MONROE - The Green County United States Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency announced that participants enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program may now request to hay or graze certain acres enrolled in CRP under the program's managed haying/grazing provisions.
Hay harvested from CRP acres may be used by the program participant, sold or donated to another individual. Prior to haying, CRP participants must visit their local FSA office to sign a request to hay the acreage and work with the Natural Resources Conservation Service to amend the conservation plan.
Not all CRP acreage is eligible for haying. Any acreage that has been seeded to a cover within the past 12 months or planted to trees or shrubs, is within 120 feet of a stream or other permanent water body, enrolled as a filter strip, or any other CRP practice that is, by policy, prohibited from being hayed is considered ineligible for haying. In addition, the haying of CRP acreage is only allowed once every three years; acreage that was hayed in 2013 or 2014 is not eligible for haying in 2015.
Under the managed haying provisions producers are allowed to take one cutting of hay from Aug. 2 through Sept. 15. Bales stored on the acreage must be removed by Sept. 30.
Additionally, managed grazing of CRP acres is available, but only on CRP contracts that were approved before July 28, 2010. CRP acreage that is a useful life easement, planted to trees or shrubs, within 120 feet of a stream or other permanent water body, or any other CRP practice that is, by policy, prohibited from being grazed is considered ineligible under managed grazing provisions.
Producers who hay or graze CRP acreage will incur a 25 percent reduction in their annual CRP payment for the acres that are actually hayed. Producers must also agree to revise the ending date of the nesting season to Aug. 1 for all practices on their contract.
CRP participants must first visit their local FSA office to sign the haying or grazing request. Haying or grazing cannot begin until the participant receives written approval in the form of a letter from FSA. Producers who hay or graze CRP acreage without first obtaining approval from FSA will be subject to payment reductions and/or contract termination.
For more information, visit the Green County FSA Office, 1627 4th Ave West Suite 1, or contact Teresa R. Zimmer at 608-325-4195 or Teresa.zimmer@wi.usda.gov.
Hay harvested from CRP acres may be used by the program participant, sold or donated to another individual. Prior to haying, CRP participants must visit their local FSA office to sign a request to hay the acreage and work with the Natural Resources Conservation Service to amend the conservation plan.
Not all CRP acreage is eligible for haying. Any acreage that has been seeded to a cover within the past 12 months or planted to trees or shrubs, is within 120 feet of a stream or other permanent water body, enrolled as a filter strip, or any other CRP practice that is, by policy, prohibited from being hayed is considered ineligible for haying. In addition, the haying of CRP acreage is only allowed once every three years; acreage that was hayed in 2013 or 2014 is not eligible for haying in 2015.
Under the managed haying provisions producers are allowed to take one cutting of hay from Aug. 2 through Sept. 15. Bales stored on the acreage must be removed by Sept. 30.
Additionally, managed grazing of CRP acres is available, but only on CRP contracts that were approved before July 28, 2010. CRP acreage that is a useful life easement, planted to trees or shrubs, within 120 feet of a stream or other permanent water body, or any other CRP practice that is, by policy, prohibited from being grazed is considered ineligible under managed grazing provisions.
Producers who hay or graze CRP acreage will incur a 25 percent reduction in their annual CRP payment for the acres that are actually hayed. Producers must also agree to revise the ending date of the nesting season to Aug. 1 for all practices on their contract.
CRP participants must first visit their local FSA office to sign the haying or grazing request. Haying or grazing cannot begin until the participant receives written approval in the form of a letter from FSA. Producers who hay or graze CRP acreage without first obtaining approval from FSA will be subject to payment reductions and/or contract termination.
For more information, visit the Green County FSA Office, 1627 4th Ave West Suite 1, or contact Teresa R. Zimmer at 608-325-4195 or Teresa.zimmer@wi.usda.gov.