The 2014 Farm Bill implements a change that requires farmers to have a Highly Erodible Land Conservation and Wetland Conservation Certification (AD-1026) on file.ย 

For farmers to be eligible for premium support on their federal crop insurance, a completed and signed AD-1026 certification form must be on file with the FSA. The Risk Management Agency (RMA), through the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC), manages the federal crop insurance program that provides the modern farm safety net for American farmers and ranchers.

Since enactment of the 1985 Farm Bill, eligibility for most commodity, disaster, and conservation programs has been linked to compliance with the highly erodible land conservation and wetland conservation provisions. The 2014 Farm Bill continues the requirement that producers adhere to conservation compliance guidelines to be eligible for most programs administered by FSA and NRCS. This includes most financial assistance such as the new price and revenue protection programs, the Conservation Reserve Program, the Livestock Disaster Assistance programs and Marketing Assistance Loans and most programs implemented by FSA. It also includes the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, the Conservation Stewardship Program, and other conservation programs implemented by NRCS.

Many FSA and Natural Resource Conservation (NRCS) programs already have implemented this requirement and therefore most producers should already have an AD-1026 from on file for their associated lands. If however an AD-1026 form has not been filed or is incomplete then farmers are reminded of the deadline of June 1, 2015.

When a farmer completes and submits the AD-1026 certification form, FSA and NRCS staff will review the associated farm records and outline any additional actions that may be required to meet the required compliance with the conservation compliance provisions.

FSA recently released a revised form AD-1026, which is available at USDA Service Centers and online at:www.fsa.usda.gov . USDA will publish a rule later this year that will provide details outlining the connection of conservation compliance with crop insurance premium support.ย  Producers can also contact their local USDA Service Center for information.ย  A listing of service center locations is available at offices.usda.gov.

Austin/Washingtonย County FSA Office

520 South Front St.
Bellville,ย Texas 77418

Phone: 979-865-3138 x2

Farm Program
Fax:ย 1-844-496-7088

Farm Loan
Fax:ย 1-844-206-7556

County Executive Director:
Steven Pawelek[email protected]

Farm Loan Manager:
Irby McWilliams
[email protected]

Phone: 979-865-3138 x2

Farm Loan Officer:
Linda Buro
[email protected]

Program Technicians:
Cindy A. Johnson
Linda Hobratschk
Jenise Moszkowicz
Jennifer Cochran
Sharon Rosenauer
Jordynย Lara

County Committee:
Mark Schonefeld, Chairperson
Douglas Marek, Vice Chairperson
Fred Luhn, Member
James Lehmann, Member
Marcia Shelton, Advisor

COC Regular Meetings are scheduled to be held every 3rdThursday of the month startingย at8:00am in the Bellville Service Center