Category Archives: Bourbon County

Bourbon County, Kansas

Temporary 30-60 Minute Power Reductions Start Today To Avoid Power Outages

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Evergy customers affected as regional electric utilities begin intermittent outages to combat effects of bitter cold on energy supply.

 

Kansas City, MO – February 15, 2021 – Due to extended extreme temperatures affecting the regional power supply, the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) has asked member electric utilities, including Evergy, to implement controlled, temporary emergency electricity reductions in order to help avoid larger uncontrolled and extended power outages throughout the region.

 

Beginning on February 15 at 12:15 p.m., Evergy will begin to turn off electricity to blocks of customers for approximately 30 – 60 minutes. Once the period has concluded, power will be restored to the impacted area. The emergency outages will then rotate to another portion of Evergy’s service area. Power will cycle off and on periodically until the reduction is no longer required by the SPP. With these extreme cold temperatures, equipment may not operate as intended. As a result, outages could last longer than 30 – 60 minutes.

 

If you are impacted by an emergency electricity reduction, you do not need to report your outage.  Rather, check Evergy’s outage map and www.evergy.com/outageinfo for more information.  All customers should be prepared for the potential for these periodic outages. If you experience an outage that lasts longer than an hour, report your outage at www.evergy.com or call 888-544-4852 or 800-544-4857, for Kansas Central customers.

 

Evergy asks customers to continue to conserve energy to help reduce stress on the power grid, potentially reducing the ongoing need for emergency reductions.

 

  • Turn thermostats a little cooler (65-68 degrees). Avoid the use of electric space heaters.
  • Close blinds and shades to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows.
  • Turn off unnecessary lights and appliances
  • When possible, delay non-essential uses of energy washing drying clothes, washing dishes and bathing to non-peak hours, between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.
  • Use low-temperature cooking methods and avoid opening the oven door if it’s on.

 

Evergy is also working with its large commercial and industrial customers to reduce energy usage this week. The company has reduced electricity use at Evergy facilities, implemented cold-weather procedures, and adapted operations at its power plants to keep equipment working and fuel available to generate electricity for customers.

 

Evergy is a member of the Southwest Power Pool, which coordinates the regional transmission grid and wholesale energy markets for a 17-state region across the central United States, including Kansas and Missouri. The SPP monitors power flow through its footprint and coordinates regional response in emergency situations.

In addition to the SPP call for reductions, its peers in Texas and the upper Midwest are also facing electricity shortages and are asking customers to conserve.

About Evergy, Inc.

 

Evergy, Inc. (NYSE: EVRG) serves approximately 1.6 million customers in Kansas and Missouri. We were formed in 2018 when long-term local energy providers KCP&L and Westar Energy merged. We are a leader in renewable energy, supplying nearly half of the power we provide to homes and businesses from emission-free generation. We support our local communities where we live and work and strive to meet the needs of customers through energy savings and innovative solutions.

 

Kari D. West
Lead Customer Solutions Manager
Evergy

[email protected]

O: 785-379-4351 M: 620-249-6766

evergy.com

Bourbon County, Business

BEDCO Update: Hiring an Eco Devo Director

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Greg Motley. President of the Bourbon County Economic Development Council. Submitted photo.

Bourbon County Economic Development Council, Inc. is a not-for-profit started in 1992.

 

The council   “reconstituted”  in 2020.

 

“The bylaws were amended, and the board reconstituted in 2020, to make economic development functions a county-wide effort again, and to reestablish cooperation and trust amongst the disparate geographies in our county,” he said.  “We can no longer afford to go it alone, and must work together.”

 

In the last few months, the council began a search for an economic development director.

Their goal for this month is to hire an economic development director to move the county forward.

 

“The Human Resource Committee (of BEDCO) is currently running the process of hiring an executive director,”  Motley said. “We had 13 applications from all over the United States, and one from overseas.”

