New Jersey State Office

Farm Service Agency is Seeking Loss Adjusters

The Farm Service Agency is seeking to hire loss adjuster (LA) throughout the state. LAs are:

• required to have knowledge of field crops and specialty crops, as well as a thorough understanding and execution of crop adjusting guidelines and program provisions, as applicable to FSA programs. LA’s are self-employed; therefore, health and retirement benefits are not provided. LA’s are responsible for paying all taxes on earned income.
• responsible for obtaining equipment necessary to perform required inspection/appraisal duties. Some equipment such as cameras and GPS measuring devices may be available through the FSA county office.
• required to complete training 

Click here for complete job description. For additional information please contact Aly Dyson, NJ FSA Farm Program Disaster Specialist, Alyson.Dyson@usda.gov.

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Don't Risk Your USDA Benefits - Food Security Act 

In order to maintain eligibility for most USDA programs, producers must comply with the Highly Erodible Land Conservation (HELC) and Wetland Conservation (WC) provisions, agreeing they will not:

• Produce an agricultural commodity on highly erodible land without an adequate conservation system;
• Plant an agricultural commodity on a converted wetland;
• Convert a wetland to make possible the production of an agricultural commodity.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is responsible for providing program participants technical assistance and determinations to assist them in complying with the provisions.

We invite you to reach out to your local USDA Service Center if you have any questions.

Click here for more information. 

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Please reach out your local FSA office if you or anyone you know has experienced crop or farm property damage as a result of recent weather events. This information is vital for emergency declarations which make additional assistance available to you and your peers.

Farm Service Agency has programs to assist with fruit trees, berry bushes, ornamental, and vine losses as well as losses of livestock, honeybees, and farm raised fish. These programs are not insurance programs and do not require purchasing coverage prior to the weather event or disaster (excludes NAP). Click on the links below for information on some of our programs:

Crop Damage

• Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP)
  • New Jersey LIP Criteria for Extreme Heat and Cold
• Emergency Livestock Assistance Program (ELAP) for
  • Livestock
  • Honeybees
  • Farm-Raised Fish
• Tree Assistance Program (TAP)
• Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP)

Property Damage

• Emergency Loans
• Farm Storage Facility Loans (FSFL)
• Emergency Conservation Program (ECP)
• Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP)

If you have crop coverage under the Non Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) and feel that the weather has affected your covered crop
please make sure you contact your local FSA office immediately (within 72 hours). If you would like to sign up for NAP contact your local FSA office for details.

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Disaster Designations

Farmers in the following counties are eligible for Emergency Loans through the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA)

• Secretarial Designation S5348 - New Jersey
  • For drought & excessive heat beginning on 7/01/2022
  • New Jersey Primary counties: Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Salem
  • New Jersey contiguous counties: Burlington, Camden, Hunterdon, Ocean, Somerset, Union
  • Loan application deadline: 8/21/2023
    
• Secretarial Designation S5347 - New Jersey
  • For drought & excessive heat beginning on 6/18/2022
  • New Jersey Primary counties: Burlington, Camden, Ocean
  • New Jersey contiguous counties: Atlantic, Gloucester, Mercer, Monmouth
  • Loan application deadline: 8/21/2023
    
• Secretarial Designation S5346 - New Jersey
  • For drought & excessive heat on 7/01/2022
  • New Jersey Primary counties: Hunterdon, Somerset
  • New Jersey contiguous counties: Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Union, Warren
  • Loan application deadline: 8/21/2023
    
• Secretarial Designation S5345 - New Jersey
  • For drought & excessive heat beginning on 7/01/2022
  • New Jersey Primary counties: Warren, Sussex, Morris
  • New Jersey contiguous counties: Essex, Hunterdon, Passaic, Somerset, Union
  • Loan application deadline: 8/21/2023
    
• Secretarial Designation S5312 - New Jersey
  • For drought beginning on 8/16/2022
  • New Jersey Primary counties: Middlesex, Somerset
  • New Jersey contiguous counties: Hunterdon, Mercer, Monmouth, Morris, Union
  • Loan application deadline: 6/12/2023
    
• Secretarial Designation S5306 - New York State
  • For drought beginning on 8/9/2022
  • New Jersey contiguous counties: Bergen, Passaic, Sussex
  • Loan application deadline: 6/5/2023
• Secretarial Designation S5305 - New Jersey
  • For drought beginning on 8/9/2022
  • New Jersey Primary counties: Hudson
  • New Jersey contiguous counties: Bergen, Passaic, Sussex
  • Loan application deadline: 6/5/2023
• Secretarial Designation S5338 - Pennsylvania
  • For drought beginning on 4/7/2022
  • New Jersey contiguous counties: Burlington, Hunterdon, Mercer, Warren
  • Loan application deadline: 8/21/2023
• Secretarial Designation S5364 - Delaware
  • For drought and excessive hear beginning on 8/1/2022
  • New Jersey contiguous counties: Cumberland, Salem
  • Loan application deadline: 10/6/2023
• Secretarial Designation S5359 - Pennsylvania
  • For drought beginning on 7/1/2022
  • New Jersey contiguous counties: Sussex, Warren
  • Loan application deadline: 10/2/2023

Please contact your local County Office for more information or visit our Emergency Loan website at https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/farm-loan-programs/emergency-farm-loans/index or read the Disaster Designations Fact Sheet by clicking here.

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About New Jersey Agriculture!

New Jersey, known as the Garden State, has a vast diversity of landscapes and is a unique combination of densely populated urban centers and open agricultural areas. For a small state, agriculture in New Jersey is quite significant with more than 100 crops being produced. Despite legislative and public pressures, high input costs, and the second highest per-acre market value of farmland in the nation, 16% of New Jersey land is dedicated to agriculture production and the ag industry contributes $987 million to the state’s economy.

The Garden State is 3rd in the nation for producing Cranberries, Peaches and Spinach; 4th in Bell Pepper production; 6th in Blueberries, Cucumbers, and Squash; and 7th in Tomatoes. Other major commodities are nursery, berries, equine and aquaculture.

Check out the video below to find out more about Morris Gbolo of World Crops Farms who take advantage of FSA Loans and Programs to help keep the garden in the Garden State.

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Double-Cropping

Each year, state committees will review and approve or disapprove county committee recommended changes or additions to specific combinations of crops.

Double-cropping is approved when the two specific crops have the capability to be planted and carried to maturity for the intended use, as reported by the producer, on the same acreage within a crop year under normal growing conditions. The specific combination of crops recommended by the county committee must be approved by the state committee.

Double-cropping is approved in New Jersey on a county-by-county basis. Click here to see the 2022 Approved Double Cropping Combination list or contact your local FSA Office for a list of approved double-cropping combinations for your county.

A crop following a cover crop terminated according to termination guidelines is approved double cropping and these combinations do not have to be approved by the state committee.

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Click Here for more information.

Your New Jersey State FSA Committee

• Committee Chair Alfred Murray - Audubon
• Erick Doyle - Flemington
• Stephen Lee IV - Chatsworth
• Rajesh Sinha - Sandyston
• Anna Trapani - Clarksburg

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