File failed acreage reports before destroying crop

Reality check time. I could not find a definition for this term in the dictionary, but I have to remind myself to consider this activity occasionally. You know -- just stop, look around and observe "now." When I did that recently, I noticed that spring officially starts this week (March 20 at precisely 1:32 p.m.) -- that's great! I enjoy spring following the sometimes long winter (it sure has been long this year).

Daylight savings time started too -- on Sunday. That's nice as I appreciate the extended daylight time in the evenings. It's also March Madness time for college basketball. My favorite team, the Jayhawks, is doing well so far as are the Wildcats who, even though losing the league title game, should also be able to make a good run over the next couple of weeks. Basketball games to watch nearly 24 hours a day -- what could be better than that?!

But with the arrival of spring, the time has come for the fall planted wheat to exit dormancy and begin its dash toward maturity. Due to wet fall conditions, there is not much wheat planted in the area; but it is "reality check" time for the fields that are planted as the wheat has now emerged from dormancy. Farmers are looking at these fields and deciding whether to give the crop awhile longer or tear it up in preparation for spring seeded crops.

A wetter than normal fall planting season led to thousands of acres of wheat in the county not being planted at all, and continued wet conditions have negatively impacted most of the wheat planted in October and November.

Farmers who might eventually be interested in being eligible for the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments Program (SURE) and/or participating in the Average Crop Revenue Election Program (ACRE) are reminded that planted and considered planted acres, which includes prevented planting acres and failed acres, are used in computations under both programs. In order to be approved for failed acreage history credit, an important requirement is that the acreage must have been reported to the local FSA office as failed acreage before disposition of the crop.

Failed acreage is fields that was timely planted with the intent to harvest, but because of disaster related conditions, the crop failed before it could be brought to harvest. Farmers who are requesting failed acreage credit must be able to prove to the county committee's satisfaction first, that the crop was planted with the intent to harvest using farming practices consistent for the crop and area. The second factor the committee considers is whether the crop failed because of disaster-related conditions or as a result of management decisions.

A CCC-576, "Notice of Loss and Application for Payment Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program" is used to turn in failed acres even though the crop may be insured and there is no direct payment made at this time for the failed acres. If an FSA payment is later earned related to failed acres, then it will be in connection with a producer having met the requirements for payment under either SURE or ACRE.

Appointments to report acres are always appreciated, but not required. FSA offices are also currently in the process of completing the annual Direct and Counter-cyclical Program (DCP) enrollment along with new enrollments in the ACRE option. This can also be accomplished during an office visit. Call our office if you have questions at (620) 223-1880.

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Editor's Note: Doug Niemeir is the County Executive Director for the USDA/Farm Service Agency. He can be reached by emailing him at Douglas.Niemeir@ks.usda.gov