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<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Does not appear that medicinal or native plants have been included...yet?</span><br>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;">Ask the Expert: A Specialty Crops Q&A with Tara Ponds</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;">Farmers.gov bulletin, 10/22/2020</span><br>
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<a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAFARMERS/bulletins/2a74b6e" id="LPlnk960086"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;">https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAFARMERS/bulletins/2a74b6e</span></a><br>
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<span style="color: rgb(33, 33, 33); font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; display: inline !important;">In this Ask the Expert, Tara Ponds, Specialty Crops Coordinator for the USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) in Kansas City,
Missouri, answers a few questions about crop insurance coverage for specialty crops. Tara is responsible for improving and expanding the crop insurance program for specialty crops.</span><span style="color:rgb(33, 33, 33);font-family:Merriweather;font-size:18px;display:inline !important"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"> </span></span><br>
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<span style="color:rgb(33, 33, 33);font-family:Merriweather;font-size:18px;display:inline !important"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;">Expansion of products is generally made to growing areas where RMA is aware
the crop exists, there is some history or experience of the crops’ performance, and there is significant grower interest in the product.</span><span><br>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;">What are specialty crops and what specialty crop provisions were outlined in the 2018 Farm Bill?</span>
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<div><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;">Specialty crops include fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and horticulture nursery crops.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;">The 2018 Farm Bill really focused on specialty crop insurance and included three key requirements for specialty crops:</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;">• designate Specialty Crop Liaisons in each RMA Regional Office;</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;">• create a website that details efforts to provide and expand crop insurance for specialty crop producers; and</span></div>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;">• submit results of specialty crop research and development as well as expansion to the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation’s Board of Directors each year.</span><br>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;">RMA has accomplished each of these requirements. Each RMA Regional Office has a Specialty Crop Liaison to assist local specialty crop producers with their risk management needs.
If you have questions about specialty crop coverage, you can contact your local Specialty Crop Liaison. You’ll find a list of liaisons and their contact information on the specialty crop page along with information on expansions of specialty crop programs
and upcoming outreach events where specialty crop insurance coverage will be discussed.</span><br>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;">More links: </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;">Specialty Crops - </span><a href="https://rma.usda.gov/Topics/Specialty-Crops" id="LPlnk"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;">https://rma.usda.gov/Topics/Specialty-Crops</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Expansions of Specialty Crops Programs - </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a href="https://rma.usda.gov/en/Topics/Specialty-Crops/Expansions" id="LPlnk"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;">https://rma.usda.gov/en/Topics/Specialty-Crops/Expansions</span></a></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Stakeholder outreach - </span><a href="https://rma.usda.gov/en/Topics/Specialty-Crops/Outreach" id="LPlnk721785"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;">https://rma.usda.gov/en/Topics/Specialty-Crops/Outreach</span></a><br>
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