Volume 28 ~ Issue 1
A Partnership in Conservation
SCD, NRCS, and FSA Serving Montrose, Gunnison, Ouray, and San Miguel Counties
A Partnership in Conservation
SCD, NRCS, and FSA Serving Montrose, Gunnison, Ouray, and San Miguel Counties
SCD Board Meetings Move to New TimeRegularly scheduled Shavano Conservation District Board Meetings will be held at 2pm on the Second Tuesday of each Month, beginning February 11. Meetings are held at the USDA Office located at 102 Par Place, Montrose, CO 81401. SCD's Annual Meeting and Dinner however will remain at 6pm on March 11, 2025. Click the button below to see the regularly scheduled meetings for 2025.
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A CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
(Notice by Publication of) §1-13.5-501, 1-13.5-1102(3), 32-1-905(2), C.R.S
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN,and, particularly, to the electors of the Shavano Conservation District of Montrose, Ouray, San Miguel & Part of Gunnison & Delta Counties, Colorado.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVENthat an election will be held on the 6th day of May, 2025, between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. At that time, 4 directors will be elected to serve 4-year terms. Eligible electors of the Shavano Conservation District interested in serving on the board of directors may obtain a Self-Nomination and Acceptance form from the District Designated Election Official (DEO):
Penelope Bishop 102 Par Place, Suite 4, Montrose CO 970-964-3584 [email protected] The Office of the DEO is open on the following days: Monday thru Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. by appointment only. The deadline to submit a Self-Nomination and Acceptance is close of business 4:30p.m. on February 28, 2025 (not less than 67 days before the election). Affidavit of Intent to Be a Write-In-Candidate forms must be submitted to the office of the designated election official by the close of business on Monday, March 3, 2025. NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVENan application for an absentee ballot shall be filed with the designated election official no later than the close of business on Tuesday preceding the election, April 29, 2025.
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Penelope Bishop, Designated Election Official
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New Marketing Assistance Now Available for Specialty Crop Producers
USDA Expands Funding Opportunities for Specialty Crop Growers to Help
Offset On-Farm Food Safety Expenses for 2024 and 2025
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expanding the Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops (FSCSC) program to now include medium-sized businesses in addition to small businesses. Eligible specialty crop growers can apply for assistance for expenses related to obtaining or renewing a food safety certification. The program has also been expanded to include assistance for 2024 and 2025 expenses. Producers can apply for assistance on their calendar year 2024 expenses beginning July 1, 2024, through Jan. 31, 2025. For program year 2025, the application period will be Jan. 1, 2025, through Jan. 31, 2026.
Program Details FSCSC assists specialty crop operations that incurred eligible on-farm food safety certification and expenses related to obtaining or renewing a food safety. FSCSC covers a percentage of the specialty crop operation’s cost of obtaining or renewing its certification, as well as a portion of related expenses.
Eligible FSCSC applicants must be a specialty crop operation; meet the definition of a small or medium-size business and have paid eligible expenses related to certification.
Applying for Assistance Interested applicants have until Jan. 31, 2025, to apply for assistance for 2024 eligible expenses. FSA will issue payments as applications are processed and approved. For program year 2025, the application period will be January 1, 2025, through January 31, 2026. FSA will issue 50% of the calculated payment for program year 2025 following application approval, with the remaining amount to be paid after the application deadline. If calculated payments exceed the amount of available funding, payments will be prorated.
Specialty crop producers can apply by completing the FSA-888-1, Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops Program (FSCSC) for Program Years 2024 and 2025 application. The application, along with the AD-2047, Customer Data Worksheet and SF-3881, ACH Vendor/Miscellaneous Payment Enrollment Form, if not already on file with FSA, can be submitted to the FSA office at any USDA Service Center nationwide by mail, fax, hand delivery or via electronic means. Alternatively, producers with an eAuthentication account can apply for FSCSC online. Producers interested in creating an eAuthentication account should visit farmers.gov/sign-in.
Specialty crop producers can also call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a FSA employee ready to assist. Visit farmers.gov/food-safety for additional program details, eligibility information and forms needed to apply.
More Information To learn more about FSA programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center. Producers can also prepare maps for acreage reporting as well as manage farm loans and view other farm records data and customer information by logging into their farmers.gov account. Producers without an account can sign up today.
Program Details FSCSC assists specialty crop operations that incurred eligible on-farm food safety certification and expenses related to obtaining or renewing a food safety. FSCSC covers a percentage of the specialty crop operation’s cost of obtaining or renewing its certification, as well as a portion of related expenses.
