Producers and others involved in agriculture will have an opportunity to learn about the programs still available to them during a webinar series that North Dakota State University Extension and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) are hosting beginning Wednesday, April 15.

“Spring is a busy time for all of us involved in agriculture,” says Lindsey Abentroth, public affairs/outreach specialist with the North Dakota FSA office. “While 2020 has brought unique challenges, those in the agriculture sector continue to provide important services. This applies to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency also as we face these unique times of remotely serving producers because of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The webinar series will highlight some of the available programs and the sign-up processes, along with the latest information on how FSA still is open for business and serving customers safely and remotely while USDA Service Center doors remain locked during this time of social distancing.

“The webinar will provide producers with the opportunity to learn more about programs that have the potential to improve their operations’ environmental stewardship and/or economic stability,” says Miranda Meehan, Extension livestock environmental stewardship specialist.

The dates and times of the webinars and the topics that will be covered are:

• Wednesday, April 15, at 11 a.m. (CDT) - conservation programs including Soil Health Income Protection Program (SHIPP), Grassland Reserve Program, Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CCRP)
• Wednesday, April 22, at 11 a.m. (CDT) - FSA loan programs including Farm Storage Facility Loans (FSFL), Marketing Assistance Loans (MAL), and Direct and Guaranteed Loans
• Wednesday, April 29, at 11 a.m. (CDT) - Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) signup, 2020 PLC yield update, acreage reporting and payment eligibility

To register for the webinar, visit https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/farmmanagement. You should log in a few minutes before the start of the webinars because they will begin promptly at 11 a.m.

Participants may ask questions during the live webinar. The webinar will be recorded, and the recording will be archived at https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/extension/economics for later viewing.

NDSU Agriculture Communication - April 9. 2020