CRP field buffers...CP1 or 2?

[bwoods11]

My advice is read up on the CRP options/plans as much as possible, then tell them you want this here or there. Quite often they have told me it is not eligible when it actually is eligible. Recent discussion yesterday the FSA gal in Iowa. She was off on how she viewed eligibility . Do some homework or call a professional and work it out.

They like to push General CRP, but in my opinion, Continuous CRP is a far better option.

 

[Dukslayr]

Hey, no problem - I appreciate the response. I wish there was a guide as opposed to everyone having to work with each individual fsa office to understand the programs available, the cost share % for each program, the maximum payment for each program, etc, etc.

I hear that. I have farms in two different counties. The counties neighbor each other. The FSA offices in both are totally different to deal with. I won’t go into detail, but there’s clearly not a ton of uniformity on certain things. A lot of things are subjective and they handle them very differently. I suppose it similar to law enforcement...one officer might write you for 5 mph over and another has a 10 mph threshold.
Also agree that a program guide would be nice, but there’s a huge variation in locally available programs so probably not happening anytime soon.

 

[FarmerDan]

I hear that. I have farms in two different counties. The counties neighbor each other. The FSA offices in both are totally different to deal with. I won’t go into detail, but there’s clearly not a ton of uniformity on certain things. A lot of things are subjective and they handle them very differently. I suppose it similar to law enforcement...one officer might write you for 5 mph over and another has a 10 mph threshold.
Also agree that a program guide would be nice, but there’s a huge variation in locally available programs so probably not happening anytime soon.

As long as there is CRP there will be confusion among and between those enrolled in the conservation programs and those designing the plans (NRCS) and those administering (FSA). And I won’t help much here.
There are three catagories of CRP. The one in play now is GENERAL CRP. At the National level there’s an a cap. Legislatively, Congress caps the total number of acres in the program.
So, there’s a goal for the number of acres reenrolled and one for new acres. If interested you make an offer. Your offer is determined eligible - or not based on the environmental benefits it returns. You score points. Point are based on conservation priority areas. So it might qualify in one county but not next door. You get points for the practice you chose to implement. Not all practices are eligible. You get points for erofibility. It’s complicated.
After you make your offer, it’s thrown in a pile. Sorted from highest number of points to lowest. FSA goes down the list accepting offers until all the allocated acres are gone. Your FSA OFFICE had a scenario generator. It’s called TERRA. You can plug in different combinations of stuff to generate estimated number of points and rental rates. FSA offices are not closed. You might not get in but you can do business by phone. Also, that guide everyone wishes they had? Google your state name NRCS eFOTg. Sorry for bad grammar and all that other stuff. I don’t do well on a cell phone at 5am

 

[Dukslayr]

As long as there is CRP there will be confusion among and between those enrolled in the conservation programs and those designing the plans (NRCS) and those administering (FSA). And I won’t help much here.
There are three catagories of CRP. The one in play now is GENERAL CRP. At the National level there’s an a cap. Legislatively, Congress caps the total number of acres in the program.
So, there’s a goal for the number of acres reenrolled and one for new acres. If interested you make an offer. Your offer is determined eligible - or not based on the environmental benefits it returns. You score points. Point are based on conservation priority areas. So it might qualify in one county but not next door. You get points for the practice you chose to implement. Not all practices are eligible. You get points for erofibility. It’s complicated.
After you make your offer, it’s thrown in a pile. Sorted from highest number of points to lowest. FSA goes down the list accepting offers until all the allocated acres are gone. Your FSA OFFICE had a scenario generator. It’s called TERRA. You can plug in different combinations of stuff to generate estimated number of points and rental rates. FSA offices are not closed. You might not get in but you can do business by phone. Also, that guide everyone wishes they had? Google your state name NRCS eFOTg. Sorry for bad grammar and all that other stuff. I don’t do well on a cell phone at 5am

Holy crap. That’s a little more than en enrollment guide. Appreciate the tip, but now I’m 2 hours into poking around on that website and might be more confused than I was before I started. Ha. Thank you for passing that info along. Now I just need to figure out which of these 10,000 documents is relevant to my place.
And my comments about the variation among offices wasn’t specific to the technical details or financial related to CRP, but rather the interpretation and leniency on things where discretion is involved (which are a lot of things). Our physical office is closed but yes they are trying to help remotely, which has proved to be a bit of a challenge.

 

[FarmerDan]

It's true. Interpretation is everything. I just think you have to go into it understanding CRP enrollment is NOT for your benefit - although there are some/many. Understand what your lessor expects and then comply with those wishes. You might be able to push the edges of the contract (yes, it is a contract just as binding as any other) and get away with it, but it's an unknown.