Today's reality, budget cuts using technology

Unless you have succeeded in finding a way to ignore or hide from our nation's "news" in recent months, you are likely aware of the federal government's debates and eventual actions on a budget for government operations during 2011. I'm not sure that I even know how to write the dollar amount representing our deficit -- how many "zeros" are in a zillion anyway? Although, it seems like it takes that much to fill up my pickup with gas!

In any case, our government's budget problems are bringing about a concerted need to reduce agency operating expenses. In the Farm Service Agency (FSA), we are feeling the effects of very limited operating budgets. It will be necessary for us to make some adjustments in order to maintain our desired level of service to our farm and ranch producers.

Our intention, no matter how tight it gets, is to maintain the level of service to our farm and ranch customers that will continue to make desired farm programs available -- just as in the past. We will need some cooperation, and likely a measure of creative ingenuity, to meet this goal.

So, what am I talking about?

Our office has in the past mailed program documents to producers in varying circumstances -- absentee landowners, those unable to travel to the office, a landlord living out of state, etc. We will continue to mail those when there is no other way to accomplish the needed task.

However, we must also reduce mailing costs by asking tenants to gather all owners' signatures on needed paperwork; by faxing documents when possible; by emailing documents and correspondence (including county newsletters and program deadline reminders) when possible; and by calling producers on the phone when needing to communicate. These other options -- email, fax and phone -- are very inexpensive. You know . . . cheap!

There could be times this year when postage has run out. We will be able to provide service via phone, fax or email in these cases. It will be more difficult without these options.

That means that we need 1) cell phone numbers or other phone numbers that will permit contact during working hours; 2) email addresses that will let us contact producers, scan documents back and forth, etc.; and 3) any available fax number that can be used to send and receive program documents and announcements.

Please provide this information to our office if we do not already have it on file. Thanks in advance for your help with gathering this information. Help us to be prepared to serve you in this way. Our phone number is (620) 223-1880 or email douglas.niemeir@ks.usda.gov.

Another process that we need some producer/customer assistance with is acreage reporting. So far, wheat and some grass reports have been filed for 2011. The largest portion of these reports, then, remains to be filed after spring planting and before Aug. 1.

In the past, it has been fairly expedient to print a producer's aerial maps needed for field-by-field reporting of planted acres and land uses. However, we recently switched to web-based access of our GIS mapping data and software.

Since that time, printing a set of producer maps for acreage reporting takes much longer.

This makes it important to call ahead for an appointment when you are planning to come into our office to complete acreage reports.

The opportunity is then available for us to get the preliminary steps taken so that, upon your arrival, we can start right in gathering your reported information and make quick progress in completing your acreage reports.

A good number of our customers have already provided us with phone numbers and email addresses, as well as calling ahead for appointments to get acreage reports filed. We appreciate these efforts!

Thanks to those who will now also participate in this way; and thanks, too, for assisting our agency to operate within our needed budgetary limits.