USDA Offers Options for Signing and Sharing Documents Online

Mississippi FSA News - April 2022

In This Issue:

• USDA Offers Options for Signing and Sharing Documents Online

• USDA Encourages Producers to Enroll in Grassland CRP

• Waiver of DCIA Compliance for Commodity and Farm Storage Facility

Loan Programs

• USDA Expands Farmers.gov to Include Farm Records

• Environmental Review Required Before Project Implementation

• Foreign Buyers Notification

• Submit Loan Requests for Financing Early

USDA Offers Options for Signing and Sharing

Documents Online

Farmers and ranchers working with USDA’s Farm Service

Agency or Natural Resources Conservation Service can

now sign and share documents online in just a few clicks.

By using Box or OneSpan, producers can digitally complete

business transactions without leaving their homes or

agricultural operations. Both services are f ree, secure, and

available for multiple FSA and NRCS programs.

Box is a secure, cloud

-based site where FSA or NRCS

documents can be managed and shared. Producers who

choose to use Box can create a username and password to

access their secure Box account, where documents can be

downloaded, printed, manually signed, scanned, uploaded,

and shared digitally w

ith Service Center staff. This service is

available to any FSA or NRCS customer with access to a

mobile device or computer with printer connectivity.

OneSpan is a secure eSignature solution f or FSA and NRCS customers. Like Box, no

software downloads or eAu

thentication is required f or OneSpan. Instead, producers

interested in eSignature through OneSpan can conf irm their identity through two

-f actor

authentication using a verif ication code sent to their mobile device or a personalized

question and answer. Once

identity is conf irmed, documents can be reviewed and e-

signed through OneSpan via the producer’s personal email address. Signed documents

immediately become available to the appropriate Service Center staf f .

Box and OneSpan are both optional services f or

customers interested in improved

ef ficiency in signing and sharing documents with USDA, and they do not replace existing

systems using eAuthentication f or digital signature. Instead, these tools provide additional

digital options for producers to use when

conducting business with FSA or NRCS.

USDA Service Center staf f are available to help producers get started with Box and

OneSpan through a f ew simple steps. Please visit

farmers.gov/service-locator

to f ind your

local of fice and let Service Center staf f know you’re interested in signing and sharing

documents through these new f eatures. In most cases, one quick phone call will be all that

is needed to initiate the process.

Visit

f armers.gov/mydocs to learn more about Box and OneSpan, steps f or getting starte

and additional resources f or conducting business with USDA online.

To learn more about program f lexibilities and Service Center status during the coronavirus

pandemic, visit

f armers.gov/coronavirus.

USDA Encourages Producers to Enroll in

Grassland CRP

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) encourages

producers and landowners to enroll in the Grassland

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) starting next week

through May 13, 2022. Grassland CRP provides a unique

opportunity for farmers, ranchers, and agricultural

landowners to keep land in agricultural production and

supplement their income while improving their soils and

permanent grass cover. The program had its highest

enrollment in history in 2021 and is part of the Biden

Harris Administration’s broader ef fort

to equip producers with the tools they need to help address climate change and invest in

the long

-term health of our natural resources.

Grassland CRP

is a f ederally f unded voluntary working lands program. Through the

program, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) provides annual rental payments to

landowners to maintain and conserve grasslands while allowing producers to graze, hay,

and produce seed on that land.

Maintaining the existing permanent cover provides

several benef its, including reducing erosion, providing wildlife habitat and migration

corridors, and capturing and maintaining carbon in the soil and cover.

FSA provides participants with annual rental payments and cost

-share assistance. The

annual rental rate varies by county with a national minimum rental rate of $13 per acre for

this signup. Contract duration is 10 or 15 years.

Grassland CRP National Priority Zones

Because Grassland CRP supports not only grazing operations but also biodiver

sity and

conserving environmentally sensitive land such as that prone to wind erosion, FSA

created two

National Priority Zones in 2021: the Greater Yellowstone Migration Corridor

and Dust Bowl Zone. As part of the Biden

Harris Administration’s f ocus on conservation in

important wildlife corrido

rs and key seasonal ranges, f or this year’s signup, FSA is

expanding the Greater Yellowstone Wildlif e Migration Corridor Priority Zone to include

seven additional counties across Montana, Wyoming, and Utah, to help protect the big

game animal migration cor

ridor associated with Wyoming elk, mule deer, and antelope.

