Newsletter From Service Center In Salem and Gloucester Counties

Oct 12, 2023

2024 Crop Acreage Reporting Dates

In order to comply with FSA program eligibility requirements, all producers are encouraged to visit the their local FSA office to file an accurate crop certification report by the applicable deadline.

The following acreage reporting dates are applicable for New Jersey:

  • Nov. 15, 2023 – wheat, barley, rye and other fall-planted small grains for 2024 crop year.
  • Jan 2, 2024 – honey (honeybee colonies)
  • Jan 15, 2024 – apples, blueberries, peaches, grapes, & strawberries
  • May 31, 2024 – nursery for 2025 crop year
  • July 15, 2024 – soybeans, corn, most vegetables, hay, CRP, & most other crops
  • Aug 15, 2024 – processing beans

Please call the office to schedule an appointment to report your acres.   We can mail or email your aerial maps to you to complete and send back, if desired. You may also report your acres by phone or email and your reports can be faxed, mailed or emailed to you for signature. To report by email or for more information, please email Dominic at   Let us know if you have any questions. Thank you.

The following exceptions apply to the above acreage reporting dates:

If the crop has not been planted by the above acreage reporting date, then the acreage must be reported no later than 15 calendar days after planting is completed.
If a producer acquires additional acreage after the above acreage reporting date, then the acreage must be reported no later than 30 calendars days after purchase or acquiring the lease. Appropriate documentation must be provided to the county office.
Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) policy holders should note that the acreage reporting date for NAP covered crops is the earlier of the dates listed above or 15 calendar days before grazing or harvesting of the crop begins.


2023 County Committee Elections

Ballots will be mailed the beginning of November. The final date to vote is December 4, 2023. Ballots must be postmarked by that date or you can drop them off to the office. County Committees are unique to FSA and allow producers to have a voice on federal farm program implementation at the local level.

The Duties of County FSA Committee Members include:

Informing Farmers of the Purpose and Provisions of FSA/USDA programs.
Participating in County Meetings as necessary.
Keeping the State FSA Committee informed of local conditions.
Performing other duties as assigned by the State FSA Committee
One person will be elected from LAA 2 and one person from LAA 5 for a three-year term. (The Committee consists of 5 members and 2 seats are up for election this year.)

LAA 2 consists of Carney’s Point, Oldman’s, Logan, Woolwich, Greenwich, East Greenwich and West Deptford Townships. The candidates are Al Previtera Jr. and Grace Wheeler. Al operates a large grain operation and also works with his father with his grain operation based in Woolwich Township. They also do custom planting and combining. Grace is a farm owner in Woolwich Township and recently retired from being a crop insurance agent for 25 years.

LAA 5 consists of Monroe, Williamstown, Newfield, Franklinville, Franklin and Pittsgrove Townships. The candidates are Eric Davis, Mike Ferrucci and Anthony Fabrizio. Eric is a member of Parvin Farms and operates a grain, hay and processing vegetable operation in Pittsgrove Township. Mike operates a vegetable and grain operation in Newfield. Anthony is the owner of a vegetable farm in Newfield.

For more information or to see a map of the County Committee LAAs, click here: County Committee Elections (usda.gov)


ACT NOW! Funding is AVAILABLE for Cover Crop, No-till and Reduced tillage practices

First rank batching cutoff date is November 17, 2023.

The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in New Jersey is now accepting applications for climate-smart practices through Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) funded by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Applications through ACT NOW funding for cover crop, no-till and reduced (minimum) tillage practices may be accelerated if a threshold ranking score is met.

Through this unique opportunity, producers can qualify for these practices on ground that has already been under contract by the same producer. Cover crop, no-till and reduced tillage must address an existing resource concern to be eligible for funding and can be contracted for up to five years.

While NRCS accepts applications year-round, NRCS-NJ has established its first rank batching cutoff date for ACT NOW cover crop, no-till and reduced tillage funding for November 17, 2023. Applications submitted prior to the cut-off will be assessed and ranked as soon as they are received.

Based on fund availability, application assessments with a ranking score at or above the established ranking threshold will be preapproved immediately, allowing the applicant to ACT NOW and achieve contract approval to begin practice installation without being evaluated against other submitted assessments. Application assessment ranking scores less than 20 points will be batched and funded in ranking order as funding allows.

For more details on EQIP, please contact your local USDA Service Center or visit https://www.nj.nrcs.usda.gov


Youth Loans

The Farm Service Agency makes loans to youth to establish and operate agricultural income-producing projects in connection with 4-H clubs, FFA and other agricultural groups. Projects must be planned and operated with the help of the organization advisor, produce sufficient income to repay the loan and provide the youth with practical business and educational experience. The maximum loan amount is $5,000.

Youth Loan Eligibility Requirements:

Be a citizen of the United States (which includes Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) or a legal resident alien
Be 10 years to 20 years of age
Comply with FSA’s general eligibility requirements
Be unable to get a loan from other sources
Conduct a modest income-producing project in a supervised program of work as outlined above
Demonstrate capability of planning, managing and operating the project under guidance and assistance from a project advisor. The project supervisor must recommend the youth loan applicant, along with providing adequate supervision.

Please call the Vineland FSA Office for more information at 856-205-1225, ext. 2.