Des Moines, Iowa — Some farmers in northwest Iowa are eligible to use their CRP ground for haying and grazing.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Executive Director Matt Russell, 39 Iowa Counties are now authorized for emergency haying or grazing use of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres for fiscal year 2022. FSA’s fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30. The 27 counties approved for emergency haying or grazing include: Adair, Adams, Cass, Clarke, Crawford, Harrison, Humboldt, Iowa, Jasper, Jefferson, Keokuk, Kossuth, Lucas, Mahaska, Madison, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, Page, Polk, Poweshiek, Ringgold, Taylor, Union, Wapello, Warren, Washington. With 12 Iowa Counties restricted under Emergency Haying Criteria Based on Livestock Forage Program (LFP) Triggers:
Buena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, Ida, Monona, O’Brien, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Pocahontas, Sioux, Sac, and Woodbury.
FSA officials tell us that counties are automatically approved for CRP emergency haying and grazing when they reach the D2 (severe drought) level on the U.S. Drought Monitor and are outside of the primary nesting season (May 15th through August 1st). Additionally, the 2018 farm bill also authorized counties with a documented 40-percent loss of forage production to be eligible for emergency haying and grazing. Local FSA County Committees can review forge loss data and make a recommendation to the Iowa FSA State Committee to authorize emergency haying and grazing.
A CRP participant must receive approval for emergency haying or grazing from their county FSA Office before any action is taken. The emergency haying authorizations end on August 31, 2022. The emergency grazing period for these counties will end on September 30, 2022.
CRP participants are eligible to seek approval for either emergency haying or emergency grazing but cannot do both on the same acres.
The U.S. Drought Monitor is updated every Thursday and new counties may become eligible for emergency haying and grazing. Participants in newly approved counties will need to sign up at their local FSA offices and get approval prior to completing any haying or grazing activity.
For more information and to request approval for emergency haying or grazing use of CRP acres, contact your local USDA Service Center.
