Recent storm damage help from Farm Service Agency

A notice from Laura Westerfeld - Farm Services Agency in Merced County:

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) offers several different programs to
help producers affected by weather events recover losses. Many of these programs, however, require the producer to be participating in all Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Programs (NAP) and Risk Management Programs (Federal Crop Insurance).

Producers, please contact your local FSA office to report any crop or orchard damage caused by the recent storms. You will be asked to complete a report of acreage and fill out a Notice of Loss. We will share this information with the Agriculture Commissioners Office so that they may request a disaster declaration if warranted.

The Tree Assistance Program (TAP): TAP is for trees that are producing an edible crop - not nursery operations. Producers who lose or must rehabilitate trees damaged by disaster conditions (excessive wind) can be reimbursed 70 percent of the cost of replanting the trees and 50 percent of the cost to remove the damaged trees and limbs from their orchard. To be eligible the producer must have had a total loss greater than 15 percent over normal mortality. The State Office will set normal mortality, but my guess it will be one or two percent. Another requirement is that you must have all of their crops of economic significance covered by either the 50/55 level of crop insurance or NAP. This excludes socially disadvantaged, or a beginning or limited resource farmer.

If you had a problem, please call your local FSA office to set up an appointment. Before you go, 1)set up your farm records (proof of ownership/leases on all land they have an interest in) 2)do a report of acreage, and 3)submit a notice of loss. Due to the fact that FSA does not have any real procedure on how they will take these applications, please take pictures and document the cost associated with removing the damaged plant and replanting of a new tree.