The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) has authorized emergency haying and grazing use of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres for Barton County.

The emergency haying authorization for Barton County became effective July 16, 2018, and ends 30 calendar days from the authorization date, not to exceed August 15, 2018. The emergency grazing authorization for Barton County became effective July 16, 2018, and ends 76 calendar days from the authorization date, not to exceed September 30 2018.

Eligible producers who are interested in emergency haying or grazing of CRP must request approval before haying or grazing eligible acreage. It is also important for producers to obtain a modified conservation plan from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) that includes haying and grazing requirements.

The eligible CRP acreage is limited to acres located within the approved county. Eligible producers who are interested in haying or grazing CRP under the emergency authorization and current CRP participants who choose to provide land for haying or grazing to an eligible livestock producer, must first request approval to hay or graze eligible acreage and obtain a modified conservation plan from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to include haying or grazing requirements.

Since Barton County is authorized for emergency haying and grazing, producers are reminded that the same CRP acreage cannot be both hayed and/or grazed at the same time. For example, if 50 percent of a field or contiguous field is hayed, the remaining unhayed 50 percent cannot be grazed; it must remain unhayed and ungrazed for wildlife. In addition, participants are limited to one hay cutting and are not permitted to sell any of the hay.  (This authorization does NOT include the CP25 practice.)

For more information and to request approval for emergency haying and grazing of CRP acres contact the Barton County FSA office at 620-792-5329.