USDA announced assistance programs for agriculture producers
| Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybee, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) ELAP provides emergency assistance to eligible livestock, honeybee, and farm-raised fish producers who have losses due to disease, adverse weather or other conditions, such as blizzards and wildfires, not covered by other agricultural disaster assistance programs. Eligible losses include: • Livestock – grazing losses not covered under the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP), loss of purchased feed and/or mechanically harvested feed due to an eligible adverse weather event, additional cost of transporting water because of an eligible drought and additional cost associated with gathering livestock to treat for cattle tick fever. • Honeybee s- loss of purchased feed due to an eligible adverse weather event, cost of additional feed purchased above normal quantities due to an eligible adverse weather condition, colony losses in excess of normal mortality due to an eligible weather event or loss condition, including CCD, and hive losses due to eligible adverse weather. • Farm-Raised Fish – death losses in excess of normal mortality and/or loss of purchased feed due to an eligible adverse weather event. If you’ve suffered eligible livestock, honeybee, or farm-raised fish losses during calendar year 2021, you must file: • A notice of loss within 30 calendar days after the loss is apparent (15 days for honeybee losses) • An application for payment by Jan. 30, 2022 Information is available from https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/disaster-assistance-program/emergency-assist-for-livestock-honey-bees-fish/index or contact the local FSA office Grazing for Beef and Bobs Offers Win-Win for Participating Producers The northern bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus), once abundant throughout Virginia, has declined by more than 80 percent over the last 60 years due to urban encroachment and changes in land management practices. NRCS is helping to reverse this trend with an initiative designed to reestablish critical habitat for this state-identified target species. The Northern Bobwhite in Working Grasslands initiative offers technical and financial assistance to help eligible livestock producers implement conservation practices that establish productive warm-season forages while also providing large acreages of prime habitat for ground-nesting birds and other wildlife. Bobwhite quail are an “edge” species that seeks habitat where crop fields intersect with woodlands and pastures. NRCS works with participating landowners to develop conservation plans that include replacement of tall fescues and other non-native types of forage with native grasses and beneficial shrubs. These management steps also help graziers improve or maintain average daily weight gains, enhance soil health and hedge against summer drought with fewer inputs. “Virginia is one of eight states using this approach to managed grazing,” said J.B. Daniel, NRCS’ state grassland agronomist. “We’ve gotten a lot of buy-in from farmers and graziers because they no longer need to take land out of production to establish wildlife habitat for bobwhite quail and other species. These native grass species are also excellent forages for grazing livestock during the summer when our typical cool-season pastures are not as productive” NRCS now has 38 active contracts connected with this initiative, which is offered under the umbrella of USDA’s Working Lands for Wildlife (WLFW) program. Virginia is conducting targeted habitat restoration activities throughout the state with a focus on the following 15 counties: Augusta, Bland, Botetourt, Caroline, Charlotte, Culpeper, Fauquier, Halifax, Hanover, Madison, Orange, Pittsylvania, Rappahannock, Rockingham and Wythe. Interested landowners should contact their local NRCS service center for more information on restoration of working grasslands .–submitted by Heather Smith, FPAC-FSA |
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