Agriculture

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

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
• May 15 - August 2: Primary Nesting Season. No MCM Activities on CRP Acres
• August 1: ARC/PLC Sign-up
• August 1: Last day to request a farm/tract reconstitution for 2018 crop year
• August 17: CRP Signup 51

While the number of farms in the U.S. has been on the decline for many years, the number owned and operated by women is on the rise, according to the USDA Census of Agriculture. The Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) supports these women farmers with on-farm “In Her Boots” workshops; the next workshop of the 2018 season is Thursday, July 26 at Humble Hands Harvest, an organic vegetable farm in Decorah, Iowa, run by Hannah Breckbill.

This day-long workshop, offered by MOSES in partnership with the Iowa Organic Association, offers an inspiring blend of practical information, skill-building, resource connections and networking to encourage this growing segment of women farmers, entrepreneurs, and agricultural leaders. This session in particular will also cover ergonomics and machinery use for women.

Sharing research-based information to help maximize profit and minimize nitrogen losses.

As part of the state-wide series of workshops, ISU Extension invites farmers and those who advise them to attend an event on Thursday August 9 at the ISU Northeast Research Farm near Nashua, titled “Focus on Nitrogen: Managing Nitrogen for Maximum Profit and Minimum Water Quality Impact.”

Being one of the country’s most prestigious water quality research facilities, we will kick off the day with a field tour by Ken Pecinovsky, farm superintendent, who will highlight nitrogen management strategies and water quality testing practices being conducted on the farm.

Brian Lang and Terry Basol, ISU agronomists, will discuss the nitrogen fertilizer recommendations for corn, split application of nitrogen, and cover crops as it pertains to making crop production decisions.

Women across Iowa have the opportunity to visit diverse agricultural businesses through one-day bus tours this summer. Each tour is designed by local groups of women in agriculture and led by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach county professionals and the Women in Ag program. Interested persons may sign up for a local tour, take a tour across the state, or join several tours.

While showcasing Iowa’s agricultural diversity, each tour will feature discussion around five common agricultural risks: 1) costs and benefits of production practices, 2) safety of families and employees, 3) impacts of changing regulation, 4) storing and marketing farm products, and 5) managing soil and water.

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

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
• May 15 - August 2: Primary Nesting Season. No MCM Activities on CRP Acres
• July 15: 2018 Crop Reports
• August 1: ARC/PLC Sign-up
• August 1: Last day to request a farm/tract reconstitution for 2018 crop year
• August 17: CRP Signup 51

More than half of Iowa farmland is rented.  In some Iowa locations, as much as 70 percent of the land is farmed by farmers who don’t own the land.

In Northeast Iowa, the result is many conversations and negotiations between farmland owners and producer-tenants to determine what makes sense for farmland leases and cash rental rates – both fixed rent and flexible arrangements.  Strong landlord/tenant relationships are important for the long-term viability of Iowa’s farming communities.

These are just a few reasons why Iowa State University Extension and Outreach offers workshops designed to answer questions that land owners and tenants have about farmland leasing and land values.

These workshops will be held across northeast Iowa counties starting August 6 through August 21.

Melissa O’Rourke, ISU Extension Farm & Agribusiness Management Specialist will present a wide range of topics related to farmland values and leasing.

Farmers who have identified conservation needs following recent flooding should contact local Soil and Water Conservation District office

Following the recent storms and flooding, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig highlighted the $7.8 million that is available through the state conservation cost share program to help farmers and landowners install conservation practices. Farmers can contact their local Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) offices to apply for assistance of up to 50 percent of the cost of the project.

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

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
• May 15 - August 2: Primary Nesting Season. No MCM Activities on CRP Acres
• July 4: Office Closed for Holiday
• July 15: 2018 Crop Reports
• August 1: ARC/PLC Sign-up
• August 17: CRP Signup 51

2018 Crop Certification
The Allamakee County FSA office welcomes all county farmers to come in and report their 2018 crops.  Certifying your crops is a requirement for many FSA programs. This includes all spring planted crops and land uses. Forages and pastures were to be reported last fall, and if you missed that deadline, we will be asking for that report now and collecting a late fee.  100% of the farm must be reported to be eligible for programs.  Please report what is planted on your farm by the deadline of July 15.

When Waukon farmer Mark Stock forgot to turn half of his cover crop seeding drill back on last fall while starting a new row, he inadvertently began an experiment that he believes will pay dividends into the future.

Stock saw very little cereal rye growth in the fall due to the late harvest and planting, so he didn’t realize his mistake until this spring. “I’ve had neighbors pull in this spring to ask me what I was doing out there,” he said, “and I tell them it’s an experiment.”

What Stock didn’t realize is what his experiment would show him. He chopped some of the rye for ryelage this spring for his beef herd, and he planted corn into live rye at about 12” tall on the rest. He sprayed for termination a week later. The result was nearly perfect weed suppression in his rye strips and a definite weed issue in the strips without rye.

Three ISU Extension and Outreach webinars will be held in July

Farming is one of the most stressful occupations in the United States. This is particularly true for dairy farmers as they are experiencing an extended period of low milk prices.

To help dairy farmers deal with stress, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will host a series of three webinars that discuss how to recognize the signs of stress, how to deal with dairy farm families experiencing stress, analyzing a dairy for profits, the profitability of various dairy systems and what FINBIN says about production costs.