Eligible FSCSC applicants must be a specialty crop operation; meet the definition of a small or medium-size business and have paid eligible expenses related to certification.
- A small business has an average annual monetary value of specialty crops sold by the applicant during the three-year period preceding the program year of no more than $500,000.
- A medium size business has an average annual monetary value of specialty crops the applicant sold during the three-year period preceding the program year of at least $500,001 but no more than $1,000,000.
- Developing a food safety plan for first-time food safety certification.
- Maintaining or updating an existing food safety plan.
- Food safety certification.
- Certification upload fees.
- Microbiological testing for products, soil amendments and water.
Applying for Assistance Interested applicants have until Jan. 31, 2025, to apply for assistance for 2024 eligible expenses. FSA will issue payments as applications are processed and approved. For program year 2025, the application period will be January 1, 2025, through January 31, 2026. FSA will issue 50% of the calculated payment for program year 2025 following application approval, with the remaining amount to be paid after the application deadline. If calculated payments exceed the amount of available funding, payments will be prorated.
Specialty crop producers can apply by completing the FSA-888-1, Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops Program (FSCSC) for Program Years 2024 and 2025 application. The application, along with the AD-2047, Customer Data Worksheet and SF-3881, ACH Vendor/Miscellaneous Payment Enrollment Form, if not already on file with FSA, can be submitted to the FSA office at any USDA Service Center nationwide by mail, fax, hand delivery or via electronic means. Alternatively, producers with an eAuthentication account can apply for FSCSC online. Producers interested in creating an eAuthentication account should visit farmers.gov/sign-in.
Specialty crop producers can also call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a FSA employee ready to assist. Visit farmers.gov/food-safety for additional program details, eligibility information and forms needed to apply.
More Information To learn more about FSA programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center. Producers can also prepare maps for acreage reporting as well as manage farm loans and view other farm records data and customer information by logging into their farmers.gov account. Producers without an account can sign up today.
Cattle and Bison Imports from Mexico Resume Under New Protocol
Protocols ensure safe movement of animals while mitigating the threat of New World Screwworm
WASHINGTON, D.C., February 1, 2025 – The United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is announcing the resumption of cattle and bison imports from Mexico. Imports are scheduled to resume within the next several days.To protect U.S. livestock and other animals, APHIS halted shipments of Mexican cattle and bison in November 2024 after a positive detection of New World screwworm (NWS) in southern Mexico. After extensive discussions between representatives from the countries, APHIS and Mexico agreed to and implemented a comprehensive pre-clearance inspection and treatment protocol to ensure safe movement and mitigate the threat of NWS.
APHIS’ top priority is to protect American livestock from foreign pests. As part of the protocol signed between the countries, Mexico identified and prepared pre-export inspection pens in San Jeronimo, Chihuahua, and Agua Prieta, Sonora, which APHIS has now visited, inspected, and approved. Cattle and bison will be inspected and treated for screwworm by trained and authorized veterinarians prior to entering the pre-export inspection pens, where they will again undergo inspection by Mexican officials before proceeding to final APHIS inspection then crossing at the Santa Teresa and Douglas Ports of Entry, respectively. Cattle and bison approved for importation will also be dipped in a solution to ensure they are otherwise insect- and tick -free. The United States and Mexico are working closely to approve additional pre-export inspection pens and reopen trade through other ports of entry.
To support our efforts to keep NWS out of the United States, APHIS will continue working with partners in Mexico and Central America to eradicate NWS from the affected areas and to reestablish the biological barrier in Panama, which we have worked to maintain since 2006.
In the last two years, screwworm has spread north of the barrier throughout Panama and into Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Belize and now Mexico. This increase is due to multiple factors including new areas of farming in previous barrier regions for fly control and increased cattle movements into the region. APHIS is releasing sterile flies through aerial and ground release at strategic locations, focusing on Southern Mexico and other areas throughout Central America. A complete list of regions APHIS recognizes as affected by screwworm as well as more detailed information on trade restrictions can be found on the USDA APHIS Animal Health Status of Regions website.
