Hello again!
While walking around the county fair this year, I wandered past kiddie land and saw the purple dragon roller coaster which always brings back a memory that makes me chuckle.
My daughter, then 3, wanted to ride that ride in the worst possible way, with her two other friends. I said “Are you sure? It looks a little old for you.” But she was determined and in her determination convinced her friends to go with her, so off they went, her being fearless, the other looking pretty confident and the third being very, very hesitant.
As the ride started a big smile came across my daughters face, the second looked a little fearful but held in there, the third one screamed at the top of her lungs the entire time “LET ME OFF … LET ME OFF!”
Present day
I felt so bad for her, but when I saw the purple dragon this year, I thought of the farmers and our local weather and I just imagined them caught in the cycle of the weather, screaming “LET ME OFF … LET ME OFF!” It has been a roller coaster ride and it looks like Mother Nature is not done yet.
We have been too cold, too wet, too dry, too hot, too cold and too wet. But just like the 3-year olds and the purple dragon, some are fearless, some are fearful and some are just waiting for this year to be over.
Safety nets
As we start into harvest, we are learning what damage exists, if any, but rest assured that the Farm Service Agency has a few programs that you can rely on as a safety net.
For the 2011 year, all counties in Ohio have been given an Emergency Disaster Designation which makes the local farmers and livestock producers eligible for several programs and special funding.
Producers can be eligible for Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments, Tree Assistance Program, Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees and Farm Raised Fish, Livestock Forage Disaster Program, Livestock Indemnity Program, Emergency Farm Loans and Emergency Conservation Program.
For more information contact the local FSA office or visit the website at www.fsa.usda.gov.
Storage loan
It seems as if the grain market is intent on following the weather and fluctuating also, so maybe storing your grain on your own farm would be a helpful tool when making your marketing decisions.
FSA offers a Farm Storage Facility Loan program that provides low-interest financing for producers to build or upgrade on farm storage facilities.
These structures can be erected for most crops produced on the farm, including corn, wheat, oats, soybeans and hay and it also includes cold storage structures for fruits and vegetables.
Any person who is a landowner, landlord, leaseholder, tenant or sharecropper who produces an eligible facility loan commodity, has a satisfactory credit rating and can demonstrate the ability to repay the debt is eligible for the loan.
The participant must have crop insurance and be compliant with highly erodible and wetland provisions. Storage determination will be made using planting history and current storage available.
The loan must be secured by a promissory note and security agreement as well as a severance agreement from all lienholders on the real estate where the facility will be located.
The maximum loan amount is $500,000 per loan, with a 15 percent cash down payment requirement; therefore, the loan is limited to 85 percent of the net cost. Loan terms are available in seven years, 10 years or 12 years depending on the amount of the loan.
The interest rate is fixed for the loan term base on the rate in effect during the month of initial approval of the loan. A $100 nonrefundable application fee is assessed for each application.
Reminder
Remember fall payments are coming up quickly. If you have made a change to your banking information, make sure you keep the Farm Service Agency up to date as it will ensure you get your payments quickly.
That’s all for now,
FSA Andy
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