Invitation to WSU/UI Carbon Markets Workshops

Feb. 6, 7, and 8: The “Green” Gold Rush: Opportunities and Risks of Carbon Markets for Washington Dairies, Digesters and Beyond

Please share the opportunity to attend upcoming workshops organized by Washington State University (WSU) and University of Idaho (UI). The target audiences for these workshops are dairy producers and ag professionals who work with dairy producers. Welcome to share with dairy producers in your district who may be interested in attending as well as district staff who work with dairy producers. These workshops will provide a chance to learn about both the opportunities and risks of engaging in carbon markets. 

Join WSU and UI from 10:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. at one of the three following locations. Click on the links to view flyers:

• Feb 6 (Tuesday): Rustlers Grill, 405 Front St, Lynden, WA
• Feb 7 (Wednesday): Snipes, 905 Yakima Valley Hwy, Sunnyside, WA
• Feb 8 (Thursday): Othello Police Department Training Room, 500 E Main St., Othello, WA

The workshop will provide an overview of carbon markets, including:

• Opportunities and risks in various types of carbon markets (voluntary, regulatory, clean fuels programs)
• Grant and cost-share opportunities
• Technology overview
• Long-term outlook
• 
  

REGISTRATION PREFERRED by Jan. 30, as we will provide lunch. Questions? Reach out to Georgine Yorgey at the Washington State University Center for Sustaining Agriculture & Natural Resources, yorgey@wsu.edu, 206-235-7154.

USDA Programs to Prepare and Recover from Severe Winter Weather

Winter storms create significant challenges and often result in catastrophic loss for agricultural producers, especially for those raising livestock, row crops and vulnerable crops like citrus. Despite every attempt to mitigate risk, your operation may suffer losses. As you prepare for the potential impacts of upcoming winter weather, know that USDA offers several programs to help with recovery.

Risk Management

For producers who have risk protection through Federal Crop Insurance or the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), we want to remind you to report crop damage to your crop insurance agent or the local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office.

If you have crop insurance, contact your agency within 72 hours of discovering damage and be sure to follow up in writing within 15 days. If you have NAP coverage, file a Notice of Loss (also called Form CCC-576) within 15 days of loss becoming apparent, except for hand-harvested crops, which should be reported within 72 hours.

Disaster Assistance

USDA also offers disaster assistance programs, which are especially important to livestock, fruit and vegetable, specialty and perennial crop producers.

First, the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) and Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybee and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP) reimburses producers for a portion of the value of livestock, poultry and other animals that died as a result of a qualifying natural disaster event– like these winter storms – or for loss of grazing acres, feed and forage. To participate in LIP and ELAP, you will need to file a Notice of Loss by the annual program payment application date. The LIP payment application and notice of loss deadline is Feb. 29, 2024, for the 2023 program year and March 3, 2025, for 2024 program year losses. For ELAP, producers are required to complete and a notice of loss to their local FSA office no later than the annual program application deadline of January 30 following the program year in which the loss occurred. 

USDA Reopens Signup for Continuous Conservation Reserve Program

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is now accepting applications for the Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (Continuous CRP) signup. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) encourages agricultural producers and landowners in Washington who are interested in conservation opportunities for their land in exchange for yearly rental payments to consider the enrollment options available through Continuous CRP, which also includes the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) offered by FSA partners. Additionally, producers participating in CRP can now apply to re-enroll, if their contracts will expire this year.  

To submit an offer, producers should contact the FSA at their local USDA Service Center by July 31, 2024, in order to have an offer effective by Oct. 1, 2024. To ensure enrollment acreages do not exceed the statutory cap, FSA will accept offers from producers on a first-come, first-served basis and will return offers for approval in batches throughout the year. 

Additionally, producers with acres enrolled in Continuous CRP set to expire Sept. 30, 2024, can now offer acres for re-enrollment. A producer can both enroll new acres into Continuous CRP and re-enroll any acres expiring Sept. 30, 2024.  

Climate Resilience Producer Survey

The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) is working on a Climate Resilience Plan to support agricultural producers through the effects of a changing climate. We want this plan to serve the needs and goals of Washington producers. Please take a few minutes to fill out this short, anonymous survey by February 23, 2024. Your input will help WSDA understand what your concerns are and where to focus their resources.

Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm Raised Fish

ELAP provides financial assistance to eligible producers of livestock, honeybees and farm-raised fish for losses due to disease, certain adverse weather events or loss conditions, including blizzards and wildfires, as determined by the Secretary. ELAP assistance is provided for losses not covered by other disaster assistance programs authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill and the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, such as losses not covered by the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) and the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP).

