Farm Program Report to the Louisiana Interchurch Conference
September 18, 2006
Betty Puckett
Farm Advocate
5647 Hwy 490
Lena, LA 71447
(318) 379-0750
baprap@cp-tel.net
Summary of Work and Activities for 2006
Hotline Calls:
I continue to receive hotline calls from farmers about their various farm problems. I counsel them on alternatives to their individual situations. Many times just having someone to talk to that understands their problem is helpful to the farmer.
Hands On Assistance:
When farmers call and need financial and legal assistance I do what I can to assist them. I represent farmers during meetings, mediation, and appeals with USDA, Farm Service Agency. I assist them in completing financial statements and applications for loans or loan servicing. Some issues are cash flows, shared appreciation agreements, loan servicing, debt settlements, administrative offset, treasury offset, homestead protection rights, discrimination complaints, jurisdictional issues for appeal, Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act appeals, accounting for security property and bankruptcy.
Travel:
On January 19th and 20th , I traveled to Houma, LA with an Advocate who works with Native Americans. We met with and counseled several Houma Fisherman and their families.
On February 7th and 8th, I attended the Farm Advocate Training presented by LIC, Farm Aid and the Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI). The training was held at the Solomon Episcopal Center in Loranger, LA. During the training I counseled six farmers regarding their farm problems.
On March 1, I traveled to Monroe, LA to represent a farmer in two appeals.
In April, I traveled to Arkansas to attend another Farm Advocate Training for Hmong Poultry Growers. The growers are having financial problems after investing their life’s savings into their dream of owning a farm and living in the country. I met with seven families to discuss their problems.
I traveled to Tallulah to meet with a deceased farmer’s family to discuss alternatives to foreclosure.
I traveled to Lecompte to assist a nursery grower in completing an application for loan servicing.
The foreclosure lawsuit involving the Louisiana dairy farmer that was pending before the District Court in Baton Rouge has been concluded. The Judge ruled in favor of the USDA allowing foreclosure to continue. The farmer’s attorney negotiated with the United States Attorney to allow the farmer to sell a portion of his property and pay off the debt. This was done and the farmer and his son were able to remain in their homes on the property they did not have to sell. In this case, Hurricane Katrina caused the value of their property to increase. Otherwise this could not have been done and would have been a very bad situation.
