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"This is a full time job." "I just threw myself at the mercy of the FSA office." "The paperwork involved is going to kill a forest."

These are a few of the comments from OFBF commodity advisory committee members who have been through the process of signing up for the 2002 farm bill. Having the chore done though puts them in the minority. At press time, only 28 percent of Ohio's eligible producers had finished the sign-up process.

"Wading through the complexity can mean a greater safety net and is well worth the producer's time," according to Constance Jackson, OFBF vice president of agricultural ecology.

OFBF's survey of commodity committee members indicated that the majority of farmers spent between two and eight hours completing paperwork in advance of their FSA appointment, then another two to six hours in the FSA office. And with those offices swamped, most producers had to schedule appointments between two and five weeks in advance.

"This new program gives producers a lot of options not experienced with other farm bills," according to Jackson. With that in mind, she has developed a report titled: "Navigating the 2002 Farm Bill Sign-up."

Among its highlights are tips on the types of acreage and yield documentation that will be required, what your options are on updating bases and yields, and the differences between the way USDA will handle direct vs. counter-cyclical payments.

Also highlighted in the report are several aspects of obtaining land owner approval for sign-up choices. "Previously filed power of attorney forms are no longer valid," Jackson said.

The report also contains addresses for various Web sites that include calculators to help farmers make choices.

OFBF is distributing the report to county Farm Bureau offices, agricultural ecology coordinators and to marketing and risk management coordinators. The report is also available on the OFBF Web site home page at www.ofbf.org.

Jackson says the most important advice she can offer farmers who have yet to sign up is to be prepared before heading into the FSA office. The "Navigating the Farm Bill" report should help in that preparation.