Agricultural risk, price loss coverage

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The 2018 Farm Bill reauthorized the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) safety net programs that were in the 2014 Farm Bill. Producers must enroll in ARC/PLC for the 2021 crop year through their local Farm Service Agency office. Producers can amend the program elections they made for the 2019 and 2020 crop years for the 2021 crop year. The signup period for the 2021 crop year is open now, and the deadline to enroll and make amendments to program elections is March 15, 2021.

If changes are not made by March 15, 2021 deadline, the election defaults to the programs selected for the 2020 crop year with no penalty. Producers will have the opportunity to amend program elections again for the 2022 and 2023 crop years.

Producers again have the option to enroll covered commodities in either ARC-County, ARC-Individual, or PLC. Program elections are made on a crop-by-crop basis unless selecting ARC-Individual where all crops under that FSA Farm Number fall under that program. ARC program payments are made when crop revenue falls below a guaranteed level, while PLC payments are made when a crops specific effective price is lower than its reference price. These are the same program options that were available to producers during the 2019 and 2020 crop years. In some cases producers may want to amend program election to better manage the potential risks facing their farms during the 2021 crop year.

On Dec. 1, 2020 at 10 a.m. EST program directors from the Ohio Farm Service Agency and Ohio State University Extension will host a free informational webinar about ARC/PLC enrollment and election for the 2021 crop year. During this free one-hour webinar, state leaders will cover program design, economic considerations and frequently asked questions. To make sure your question is addressed during the webinar, please send to Ben Brown at [email protected] or 660-492-7574 prior to Dec. 1, 2020.

To register, visit: go.osu.edu/arc_plc.

Deadline to recertify

Gov. Mike DeWine has extended the deadline to recertify private pesticide and fertilizer applicator licenses until July 1, 2021. This extension applies to applicators whose licenses were set to expire in 2020 and in 2021. Commercial applicators also have an extension until July 1, 2021 to recertify.

There are several opportunities to recertify online if you would like to complete your recertification at home. There will be additional opportunities in 2021 to recertify through meetings, but the dates have not been set at this point in time. For more information about recertifying your license, contact the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918.

Farm Show Lighting Contest

All community members, rural or urban, will have an opportunity to participate in the Southern Ohio Farm Show through a holiday lighting contest. Extension staff will record the illuminated displays on Dec. 8-10.

The collective illuminated displays will be combined into a community highlight video for the Dec. 23, 2020, episode of the Southern Ohio Farm Show. We recognize that this holiday season will be different for many of us. We intend to provide each of the nursing homes a copy of the program, so they are able to share the local displays with the residents.

To participate in the holiday lighting episode, submit your display by Dec. 7, 2020 via go.osu.edu/SOFSHolidayLights.

To complete the entry form, you will need to include your name, address, county location of the display, and acknowledge that you will have your illuminated displays turned on for the evenings of Dec. 8-10. Be creative and use this opportunity to spread some holiday cheer.

For more information about the Southern Ohio Farm Show or other OSU Extension programming, contact the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918.

Brooke Beam, Ph.D., is an agriculture and natural resources/community development educator, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, OSU Extension Highland County.

Brooke Beam Contributing columnist
https://www.timesgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2020/11/web1_Beam-Brooke-mug-3.jpgBrooke Beam Contributing columnist

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