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2018 Farm Bill

Fsa plans to offer a signup periods again next winter...subject to change. If your offer does not get in this year...it may next year or you can upgrade cover next year.
I expect a high acceptance rate this year again due to lower cost share, reduced rental rates, and lots of room under the cap.
The years that your old crp is enrolled its considered as crop history. So if you had a contract from 2010 to 2020... you will have crop history for 2010 to 2020.
also take advantage of State acres for wildlife (SAFE). its higher quality habitat for certain species.
Just something to consider.
 
Slick--have you looked into continuous CRP options? More $$ and more cost share. Quail buffers, filter strips, wetlands, riparian buffers, duck nesting, windbreaks...all options, map it out if it qualifies.

I'll check to see if we qualify for any other options.
 
Virtual CRP seminar today if anyone is interested... Check your local Pheasant/Quail forever for other dates.

 
Fsa plans to offer a signup periods again next winter...subject to change. If your offer does not get in this year...it may next year or you can upgrade cover next year.
I expect a high acceptance rate this year again due to lower cost share, reduced rental rates, and lots of room under the cap.
The years that your old crp is enrolled its considered as crop history. So if you had a contract from 2010 to 2020... you will have crop history for 2010 to 2020.
also take advantage of State acres for wildlife (SAFE). its higher quality habitat for certain species.
Just something to consider.

Do you think our EBI 20 point standing WSG mix as is will get er done?
 
So your ebi includes 6 factors.
N1 is wildlife habitat benefits. N2 water quality benefits, N3 erosion reduction benefits, N4 enduring benefits, N5 air quality benefits, and N6 cost.
You can help your score by choosing a more wildlife friendly cover in N1. The other you can affect easily is N6 cost. You maybe able to affec N3 by adjusting your offer to the more erodable soil areas.
Just some food for thought... 3million acres are set to expire in September 2021. This sign up is to prefilled those acres. In the U.S..it took an ebi score around 207 points to get in the program in 2020. Prior to that it took about 216 points. The accepted score has been trenting down for many years..
In Iowa in 2020 average score for those applying without cost share to upgrade cover was 248 points.

I would encourage anyone who is applying to ask for your ebi score by not upgrading cover and also by upgrading cover to see if you really need to upgrade or not. If your score is above 240...I would feel good about it getting accepted.
 
Isn't N1 and BY the only factors you can change by your decisions? Nw Missouri folks needed 210 to be accepted last year. I'm going to have to reseed to get accepted this year, if the points are still 210, but, I am going to select some edge feather and a food plot in addition to reseeding. Besides getting me more points, that I prolly don't need, it gives me better habitat and another food plot location.
 
Isn't N1 and BY the only factors you can change by your decisions? Nw Missouri folks needed 210 to be accepted last year. I'm going to have to reseed to get accepted this year, if the points are still 210, but, I am going to select some edge feather and a food plot in addition to reseeding. Besides getting me more points, that I prolly don't need, it gives me better habitat and another food plot location.

I was told we won't get cost share if reseed into the same seed point mix as the contract that is expiring. Did you the the same guidance?
 
Here is a good resource for those who want to know more about crp basics. It was put together by Missouri quail forever. The principal still applies to all states.
Looks like the video will not allow to be shown without going to YouTube. Sorry
 
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I was told we won't get cost share if reseed into the same seed point mix as the contract that is expiring. Did you the the same guidance?
They didn't mention if I'd qualify or not for cost share if reseeded and it would have been the same mix that it was seeded to 10 years ago. But I talked to them today, and I'm going another route. I have 142pts as it sits, so I'm going to add a 3/4a food plot, and reducing the rent bid by 3%, and that will get me to 215 pts, enough to meet last years cutoff and we're assuming this year will be the same.
 
