December 9, 2019 - 2:32pm -- smith.263@osu.edu

As you know, enrollment in the “Farm Program” . . . aka, your ARC/PLC election . . . has begun and continues through March 15, 2020. Similar to the 2014 Farm Bill, producers have the same three options for federal commodity programs: Agricultural Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage, with the Agricultural Risk Coverage again being divided into a county or individual option.

Much like we did five years ago, OSU Extension is offering meetings to provide you the information relevant to making your ARC/PLC choices. It will include a brief overview of the ARC/PLC program, and a demonstration on how to use the "selection tool" that we have developed to help make an informed choice regarding your enrollement.

In addition to exploring the potential financial considerations involved in ACR/PLC enrollment, these key points will be emphasized:

  • ARC/PLC enrollment deadline is March 15.

  • For ACR/PLC farm program purposes, a “farm” is any farmland that has its own FSA farm number.

  • Regardless what crops you may be planting today, or will plant during the 5 year life of this Farm Bill, all potential payments are calcualted from a farm's Base Acres as recorded at FSA. IE: Even though you may not have planted wheat for years, there are a number of Fairfield County farms with wheat base and an ARC/PLC choice should be carefully considered. All Base Acres potentially add value to a farm regardless the crops you plant!

  • Producers can and should sign up in the FSA office and make their ACR/PLC choices anytime, however, changes can be made to the ARC/PLC choice up until March 15.

  • Producers should update their own personal crop price and yield projections in March and decide if they want to remain enrolled as they may have enrolled originally prior to the March 15 deadline.

  • PLC yield update deadline is October 1, 2020. Landowners have nothing to lose by updating PLC yields.

  • ARC-IC might be a viable option if a “farm” was reported as 100% Prevent Plant in 2019, or if 15% or more of that farm's acres were planted to fruits and vegetables or other non-covered commodities.

Locally we have one more opportunity remaining to participate in an ARC/PLC Farm Bill Decision meeting:

February 19, 2020, after Dicamba Training at approximately 10 a.m. in the Fairfield County Ag Center

To find out about other upcoming meetings throughout Ohio, get more information about the Farm Bill, or to review the OSU ARC/PLC payment calculator, visit http://go.osu.edu/farmbill2019