Dl2-Lancaster Farming Saturday, November 15,1986
SCS Outlines ‘Sodbuster’ And ‘Swampbuster’ Provisions
BY HELEN KELCHNER
Columbia Co. Correspondent
BERWICK - Under the Food
Security Act of 1985, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture is
alerting farmers throughout the
country that cultivation of certain
highly erodible acreage is a
serious are in which to sink a plow.
If a farmer has allowed a portion
of his land to lie in sod or woodland
from 1981 to 1985 and has decided
since December 23, 1985 to
cultivate that land a practice
termed “sodbustmg” certain
considerations must be met.
He must first determine if one
third of the area or more than 50
acres comes under a “highly
erodible” category. If it does, he
has two options. First, he can go
ahead and break out the land
without having a locally approved
conservation system in place. If
this happens, he will immediately
disqualify himself for USDA farm
programs. These include:
• USDA price and income
supports
• disaster payments
• crop insurance
• FHA loans
• Commodity Credit
storage payments
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• farm storage facility loans;
and
• other programs under which
USDA makes commodity-related
payments, including annual
payments for the Conservation
Reserve Program.
He might ask, “How will USDA
know’” If he ever has a need to
apply for one of the USDA
programs listed above, he must
certify that he has not broken out
highly credible land since Dec. 23,
1985 in order to produce crops
unless he did so under a locally
approved conservation plan.
The second option to re-open
such land for cultivation of crops is
to develop a conservation plan in
cooperation with SCS and the local
conservation district. Under this
option, there is no risk of losing
program benefits.
At a recent SCS board meeting in
Bloomsburg, Columbia County, the
question arose concerning a stand
of alfalfa that may not have been
turned over between ’Bl and ’B5. It
would have to be determined if the
crop was allowed to stand for a
certain pre-determined reason or
if it was allowed to lay idle for no
purpose.
There is another factor which
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may be determined on a one-to-one
basis. In the case of a farmer who
has lost his eligibility for USDA
programs because he broke out
highly erodible land without SCS
approval, he may be able to allow
the land to return to it’s former
state and then again be eligible for
USDA programs. This is a very
gray area and it is felt that it would
be decided on individual cir
cumstances and need.
Under the same act, wetlands
have also come under close
scrutiny.
Known as the “swampbuster”
provision, crops produced on
wetlands converted since Dec. 23,
1985 come under the same USDA
program loss as the “sodbuster ”
Wetlands consist of soils that are
covered with standing water or are
saturated most of the year and
which support mostly water-loving
plants. SCS maintains a list of soils
and plants that define such
wetlands.
Unlike “sodbustmg” areas,
“swampbusting” has exceptions.
If a farmer or rancher;
• has made a substantial
financial commitment to con
version before Dec. 23, 1985, but
has not actually begun activity on
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the land until after that date.
• converted wetlands that had
been created artificially.
• produces agricultural com
modity crops on wetlands that
dried up through natural con
ditions such as drought.
• converted wetlands where SCS
has determined that the wetland
loss has minimal effect on wetland
values.
If eligibility for USDA programs USDA agency, the agriculture
had been lost through improper extension service or conservation
wetland conversion, such district. These agencies are listed
eligibility can be regained by under county name in phone book.
Berks ASC Committee Outlines Election Procedure
LEESPORT - Berks County’s
Agricultural Stabilization and
Conservation Committee has taken
early steps in preparation for
holding elections for county and
community members later this
year, in compliance with changes
required by The Food Security Act
of 1985.
Donald E. Lutz, chairman of the
Berks County ASC Committee
reported the committee has set
boundaries around ASC local
administrative areas that help
provide farmers with effective
farm program administration
through local representation.
The new election procedures call
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abandonment of agricultural
activity on such land.
Persons affected by the Food
Security Act are those who are
actually involved in cultivation.
Responsibility for rented land falls
on the “renter” or the one using
the land.
For more information about
sodbustmg and swampbusting,
contact the local office of any
for ASC Community Committee
persons in this three-area county to
be elected to a staggered three
year term. Lutz said to accomplish
this it is necessary to have a
transition Thus, committee
persons in local administrative
area (LAA) 3 will be elected to a
three-year term; committee
persons in LAA 1 will be elected to
a two-year term and committee
persons in LAA 2 will be elected to
a one-year term.
A list of ASC communities, a
boundary map and the number of
farms within each community are
available to the public at the ASCS
office.
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