Signup for Emergency Relief Program Ends June 2

Joel Foster, executive director of the Grant County FSA, reminds area producers that the Phase 2 Signup for additional emergency relief from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) ends on June 2.  Phase 2 began January 23. 

To be eligible for Phase 2, producers must have suffered a decrease in allowable gross revenue in 2020 or 2021 due to necessary expenses related to losses of eligible crops from a qualifying natural disaster event. Eligible crops include both traditional insurable commodities and specialty crops that are produced in the United States as part of a farming operation that are intended to be commercially marketed. This also includes losses of eligible on-farm stored commodities. 

ERP Phase 2 applicants will use the following tax years when selecting allowable gross revenue:   • Benchmark years: 2018 and/or 2019; estimated for new producers with no 2018 or 2019 revenue or adjusted if the benchmark years are not representative of the disaster year due to a change in operation size. • Disaster years: 2020 and/or 2021. The allowable gross revenue for the specific disaster year will be based on the tax year applicable to that revenue (2020, 2021 or 2022).  The ERP tool assists producers in calculating allowable gross revenue, as well as adjusted revenue for the benchmark years 2018 and 2019, and allowable gross revenue for representative tax years 2020-2022 which represent disaster years 2020 and 2021. 

Once a producer completes the allowable gross revenue entries, he/she can print forms FSA521 and FSA-521A through this tool. Additional information, along with the ERP Tool, is available at http://www.farmers.gov.