 

Through a qualifications matrix, six applications were selected, and each of the six has completed a test to measure skills and temperament suitable for the job, he said.

 

The committee will reduce the number of applicants based on their scores, and begin interviewing the finalists soon, Motley said.

 

 

Composition of BEDCO

“The board of trustees consists of appointees by the…seven incorporated cities, one each from USD 234, USD 235, Fort Scott Community College, the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce, and two at-large members,” Motley said.

 

The group is comprised of:

Bourbon County Commissioner Lynne Oharah, City of Fort Scott Commissioner Josh Jones, Jess Ervin representing Uniontown, Mike Blevins-Mapleton, Michael Stewart-Bronson, (Treasurer) Mary Pemberton-Redfield, Misty Adams-Fulton, Ted Hessong-USD234, Bret Howard-USD235, (Vice President) Jim Fewins-Fort Scott Community College,(President) Greg Motley-Fort Scott Area Community Foundation, (At-Large) Mark McCoy and (At-Large) Heather Davis.

 

 

“Our goal is to be a trusted vehicle whereby we can act as a catalyst for economic development and any other function that might integrate well on a county-wide basis,” Motley said.  “Right now, our most valuable assets are lots in the Fort Scott Industrial Park; in conjunction with the county, we are currently working with an active prospect on a land deal in that vicinity that would bring a new business to town.”

 

 

“The main board only meets when there is something of substance to consider,” Motley said.

 

In addition to the human resource committee, the operations committee is meeting regularly.

 

Operations Committee

The operations committee met on Feb. 11, and worked on logistics of onboarding the economic development director, including office space, phone, etc., Motley said.

 

That committee is comprised of Mark McCoy, Lynne Oharah, Mary Pemberton, Misty Adams, and Josh Jones.

 

 

Mark McCoy. Taken from Facebook.

 

“We discussed office locations,” McCoy said. “Cost is number one, we have very limited funds.”

 

Two locations were discussed: the BWERC ( Bourbon County Workforce and Entrepreneur Resource Center) office above the new Star Emporium Downtown General Store on Main Street and an office inside Landmark Bank, also on Main Street.

 

“Both of these offer the potential of the first year, no cost,” McCoy said.

 

Also discussed was the equipment needed for the job.

 

“Telecommunication is an important part of the job,” McCoy said.  “We want to make sure BEDCO has appropriate information technology access.”

 

The position is being funded by the Bourbon County Commission who committed $130,000 for the total package of salary, benefits, equipment, supplies, transportation expenses, association expenses, and office space, McCoy said.

 

“The goal is to save taxes in Bourbon County,” McCoy said. “My goal in the future is to have one economic director representing the county.”

 

Currently, the City of Fort Scott and the Bourbon County Commission both have an economic director.

 

The city and county recently agreed to share the finance director position, held by Susan Bancroft.

 

To learn more about this collaboration:

Susan Bancroft Assumes Duties as Bourbon County Business Manager

 

Name Change

The BEDCO group is considering a name change since they have a new direction of the whole county.

“There are four names under consideration,” McCoy said. “With the new direction, it is important to revise who you are and where you are going.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bourbon County

Uniontown 4-H Club January Report

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January Uniontown 4-H Report

Submitted by Kendyl Bloesser, Club Reporter

The Uniontown 4-H club met on January 10, 2021, at 6:00.

Hailey Shadden let the club in the flag salute and Will Maycumber led the club in the 4-H pledge.

Roll call was ” What is one goal you have for the new year?”

There were 12 members and 8 adults in attendance

. The 4H Council Representatives advised the next council meeting was to be held on January 27th.

The 4-H leaders reported that 4-H days would be held using a virtual format this year and is to be held on Saturday, February 6th. Regional 4-H days are to be held on March 6th. 4H summer camp dates are set for 2021, those interested should review registration dates.

The Bourbon County Fair dates for 2021 are July 9th – July 16th.

