For the new ACRE program that begins in 2009, producers will need to sign-up prior to Aug. 14. This is a two-step process, First, a one-time election is made for all landowners and operators by FSA farm number. Second, is an annual enrollment by the farm operator and a designation of proven yields of program crops on that farm.

Operator can choose whether to prove their farm yields for program crops grown on their farms in the years 2004 through 2008. Use of information such as APH crop insurance data is included.

For those years that program crops were not grown, or yields cannot be proven, operators can choose to use “plug yields.” These plug yields will be 95 percent of the computed county yield.

FSA will be using National Ag Statistics Service final county production data for all program crops. This annual production number will be divided by the harvested acres for that crop in that county, adjusting for the failed and considered planted acres. This is the same formula FSA used to determine the state’s five-year Olympic average yield per planted acre in Iowa of 171 bushels for corn and 50.5 bushels for soybeans.

FSA said it will be publishing these “plug yields” by county within a few weeks.