7 CFR § 1430.203 - Eligibility.
To be eligible to receive payments under this subpart, a dairy operation must:
(a) Have produced milk in the United States and commercially marketed the milk produced anytime during the period of October 1, 2007, through September 30, 2012;
(b) Enter into a MILC during the contract application period;
(c) Agree to all terms and conditions in the MILC and those that are otherwise contained in this subpart and comply with instructions issued by CCC;
(d) Provide proof of monthly milk production commercially marketed by all persons in the dairy operation during the contract period, to determine the total pounds of milk that will be converted to hundredweight (cwt.) used for payment;
(e) Submit timely production evidence according to § 1430.209;
(f) Be actively engaged in the business of producing and marketing agricultural products anytime during the period of October 1, 2007, through September 30, 2012;
(g) Meet all adjusted gross income eligibility requirements of part 1400 of this chapter as regards any person or entity seeking to receive payment under this part. No person or entity may, generally, receive any payment for FY 2009 marketings and subsequent marketings if their nonfarm yearly income for the relevant base period for the relevant marketings as determined under the adjusted gross income rules (as in effect when the payment is sought) is over $500,000 as determined under this subpart. Further, for entities an otherwise due payment will be reduced commensurately to the extent that any person with an interest in the entity, as determined under the adjusted gross income rules had such income over that limit for the relevant period;
(h) Have submitted a contract during the applicable contract period for FYs 2008 through 2012:
(1) Except for 2009, and subject to the start month provision of § 1430.205, must have for any fiscal year or month for which payment is sought to be paid submitted the FY 2008 through 2012 contract before the end of that fiscal year or month or
(2) For FY 2008 payments, if payments are generated under this part for that fiscal year, must have submitted a contract for the FY 2008 through 2012 program by October 1, 2009 and for FY 2009 the contract must have been submitted by the month for which payment is first sought except to the extent that § 1430.205 explicitly permits the operation to pick a start month in advance of the month in which the contract is submitted; and
(i) Must not, if it did not participate in the preceding MILC program for fiscal years prior to FY 2008, be affiliated with any other dairy operation.