Of f ers within one of these National Priority Zones will receive an additional 15 ranking

points and $5 per acre if at least 50% of the of fer is located in the zone.

Alongside Grassland CRP, producers and landowners can also enroll acres in Continuous

CRP under the ongoing sign up, which includes projects available through the

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and State Acres f or Wildlif e

Enhancement (SAFE).   

Broadening Reach of

Program

As part of the Agency’s Justice40 ef forts, producers and landowners who are historically

underserved, including beginning farmers and military veterans, will receive 10 additional

ranking points to enhance their of f ers.

Additionally, USDA is work

ing to broaden the scope and reach of Grassland CRP by

leveraging the

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) to engage

historically underserved communities. CREP is a partnership program that enables states,

Tribal governments, non

-prof it, and private entities to partner with FSA to implement CRP

practices and addres

s high priority conservation and environmental objectives. Interested

entities are encouraged to contact FSA.

More Information on CRP

Landowners and producers interested in Grassland CRP should contact their local

 USDA

Service Center

 to learn more or to apply f or the program bef ore the May 13 deadline. 

Additionally, fact sheets and other resources are available at

 f sa.usda.gov/crp.    

Signed into law in 1985, CRP is one of the largest voluntary private

-lands conservation

programs in the United States. The working lands signup announced today demonstrates

how much it has evolved f rom the original program that was primarily intended to control

soil erosion and only had the option to take enrolled land out of prod

uction. The program

has expanded over the years and now supports a greater variety of  conservation and

wildlif e benef its, along with the associated economic benef its.   

Waiver of DCIA Compliance for Commodity and

Farm Storage Facility Loan Programs

On January 27, 2021, the Biden-Harris Administration suspended all debt collections,

f oreclosures, and other adverse actions f or borrowers of direct farm loans and Farm

Storage Facility Loans (FSFL) through USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) because of

the national public health emergency caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.

It has been determined that the January 2021 suspension included a waiver of the Debt

Collection Improvement Act (DCIA) noncompliance f or issuing new Marketing Assistance

Loans (MAL), Loan Def iciency Payments (LDP) or FSFL to borrowers who are in

delinquent status with FSFL or f arm loans.

Under normal circumstances, DCIA specifies that a person cannot obtain Federal financial

assistance in the f orm of loans (other than disaster loans), loan insurance, or guarantees if

that person has delinquent Federal non-tax debt. MAL, LDP, and FSFL programs

administered by FSA are currently subject to these statutory constraints.

FSA county of fices will review MALs, LDPs, and FSFLs that were previously denied on or

af ter January 27, 2021, because of DCIA noncompliance. Of fices will notify applicants of

the waiver provisions and the opportunity to obtain a loan. All applicable eligibility

requirements remain in place with the exception of DCIA waiver.

Reach out to your local FSA of fice for more information. To f ind your local office,

visit f armers.gov/service-locator.

USDA Expands Farmers.gov to Include Farm

Records

Producers with f armers.gov accounts can now access f arm

records and maps online, the latest self -service feature

added to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

website.

You can quickly and easily access your land inf ormation in real time by desktop computer,

tablet or phone. Capabilities include:

•

View, print and export detailed f arm records such as cropland, base acres, yields,

CRP acres, land ownership details, and much more;

• View, print and export farm/tract maps that can be provided to lenders, chemical

or f ertilizer providers, and FSA f or reporting acreage and crop insurance agents;

and

• Export common land unit (field) boundaries as ESRI shapef iles.

The ability to access these records on demand without a visit to the service center saves

you time and

money.

Farmers.gov

now includes the most popular functionalities from FSAFarm+, the FSA

portal f or producers, while providing enhanced f unctionality and an improved user

experience. A new E

nhancement expands the scope of accessibility to include f armers

and ranchers who are members of an entity, as well as people with a power of attorney

f orm (FSA

-211) on f ile with FSA.

Managing USDA Business Online

Using f armers.gov, producers, entities and

those acting on their behalf can also:

• View, upload, download, and e-sign conservation documents.

• Request f inancial assistance, including submitting a program application.

