of farm bill education meetings next month to assist producers as they begin to make farm bill-related program decisions. The 2018 Farm Bill, signed into law last December, reauthorized the existing agriculture risk coverage and price loss coverage safety net programs that were in the 2014 Farm Bill, however producers will need to make new program enrollment decisions over the coming months. While the ARC and PLC programs under the new farm bill remain very similar...
A familiar face will greet customers at Clearwater Market, as Kathy Ahlers assumes managerial duties of village's grocery store. Her first day in the new position was Oct. 14. Ahlers, who spent 11 and one-half years at USDA Farm Services Agency, has prior grocery experience. "I worked at Jo's Market for one year before going to FSA," she said. Customer service will be top priority for Ahlers and store employees Sandy Moser and Rochelle Allemang. "If customers have requests for items, let us...