They didn't mention if I'd qualify or not for cost share if reseeded and it would have been the same mix that it was seeded to 10 years ago. But I talked to them today, and I'm going another route. I have 142pts as it sits, so I'm going to add a 3/4a food plot, and reducing the rent bid by 3%, and that will get me to 215 pts, enough to meet last years cutoff and we're assuming this year will be the same.
If its the exact same mix and rates from 10 years ago....good chance you will not get cost share again.
I really don't expect that fsa will fund down to the same ebi score this time. Because there is 1.5 million acres less expiring this year. Ask about adding a few more grass and legumes to your existing fields vs totally renovating. Much cheaper to add a few than totally redo stand.
 
If its the exact same mix and rates from 10 years ago....good chance you will not get cost share again.
I really don't expect that fsa will fund down to the same ebi score this time. Because there is 1.5 million acres less expiring this year. Ask about adding a few more grass and legumes to your existing fields vs totally renovating. Much cheaper to add a few than totally redo stand.
They said because of the amount of brome that took over I'd need to kill it all and reseed it all. I was ok with all that until they told me I'd need 10% woody cover.. I decided I'd go a different route.
 
We are at 173 points. Thoughts on whether this will get us in? I'd hate to offer a lower rate since we are already taking a 15% haircut on that and lost some acres due to brush creep.
 
We are at 173 points. Thoughts on whether this will get us in? I'd hate to offer a lower rate since we are already taking a 15% haircut on that and lost some acres due to brush creep.
I don't mean to pry, but did you add in your continuous CRP options to the field that will be a guarantee with no bid...quail buffers, prairie strips etc...
 
I asked about continuous and she indicated they aren't a good fit on this farm.
.... I'm going to say that is BS and she is is being lazy. I run into this all the time with FSA being lazy. You gotta hound their ass. Some of the programs are guaranteed. I signed up field perimeters last year under continuous as quail program. Lots of options as Hardwood mentioned, prairie strips (I like that one), buffers., etc.
 
Ask specifically for cp43 prairie strips, cp33 field borders. If you have streams ask about cp21 filter strips, cp22 riparian forest buffers. Keep asking. Only when you apply by completing forms can you be denied and it must be in writing. If you accept being told no at the counter without completing forms..... your cutting yourself short.
 
Ask specifically for cp43 prairie strips, cp33 field borders. If you have streams ask about cp21 filter strips, cp22 riparian forest buffers. Keep asking. Only when you apply by completing forms can you be denied and it must be in writing. If you accept being told no at the counter without completing forms..... your cutting yourself short.
Good point, I have all kinds of CRP habitat right now that I was told would not qualify, after I pressed the issue, hmmm yep it qualified.
 
I just talked to the FSA. We have a total of 55 acres expiring of typical North MO ground that shouldn't be farmed. Options: we could add 5.5 acres (10% of our acreage) in CP43 in the general program which would add 15 points to our EBI score. I don't believe adding more than 10% increases our score anymore than the 15 points. The continuous version of CP43 has a max acreage of 10 acres per tract so not much help. I know the interior of CP33 has to be farmed (or plotted) which isn't a good fit on this farm. We'll probably roll the dice with173 EBI points.
 
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I just talked to the FSA. We have a total of 55 acres expiring of typical North MO ground that shouldn't be farmed. Options: we could add 5.5 acres (10% of our acreage) in CP43 in the general program which would add 15 points to our EBI score. I don't believe adding more than 10% increases our score anymore than the 15 points. The continuous version of CP43 has a max acreage of 10 acres per tract so not much help. I know the interior of CP33 has to be farmed (or plotted) which isn't a good fit on this farm. We'll probably roll the dice with173 EBI points.
173 Should be enough for no mo. You can ask what they add for cost points. Fsa told me I get 60 cost points added if you keep your rental rate at $124.00.
Last year took 210 pts in Mo to be accepted. You'd have plenty of cut off is the same.
 
So the ebi score that is set as cutoff for ranking is set nationally by farm service agency in Washington DC. The score is not a state decision. Its a sliding score based on amount of acres available to be re-enrolled. More acres available to re-enroll mean lower score. Less acres available mean higher scores are likely needed. There are 1 million less acres available than last year.
 
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