Newspaper Page Text
The Lee County Ledger, Wednesday, July 21,2021, Page 5B
How can you improve your financial fitness?
Special to the Ledger
It’s always smart to
stay physically fit, at
every point in your life.
But financial fitness is
important, too. Are you
doing everything you
can to boost your finan
cial well-being?
The topic of financial
health is certainly on the
minds of many people.
In fact, 70% of Ameri
cans say the COVID-19
pandemic has caused
them to pay more atten
tion to their long-term
finances, according to
a recent Edward Jones/
Age Wave survey titled
Four Pillars of the New
Retirement: What a Dif
ference a Year Makes.
While interest in fi
nancial health is wide
spread, some groups are
feeling more positive
about their future than
others. Baby Boom
ers came through the
pandemic in generally
good financial shape,
while Gen Z and Mil
lennial felt the great
est negative financial
impact, according to the
Four Pillars study. And
women’s confidence in
their retirement savings
remains low, as the
pandemic widened the
economic gender gap,
particularly for wom
en of color. So, your
outlook may depend
somewhat on your de
mographics.
But regardless of your
age or gender, you can
still take some steps to
improve your financial
health, including these:
Conduct an investment
“check-up.” Getting a
regular check-up is a key
part of maintaining good
physical health. And the
same principle applies to
your investments - you
need to periodically as
sess their “vital signs.”
Is your portfolio still
appropriate for your risk
tolerance and
time horizon? Is
it providing you
with the growth
potential you’ll
need to help
you achieve
your long-term
goals, such as
a comfortable
retirement? Is it
diversified enough, or do
you own too many of the
same investments? Even
though diversification
can’t guarantee profits
or protect against all
losses, it can help reduce
the impact of financial
market volatility on your
portfolio.
Take preventive mea
sures. Throughout your
life, you probably take
medicines as needed,
and possibly vitamins
and other supplements,
in an effort to treat
existing illnesses or
prevent future ones. You
also can, and
should, take pre
ventive measures
to boost your
financial health.
For example,
do you have
sufficient life
and disability in
surance? If your
family situation
has changed through
divorce, remarriage or
the births of new chil
dren, have you updated
the beneficiary designa
tions on your insurance
policies? And have you
taken steps to protect
your financial indepen
dence - and possibly
avoid burdening your
family - by addressing
the potentially huge
costs of long-term care,
such as an extended
nursing home stay?
Avoid unhealthy
moves. Smoking, a
sedentary lifestyle and
excessive stress are all
considered unhealthy
for our bodies. But some
activities are unhealthy
for our financial fitness,
too. You may be tempt
ed to tap into your IRA
or 401(k) to pay for a
short-term need, such
as a down payment on
a new car, but if it isn’t
absolutely essential that
you get this car, or if you
possibly can obtain oth
er sources of funding,
you may want to avoid
touching your retirement
accounts. For one thing,
withdrawals may incur
taxes and penalties, but,
just as important, these
accounts are intended
to provide you with
some of the income
you’ll need when you’re
retired - so the more
you deplete them now,
the more financial strain
you may face during
retirement.
Staying physically fit
requires determination
and work - and the same
is true for maintaining
financial fitness. But the
effort you put into stay
ing financially healthy
can help you keep mov
ing toward your finan
cial goals.
This article was writ
ten by Edward Jones
for use by your local
Edward Jones Financial
Advisor.
Edward Jones. Mem
ber SIPC.
This column is pro
vided by Greg Parrish
with your local Edward
Jones. He can be con
tacted at 229-883-0416
and via email at greg.
parrish@edwardjones.
com
Member SIPC.
n
Greg Parrish
Deadline Fast Approaching for Conservation
Reserve Program General Signup
Special to the Ledger
The U.S. Department
of Agriculture (USDA)
in Georgia is reminding
producers and land-
owners that the signup
deadline for the Conser
vation Reserve Program
(CRP) current general
signup is fast approach
ing. Eligible producers
must submit their offers
by July 23, 2021.
