Time is running out to file acreage reports

This has been a year with some frustrations for most farmers around the area trying to plant crops this spring and summer. Daily rainfall seemed nearly omnipresent during the planting season as fields stayed wet for many days. Then the floods came, too. And, oh yes, the July drought did set in -- it hasn't rained now for almost three weeks.

Kansas weather at its eccentric best!

Due to these conditions, most producers did not get planting completed until late in the season. Consequently, filing of annual acreage reports with the Farm Service Agency (FSA) of those planted acres could also not be completed earlier. Many remain to be filed at this time.

Those with acreage reports yet to file will need to complete this process by close of business on Aug.1, 2007, at their applicable FSA office to avoid expensive late reporting penalties.

To expedite this task as much as possible, we are recommending that producers call for an appointment to allow for better use of the remaining time for both customers and FSA staff. On that phone contact, if time will not allow for completing a report by Aug. 1, FSA staff can put the caller on a register for completion of the report shortly after Aug. 1, and still meet the timely reporting requirement.

Contact your FSA office before Aug. 1 to make arrangements for completing acreage reports! Call (913) 795-2940 in Mound City; (620) 742-6227 in Crawford County or (620) 223-1880 in Fort Scott.

Additional topic: FSA offices in southeastern Kansas, southwestern Missouri and northeastern Oklahoma sponsored a booth at last weekend's Four State Farm Show south of Pittsburg on the edge of Cherokee County.

The goal of this effort was to provide some information to the farm show visitors about USDA programs, farm safety, FFA and 4-H activities as well as increase the level of public awareness of our agency.

When this effort was in the planning stages, possibilities for weather conditions came up in preparing the displays. The one sure thing we predicted was that it would likely be hot on July 20-22. That weather forecast did certainly come to pass! In fact, the very most popular "display" in our booth was the ice-water cooler - it was assuredly my favorite spot long about mid-afternoon!

I did enjoy visiting with some Linn and Bourbon County farm show visitors as we shared a cool drink. We also had folks from a broad area stop by our booth - Yates Center, Kan., Springfield, Mo., Siloam Springs, Ark., and Tulsa, Okla., to name a few.

The farm show was interesting. I am now convinced there is a machine that will make nearly every job you might do on the farm or ranch easier and faster. It would be fun to get one of each and try them all out!

USDA is an equal opportunity employer and provider.