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Livestock producers seeking additional supplies of hay and forage should note that local Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices are now accepting requests to allow limited haying or grazing of land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) starting August 2. However, not all acres qualify and there are additional limitations on the acres that do qualify.
In accordance with the program provisions of CRP, haying or grazing is limited to specific conservation practices. For example, haying is prohibited on acres devoted to filter strips, tree plantings and wetland restorations. But even on the practices that do qualify, haying or grazing is permitted only once every three years.
In addition, haying or grazing is also prohibited on land located within 120 feet of streams or other permanent bodies of water.
CRP participants who do not own livestock may rent or lease the privilege to hay or graze their acres to a livestock producer. However, the livestock producer that rents or leases the haying or grazing privilege must sign a statement agreeing that they will not sublease such privilege.
If the CRP participant does not own or lease livestock, they may harvest hay for sale to an eligible livestock producer or sell the hay for biomass.
A payment reduction equal to 25 percent of the CRP contract's annual rental rate will be assessed on the acreage cut for hay.
Before any haying or grazing can begin, the CRP participant will need to visit their FSA office and indicate on aerial maps which acres they wish to hay or graze, and then sign all required paperwork.

Emergency haying and grazing approved for 20 MN counties
The Minnesota State Office was notified on July 22 and 25, 2013 that the following counties were approved for emergency haying and grazing of CRP: Blue Earth, Carver, Dakota, Dodge, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, Jackson, Le Sueur, Mower, Nicollet, Olmsted, Rice, Scott, Steele, Wabasha, Waseca and Winona. These counties experienced significantly higher than average precipitation from March through June 2013 and sustained a 40 percent or greater loss of available feed as a result of the precipitation.
Producers interested in emergency haying or grazing of CRP acres must visit their local FSA office prior to beginning haying or grazing for further details and to complete all necessary paperwork.

Land Contract (LC) Guarantees
The Land Contract (LC) Guarantee Program is a valuable tool to transfer farm real estate to the next generation of farmers and ranchers. Guarantees will be offered to the owner of a farm who wishes to sell real estate through a land contract to a beginning or socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher. The guarantee reduces the financial risk to the seller.
FSA offers two types of guarantees:
• Prompt Payment Guarantee - A guarantee up to the amount of three amortized annual installments plus the cost of any related real estate taxes and insurance.
• Standard Guarantee - A guarantee of 90 percent of the outstanding principal balance under the land contract.
The guarantee period is 10 years and the contract payments must be amortized for a minimum of 20 years. The purchase price of the farm cannot exceed the lesser of $500,000 or the market value of the property.

Upcoming deadlines for 2013
• Sept. 2 - Office closed for Labor Day
More information about CRP, MILC, and other FSA programs and where to find your local USDA Service Center can be found at www.fsa.usda.gov.
Farm Service Agency is an Equal Opportunity Lender. Complaints about discrimination should be sent to: Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. Visit the Farm Service Agency Web site at: www.fsa.usda.gov for necessary application forms and updates on USDA programs.[[In-content Ad]]

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