Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma

USDA opens office space to assist local farmers and ranchers

SAN DIEGO – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s California Farm Service Agency is responding to the high need for agricultural assistance in San Diego County. Farm Service Agency Staff are now available 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service in Escondido on the first and third Thursday of each month to assist San Diego County producers.

FSA staff will be able to talk individually with producers about their agricultural needs and to offer a wide array of program assistance to farmers and ranchers.

Programs include the Non-Insured Disaster Assistance Program, which provides financial assistance to producer of non-insurable crops when low yields, loss of inventory or prevented planting occur due to natural disasters. Other programs, such as the Tree Assistance Program, provide financial assistance to orchardists and nursery tree growers to replant or rehabilitate eligible trees, bushes and vines damaged by natural disasters.

FSA’s Farm Loan Programs offer opportunities to family-sized farmers and ranchers to start, improve, expand, transition, market and strengthen family farming and ranching operations.

“The California Farm Service Agency has an intimate relationship with its producers throughout the state. There is great need and opportunity to serve the agricultural community of San Diego County, which is why we want to build a more local, individual relationship here. A start is to have a consistent, local presence in the county. We look forward to meeting San Diego’s many great and diverse producers as they visit us at the Escondido location,” Aubrey Bettencourt, the California FSA executive director, said.

The Farm Service Agency Office is located at 900 Canterbury Place, Suite 320, in Escondido.

Producers can contact the local county executive director’s office at (760) 347-3675 for more information and to make an appointment to visit the local office.

 

Reader Comments(0)