• View and submit conservation requests.

• View technical ref erences and submit questions.

• Access inf ormation on current and past conservation practices, plans and

contracts.

• Report practice completion and request practice certif ication.

• View f arm loan and interest inf ormation (producers only).

Future plans include adding the ability to impo

rt and view other shapefiles, such as

precision agriculture planting boundaries.

To access your information, you’ll will need a

USDA eAuth account to login to

f armers.gov.

After obtaining an eAuth account, producers should visit f armers.gov and

sign into the site’s authenticated portal via the

website. Google Chrome, Mozilla Firef ox or Microsoft Edge are the recommended

browsers to access the f eature.

In addition to the self

-service features available by logging into farmers.gov, the website

also has ample inf ormation on USDA programs, including pandemic assistance, farm

loans, disaster assistance, conservation programs and crop insurance. Recently, USDA

updated the navigation and organization of the site a

s well as added some new

webpages, including

“Get Involved,” “Common Forms,” and “Translations.” Learn more

about these changes

Environmental Review Required Before Project

Implementation

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires Federal agencies to consider all

potential environmental impacts f or f ederally f unded projects before the project is

approved.

For all Farm Service Agency (FSA) programs, an environmental review must be

completed before actions are approved, such as site preparation or ground disturbance.

These programs include, but are not limited to, the Emergency Conservation Program

(ECP), Farm Storage Facility Loan (FSFL) program and farm loans. If project

implementation begins bef ore FSA has completed an environmental review, the request

will be denied. Although there are exceptions regarding the Staf f ord Act and emergencies,

it’s important to wait until you receive written approval of your project proposal before

starting any actions.

Applications cannot be approved until FSA has copies of all permits and plans. Contact

your local FSA of f ice early in your planning process to determine what level of

environmental review is required for your program application so that it can be completed

timely.

Foreign Buyers Notification

The Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA) requires all f oreign owners of

U.S. agricultural land to report their holdings to the Secretary of Agriculture. Foreign

persons who have purchased or sold agricultural land in the county are required to report

the transaction to FSA within 90 days of the closing. Failure to submit the AFIDA

f orm could result in civil penalties of up to 25 percent of the f air market value of the

property. County government offices, realtors, attorneys and others involved in real estate

transactions are reminded to notify f oreign investors of these reporting requirements. The

data gained f rom these disclosures is used in the preparation of periodic reports to the

President and Congress concerning the effect of such holdings upon f amily farms and

rural communities. Click here f or more inf ormation on AFIDA.

Submit Loan Requests for Financing Early

The Farm Loan team in your County is already working on

operating loans f or spring 2022 and asks potential

borrowers to submit their requests early so they can be

timely processed. The farm loan team can help determine

which loan programs are best for applicants.

FSA offers a wide range of low-interest loans that can meet

the f inancial needs of any farm operation f or just about any

purpose.

The traditional farm operating and farm ownership loans can help large and

small f arm operations take advantage of early purchasing discounts for spring inputs as

well expenses throughout the year.

Microloans

are a simplified loan program that will provide up to $50,000 f or both Farm

Ownership and Operating Microloans to eligib

le applicants. These loans, targeted f or

smaller and non

traditional operations, can be used f or operating expenses, starting a new

operation, purchasing equipment,

and other needs associated with a f arming

operation.

Loans to beginning f armers and member

s of underserved groups are a priority.

Other types of loans available include:

Marketing Assistance Loans

allow producers to use eligible commodities as loan

collateral and obtain a 9-month loan while the crop is in storage. These loans provide cash

f low to the producer and allow them to market the crop when prices may be more

advantageous.

Farm Storage Facility Loans

can be used to build permanent structures used to store

eligible commodities, for storage and handling trucks, or portable or permanent ha

ndling

equipment. A variety of structures are eligible under this loan, including bunker silos, grain

bins, hay storage structures, and ref rigerated structures for vegetables and f ruit.

producer may borrow up to $500,000 per loan

Mississippi FSA State Office

6311 Ridgewood Road, Suite W100

Jackson, MS 39211

Phone: 601-965-4300

State Executive Director

Thaddeus Fairley, Sr.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of

discrimination, write: USDA, Of f ice of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of

Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866)

632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866)

377-8642 (Relay voice users).