June 1st conservation compliance deadline approaching

Apr 17, 2015

Producers should check if they’re eligible for crop insurance premium support

The United States Department of Agriculture is reminding farmers that if they wish to remain or become eligible for crop insurance premium support, they must fill out the Highly Erodible Land Conservation and Wetland Conservation Certification form by Monday, June 1^st, 2015.

The requirement to have the form completed comes as part of the 2014 Farm Bill and USDA representatives are doing their part to inform farmers and other people who could benefit from the support.

"USDA employees are working very hard to get the word out about this new Farm Bill provision," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "While many producers will not need to take action, we want to help make sure that those who are required to act do so by the June 1 deadline. We want all eligible producers to be able to maintain their ability to protect their operations with affordable insurance."

Producers who fill out the form by Monday, June 1^st, 2015 will be eligible for the 2016 reinsurance year which begins on Wednesday, July 1^st, 2015.

Producers are being encouraged to visit the USDA service center most convenient to them and consult with their crop insurance agents before the deadline to ask as many questions and gather as much information as they need.

The USDA will also post a variety of rules and regulations for producers to access.

Join the conversation and tell us if you’ll submit your forms to be eligible for any crop insurance premium support.

A tractor in a field

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.