USDA’s Farm Service
Agency (FSA) made
several changes to CRP
to make it more appeal
ing to all producers,
including those who are
historically underserved,
beginning, and veterans.
FSA added incentives to
encourage producers to
include climate-smart
agricultural practices
in their operations to
increase natural resource
and environmental
benefits.
“Agricultural producers
and private landowners
should take advantage
of the opportunities
offered by the revamped
CRP,” Dianne R. West
moreland said. “Explore
the increased payment
rates and new incen
tives for climate-smart
agricultural practices
to see if elements of the
revamped CRP fit your
operation.”
Updates to the Conser
vation Reserve Program
USDA’s goal is to
enroll up to 4 million
new CRP acres by rais
ing payment rates and
expanding the incen
tives offered under the
program. CRP is capped
at 25 million acres for
fiscal year 2021, and cur
rently 20.7 million acres
are enrolled, but the cap
will gradually increase
to 27 million acres by
fiscal year 2023. To
help increase producer
interest and enrollment,
Whisperer,
from page 4B
singing of birds is come,
and the voice of the tur
tle is heard in our land”
(Song of Solomon 2:12).
I guess from my wife’s
point of view, the deli
cacy and fragrance of a
blossoming flower are in
the voice that comforts
it. When God speaks to
me, I also blossom.
FSA has:
I Adjusted soil
rental rates. This enables
additional flexibility for
rate adjustments, includ
ing a possible increase in
rates where appropriate.
I Increased pay
ments for Practice
Incentives from 20% to
50%. This incentive for
continuous CRP prac
tices is based on the cost
of establishment and is
in addition to cost share
payments.
I Increased pay
ments for water quality
practices. Incentive
increased from 10% to
20% for certain water
quality practices avail
able through the CRP
continuous signup, such
as grassed waterways,
riparian buffers and filter
strips.
Additionally, to mit
igate climate change,
FSA introduced a new
annual Climate-Smart
Practice Incentive for the
general, grasslands, and
continuous signups that
aims to increase carbon
sequestration and reduce
greenhouse gas emis
sions. Climate-Smart
CRP practices include
establishing trees and
permanent grasses, de
veloping wildlife habitat,
and restoring wetlands.
The Climate-Smart
Practice Incentive
amount is based on the
benefits of each practice
type.
More About CRP
CRP is one of the
world’s largest voluntary
conservation programs
with a long track record
of preserving topsoil,
improving water quality,
sequestering carbon,
reducing nitrogen runoff
and preserving healthy
wildlife habitat.
Signed into law in
Dr. James F. Snyder is
pastor of the Family of
God Fellowship, 1471
Pine Road, Ocala, FF
34472. He lives with his
wife in Silver Springs
Shores. Call him at
352-216-3025 or e-mail
jamessnyder2@att.net.
The church web site is
www.whatafellowship.
com.
1985, CRP is one of the
largest private-lands
conservation programs
in the United States. It
was originally intended
to control soil erosion
and stabilize commodity
prices by taking margin
al lands out of produc
tion. The program has
evolved over the years,
providing more conser
vation and economic
benefits. CRP marked its
35-year anniversary in
December 2020.
Program successes
include:
I Preventing more
than 9 billion tons of soil
from eroding, which is
enough soil to fill 600
million dump trucks.
I Reducing nitrogen
and phosphorous runoff
relative to annually tilled
cropland by 95% and
85% percent, respec
tively.
I Creating more
than 3 million acres of
restored wetlands while
protecting more than
175,000 stream miles
with riparian forest and
grass buffers, which is
enough to go around the
world seven times.
I Benefiting bees
and other pollinators and
increasing populations
of ducks, pheasants,
turkey, bobwhite quail,
prairie chickens, grass
hopper sparrows and
many other birds.
More information
about the program can
be obtained through this
CRP fact sheet.
