Why Did FSA Adjusted Crop Acreage Reporting Requirements?

What is behind a recent adjustment in minimum crop acreage reporting dimensions? The explanation by USDA Farm Service Agency acting deputy Administrator John Berge starts with why acreage reporting is important for producers. 

“The best way to gain entry into our programs, whether it's risk management or finance or disaster payments, is to utilize an acreage report in order to do that.” 

Yet when it comes to several growers involved in urban, agricultural and innovative production operations, such as vertical and multi-level farms. 

“Acreage reports have been limited in space geographic footprint for some time,” Berge  noted. 

With minimum acreage reporting space of four-square feet in place for several years now, larger than many urban Ag and innovative production facilities. 

“We took a step as a result of our work with urban agriculture cooperators that we have agreements with and also the urban Agriculture Advisory Committee in order to take down the opportunity for acreage reporting to a millionth of an acre; or to a 2.5" by 2.5” space.” 

Burge acknowledges that while that dimension seems small. 

“Part of the reason for that scale is not only because we have producers that produce at a very small scale, but we also need to provide those producers an opportunity to provide us planting inventories and be able to provide us information related to rotational nature of the space that they're farming on.” 

Such as planting rotation for specialty crops. 

“This is just a step where we can help to accommodate some of those smaller innovative producers.” Berge said.  “This also would help us work with the vertical farming help capture the plant inventory through multi-level planting and gives us sort of a toehold to then go to the next iteration of some of the improvements that we'd like to make, particularly in the space of risk management through a non-insured disaster assistance program.” 

Acreage reports can be filed at local FSA offices, rural and in 17 pilot FSA urban Ag service centers.  Visit the USDA's Website to local your local FSA office.

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