DES MOINES, Iowa – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds ranchers and livestock producers that they may be eligible for financial assistance through the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) 2022 grazing losses due to a qualifying drought. The deadline to apply for 2022 LFP assistance is Jan. 30, 2023.

“Severe to extreme drought conditions in Iowa have resulted in significant economic hardships for our agricultural producers and livestock producers are no exception,” said Matt Russell, State Executive Director for the Farm Service Agency in Iowa. “If you suffered 2022 grazing losses, you should contact FSA as soon as possible and file your LFP application for payment.”

For the 2022 program year, 36 counties in Iowa have met drought severity levels that trigger LFP eligibility, with Mahaska County, as well as every county that borders it, among those eligible. For LFP, qualifying drought triggers are determined using the U.S. Drought Monitor. Visit the FSA LFP webpage for a list of eligible counties and grazing crops.

LFP provides payments to eligible livestock producers and contract growers who also produce forage crops for
grazing and suffered losses due to a qualifying drought or fire during the normal grazing period for the county.
Eligible livestock include alpacas, beef cattle, buffalo/bison, beefalo, dairy cattle, deer, elk, emus, equine, goats,
llamas, reindeer or sheep that have been or would have been grazing the eligible grazing land or pastureland
during the normal grazing period.

To expedite the application process, producers are encouraged to gather and submit records documenting 2022
losses. Supporting documents may include information related to grazing leases, contract grower agreements,
and more.

More Information

LFP is part of a broader suite of disaster assistance available through USDA. The Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP), which also has a Jan. 30, 2023, deadline, provides eligible producers with compensation for certain feed losses not covered by LFP as well as assistance with transporting water to livestock, feed and livestock transportation expenses.

Additional disaster assistance information can be found on farmers.gov, including the Farmers.gov Drought Webpage, Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Farm Loan Discovery Tool.

For FSA and Natural Resources Conservation Service programs, including LFP and ELAP, producers should contact their local USDA Service Center.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

By Sam Parsons

Nominees for the city of Pella’s Tulip Queen were just unveiled, and the time has come for voting to trim the list from 18 nominees down to 12.

The Pella Historical Society and Museum just released the list of 18 names up for the 2023 Royal Tulip Time Court. Voters who live in the Pella School District will choose up to 3 young women who are senior high school students within the community to continue as Tulip Queen Candidates.

The Pella Tulip Time Royal Court is the ambassador for Pella’s Tulip Festival. The Court consists of the Tulip Queen and her four attendants. The Queen also chooses two pages and two attendants to join the Court during the festival in May.

The candidates who advance will prepare for a night of interviewing and presentations before 30 judges on November 12. Each candidate first interviews with the judges in small groups. Next is the public performance, where each finalist gives a presentation of a talent or interest that depicts her personality. She will also be interviewed by the evening’s Master of Ceremonies. After the tallying of ballots from both the interviews and the public performances, the Tulip Queen and Court are announced.

Ballots are available to be printed at Pella Historical Society and Museum’s website, pellahistorical.org. You can fill it out and drop it off at the museum, Marion County Bank, Hy-Vee, or Fareway. The deadline is next Tuesday, October 18, at 5pm.