EProgram Application Deadlines Extended to June 2 

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has provided additional flexibilities and further enhanced disaster recovery assistance provided by the Emergency Assistance for Livestock Honeybees, and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP), Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) and Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) in response to needs expressed by livestock producers across the U.S. who have experienced significant feed, forage and animal losses from natural disasters. These livestock disaster program policy enhancements include an extended June 2, 2023, deadline to submit notices of loss and applications for payment for 2022 losses. The deadline extension and program flexibilities are available to eligible producers nationwide who incurred losses from a qualifying natural disaster event.  

LIP and ELAP reimburses producers for a portion of the value of livestock, poultry and other animals that died because of a qualifying natural disaster event or for loss of grazing acres, feed and forage. LFP provides benefits for grazing losses due to a qualifying drought or wildfire. For fire, losses must occur on federally managed lands. ELAP provides benefits for grazing losses not covered under LFP.        

New Program Applications for 2022  

FSA is accepting 2022 LIP notices of loss and applications for payment through June 2, 2023, for all covered livestock that may have been eligible in 2022.     

Producers who did not sign up for ELAP assistance for hauling livestock, forage and feedstuff hauling or other losses covered under ELAP in 2022 can also apply through June 2, 2023.     

FSA will accept LFP applications for only newly eligible covered livestock through June 2, 2023.    

All required supporting documentation must be received and on file in the county office by the established deadline.     

Revising 2022 Applications   

Producers who have a 2022 ELAP, LIP or LFP application on file with FSA as of the program deadline or were placed on an approved register, may revise their application with the newly updated eligible livestock no later than June 2, 2023.    

Filing a Notice of Loss for ELAP due to 2022 and 2023 Drought  

To support program access for counties that do not currently have a 365-day grazing season, FSA is waiving the 30-day timeframe for producers to submit a notice of loss for the 2023 ELAP program year due to qualifying drought in calendar years 2022 or 2023. Producers can now submit a notice of loss from the date the loss is apparent, as far back as Jan. 1, 2023, for 2022 eligible losses and 2023 eligible losses that occur before June 2, 2023.     

For counties that have a 365-day grazing season, producers must have a qualifying drought in the 2023 calendar year to be eligible for 2023 livestock, water and feed hauling in 2023.  

More Information  

Livestock producers must provide evidence that livestock death was due to an eligible adverse weather event or loss condition. In addition, livestock producers should bring supporting evidence, including documentation of the number and kind of livestock that died, photographs or video records to document the loss, purchase records, veterinarian records, production records and other similar documents. Owners who sold injured livestock for a reduced price because the livestock were injured due to an adverse weather event, must provide verifiable evidence of the reduced sale of the livestock. Producers can apply for ELAP, LFP and LIP benefits at their local FSA county office. For more information or to submit a notice of loss or an application for payment, please contact your local FSA office or visit farmers.gov/recover.

After serving three terms in the Virginia House of Delegates, Del. Wendy Gooditis announced she will not seek another term in the 2023 elections. She has been a strong voice for Virginia’s agricultural industry, as she was assigned to the Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee and at one time served as vice chair of the committee.

Redistricting eliminated House District 10, separating it into House Districts 29, 30 and 31. Gooditis resides in the new House District 31. As she moves forward, she remains dedicated to serving her rural community. She encourages her constituents to stay engaged in the political process and to continue working towards a better future for all Virginians. She will remain in office through the end of 2023.

Join us as we sit down with Del. Wendy Gooditis and talk about her favorite moments from her time in office and what she plans to do next.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed HB 1563 and SB 1240, highlighting the Commonwealth’s continued commitment to Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA). The bills expand the agricultural sales tax exemption to include items used to produce agricultural products for market in a CEA commercial facility. Following the signing at Virginia Tech’s Shenandoah Valley Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Raphine, Va., Youngkin announced that the “Great Indoors” Virginia symposium to address global food security through innovation is scheduled for September 25-26.

“Targeted investments and support for advanced training in cutting-edge agricultural technology training is vital in making Virginia the number one destination in the nation for controlled environment agriculture,” said Youngkin.“Innovation is critical to creating a resilient food system that prevents a rapidly growing world population from suffering food insecurity, while responding to consumer demand for healthier, more sustainable food options.

