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By Larry Adams, state executive director, Farm Service Agency

As winter begins, farmers across Ohio will be assessing the fruits of this year’s harvest, assessing profits and losses, and planning for next year’s crops. But any farmer knows that planning and labor only go so far. Uncertainties, such as market prices and the weather, abound in the field of agriculture. It’s a fact of life.

One thing Ohio farmers can rely on, though, is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) and its team of dedicated employees. Regardless of weather or market conditions, FSA staffers are there, day after day, working tirelessly to assist producers and implement the agency’s programs that support our nation’s food and fiber system.

Right now, a huge amount of work is being done by FSA staffers as the agency aggressively implements the 2002 Farm Bill (also known as the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002). Signed by President Bush last spring, the 2002 Farm Bill guides American agricultural policy for the next six years. It is the most complex and far-reaching piece of legislation since the 1996 Farm Bill and affects just about everything we do at FSA.

Implementing the 2002 Farm Bill is a massive undertaking for FSA and its employees. That’s because the new law made significant changes to many of FSA’s programs. In a very short time, though, FSA staffers have made many programs available to eligible producers. Since Oct. 1, when sign-up began for the Direct and Counter-Cyclical Program (DCP), the Livestock Compensation Program (LCP) and the Apple Market Loss Assistance Program (AMLAP-III), millions of dollars have been paid to farmers across the country. Dairy producers also are beginning to receive compensation through the Milk Income Loss Contract Program (MILC). FSA employees play a key role in the implementation of these and other programs, which provide financial assistance to producers who suffer losses due to natural disasters or market conditions. On any given day, you can walk into an FSA county office and find FSA employees working one-on-one with producers, doing the foot work necessary to ensure the well being of agriculture in the United States.

Today, FSA offices across the country are delivering more services with thousands of fewer employees. Meanwhile, the remaining FSA employees are working harder and doing more with less. At times, office demands and conditions can be stressful for these civil servants. But FSA staffers are committed, resourceful and familiar with going above and beyond the call of duty. Still, farmers are encouraged to be patient and to work cooperatively with county office personnel as farm bill implementation continues at a steady pace. The dedicated employees at FSA along with local FSA committees are diligently working to administer targeted financial assistance to farmers. The faces on the other side of the counter share the same goals and values as our nation’s producers: to maintain a robust agricultural industry that provides a safe and abundant food supply for America.

When visiting one of Ohio’s 74 county offices, I encourage you to give the local FSA staff members a pat on the back and thank them for the tremendous job they are doing.