SIDNEY — Shelby County farmers started 2017 with a fresh face in the Farm Service Agency (FSA) office. Annette Purkey was selected to serve as the Shelby County FSA executive director.
“I have been with FSA since 1987 and worked as a program technician before training to become a manager,” said Purkey.
Her report continues:
The Shelby County FSA office provides vital farm safety-net assistance to agricultural producers in the county. Unlike farms in other areas of the country, Shelby County producers managed to avoid major natural disasters like drought, floods and freezes last year.
While Shelby County producers managed to avoid natural disasters, they were still affected by market downturns. Nationally, FSA issued approximately $8 billion in payments under the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs to agricultural producers who suffered market downturns in 2016.
Many Shelby County landowners participate in USDA conservation programs. In 2017, FSA distributed $1.6 billion in CRP payments to over 375,000 Americans for doing their part in improving water quality, reducing soil erosion and increasing wildlife habitat.
The FSA farm loan team that covers Shelby County has seen increased interest in FSA Farm Loan programs.
In fiscal year 2017, USDA Farm Loan Programs pumped $6 billion in support to a diverse group of producers across America. That was the second highest total in FSA history. Over $2.5 billion of that total was direct and guaranteed operating loans, and another $3.5 billion was allocated for direct and guaranteed farm ownership loans. This additional financing enabled farmers and ranchers across the country to access capital to start their operations, or to expand their existing operations. The new lending continued the recent growth in FSA’s farm loan portfolio.
As we move further into 2018, Shelby County FSA will continue to follow Secretary Perdue’s motto of “doing right and feeding everyone” through the implementation of FSA safety-net and conservation programs, farm loans and disaster assistance.
For more information on FSA programs and loans, contact the Shelby County FSA office at 937-492-6520 or visit www.fsa.usda.gov.
