Agriculture

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
December 15: Crop Reporting for Fall-Seeded Small Grains
January 31: Livestock Forage Program (LFP)

Before You Break Out New Ground, Ensure Your Farm Meets Conservation Compliance
The term “sodbusting” is used to identify the conversion of land from native vegetation to commodity crop production after December 23, 1985.  As part of the conservation provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985, if you’re proposing to produce agricultural commodities (crops that require annual tillage including one pass planting operations and sugar cane) on land that has been determined highly erodible and that has no crop history prior to December 23, 1985, that land must be farmed in accordance with a conservation plan or system that ensures no substantial increase in soil erosion.

Learn to financially analyze your livestock/farm operation in a different way to find more profit, eliminate money pits and lower your stress level. Sound too good to be true? Iowa State University Extension Beef specialist, Denise Schwab, would beg to differ.

“The Cattle in the Green series was developed to meet the needs of beef operations regardless of size,” Schwab said. “This program was designed to look at financial and business management from a different perspective. Most beef producers view financial records as a necessity for taxes, but Cattle in the Green uses that basic data to analyze the operation to look for and use simple management changes for better results.”

Workshops to be held in five locations across Iowa

Specialists with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach are once again teaming up with Iowa State ag and biosystems engineering specialists to bring planter equipment expertise to farms across the state Feb. 5-9.

The workshops are an opportunity for farmers, agricultural service providers, equipment and precision ag dealers, and others to gain insight into how planters function, optimize settings for individual seed, field and equipment needs, and improve understanding of planter wear and calibration.

“Planter University goes far beyond a typical planter clinic and provides attendees direct access to specialists with expertise in planter technology and settings,” said Meaghan Anderson, field agronomist with ISU Extension and Outreach. “We are excited to host this workshop across the state again this February.”

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
December 4: Last Day to Return COC Ballots
December 15: Crop Reporting for Fall-Seeded Small Grains
January 31: Livestock Forage Program (LFP)

Tax Resources for USDA Program Participants
Navigating filing taxes can be challenging, especially if you are new to running a farm business, participating in disaster programs for the first time, or trying to forecast the farm’s tax bill. Receiving funds from USDA through activities such as a conservation program payment or a disaster program is considered farm income that includes a tax liability for farm businesses. USDA technical assistance is free and creates no tax implications.

The dry growing conditions of 2022 and 2023 have led to supply and quality issues of hay and other forages in some areas of the state. Cattlemen may be faced with a short supply of hay, corn silage with the potential for nitrates, and poor pastures that resulted in stored hay being fed most of the summer. Unfortunately, tight hay supplies will likely lead to higher prices later in the winter feeding period, according to Iowa State University extension beef specialist Denise Schwab.

“Controlling feed cost while meeting all of the cow’s nutrient requirements requires knowledge of both the feed supply and the animal’s requirements,” Schwab said. “ISU extension beef specialists have developed a series of workshops to help producers plan for their beef cow winter feeding programs.”

The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Dairy Team will host its annual Dairy Goat Management Seminar Friday, December 8 at the Historical Village Visitors Center, 715 D Avenue in Kalona, and Saturday, December 9 at the Dordt College-Agriculture Stewardship Center, 700 7th Street NE in Sioux Center. Both events begin with registration at 9 a.m. and the program runs from 9:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. This year’s focus is on milk quality and functional type animals.

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
December 4: Last Day to Return COC Ballots
December 15: Crop Reporting for Fall-Seeded Small Grains
January 31: Livestock Forage Program (LFP)

USDA to Provide More Than $3 Billion to Commodity and Specialty Crop Producers Impacted by 2022 Natural Disasters
The U. S Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide more than $3 billion to commodity and specialty crop producers impacted by natural disaster events in 2022. Eligible impacted producers can apply for financial assistance through the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) 2022. The program will help offset the financial impacts of crop yield and value losses from qualifying disasters occurring in 2022.

Good grain management can benefit bottom line and help prevent entrapment incidents

Keeping grain in good condition is important for a farmers bottom line by allowing them to sell high-grade grain and maintain all their marketing options. Good grain management has another major benefit: It can help prevent grain entrapment and engulfment incidents, since most of the incidents that happen every year involve grain flow issues due to grain spoilage.

Why aerate grain?
Aeration is used to cool grain in the fall and keep temperatures across the grain mass even throughout its storage life. Cool temperatures keep insect and mold activity low and increase the maximum allowable storage life of grain.

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
November 1: Organic Certification Cost-Share and Transition/Education Certification Program
December 4: Last Day to Return COC Ballots
December 15: Crop Reporting for Fall-Seeded Small Grains
January 31: Livestock Forage Program (LFP)

Conservation Update
submitted by Ben Cottrell, District Conservationist, NRCS
It is not too late to think about planting cover crops this fall. We are still within the seeding window and have some limited funding available for cover crop cost share if you are still interested this fall.

Farmers surveyed on specific ag technologies

One of the biggest keys to farm profitability is being efficient. Farmers are constantly looking for ways to improve yields while managing their inputs, and one of the ways they’ve done this for the past several years is by using precision agriculture.

Although this term can be defined many ways, the United States Department of Agriculture calls it a suite of technologies that can reduce input costs by providing the farm operator with detailed spatial information, that can be used to optimize field management practices.

In essence, it’s producing more with less. But precision agriculture is a diverse field, and farmers approach it differently.