USDA Reopens Enrollment for Improved Dairy Safety Net Tool
Bipartisan Budget Act Makes Substantial Program Changes
WASHINGTON, April 3, 2018— U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue is encouraging dairy producers to consider enrolling in the new and improved Margin Protection Program for Dairy (MPP-Dairy), which will provide better protections for dairy producers from shifting milk and feed prices. With changes authorized under the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) has set the enrollment period to run from April 9, 2018 to June 1, 2018.
"We recognize the financial hardships many of our nation’s dairy producers are experiencing right now. Folks are losing their contracts and they are getting anxious about getting their bills paid while they watch their milk check come in lower and lower each month. The Bipartisan Budget Act provided some much-needed incentives for dairy producers to make cost-effective decisions to strengthen their farms, mitigate risk, and conserve their natural resources,” said Secretary Perdue. “This includes our support of America’s dairy farms. We encourage dairy producers to review the provisions of the updated program, which Congress shaped with their feedback. Those changes are now in effect, and I’d ask any producers who are interested to contact their local USDA service centers.”
About the Program:
The program protects dairy producers by paying them when the difference between the national all-milk price and the national average feed cost (the margin) falls below a certain dollar amount elected by the producer.
Changes include:
-more-
Dairy operations must make a new coverage election for 2018, even if you enrolled during the previous 2018 signup period. Coverage elections made for 2018 will be retroactive to January 1, 2018. All dairy operations desiring coverage must sign up during the enrollment period and submit an appropriate form (CCC-782) and dairy operations may still “opt out” by not submitting a form. All outstanding balances for 2017 and prior years must be paid in full before 2018 coverage is approved.
Dairy producers can participate in FSA’s MPP-Dairy or the Risk Management Agency’s Livestock Gross Margin Insurance Plan for Dairy Cattle (LGM-Dairy), but not both. During the 2018 enrollment period, only producers with an active LGM-Dairy policy who have targeted marketings insured in 2018 months will be allowed to enroll in MPP-Dairy by June 1, 2018; however, their coverage will start only after active target marketings conclude under LGM-Dairy.
USDA has a web tool to help producers determine the level of coverage under the MPP-Dairy that will provide them with the strongest safety net under a variety of conditions. The online resource, which will be updated and available by April 9 at www.fsa.usda.gov/mpptool, allows dairy farmers to quickly and easily combine unique operation data and other key variables to calculate their coverage needs based on price projections. Producers can also review historical data or estimate future coverage based on data projections. The secure site can be accessed via computer, smartphone, tablet or any other platform.
USDA is mailing postcards advising dairy producers of the changes. For more information, visit www.fsa.usda.gov/dairy or contact your local USDA service center.
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2018 Social Investors Forum
The Community Foundation of Utah is pleased to announce that the Call for Investments for the seventh Social Investors Forum (SIF) will open on April 6th. Investments will be considered in nonprofit, for-profit, and hybrid organizations committed to improving the quality of life for Utahns. One-page applications must be received by 5 PM on May 1st. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.
SIF is a two-part process. Applicants are asked to submit the one-page Call for Investments, which will be screened by a committee of experts. Finalists will then be chosen to present their idea at the Social Investors Forum on June 6th. Applicants must be available for pitch training on May 29th at 4:00 PM.
Click here to learn more about the Social Investors Forum.
Invest in Success 2018
The application for Invest in Success is open on April 15th!
In partnership with American Express and Fifth Ocean Consulting, Invest in Success provides an intense and immersive program for rural nonprofit leaders. The 2018 cohort will receive training on board governance, organizational finance, marketing, leading change, advocacy, and case studies. For more information, visit our website or email info@utahcf.org.
The Community Foundation of Utah's scholarship opportunities close on April 6th. Do you fit one of the scholarship areas below? Apply today!
SLC Youth Athletic Grant
Applications for the Salt Lake City Youth Athletic Grant are open until April 20th. Awards range from $1,500 to $15,000 -- you don't want to miss this opportunity! For more information visit our website or contact
scholarships@utahcf.org.
Third Sun, a Salt Lake City-based branding and web design company, is offering a qualified nonprofit a pro-bono sponsorship for services valued up to $10,000 through their new Design for Good Community Grant Program. Applications are being accepted March 15th through April 30th.
Details available at: thirdsun.com/design4good.
**Lice Clinics of America's Egg Hunt **
Lice Clinics of America is Hunting Down Head Lice Eggs and Providing Free Lice Removal Treatments
WHEN: Saturday, April 7th 9AM-5PM
WHERE: 154 East Myrtle Ave. Ste. 101 Murray, UT 84
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There Are 4 Types Of Expenses,
But Only 1 You Need To Cut
Managing expenses is nearly a full-time – though unpaid – job for many people. From the monthly mortgage, car payment, insurance, groceries and utility bills to family activities, there’s a long list that requires prioritizing and discipline.
The situation can leave people feeling like they will never get ahead as their expenses seem to eat most of the financial pie chart.
But it’s a fallacy to think all expenses are evil, says a successful entrepreneur and angel investor. In fact, he says, nearly all of them are necessary, and if managed correctly, they can even help you win financial freedom.
“It’s critical to understand the difference between debt and liability,” says Nik Halik, also an adventurer, speaker and co-author of 5 Day Weekend: Freedom To Make Your Life And Work Rich With Purpose (www.5dayweekend.com). “The goal isn’t to simply pay off all loans, but to maximize the efficiency and production of cash flow.
“We’re taught to believe that expenses are bad and to cut them as much as possible, but that perspective is simplistic and misguided. In reality, there are four types of expenses, and only one of them needs to be cut.”
· Lifestyle (consumptive) expenses. These include dining out, vacations, concerts – fun expenses that help you build memories. “If you never spend any money, you won’t be fulfilled,” Halik says. “To pay for these expenses, never borrow and always use cash. Lifestyle expenses should be managed wisely.”
· Protective expenses. These are the expenses that protect your property, your life and your health. “This is the financial area that often gets overlooked – especially by the middle class,” Halik says. “Affluent people don’t compromise with their protection.” One example of a protective expense is your liquid savings, which Halik says should be enough to cover a minimum of six months’ expenses. Other protective expenses include life insurance, medical insurance and auto insurance.
· Productive expenses. Essentially these expenses symbolize the adage, “Spend money to make money.” Productive expenses, Halik says, “allow you to build assets, expand your cash flow, and grow your business. This could include purchasing rental property or hiring a great employee. These are expenses that are going to enhance your life now and in the future.”
· Destructive expenses. Halik saves the worst expense category for last. These are the only expenses, he says, that should be eliminated. “They include consumer debt, vices, overdraft fees, the gym membership you don’t use – anything that subtracts value from your life instead of adding it,” he says.
“When you understand the difference between true debt and mere liabilities, you begin to see that in many instances the way to become wealthier is to increase, not decrease, your liabilities,” Halik says. “A liability can come with an asset that can make you more money than it costs. Your goal isn’t simply to get out of debt, but to achieve financial independence.”
About Nik Halik
Nik Halik is an entrepreneur, world-wide adventurer, angel investor, speaker and the co-author, with Garrett B. Gunderson, of 5 Day Weekend: Freedom To Make Your Life And Work Rich With Purpose (www.5dayweekend.com). Nik has dived to the wreck of the Titanic, climbed some of the world’s highest peaks, and is a certified Russian cosmonaut. He has traveled to 149 countries and recently visited North Korea.
