USDA Farm Service Agency Offers Text Alerts to Burke-McDowell-Caldwell County Producers

MORGANTON, NC (January 23, 2017)…January 23, 2017- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director Kimberly Rumfelt announced that farmers and ranchers in North Carolina now can receive notifications from their FSA county office through text messages on their cell phone.

“In addition to the free FSA GovDelivery email news, customers now can choose to receive text message alerts from their county office,” said Rumfelt. “These text messages inform producers of important program deadlines, reporting requirements, outreach events, and updates.”

Whether producers are in the field, on a tractor or even on horseback, this service will enable FSA customers and stakeholders to receive notifications while on the go.

Producers can text 1235 to FSANOW (372-669) to subscribe to text message alerts from Burke, Caldwell or McDowell Counties. Standard text messaging rates apply. Contact your wireless carrier for details associated with your particular data plan. Participants may unsubscribe at any time.

To receive GovDelivery email notifications, subscribe online at www.fsa.usda.gov/subscribe or contact the Burke-McDowell-Caldwell County FSA office for subscription assistance. Producers can establish subscriber preferences by choosing to receive federal farm program information by topic, by state or by county. Producers can select as many subscriber options as they want, which allows producers who farm in multiple counties or across state lines to receive updates from each county in which they operate or have an interest.

Please contact your local FSA office at (828)439-9727 if you have questions regarding FSA’s electronic news service or new text message option.

USDA works to strengthen and support American agriculture, an industry that supports one in 11 American jobs, provides American consumers with more than 80 percent of the food we consume, ensures that Americans spend less of their paychecks at the grocery store than most people in other countries, and supports markets for homegrown renewable energy and materials. Since 2009, USDA has provided $5.6 billion in disaster relief to farmers and ranchers; expanded risk management tools with products like Whole Farm Revenue Protection; and helped farm businesses grow with $36 billion in farm credit. The Department has engaged its resources to support a strong next generation of farmers and ranchers by improving access to land and capital; building new markets and market opportunities; and extending new conservation opportunities. USDA has developed new markets for rural-made products, including more than 2,700 biobased products through USDA’s BioPreferred program; and invested $64 billion in infrastructure and community facilities to help improve the quality of life in rural America. For more information, visit www.usda.gov/results.