Communication Project leaders, Deidra Maycumber and Jackie Shadden, led the club in part 2 of a 6 part series. Part 2 covered how including details help people to understand our communication better. To demonstrate this, they led the club in two activities using different levels of detailed instructions and had club members compare the outcomes to see how alike or different their drawings were. Then the project leaders led us in a conversation around how they could have instructed the group differently with additional details for all drawings to be similar.

Tucker Sutton presented a project talk on how to take care of a baby pig.

Afterwards, members played a game of charades and sang Home on the Range.

The next club meeting is scheduled for Sunday, February 14, 2021.

Bourbon County, Fort Scott

Energy Conservation Encouraged With Natural Gas

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Kansas Gas Service Encourages Customers to Conserve Energy
During Extended Cold Weather

Video toolkit features Managing VP of Operations answering common questions

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Feb. 13, 2021 – As frigid weather settles over Kansas for an extended period, Kansas Gas Service encourages customers to practice simple energy-saving tips and conservation efforts to manage their winter heating bills.

“Due to the extended duration of historically low temperatures, we are seeing much higher natural gas use and natural gas prices have gone up,” said Kent Shortridge, vice president of operations for Kansas Gas Service. “While we do not markup the price of natural gas, these events will have an impact on customer bills. At this time, we can’t quantify what the impact will be.”

Energy-saving Measures to Reduce Natural Gas Usage

To help better manage your energy consumption over the extended winter period and help reduce your energy bills, Kansas Gas Service encourages these effective, conservation measures:

• Keep warm, not hot When possible wear additional layers of clothing, consider turning down your thermostat and check your programmable settings.
• Seal leaks around doors and windows Apply weatherstripping or caulk to seal gaps and cracks around windows and doors to stop air leaks and prevent energy loss. If that is not an option, you can also cover windows with towels, sheets or plastic to help keep the warm air in your house.
• Reduce the temperature on your water heater Set the temperature on your water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit or put it on the “warm” setting. If your home will be vacant for two days or more, set the dial to the pilot position for even more savings.
• Close blinds and curtains This helps keep warm air inside, especially if the sun is not shining.
• Change or clean filters
A clean filter on your furnace can lower your energy consumption by 5% to 15%. Dirty
filters cost more to use and overwork the equipment.
• Hold off on doing chores
Doing laundry and washing dishes can both use natural gas to heat the water and your dryer. If you can, wait until the extreme cold weather passes to complete these activities.
If you cannot wait, use the cold setting where possible.
• Install foam gaskets on electrical switches and outlets
Electrical switches and outlets can account for up to 10% of your home’s energy loss.

Additionally, remember these safety tips:
• Never use your stove or oven for home heating.
• Make sure nothing obstructs a furnace’s air intake and that vents and flues are intact and unblocked to avoid the potential of carbon monoxide poisoning.
• When removing ice and snow in the vicinity of meters, vents or flues, do so carefully so as not to cause damage.
• Leave cabinet doors open, especially those on exterior walls, to reduce the risk of frozen pipes.
• If you smell a natural gas odor, leave the area immediately then call 911 and 888- 482-4950.

Customers are encouraged to visit KansasGasService.com/SevereCold for any company severe
weather updates.
Digital toolkit
Kent Shortridge, managing vice president of Operations for Kansas Gas Service, answers common customer usage questions:
https://vimeo.com/onegascomms/download/512084053/7dedd9394a
• :03 – :13 Why are you asking customers to conserve?
• :17 – :36 How much natural gas will customers use during this cold snap?
• :40 – 1:10 How will this impact customer bills?
• 1:13 – 1:31 What steps should customers take to conserve energy?
• 1:36 – 2:03 Are you expecting a shortage in gas supply?
• 2:07 – 2:18 What is being done to ensure service to critical facilities?
• 2:22 – 2:38 What is the impact on large commercial and industrial customers?
• 2:42 – 3:04 How well is your pipeline system operating?
• 3:08 – 3:35 Have you experienced any system failures or outages?

