The USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) wants to remind New Jersey small grains producers that the final date to apply for crop insurance coverage for the 2021 crop year is September 30, 2020. Current policyholders who wish to make changes to their existing policies also have until September 30 to do so. [Read more…]
August 19, 2020 Nick Polanin
CFAP Webinars for Additional Eligible Commodities
Join the USDA Farm Service Agency this afternoon, Wednesday August 19th at 3 pm, for the “Coronavirus Food Assistance Program Producer Webinar: Additional Eligible Commodities Added.” USDA Farm Service Agency will discuss additional commodities that are now eligible for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), providing detailed examples on nursery crops, specialty crops, cut flowers, eligible aquaculture, and more. Registrations for this webinar are being accepted here.
The New Jersey Farm Service Agency (FSA) will be hosting an informational Nursery/Cut Flowers Stakeholders Webinar on Thursday, August 20th at 10 am regarding nursery and cut flowers eligibility for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). This webinar will be held by a virtual Teams Meeting. Instructions on how to enter a Teams meeting using a computer or smartphone can be viewed here. If you are unable to attend virtually via Teams, you may dial in to hear the presentation. Slides to be presented are available here, although they are subject to modification prior to the event.
Please contact Lindsay Caragher at Lindsay.Caragher@usda.gov or 609-438-3133 with any questions about Teams Meeting or the webinar in general.
USDA’s Farm Service Agency is accepting applications through September 11, 2020 for the CFAP program which helps offset price declines and additional marketing costs because of the coronavirus pandemic.
August 12, 2020 Rick VanVranken
Additional “Guidance and Compliance Assistance on Farmworker Safety & Pay During the Pandemic” Offered by US Dept of Labor – Wage & Hour
The following message was shared by Shavonne Person, Community Outreach & Resource Planning Specialist (CORPS), and Steven Risko, Assistant District Director, U.S. Department of Labor – Wage & Hour Division, Southern New Jersey District Office in Lawrenceville:
“The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division enforces some of our nation’s most comprehensive labor laws for agricultural workers, [Read more…]
August 11, 2020 Rick VanVranken
USDA Announces More Specialty Crops, Nursery Crops, Cut Flowers Eligible for CFAP Payments
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today that additional specialty crops, including nursery crops and cut flowers, are covered by the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) and that the deadline to apply for the program is extended to September 11th. [Read more…]
July 28, 2020 Rick VanVranken
USDA Farmers To Families Food Box Program – New Round Solicitation
Listening in USDA’s webinar reveals major changes in this latest solicitation for the third round of the Farmers to Families Food Box Program. This time they only want multi-commodity ‘combination boxes’, i.e. produce plus meat/dairy plus optional eggs! — check out the specs on page 4 of the solicitation here – https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/FFFB_solicitationRound3.pdf). They are much more specific on items (weights/types) to be included in box.
The general information site is here: https://www.ams.usda.gov/selling-food-to-usda/farmers-to-families-food-box.
There is also new emphasis on not passing on costs to food banks/NGOs – the contracted vendor now responsible for covering the cost of delivery from foodbank to individual (the last mile of distribution!?) so that needs to be included in the proposed box price.
There is no deadline for submission and proposals can be submitted immediately. This time the govt will review the proposal and then return for revision if there are questions or missing items (not done in first 2 rounds). They will help identify what is missing or needing revision! This solicitation will close when the Government has enough awardees in each region so it means the faster a complete proposal is submitted, the more likely of receiving a contract. Awards will begin on approval and last through Aug. 15, 2022.
As soon as it’s available a recording of the webinar will be made available.
Key Takeaways:
- Read the solicitation completely (this is completely different from earlier program so need to reapply)
- Important to get the most up-to-date information from USDA’s acquisition staff.
- Two key submissions
- Adobe pdf
- Excel spreadsheet (don’t modify the template!)
- Submit questions to FFFBQuestions@usda.gov
July 22, 2020 Rick VanVranken
NYCAMH/NEC Farmworker Needs Assessment Survey
The New York Center for Agricultural Medicine & Health/Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety in Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing based in Cooperstown, NY is conducting a farm worker health needs assessment to help them better address worker health and safety needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. [Read more…]
