Farm Service Agency

Colleen Cashell, executive director of Washington County's Farm Service Agency, reminds farmers and landowners that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is conducting its Conservation Reserve Program sign-up, which ends Friday. Cashell also announced the restart of sign-up for continuous CRP, including the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, the Highly Erodible Land Initiative, the Grassland Restoration Initiative, the Pollinator Habitat Initiative and other related initiatives.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated Washington and Frederick counties as contiguous counties to primary disaster areas in Pennsylvania, a local official said. As a result, farmers in Washington and Frederick counties are now eligible to apply for USDA assistance if their operations were hurt by the severe storms, mudslides and flooding that struck some areas on June 23, said Colleen Cashell, executive director of the Washington County office of the Farm Service Agency.

HARRISBURG, Pa. - USDA Farm Service Agency State Executive Director Bill Wehry announced the launch of a Conservation Loan Program that will provide farm owners and farm-related business operators access to credit to implement conservation techniques that will conserve natural resources. "This will provide farmers, who want to implement conservation measures on their lands, a chance to do so by providing assistance with their up-front costs," Wehry said. "In return, these producers will help reduce soil erosion, improve water quality and promote sustainable and organic agricultural practices.

HARRISBURG - Pennsylvania farmers have until July 17 to file acreage reports for crop insurance with their insurance agent and county Farm Service Agency, Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff said. "Accurate reporting is necessary to ensure that farmers receive their insurance loss claims," Wolff said. "It's also important to keep a signed acreage report for their records. " There may be differences in the report requirements for the crop insurance agent and FSA. If so, a written explanation is required when submitting the reports.

By VANDANA SINHA Staff Writer Despite a request from U.S. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, R-Md., federal Department of Agriculture officials said Tuesday they must wait for word from Maryland Gov. Parris Glendening before they can offer federal drought-related assistance to Western Maryland farmers. Glendening has not declared Washington County to be in a state of emergency. Bartlett said Tuesday he will join with local officials to ask the governor to issue the order for federal aid for farmers.

Pa. crop insurance deadlines nearing HARRISBURG - Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff said Pennsylvania farmers face two upcoming crop insurance deadlines. "This summer's dry weather, coupled with severe storms, has taken a toll on crops," Wolff said. "Farmers are encouraged to consider purchasing crop insurance. " The acreage reporting deadline is July 16 for all 2007 insured crops planted in the spring, other than small grains. Participating producers are required to file the reports with both their crop insurance agent and with their county Farm Service Agency.

Briefly Farmers eligible for drought grants WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., announced that farmers whose grazing pastures were damaged as a result of last year's drought will be eligible for grants to re-seed the land. Byrd helped secure $40 million for the revegetation grants. The USDA will accept applications for the Pasture Recovery Program between March 20 and at least April 14, according to a press release from Byrd's office. The maximum farmers will be eligible for is $2,500, Byrd said.

The 1999 drought prompted nearly 70 Washington County farmers to apply for state aid to plant fall grain crops this year, according to the state Department of Agriculture. [cont. from front page ] The $3 million statewide drought emergency program, initiated by Maryland Gov. Parris N. Glendening, reimburses farmers for planting cover crops and provides livestock feed. The use of fertilizer is restricted under the program to limit the amount of runoff. The cover crop program won't turn things around for farmers whose drought-related losses are about $100 million statewide, but it will help, said Washington County Agricultural Extension Agent Donald Schwartz.

Four local farmers are running for a seat representing the southern part of Washington County on the county Farm Service Agency. Three positions as alternates are also open. Ballots must be delivered to the local FSA office by 4:30 p.m. Dec. 1, or postmarked no later than Dec. 1. The office is in Suite 107 at 1260 Maryland Ave., Hagerstown. The four nominees are: - Monica Marker, who lives on Rohrersville Road in Rohrersville. She produces fruits and vegetables, corn, soybeans, hay and beef.

ANNAPOLIS - Fewer farmers are filing plans to minimize fertilizer runoff now that the state has made it mandatory, an administration official told lawmakers Tuesday. Four years ago, when nutrient management plans were still voluntary, 1.3 million acres of farmland were covered, Joseph Bryce, the governor's legislative liaison, told a state Senate committee Tuesday. By the time a Dec. 31 deadline for the plans rolled around, 1.1 million acres of farmland were either enrolled in the program or were in the process of being enrolled, he said.