Bourbon County, K-State Extension

Master of Memory Program to be Presented

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Barbara Stockebrand. K-State Extension Agent. Submitted photo.

1Many people believe that memory loss and aging go hand-in-hand. That would assume that as a person gets older his or her memory begins to fail. While some change may be expected as you age, that doesn’t mean you can’t do something about it in the absence of a brain disease, such as Alzheimer’s Disease. You can be proactive in using some strategies and lifestyle adaptations.

Southwind Extension District Agent, Barbara Stockebrand, will be presenting a Texas A&M created workshop series on “Master of Memory” on March 4, 11, and 18 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. The 3-lesson series helps participants understand how memory works and what may affect memory. All sessions will be presented by Zoom, so it will be easy to attend and participate from the comforts of your home.

“Master of Memory” has been found to help participants identify and use strategies to improve memory function. Participants will learn there are different ways to learn new things and different memory strategies; how different foods and nutrients may affect brain function and medications that may affect memory; medical conditions that affect memory and may be reversible, along with how exercise benefits the body and mind.

Call 620-625-8620 to register for this free educational opportunity. Registration is necessary to receive the Zoom link to take part in the program.

K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Bourbon County, Government

Bourbon County Commission Agenda for Feb. 17

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Agenda

Bourbon County Commission Room

1st Floor, County Courthouse

210 S. National Avenue

Fort Scott, KS 66701

Tuesdays starting at 9:00

Date: February 17, 2021

1st District-Lynne Oharah Minutes: Approved: _______________

2nd District-Jim Harris Corrected: _______________

3rd District-Clifton Beth Adjourned at: _______________

County Clerk-Kendell Mason

 

MEETING WILL BE HELD IN COMMISSION ROOM. ANYONE ATTENDING THE MEETING WILL BE REQUIRED TO WEAR A MASK. MUST MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCING.

2/17/21 MEETING BEGINS AT 3:00 PM

Call to Order

 

  • Flag Salute
  • Approval of Minutes from previous meeting
  • Eric Bailey – Road and Bridge Report
  • Eric Bailey – Executive Session, KSA 75-4319(b)(1) To discuss personnel matters of individual nonelected personnel to protect their privacy
  • Shane Walker – Executive Session, KSA 75-4319(b)(1) To discuss personnel matters of individual nonelected personnel to protect their privacy
  • Susan Bancroft – Executive Session, KSA 75-4319(b)(1) To discuss personnel matters of individual nonelected personnel to protect their privacy
  • 2020 Audit
  • Bob Reed – Executive Session, KSA 75-4319(b)(1) To discuss personnel matters of individual nonelected personnel to protect their privacy
  • County Counselor Comment
  • Public Comment
  • Commission Comment

Justifications for Executive Session:

          KSA 75-4319(b)(1) To discuss personnel matters of individual nonelected personnel to protect their privacy

          KSA 75-4319(b)(2) For consultation with an attorney for the public body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship

          KSA 75-4319(b)(3) To discuss matters relating to employer-employee negotiations whether or not in consultation with the representative(s) of the body or agency

          KSA 75-4319(b)(4) To discuss data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trust, and individual proprietorships

          KSA 75-4319(b)(6) For the preliminary discussion of the acquisition of real property

          KSA 75-4319(b)(12) To discuss matters relating to security measures, if the discussion of such matters at an open meeting would jeopardize such security measures.

Bourbon County, Government

Bourbon County Commission Agenda for Feb. 17

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Agenda

Bourbon County Commission Room

1st Floor, County Courthouse

210 S. National Avenue

Fort Scott, KS 66701

Tuesdays starting at 9:00

Please note meeting is on Wednesday and begins at 3pm.

