Producers in Brown County can still apply for 2018 Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) benefits. Brown County became eligible for Livestock Forage program on August 14, 2018. LFP provides compensation to eligible livestock producers who suffer grazing losses for covered livestock due to drought on privately owned or cash leased land. Eligible livestock types include beef cows or cattle, buffalo/beefalo, dairy cows or cattle, alpacas, deer, elk, emus, equine, goats, llamas, reindeer or sheep.

Livestock producers must meet several FSA policy requirements before an LFP application can be approved. The first requirement is that producers must have on file a timely acreage report on all grazing land in which they have interest. The deadline to file 2018 perennial grass acreage reports was November 15, 2017. Late-filed acreage reports may be filed up to the next year’s annual reporting date of November 15, 2018. For a late-filed acreage report to be approved by the Brown County Committee, the following conditions must be met:

• A producer signed and paid-for request for a physical field verification of the crop and use. This request must be made on form FSA-409. Minimum cost is $46.

• FSA field verification that actual use of grass acreage was for grazing. Verification must be made prior to that crop’s next annual acreage reporting date.

• County committee review and approval of the late-filed report and field verification.

In addition to filing a timely acreage report, livestock producers must complete the LFP application on form CCC-853. County Committee will review and approve the application and documentation provided by the livestock producer. The producer is also required to have on file:

• Form AD-1026, Highly Erodible Land Certification

• Form CCC-902, Farm Operating Plan

• Form CCC-941, Adjusted Gross Income Certification

Contact the Brown County FSA office at 785-742-3161 for additional information about applying for the Livestock Forage Program before it’s too late!