More Information
Interested producers
should contact their
local USDA Service
Center. In addition to
the CRP General signup,
FSA is also accepting
applications for the CRP
Grasslands and CRP
Continuous signups.
Fearn more at fsa.usda.
gov/crp.
To find their local FSA
county office, producers
can visit farmers.gov/
service-center-locator.
Service Center staff
continue to work with
agricultural produc
ers via phone, e-mail,
and other digital tools.
Because of the pandem
ic, some USDA Service
Centers are open to
limited visitors. Produc
ers should contact their
service center to set up
an in-person appoint
ment. Additionally, more
information related to
USDA’s response and
relief for producers can
be found at farmers.gov/
coronavirus.
USDA touches the
lives of all Americans
each day in so many
positive ways. In the
Biden-Harris Adminis
tration, USDA is trans
forming America’s food
system with a greater
focus on more resil
ient local and regional
food production, fairer
markets for all produc
ers, ensuring access to
healthy and nutritious
food in all communities,
building new markets
and streams of income
for farmers and pro
ducers using climate
smart food and forest
ry practices, making
historic investments
in infrastructure and
clean energy capabilities
in rural America, and
committing to equity
across the Department
by removing systemic
barriers and building a
workforce more repre
sentative of America. To
learn more, visit www.
usda.gov.
Under the Biden-Har
ris Administration,
USDA is engaged in a
whole- of-government
effort to combat the cli
mate crisis and conserve
and protect our nation’s
lands, biodiversity
and natural resources
including our soil, air
and water. Through
conservation practices
and partnerships, USDA
aims to enhance eco
nomic growth and create
new streams of income
for farmers, ranchers,
producers and private
foresters. Successfully
meeting these challenges
will require USDA and
our agencies to pursue
a coordinated approach
alongside USDA stake
holders, including State,
local and Tribal govern
ments.
LEE COUNTY
Life works well here.
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
Lanier Engineering, Inc. (Z21-005): has submitted an application to the Lee County Planning Com
mission requesting to rezone a total of 24.011 acres from C-2 (General Commercial District) to R-2
(Multi-Family Residential District). The property owner is Oakland Plantation Partners, LLC. Parcel
number 176 230 001 of land being part of Land Lot 229,230 of the Second Land District of Lee County,
Georgia.
Rosalvn Jordan Kirk (Z21-006): has submitted an application to the Lee County Planning Commission
requesting to rezone a total of 89.433 acres from R1 & R3 (Single Family Residential District) to AG (Ag
ricultural District). The property owner is Rosalyn Jordan Kirk Parcel number 119 029 001 of land being
part of Land Lot 29 of the First Land District of Lee County, Georgia.
Exact legal description of the property is on file at the Lee County Planning, Zoning and Engineering
Department, 102 Starksville Avenue North, Room 202, Leesburg, GA 31763 and can be reviewed along
with any other information regarding this request between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through
Friday.
The Lee County Planning Commission will conduct a public hearing on the zoning request on
Thursday, August 5,2021 at 6:00 p.m. at the T. Page Tharp Governmental Building, Opal Cannon
Auditorium, 102 Starksville Avenue North, Leesburg, GA. The Planning Commission will forward its
recommendation to the Lee County Board of Commissioners.
The Lee County Board of Commissioners will conduct a public hearing on Tuesday, August 10,2021
at 6:00 p.m. with a final vote on Tuesday, August 24,2021 at 6:00 p.m. at the T. Page Tharp
Governmental Building, Opal Cannon Auditorium, 102 Starksville Avenue North, Leesburg, GA.
Meetings of the Planning Commission and the Board of Commissioners are open to the public.
Georgia law requires that all parties who have made campaign contributions to any member of the
Board of Commissioners in excess of two hundred fifty dollars ($250) within two (2) years immediately
preceding the filing of this request, and who desire to appear at the public hearing in opposition to the
application, shall, at least five (5) days prior to the public hearing, file a campaign contribution report with
the Lee County Planning Commission. 7/21