Agriculture

The Annual Spring Field Day at the ISU Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm will run from 1-4:10 p.m. Wednesday, June 26. Dennis Todey, Director of the Midwest Climate Hub, will kick-off the program in the Borlaug Learning Center, by providing his insights on crop weather for the 2019 growing season. Angie Rieck-Hinz, Extension agronomist, follows with a discussion of the likelihood of hemp production in Iowa for 2020, including development of regulations, current production practices and economic information from other states.

The on-farm wagon tour will feature Stephan Gailans, Research and Field Crops Director with Practical Farmers of Iowa, and Ed Zaworski, ISU field crops plant pathologist. Stephan will share his expertise on oat production and seeding cover crops into V6 corn, whereas Ed will discuss plant disease issues in a wet spring and considerations for foliar fungicide applications later in the season.

Submitted by Sara Berges, Allamakee County Soil and Water Conservation District

The rain this spring has made planting difficult and, in many cases, impossible. The weather outlook isn’t looking good for the next 10 days.  More producers are starting to talk about prevent plant.  If you are unable to plant a crop this spring, a cover crop can provide many benefits to help reduce weed pressure, reduce soil erosion, and reduce the risk of fallow syndrome.  The cover crops can also take up nitrogen, build organic matter, and hold potassium and phosphorus in place. There are many things to consider when choosing cover crops.  If an herbicide has already been applied, look at the restrictions. You don’t want to spend the money on cover crops only to have them fail due to your herbicide, so do the research and find a cover crop that will work with your herbicides.  

by Jeremy Leitz, Allamakee County Executive Director (563) 568-2148

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
May 15 - August 1: Primary Nesting Season.  No MCM activities on CRP acres
June 3: CRP Continuous Signup 52 Begins 
June 14: COC Nominations Begin
June 17: Dairy Margin Coverage Program Sign-Up Begins
July 15: Last Day to Certify Crop Acres

Crop Reporting
Allamakee county farmers are reminded to report all spring planted crops to the FSA office by July 15 to remain eligible for FSA and other USDA programs.   Please remember to bring planting dates with you.  It is the producer’s responsibility to accurately report acres and producer’s shares in individual crops.  Discrepancies found later may affect eligibility for all FSA-administered programs.

Last fall was far from ideal for getting cover crops seeded.  The late crop harvest caused many producers to get cover crops planted very late, resulting in little or no fall growth. The few producers who planted cover crops following small grains or corn silage had the best opportunity for fall growth.

Depending on what was seeded, those cover crop fields may be carpets of green this spring.  One of the main soil health principles is to keep soil covered as much of the year as possible.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig and Department of Natural Resources Acting Director Bruce Trautman invite Iowans to nominate families in their communities for the Farm Environmental Leader Award. Farmers who voluntarily take actions, like planting cover crops or installing conservation infrastructure in their fields, are eligible for the award.

Farmers that are nominated should have made environmental stewardship a priority on their farm and incorporated best management practices into their farming operation. As true stewards of the land, they recognize that improved water quality and soil sustainability reaps benefits that extend beyond their fields to citizens of Iowa and residents even further downstream.

by Jeremy Leitz, Allamakee County Executive Director (563) 568-2148

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
May 15 - August 1: Primary Nesting Season.  No MCM activities on CRP acres
May 27: Office closed in observance of Memorial Day
June 14: COC Nominations Begin
June 17: Dairy Margin Coverage Program Sign-Up Begins
July 15: Last day to certify crop acres

Crop Reporting
Allamakee county farmers are reminded to report all spring planted crops to the FSA office by July 15 to remain eligible for FSA and other USDA programs. Please remember to bring planting dates with you. It is the producer’s responsibility to accurately report acres and producer’s shares in individual crops. Discrepancies found later may affect eligibility for all FSA-administered programs.

Women Caring for the Land will meet Wednesday, May 29 at 10 a.m. at The Winery, which is located at 1966 337th Street off of North Winneshiek Road in rural Decorah.

This meeting is an opportunity for discussion with other women involved in farming and farmland ownership. Women are invited to attend for learning and fun and are welcome to bring friends. Lunch will be available. Now more than ever, women are involved in agriculture,  with 50% of farmland being owned by women.

Featured speakers at the event include Melissa O’Rourke, Attorney from ISU Extension and Outreach, who will speak about farm estate and transition planning and farmland leasing and ownership. Matt Frana, Upper Iowa Project Manager, will speak about soil conservation and grants that are available.

To make reservations, contact Carol Dowe at 563-735-5688 or email caroldowe@gmail.com.

by Jeremy Leitz, Allamakee County Executive Director (563) 568-2148

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
May 17: Last day to report production for the Market Facilitation Program
May 15 - August 1: Primary Nesting Season.  No MCM activities on CRP acres.
May 27: Office closed in observance of Memorial Day
June 17: Dairy Margin Coverage Program Sign-Up Begins
July 15: Last day to certify crop acres

March Income over Feed Cost Margin Triggers Third 2019 Dairy Safety Net Payment
USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced this week that the March 2019 income over feed cost margin was $8.85 per hundredweight (cwt.), triggering the third payment for dairy producers who purchase the appropriate level of coverage under the new Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program.

Iowa State University and the Iowa Soybean Association have teamed up to develop a new, web-based resource as an easy-to-use portal where producers can find the results of hundreds of on-farm research trials conducted by the association’s On-Farm Network.

The Interactive Summaries of On-Farm Strip Trials, or ISOFAST, makes data mining easy for farmers, researchers and others interested in accessing detailed information from the organization’s independent tests of products and practices.

by Jeremy Leitz, Allamakee County Executive Director (563) 568-2148

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
May 17: Updated - Last day to report production for the Market Facilitation Program
May 14: Deadline to complete mid-contract management (MCM) activities on CRP
May 15 - August 1: Primary Nesting Season.  No MCM activities on CRP acres.
May 27: Office closed in observance of Memorial Day
July 15: Last day to certify crop acres

May 2019 CCC and FSFL Interest Rates
New rates were issued for the month of May and are as follows:
• 2.250% for 3 years
• 2.250% for 5 years
• 2.375% for 7 years
• 2.500% for 10 years
• 2.500% for 12 years
• 2.625% for 15 years