The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Livestock Forage Program (LFP) and Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) are now available for area farmers to take advantage of according to Guthrie County Farm Service Agency Executive Director Brandon Jazz.

The programs have come available as a result of the 2014 Farm Bill that was passed earlier this year, and applications for assistance may be submitted between now and the end of the calendar year.

Jazz says he expects to soon receive applications from area farmers for the Livestock Forage Program in particular, and he explains what the program offers.

“Basically the Livestock Forage Program is for years when producers who graze livestock and experience a drought, it is basically a monthly payment to makeup for them having to do supplemental feed, rotate pastures or rent extra pastures and things like that.  Guthrie County actually automatically qualifies for 2012 and 2013 because of the droughts we had in both of those years.”

Jazz says assistance through the Livestock Indemnity Program is for farmers who lost livestock as a result of an adverse weather event in either 2012 or 2013.

Especially for those even considering sending in an application to participate in the Livestock Forage Program, Jazz says he feels “it is in the best interest of Guthrie County farmers” to apply, and he “strongly recommends” they do so.

Any area farmer wanting more information about what is required as part of an application for assistance can CLICK HERE.

To hear Jazz discuss the Livestock Forage Program in more depth, tune-in to today’s Let’s Talk Guthrie County on K107 during the 9am, noon and 5pm hours.