Conservation Compliance Forms Due June 1

By Mary Johnson

Alabama farmers must certify their compliance with certain conservation requirements to remain eligible for crop insurance and other federal farm programs. Farmers are encouraged to sign and submit form AD-1026 to local Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices by the June 1 deadline.

The form is required to comply with Highly Erodible Land Conservation (HELC) and Wetland Conservation (WC) provisions of the farm bill. Failure to submit the form would result in farmers being ineligible for FSA loans and disaster assistance payments; Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and FSA conservation program benefits; or federal crop insurance premium benefits.

“Since 1985, conversation compliance has been required for many farm bill programs, but a change is that compliance is now also tied to crop insurance,” said Alabama Farmers Federation National Legislative Programs Director Mitt Walker. “Many row crop farmers are familiar with submitting the AD-1026, but this may be new for producers of other crops such as fruits and vegetables. The farm bill has new and expanded insurance programs but to be eligible, conservation compliance must be certified.”

By signing the form, farmers certify they will not:

• plant or produce an agricultural commodity on highly erodible land without following NRCS approved conservation plan or system
• plant or produce an agricultural commodity on a converted wetland
• Convert a wetland, which makes the production of an agricultural commodity possible