Wisconsin’s State FSA Director says the upcoming farmer bridge assistance payment process will be easy and payment amounts will be certain.
Sandy Chalmers tells Brownfield farmers will know what to expect as soon as they apply. “Over the past year, we’ve had a number of programs roll out, disaster-type programs with a fixed amount of money and those payments were factored. These farmer bridge payments, the farmers will see 100% of that payment rate times planted acres.”
Chalmers says farmers need immediate help, and she’s expecting an expedited process using pre-filled applications based on the farmer’s reported acres, with payments calculated on the form. “Those applications will be made available the week of February 23rd, so farmers will need to review what’s on that prefilled application, sign it and certify it, and return it to the FSA county office.”
Chalmer says once the form is signed and loaded into the system, farmers can expect a quick payout. “The approval is very quick and typically, we see three to five business days between the application being approved and the payment dropping into the producer’s bank account.”
Chalmers says FSA offices are gearing up for a busy week starting February 23rd, as the first week of bridge assistance signup overlaps the February 26th deadline for Dairy Margin Coverage program signups. She’s encouraging dairy farmers not to wait until the last minute to sign up.