Date: February 17, 2021

1st District-Lynne Oharah Minutes: Approved: _______________

2nd District-Jim Harris Corrected: _______________

3rd District-Clifton Beth Adjourned at: _______________

County Clerk-Kendell Mason

 

MEETING WILL BE HELD IN COMMISSION ROOM. ANYONE ATTENDING THE MEETING WILL BE REQUIRED TO WEAR A MASK PROVIDED BY THE COUNTY. MUST MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCING.

Call to Order

 

  • Flag Salute
  • Approval of Minutes from previous meeting
  • Eric Bailey – Road and Bridge Report
  • Shane Walker – Executive Session, KSA 75-4319(b)(1) To discuss personnel matters of individual nonelected personnel to protect their privacy
  • Susan Bancroft – Executive Session, KSA 75-4319(b)(1) To discuss personnel matters of individual nonelected personnel to protect their privacy
  • 2020 Audit
  • Bill Martin – Executive Session, KSA 75-4319(b)(1) To discuss personnel matters of individual nonelected personnel to protect their privacy
  • Bob Reed – Executive Session, KSA 75-4319(b)(1) To discuss personnel matters of individual nonelected personnel to protect their privacy
  • County Counselor Comment
  • Public Comment
  • Commission Comment

Justifications for Executive Session:

          KSA 75-4319(b)(1) To discuss personnel matters of individual nonelected personnel to protect their privacy

          KSA 75-4319(b)(2) For consultation with an attorney for the public body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship

          KSA 75-4319(b)(3) To discuss matters relating to employer-employee negotiations whether or not in consultation with the representative(s) of the body or agency

          KSA 75-4319(b)(4) To discuss data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trust, and individual proprietorships

          KSA 75-4319(b)(6) For the preliminary discussion of the acquisition of real property

          KSA 75-4319(b)(12) To discuss matters relating to security measures, if the discussion of such matters at an open meeting would jeopardize such security measures.

Bourbon County, Government, Kansas

Community Development Grants: Bourbon County $244K

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Governor Laura Kelly Announces Nearly $14 Million in Grants for Rural Kansas Communities

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today announced 32 rural Kansas communities will receive a share of $13,864,149 in federal grants to assist with community development projects.

Through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program facilitated by the Kansas Department of Commerce, these federal grants are being awarded for a variety of community improvement projects, including sewer and water projects, housing rehabilitation and community facility improvements.

“The Community Development Block Grant program is a powerful tool for improving communities, revitalizing vital infrastructure, and maximizing economic opportunity,” Governor Kelly said. “Over the past several months, the pandemic has heightened the challenges our rural communities face when it comes to community development – making assistance like this more important than ever. My administration is dedicated to doing all we can to continue addressing rural Kansans’ most pressing needs.”

“Providing assistance to address quality-of-life issues is a necessary and noble part of economic development,” Lieutenant Governor and Commerce Secretary David Toland said. “By funding community projects like these, the CDBG program is helping to improve the overall business and residential appeal of these small towns. These investments will improve living conditions for Kansas residents, create new economic opportunities for rural communities and bolster the overall prosperity of our entire state.”

Counties, applicant cities and award amounts are as follows:

CDBG

The CDBG program administered by the Kansas Department of Commerce provides federal funds to local governments for the development of viable communities by addressing their housing, public facilities and economic development needs. To be awarded funds, local government units must meet at least one of three program objectives:

  • The grant will benefit low- and moderate-income persons
  • The grant will prevent or eliminate slums and blight
  • The grant will resolve an urgent need where local resources are not available to do so

The CDBG funds are one of the Department of Commerce’s primary tools in supporting the state’s small, predominantly rural communities.

About the Kansas Department of Commerce

As the state’s lead economic development agency, the Kansas Department of Commerce strives to empower individuals, businesses and communities to achieve prosperity in Kansas. Commerce accomplishes its mission by developing relationships with corporations, site location consultants and stakeholders in Kansas, the nation and world. Our strong partnerships allow us to help create an environment for existing Kansas businesses to grow and foster an innovative, competitive landscape for new businesses.

