Posted 4/21/2008 22:46 (#362934) Subject: anyone farm land with peat or wetlands?
mid minnesota
I recently had a next door neighbor offer me his farm . He is retiring.Some is high ground but some is peat. After going to the FSA office for a map found out that there is a new mapping system that has red (restrected) yellow ( some what restrected) green was (exempt) It used to be just blue dots for wetlands seem that they made different set of rules to follow. I was told that now they will come out and stake acres that cant be farmed if you are in the program. Its 2- 80 acres peices in a L which goes from high to low ground in the same feild .This peice of land has been farmed for more than 30 years. He has ditched it more like 40 years ago but was tiled in maybe in the last 20 years. So I cant farm it if I want to stay in the program. He never had it in the program because he does not like govt. So why can some one thats not in a program farm it and make money of it it and just because all our other land in in the program we can lose all payments from other farms? I would like to farm it because with no regards to payments which it probly has very little anyways never being certifed. I spoke to a neighbor that told me a guy lost 20000 in payments for buring a rock pile in a feild not even a wetland did not know that was against the rules ???? Thanks for all responses
Posted 4/22/2008 01:57 (#363049 - in reply to #362934) Subject: RE: anyone farm land with peat or wetlands?
Mid Michigan
We have 27 acres of wetlands that the previous owner put in the program and the property is pretty restricted on doing anything with it. I really wish they had never done it but that is pretty much history. I would have figured out a way to tile it because it is very productive muck ground that used to grow vegetables and mint. If the owner never entered it into the wetlands you should be able to go farm it to your hearts content. If its to wet, you will get stuck. If its not, you can grow crops on it. What business is it of the state of MN if you want to farm a wet farm? They need to keep their noses out of your business. On a side not, I would never, never, never, enter any government or state funded program of any kind. I will pay my own way and its best to not be in kahoots with any government organization. Ever try to get out of a PA-116 agreement? Its about like trying to get a divorce. No CRP, PA-116, or Wetland participation for me. Just going out and farming and selling the crops. No extra headaches needed.
Posted 4/22/2008 06:45 (#363082 - in reply to #362934) Subject: Re: anyone farm land with peat or wetlands?
Do not enlist that farm into the ag program, or under a different family member name, separate number. You can farm it but you will receive no GVT. payments ... and NO strings attached. You should be able to insure it with a crop history even if you have to use his yield records. Have fun.
Posted 4/23/2008 06:45 (#363591 - in reply to #363523) Subject: Re: anyone farm land with peat or wetlands?
Have your father mother or wife listed as operator or find someone even the farmer that used to farm it. If any payments pay to him and deduct fm lease. There is always a way to do it.
Posted 4/23/2008 08:41 (#363642 - in reply to #363591) Subject: Re: anyone farm land with peat or wetlands?
West Central MN
Yes, then you can farm the land for the person listed as the operator. You just have to say that you are custom farming for them.
We did this back when I was in college when my Dad and brother rented a piece of land from a guy who had just converted a wetland on his farm. I was listed as the opertor and my Dad and brother custom farmed it for me.
I think we had to do this for two years until the landlord got the situation resolved with the NRCS and FSA.
Posted 4/22/2008 20:41 (#363355 - in reply to #363273) Subject: RE: anyone farm land with peat or wetlands?
Sumner GA, Located in southwest GA,
Wetlands peeve me. Cleared a small head when we put in our first pivot, only way to clear was to agree to put a pond in or put it in blueberries. County seat has 10 acres in town, someone gets the thought "Gee, lets put a strip mall there" so the drain it and cover it in clay. If they are going to do that, let me tile my couple acres.
Posted 4/22/2008 21:40 (#363403 - in reply to #363355) Subject: RE: anyone farm land with peat or wetlands?
Here they filled a cattail slough and they built a building where the cattail lowland was located. That building houses the local County FSA Office. The people who work in that building come out and tell you that you cannot drain a wetland. Something is rotten in here. Jim J
Posted 4/22/2008 21:53 (#363417 - in reply to #363403) Subject: RE: anyone farm land with peat or wetlands?
Slicker than a Yes album.
I hope you know about mitigation. Anyone destroying a wetland (by draining or filling) has to replace twice the number of affected acres somewhere in the affected watershed. It is annoying, but it's do-able. (Especially for the wetlands that are 20X20!)
It really cheese me when they destroy the cattail lows. THAT'S a wetland! Not that damp area way out in the middle of the 160. Oh well, they didn't ask my opinion when they wrote the rules.
Posted 4/22/2008 23:51 (#363518 - in reply to #363417) Subject: Re: anyone farm land with peat or wetlands?
mid minnesota
This land was not cattails it was a mow able medow but over the years small willows grew here and there back in 1960s? When it was not cut.Then he started farming it and ditching it. He did add tile so that may be the problem
Posted 4/23/2008 00:02 (#363527 - in reply to #363417) Subject: Re: anyone farm land with peat or wetlands?
mid minnesota
I agree collegeboy A company we did some work for filled some WETland in the twin citys the went to brainard mn and bought some woods on sand and made a 10 acre lake and they were clear
anyone farm land with peat or wetlands?
