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southern MN | They came up in the last half of the 1980s. You had to report what you grew, but there was no big reason to for everyone.
All of a sudden they used that number to base your payments on, the base acres of grain crops you grew. They used the previous 5 years.
If you didnt report a year or 2 or 3, you could pay a penalty and get some of that filled in within a certain time. But typically you were just out 1/5 of your acres. If you grew alfalfa or sweet corn or peas or such, those acres were not part of your base.
It was/ is far more complicated than that, and I might have some details a tad wrong. It was not so well explained to folks that were not heavily into the govt programs, until it was too late to correct issues of not being in the programs of that era.
At the beginning of one new farm bill (early 2000s?) you were allowed a one time deal to bring your base acres up to current numbers, but it was complicated, there was a trade off, you had 3 options and none were really optimal as I recall.
Here about 25 years later I am working with a 4/5 base acres compared to some of you, as well as having a wheat base even tho I haven't grown wheat in 20 years.
Such are govt plans.
Paul | |
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Base acres- Please explain