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Bourbon County, Government

Tax Sale On The Horizon For Bourbon County

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Patty Love, Bourbon County Treasurer. Submitted photo.

Bourbon County staff are in the process of carrying out a tax sale on property owners who have not paid their taxes.

In Bourbon County, a property qualifies for the tax sale after taxes are three years delinquent, said Bourbon County Treasurer Patty Love.  “The taxes become delinquent in October of the following year. For example, the 2020 taxes will not be delinquent until October 1, 2021.”
“The tax sale is the only recourse we have to force people to pay their taxes,” Love said.
“We have mailed out warning letters letting people with 2016 and prior delinquent taxes know that we are working on a tax sale for 2021,” she said.   “Those letters were mailed in October, November and December.  We have now sent the list to the title company and they are doing the title searches.”
  The property title company then returns these to the county attorney and will be filed with the court.
“To keep their property off of the tax sale, the property owner can pay 2016 and prior taxes at this time and they will be removed from the tax sale,” Love said.  “Once the attorney has filed them with the court, the only way they can be taken off of the tax sale is if the property owner pays all taxes 2020 and prior taxes plus a $200. court filing fee.”
Once all  the properties are filed, a notification will be published in the Fort Scott Tribune newspaper and also to the website bourboncountyks.org.
“The property owner has up until 10 a.m. the day of the tax sale to redeem their property by paying all taxes and $200,” Love said.
“In order to bid on the property at the tax sale, you have to have all of your property taxes current, and sign a paper stating that you are not related to the owner of the property you are bidding on and that you are not buying the property for the delinquent owner,” she said.
The tax sale takes place in the lobby of the  Bourbon County Courthouse. with the property being sold to the highest bidder, she said.
“We will determine a date after all properties are filed with the cour,” Love said.
Justin Meeks, Bourbon County Counselor. Submitted photo.

“We started to receive abstracts from the title company about two weeks ago,” said Bourbon County Counselor Justin Meeks.  “We are getting a couple a day. We should have the sale in the late spring and if needed, another one in October or November of this year.”

The county personnel are on the the title company’s timeline,” Meeks said.

“They have been very busy, which is a good thing for everyone because that means houses are selling,” Meeks said.

Bourbon County, Schools

Uniontown High School Send-Off-Seniors (SOS) Beef Raffle

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The Uniontown High School Seniors are selling raffle tickets to raise funds for their Send-Off-Seniors post-graduation event.  The SOS event began as a way for the seniors to celebrate their accomplishments together in a drug-free and alcohol-free environment.  All of the donations collected will go towards providing items the seniors will need as they move away from home to college dorms or their own houses.

 

It has been a challenging year to raise funds for this event.  In years past the SOS committee has relied on concession stand revenue and silent auctions.  This year the committee has decided to hold a beef raffle.  Tickets are $1 each or 6 tickets for $5.  TWO winners will receive a 40 lb. beef bundle.  Bundles will include 25 lbs. of ground beef, 10 lbs. of steak and 5 lbs. of roast.  Winners will be drawn on February 25th and you need not be present to win. 

 

The UHS seniors and parents would like to thank G-Three Ranch and the Sutterby Family for donating all of the beef for this raffle. 

 

Please contact any UHS senior or senior parent for tickets.  If you or your business would like to donate please contact SOS committee member Rebecca Sutterby at [email protected] or Amy Holt at [email protected]

Bourbon County

Ag Risk Coverage Program Enrollment

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March 15 Last Day to Complete Enrollment for 2021 Agriculture Risk Coverage,

Price Loss Coverage Programs

 

Call Today About 2021 Crop Year Eligibility

 

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9, 2021 – Agricultural producers who have not yet enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for 2021 must do so by March 15. Producers who have not yet signed a 2021 enrollment contract or who want to make an election change should contact their local USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) office to make an appointment. Program enrollment for 2021 is required in order to participate in the programs, but elections for the 2021 crop year are optional and otherwise remain the same as elections made for 2020.

