The 2014 Farm Bill requires that three decisions be made on each FSA farm unit over the coming months.  These include updating payment yields, reallocating base acreage, and making a program decision.  These articles provide the necessary context for landowners and farm operators to begin those decision processes. 

Prior to beginning the 2014 Farm Bill decision process, farm operators and landowners need to collect some information specific to their FSA farm units.  The majority of this information is included in a letter sent from FSA to farmers and landowners in August of 2014.  In addition, crop yields histories and related documentation should be collected.  This article discusses these informational needs.

Landowners have the option of updating the payment yields for the program crops with base acreage on their FSA farm units. The choice is between current payment yields or updating to 90% of the average yield for that crop on the farm from 2008 to 2012. These articles discuss the payment yield updating decision.

Landowners have the option of reallocating the base acres on each of their FSA farm units. The choice is between the current base acres on the farm, or reallocating based on the crop acreage planted from 2009 to 2012. These articles discuss the base acre reallocation decision.

Producers have the ability to elect the program that will provide support during this Farm Bill foreach of their farm units. The choice is among three programs – Price Loss Coverage (PLC) or Agricultural Risk Coverage at the county (ARC-CO) or farm (ARC-IC) level. This is a choice between programs that offer fixed price protection (PLC), county revenue protection (ARC-CO) or farm revenue protection (ARC-IC). This set of articles provides an overview of these programs, with focus on the PLC and ARC-CO programs.

Producers have the ability to elect the program that will provide support during this Farm Bill foreach of their farm units. The choice is among three programs – Price Loss Coverage (PLC) or Agricultural Risk Coverage at the county (ARC-CO) or farm (ARC-IC) level. This is a choice between programs that offer fixed price protection (PLC), county revenue protection (ARC-CO) or farm revenue protection (ARC-IC). This set of articles focuses on the ARC-IC program.

The Supplemental Coverage Option is a new crop insurance program created by the 2014 Farm Bill. SCO provides coverage that will supplement a portion of the producer’s insurance deductible on their individual coverage plan. Producers will be required to purchase an individual plan of insurance (YP, RP, or RP-HPE) to be eligible for additional SCO coverage. In addition, any base acreage that is enrolled under the ARC-CO or ARC-IC programs will not be eligible for additional SCO coverage. These articles discuss the new SCO program in more detail.