Assistance for Feed Transportation Costs

In 2021, USDA updated ELAP policy to help cover the cost of transporting feed for livestock that rely on grazing. USDA has expanded the program to help ranchers cover above normal costs of hauling livestock to forage or other grazing acres. This includes places where:

• Drought intensity is D2 for eight consecutive weeks as indicated by the U.S. Drought Monitor;  
• Drought intensity is D3 or greater; or  
• USDA has determined a shortage of local or regional feed availability. 



An online tool is now available to help ranchers document and estimate payments to cover feed transportation costs caused by drought. Download the tool. If you have questions, a demonstration video are available

The deadline to request all ELAP assistance for 2023 calendar year losses will be Jan. 30, 2024.

Livestock Producers in Northwest Washington Are Eligible for Drought Recovery Assistance

FSA is now accepting applications for the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) for grazing losses due to 2023 drought. The deadline to apply for 2023 LFP assistance is Jan. 30, 2024.

LFP provides compensation to eligible livestock producers who suffered grazing losses for covered livestock due to drought on privately owned or cash leased land or fire on federally managed land. For LFP, qualifying drought intensity levels are determined using the U.S. Drought Monitor. Producers in eligible counties can apply for 2023 LFP benefits for grazing losses on native and improved pasture acres. Visit the FSA LFP webpage for a full list of eligible counties and pasture types.

Livestock eligible for LFP include alpacas, beef cattle, bison, buffalo, beefalo, dairy cattle, deer, elk, emus, equine, goats, llamas, ostriches, reindeer, or sheep that have been or would have been grazing the eligible grazing land or pastureland. Recently, FSA updated LFP policy to expand program eligibility to include additional income producing grazing animals, like horses and ostrich, that contribute to the commercial viability of an agricultural operation.

Livestock used for hunting and consumption by the owner and horses and other animals that are used or intended to be used for racing and wagering remain ineligible.

As a reminder, producers who want to participate in many USDA programs including disaster assistance programs like LFP, must file timely acreage reports by filling out the FSA-578 form to remain eligible for program benefits. Livestock producers interested in applying LFP should contact the Mount Vernon USDA Service Center at 360-428-7684 ext. 2 with any questions about the eligibility of specific livestock and forage crops.

More information in USDA disaster assistance is available at farmers.gov/recover.

Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage Programs Receive 2018 Farm Bill One Year Extension, Farmers Can Now Enroll for the 2024 Crop Year

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that agricultural producers can now enroll in the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2024 crop year. Producers can enroll and make election changes for the 2024 crop year. The deadline to complete enrollment and any election change is March 15, 2024.  

On Nov. 16, 2023, President Biden signed into law H.R. 6363, the Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024 (Pub. L. 118-22), which extended the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Pub. L. 115-334), more commonly known as the 2018 Farm Bill, through September 30, 2024. This extension allows authorized programs, including ARC and PLC, to continue operating.

“Having the Farm Bill extension in place means business as usual for Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage program implementation for the 2024 crop year— nothing has changed from previous years,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “These programs provide critical financial protections against commodity market volatilities for many American farmers so don’t delay enrollment. Avoid the rush and contact your local FSA office for an appointment because even if you are not changing your program election for 2024, you still need to sign a contract to enroll.” 

Rural Energy For America Program

The program provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements. Agricultural producers may also apply for new energy efficient equipment and new system loans for agricultural production and processing.

How may the funds be used?

Funds may be used for the purchase and installation of renewable energy systems, such as:

• Biomass (for example: biodiesel and ethanol, anaerobic digesters, and solid fuels).
• Geothermal for electric generation or direct use.
• Hydropower below 30 megawatts.
• Hydrogen.
• Small and large wind generation.
• Small and large solar generation.
• Ocean (tidal, current, thermal) generation.

Funds may also be used for the purchase, installation and construction of energy efficiency improvements, such as:

• High efficiency heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC).
• Insulation.
• Lighting.
• Cooling or refrigeration units.
• Doors and windows.
• Electric, solar or gravity pumps for sprinkler pivots.
• Switching from a diesel to electric irrigation motor.
• Replacement of energy-inefficient equipment.

Energy Efficiency Improvement applications must contain an Energy Audit, or Energy Assessment (depending on Total Project Costs) that complies with Appendix A to RD Instructions 4280-B

Agricultural producers may also use guaranteed loan funds to install energy efficient equipment and systems for agricultural production or processing.