 

“FSA offices have multiple programs competing for the time and attention of our staff. Because of the importance and complexities of the ARC and PLC programs, and to ensure we meet your program delivery expectations, please do not wait to start the enrollment process,” said FSA Acting Administrator Steve Peterson. “I cannot emphasize enough the need to begin the program election and enrollment process now. This process can be completed when applying for other FSA programs as well.”

 

ARC and PLC provide income support to farmers from substantial drops in crop prices or revenues and are vital economic safety nets for most American farms.

 

Although 1,033,310 contracts have been completed to date, this represents less than 59% of the more than 1.7 million contracts anticipated by the Agency. By enrolling soon, producers can beat the rush as the deadline nears.

 

Producers who do not complete enrollment by close of business local time on Monday, March 15 will not be enrolled in ARC or PLC for the 2021 crop year and will be ineligible to receive a payment should one trigger for an eligible crop.

 

ARC and PLC contracts can be emailed, faxed or physically signed and mailed back to FSA. Producers with level 2 eauthentication access can electronically sign contracts. Service Center staff can also work with producers to sign and securely transmit contracts electronically through two commercially available tools: Box and OneSpan. You can learn more about these solutions at farmers.gov/mydocs. Producers may also make arrangements to drop off signed contracts at the FSA county office. Please call ahead for local mailing or drop off information and options for submitting signed contracts electronically.

 

Producers are eligible to enroll farms with base acres for the following commodities: barley, canola, large and small chickpeas, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, dry peas, rapeseed, long grain rice, medium- and short-grain rice, safflower seed, seed cotton, sesame, soybeans, sunflower seed and wheat.

 

Yield Data and Web-Based Decision Tools Available

 

FSA recently updated the annual and benchmark yields for ARC/PLC program years 2019, 2020 and 2021. This data is useful to producers in choosing to participate in either ARC or PLC.

 

For added assistance with ARC and PLC decisions, USDA partnered with the University of Illinois and Texas A&M University to offer web-based decision tools to assist producers in making informed, educated decisions using crop data specific to their respective farming operations. Tools include:

 

  • Gardner-farmdoc Payment Calculator, the University of Illinois tool that offers farmers the ability to run payment estimate modeling for their farms and counties for ARC-County and PLC.

 

  • ARC and PLC Decision Tool, the Texas A&M tool that allow producers to analyze payment yield updates and expected payments for 2019 and 2020. Producers who have used the tool in the past should see their username and much of their farm data will already be available in the system.

 

Crop Insurance Considerations

 

Producers are reminded that enrolling in ARC or PLC programs can impact eligibility for some crop insurance products. Producers who elect and enroll in PLC also have the option of purchasing Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) through their Approved Insurance Provider. Producers of covered commodities who elect ARC are ineligible for SCO on their planted acres.

 

Unlike SCO, RMA’s Enhanced Coverage Option (ECO) is unaffected by participating in ARC for the same crop, on the same acres. You may elect ECO regardless of your farm program election.

 

Upland cotton farmers who choose to enroll seed cotton base acres in ARC or PLC are ineligible for the stacked income protection plan (STAX) on their planted cotton acres.

 

More Information

 

For more information on ARC and PLC including web-based decision tools, visit farmers.gov/arc-plc.

 

All USDA Service Centers are open for business, including those that restrict in-person visits or require appointments. All Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with NRCS, Farm Service Agency, or any other Service Center agency should call ahead and schedule an appointment. Service Centers that are open for appointments will pre-screen visitors based on health concerns or recent travel, and visitors must adhere to social distancing guidelines. Visitors are also required to wear a face covering during their appointment. Our program delivery staff will continue to work with our producers by phone, email, and using online tools. More information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus .

 

Visit farmers.gov/service-center-locator to find location and contact information for the nearest FSA county office.

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