Cathy Froelich with the Natural Resource Conservation Service gave updates on the number of farmers her office has seen in the midst of the spring’s planting season. Currently, she says farmers are behind schedule:
“Certification does end July 15, and they’re only at 29 percent. Gentlemen out there, crops are in the ground, let’s get in town. Sign up for programs? That deadline is August 1, but right now they’re only at 60 percent completed, which normally, they would have been at 80-90 percent,” she said.
Oct. 1 marks the beginning of the new fiscal year for the government, so Froelich urges farmers to visit her office to work out any unfinished business for their property.
“If you have livestock issues, grazing, confinement issues; if you have some conservation practices or some gulleys out in your fields as were planting them, now is the time to come in and talk to us,” she said.
It takes a decent amount of time to get plans in place for funding according to Froelich, so staying ahead of the game is paramount.
For more information, visit nrcs.usda.gov.
written by Jackson Kane