Colleen Cashell, executive director of Washington County's Farm Service Agency, reminds farmers and landowners that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is conducting its Conservation Reserve Program sign-up, which ends Friday. Cashell also announced the restart of sign-up for continuous CRP, including the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, the Highly Erodible Land Initiative, the Grassland Restoration Initiative, the Pollinator Habitat Initiative and other related initiatives.

Farm Service Agency Administrator Juan M. Garcia reminds farmers that the County Committee elections began Nov. 5 with the mailing of ballots to eligible voters. The deadline to return the ballots to local FSA offices is Dec. 3. Newly elected committee members and their alternates will take office Jan. 1. “The role and input of our county committee members is more vital than ever,”  Garcia said. “New county committee members provide input and make important decisions on the local administration of disaster and conservation programs.

Farmer candidate nominations began June 15 for local Farm Service Agency county committees. The nomination period continues through Monday, Aug. 1, with the election taking place by mail ballot between Friday, Nov. 4, and the close of business on Monday, Dec. 5. In Washington County, the election is for Local Administrative Area 2, which is the part of the county east of Interstate 81 and north of Md. 68 running southeast from Williamsport and...

Margaret Ann Hartman, 53, of Brandywine, W.Va., passed away Saturday, July 2, 2011, at Colonial Beach, Va., as the result of a boating accident. She was born in Martinsburg, W.Va., on Nov. 1, 1957, the daughter of Conrad Edward and Barbara Ruppenthal Beard of Hagerstown, Md. On Sept. 28, 1991, Margaret married Lyle Wilson Hartman, who survives in Brandywine. She was a 1975 graduate of North Hagerstown High School and was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Franklin, W.Va.

Colleen Cashell, Washington County Farm Service Agency executive director, reminds producers that June 1 is the enrollment deadline for the 2011 Direct and Counter-Cyclical program or the alternative Average Crop Revenue Election program. “Farmers who are interested in completing their annual enrollment in these programs need to add this important deadline to their list of ‘must do’ jobs,” Cashell said. “Producers should contact their local county office right now to set up appointments before the June 1 deadline.” All signatures of producers receiving a share in DCP and ACRE payments are required by the June 1 deadline.

HARRISBURG, Pa. - USDA Farm Service Agency State Executive Director Bill Wehry announced the launch of a Conservation Loan Program that will provide farm owners and farm-related business operators access to credit to implement conservation techniques that will conserve natural resources. "This will provide farmers, who want to implement conservation measures on their lands, a chance to do so by providing assistance with their up-front costs," Wehry said. "In return, these producers will help reduce soil erosion, improve water quality and promote sustainable and organic agricultural practices.

Pa. crop insurance deadlines nearing HARRISBURG - Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff said Pennsylvania farmers face two upcoming crop insurance deadlines. "This summer's dry weather, coupled with severe storms, has taken a toll on crops," Wolff said. "Farmers are encouraged to consider purchasing crop insurance. " The acreage reporting deadline is July 16 for all 2007 insured crops planted in the spring, other than small grains. Participating producers are required to file the reports with both their crop insurance agent and with their county Farm Service Agency.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated Washington and Frederick counties as contiguous counties to primary disaster areas in Pennsylvania, a local official said. As a result, farmers in Washington and Frederick counties are now eligible to apply for USDA assistance if their operations were hurt by the severe storms, mudslides and flooding that struck some areas on June 23, said Colleen Cashell, executive director of the Washington County office of the Farm Service Agency.

HARRISBURG - Pennsylvania farmers have until July 17 to file acreage reports for crop insurance with their insurance agent and county Farm Service Agency, Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff said. "Accurate reporting is necessary to ensure that farmers receive their insurance loss claims," Wolff said. "It's also important to keep a signed acreage report for their records. " There may be differences in the report requirements for the crop insurance agent and FSA. If so, a written explanation is required when submitting the reports.

COLUMBIA, Md. - Elizabeth Anderson, executive director of USDA's Farm Service Agency in Maryland, is warning farmers throughout the state of a potential imposter attempting to obtain personal bank account information. Anderson said the U.S. Department of Agriculture "has been notified that someone, posing as a USDA employee, contacted a producer by phone and requested bank account information. " She said, "USDA will never request such information by phone. " The agency does request bank account information from producers in order to make direct deposit payments for various programs, but these types of transactions are done on USDA forms in local FSA offices, Anderson said in a press release.