FSA Andy By FSA Andy

Hello Again!

Last week I alluded to having the formula for skunk stink. Specifically, the solution to remove the smell not create it — fool with skunks and they can create it for you.

I have a Lab that seems to think that everything that comes around either wants to play with or be killed by him. He recently met up with a nice black and white “kitty” who wasn’t interested in either of the above and let him know. The tomato juice theory is just that and leaves your dog a mess and not smelling much better than before.

Here’s the solution : 1 QT. of Hydrogen peroxide, 1/2 cup of baking soda, and 2 tsp. of Dawn Dish soap. Keep it out of their eyes. It works well.

As a last resort you can sneak over to a neighbor’s pool and let the dog take a few laps. I found that removes the smell also.

Don’t ask

In case you haven’t noticed FSA /USDA is changing the way we do business. Ad hoc disaster programs are a thing of the past. Congress now believes individual responsibility is the way of the future.

Over the years when we had disaster programs ,producers who had crop insurance got better rates than those who didn’t. That set the tone for the future. Producers are now expected to help protect themselves through the purchase of crop insurance for traditional crops and then protect themselves with NAP coverage for non insurable crops.

FSA sells that insurance

The disaster programs are already in place. The annual SURE program , ELAP, NAP, and Livestock Forage Program are some that are available. We currently are still taking applications for the 2008 SURE program for producers who suffered crop losses or revenue losses for 2008.

To be eligible for SURE payments producers must have had crop insurance or NAP coverage for all crops of economic significance that are raised on a producers farming operation. This is not on a farm by farm basis. All land operated by a producer is your farm operation. NAP insurance is also not required if the administrative fee is exceeds 10% of the value of coverage.

The requirement to purchase this coverage is called Risk Management Protection and there are producers who are exempt from this requirement.

Beginning farmers, limited resource producers and socially disadvantaged producers are not required to purchase coverage. These new programs are going to be the norm not the exception. If one looks at the ACRE program and now these programs one should recognize that the government is moving in a new direction Stop by your local FSA office and discuss these programs and see how they affect you.

We are striving to make them more farmer friendly and they may not always seem like that. However, since this is the way of the future we need to work together with all parties involved to make these viable programs and provide producers with the protection they need.

That’s all for now,

FSA Andy