APHIS’ top priority is to protect American livestock from foreign pests. As part of the protocol signed between the countries, Mexico identified and prepared pre-export inspection pens in San Jeronimo, Chihuahua, and Agua Prieta, Sonora, which APHIS has now visited, inspected, and approved. Cattle and bison will be inspected and treated for screwworm by trained and authorized veterinarians prior to entering the pre-export inspection pens, where they will again undergo inspection by Mexican officials before proceeding to final APHIS inspection then crossing at the Santa Teresa and Douglas Ports of Entry, respectively. Cattle and bison approved for importation will also be dipped in a solution to ensure they are otherwise insect- and tick -free. The United States and Mexico are working closely to approve additional pre-export inspection pens and reopen trade through other ports of entry.
To support our efforts to keep NWS out of the United States, APHIS will continue working with partners in Mexico and Central America to eradicate NWS from the affected areas and to reestablish the biological barrier in Panama, which we have worked to maintain since 2006.
In the last two years, screwworm has spread north of the barrier throughout Panama and into Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Belize and now Mexico. This increase is due to multiple factors including new areas of farming in previous barrier regions for fly control and increased cattle movements into the region. APHIS is releasing sterile flies through aerial and ground release at strategic locations, focusing on Southern Mexico and other areas throughout Central America. A complete list of regions APHIS recognizes as affected by screwworm as well as more detailed information on trade restrictions can be found on the USDA APHIS Animal Health Status of Regions website.
USDA's website has a fresh new look - Check it out!
www.usda.gov
May the Forest Be With You
SCD sponsored 5th and 6th grade Conservation Poster Contest. The theme for this year's Poster Contest was "May the Forest Be With You Always". 7 schools in Montrose, Olathe, Norwood, Nucla, and Telluride participated in the contest. Hayden Sheilds, SCD IRA (Inflation Reduction Act) District Conservation Technician, gave presentations at schools in October and returned to the schools in December to present ribbons and awards. CSCB (Colorado State Conservation Board) Matching Grant funds provided contest supplies, materials, and awards. Hayden's position was granted to Shavano Conservation District through a CSCB IRA District Conservation Technician Grant Program, a federal, state, and local partnership delivering natural resource conservation technical assistance to private landowners.
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Did You Miss the CCA and Ag
Watch Webinar Recording |
Changes Around The Office
The Montrose USDA Field Office has a new team-member!
Russ C.L. Zick, PE, CID
Russ joined the Montrose USDA Field Office this fall as a USDA ACES Enrollee and works half-time in the Engineering Department in the office.
After a career in manufacturing on the front range, Russ relocated to Paonia. His ag experience includes attaining irrigation designer certification, sprinkling system design in private practice and several volunteer assignments in the USAID Farmer to Farmer Program. His interests include hiking, international traveling, volunteering for a local conservation group and developing his residential ag property's pasture and wetland. |
Dates to Remember
Deadlines, Meetings and Events |
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Dec 25 Christmas Day - Office Closed
Jan 1 New Year's Day - Office Closed
Jan 2 2025 Acreage Reporting Deadline for Honeybee Colonies
Jan 8 Western Colorado Soil Health Committee Meeting, 1pm at Montrose USDA Service Center
Jan 8 Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops Program Deadline
Jan 14 Shavano District Board Meeting, 6:30 pm
Jan 15 2025 Acreage Reporting Deadline for Apples, Grapes and Peaches
Jan 20 Martin Luther King Jr Day - Office Closed
Jan 24-25 Western Colorado Soil Health, Food and Farm Forum, Montrose Pavillion
Jan 31 2024 Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops Program Deadline
Feb 11 Shavano District Board Meeting, 6:30pm
NAP Notice of Loss - within 15 days of occurrence of the disaster or when losses become apparent. For Hand Harvested crops within 72 hours or when the loss becomes apparent
NAP Production - due 60 days following the end of coverage/final harvest date
Additional Partner Organization Events |
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Partner Contact Information
Montrose USDA Service Center102 Par Place
Montrose, CO 81401 970-249-8407 Farm Service Agency..........................................................Ext.2 Natural Resources Conservation Service.................Ext.3 Shavano Conservation Service......................................Ext.3 |
Colorado State Forest Servicecsfs.colostate.edu
Montrose Field Office 535 S Nevada Ave Montrose, CO 81401 ph. 970-249-9051 Gunnison Field Office 106 Maintenance Dr. Gunnison, CO 81230 ph. 970-641-6852 |
West Region Wildfire CouncilServing Delta, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Ouray, and San Miguel Counties
www.cowildfire.org 160 Amelia Street Ridgway, CO 81432 ph. 970-615-7300 |