Under current law, CEA facilities may receive sales tax exemptions for some, but not all, of the purchases they make. The agricultural technology tax exemption legislation, supported by Sen. Mark D. Obenshain and Del. Hyland F. “Buddy” Fowler, Jr., expands the exemption to include tangible personal property items that are used in construction of a CEA facility.

The planned “Great Indoors” symposium will bring together leading innovators to explore CEA’s role in helping address global food safety and security concerns. The conference will bring senior leadership across the public and private sectors together to discuss how to scale new technologies to address food insecurities, while also addressing challenges often faced in outdoor farming, including extreme weather, labor costs and availability, soil erosion, water availability and pesticide resistance.

“Virginia is quickly becoming the destination of choice for CEA operations to locate and expand, due to the state’s strategic access to domestic consumer markets, plentiful and competitively priced resources, skilled workforce pipeline and the availability of public and private partnerships,” said Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matthew Lohr. “The Governor’s budget amendments seek to capitalize on these advantages and solidify Virginia’s position as the best state for CEA business in the nation.”

Youngkin’s 2023 budget amendments provide $1.250 million more in both FY2023 and FY2024 for agricultural technology grants or loans to advance the industry, assist in the development of agricultural products and improve infrastructure growth, productivity or efficiency. From the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development (AFID) program, $1 million is provided in FY2024 to fund agricultural technology research projects over the biennium.

Katelyn Jordan is our newest legislative specialist on Virginia Farm Bureau’s Governmental Relations team. Her focus is on local affairs and local government authority issues, property rights and taxes. Prior to this position, she worked for three members of the Virginia General Assembly, the Office of the Lieutenant Governor and a Virginia state agency.

Katelyn is a first-generation college student and a 2019 Summa Cum Laude graduate from Randolph-Macon College. Holding a B.A. in Political Science, she also completed minors in Spanish and Communication Studies. Katelyn likes to say that she grew up “five minutes from the corn fields, five minutes from the beach” in Pungo, Virginia. She now resides in Richmond with her cat, Mr. Brightside. 

Owners and operators of small farms throughout the state can discover ways to improve soil and animal health and gain information on major funding opportunities at four field days this month.  

The field days will take place in May on privately-owned small farms in Fauquier, Louisa, Franklin and Surry counties. These free events are sponsored by the Virginia State University Small Farm Outreach Program. 

Attendees will participate in farmer-led tours and demonstrations highlighting conservation best management practices such as nutrient management, cover crops, grazing-land management, continuous no-till and split nitrogen applications. These practices help reduce the cost of inputs and improve farm productivity while also safeguarding Virginia’s stream and river water quality.   

Specialists from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and Soil and Water Conservation Districts will be on hand to share information about programs that offer farmers free technical assistance and up to $300,000 per year in cost-share to implement best management practices on their farms. They will also highlight programs and resources available only to small farms. 

Farmers may register for one or more of the following at https://www.ext.vsu.edu/sfop-events: 

• Saturday, May 13, from 9 a.m.–noon  
  Joe Gray’s Farm, Remington, Va. 
  For more information, contact Michael Carter Sr. at mcarter@vsu.edu. 
  Lunch will be served. 

• Tuesday, May 16, from 9 a.m.–noon  
  Albert McGee’s Farm, Louisa, Va.  
  For more information, contact Roland Terrell at rterrell@vsu.edu. 

• Wednesday, May 24, from noon–3 p.m.  
  Anthony and Tonja Martin’s Farm, Penhook, Va.  
  For more information, contact Clifford Somerville at csomerville@vsu.edu. 
  Lunch will be served.  

• Thursday, May 25, from 10 a.m.–1 p.m. 
  Glenn Slade’s Farm, Surry, Va. 
  For more information, contact Derrick Cladd at dcladd@vsu.edu. 
  Lunch will be served. 

On April 25, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the results of the May 2022 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates (OEWS). This is important because under the new Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) final rule that went into effect on March 30, the OEWS data is now the basis for the single-Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) H-2A AEWRs, which are the wage rates paid to H2-A visa holders with specific jobs outside the primary farm occupations, unless the six SOC code AEWR is higher and then it must be paid. In accordance with the final rule, the single-SOC AEWRs based on the newly released OEWS data will be announced in a Federal Register notice and become effective on or about July 1. The single-SOC OEWS-based AEWRs will apply from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024.