Agriculture

by Joyce Davidshofer, Allamakee County Executive Director

Reminders
June 15- August 3: Nominations can be received for the COC elections.
July 3: Office Closed for the Independence Day.
July 15: Deadline to certify all crops and CRP acres.
August 1: Last day to request a reconstitution for 2015.

Farm Loan Officer Trainee
Effective May 17, Kim Welsh, former farm loan program technician, entered into the Farm Loan Officer Trainee (FLOT) program. She will be stationed at the Winneshiek County FSA Office and will be traveling with Vicky Hinsenbrock, farm loan manager (FLM), and Gina Hanson, farm loan officer (FLO), this summer. Kim will be working with FSA loan programs – youth loans, beginning farmer loans, operating loans, emergency loans, etc. The program will last approximately two years and, pending successful completion of the course, Kim will be hired as a farm loan officer or farm loan manager.

The Northeast Iowa Dairy Foundation will host the 6th Annual Breakfast on the Farm event Saturday, June 20 from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon at Iowa’s Dairy Center in Calmar. The center is located just south of Northeast Iowa Community College’s (NICC) Calmar campus at 1527 Highway 150 South.
Northeast Iowa Dairy Foundation members, NICC staff and area producers will be serving a wholesome breakfast and providing guided tram tours of the nationally-recognized Iowa’s Dairy Center. Children and families attending will enjoy the chance to meet some calves, visit several educational exhibits, milk a cow and watch robots milk cows. New this year is an expanded eating area and faster serving line.
This year, Breakfast on the Farm will be serving up Belgian waffles and sausage, along with dairy products produced and processed right in northeast Iowa from Country View Dairy. Takeouts are available along with on-site parking. Donations for the breakfast are appreciated.

by Joyce Davidshofer, Allamakee County Executive Director

The next Allamakee County Committee meeting will be held in the Allamakee County FSA Office conference room Thursday, June 11 at 9 a.m.

Reminders
June 15 - August 3: Nominations can be received for the COC elections.
July 4: Office closed.
July 15: Deadline to certify all crops and CRP acres.
August 1: Last day to request a reconstitution for 2015.

During the next several weeks, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will conduct two major mid-year surveys, the June Agricultural Survey and the June Area Survey. The agency will survey over 5,000 operators across Iowa to determine crop acreage and supply levels for 2015.
NASS gathers the data for the June Agriculture Survey online, by mail and/or by phone. For the June Area Survey, a NASS representative will visit randomly selected tracts of land and interview the operators of any farm on that land. Growers will provide information on crop acreage, as well as grain stocks, livestock inventory, cash rents, land values, and value of sales.

Acreage Reporting
Filing an accurate acreage report at your local FSA office can prevent the loss of benefits for a variety of programs. Failed acreage is acreage that was timely planted with the intent to harvest, but because of disaster related conditions, the crop failed before it could be brought to harvest. Prevented planting must be reported no later than 15 days after the final planting date. Annual acreage reports are required for most Farm Service Agency programs. Annual crop report deadlines vary based on region, crop, permanent vs. annual crop type, NAP or non-NAP crop and fall or winter seeding.  

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship recently announced an order to cancel all live bird exhibitions at county fairs, the Iowa State Fair, and other gatherings of birds due to avian influenza. The Department’s order begins immediately, is effective through the end of 2015, and also prohibits live birds from being sold at livestock auction markets, swap meets and exotic sales.
Iowa has over 25 million birds and more than 60 farms impacted by H5N2 highly-pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The purpose of the Department’s directive is to minimize the risk of potential further spread of the virus to other poultry.  The Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Iowa Department of Public Health consider the risk to the public related to HPAI H5 infections to be very low.  No human infections of the virus have ever been detected and there is no food safety risk for consumers.

by Joyce Davidshofer, Allamakee County Executive Director

Reminders
May 14 - August 2: Nesting season. Food plots or mid contract management actives are not allowed during this time.
May 31: Last day to receive a corn and/or soybean loan for 2014 crop.
June 1: Deadline to sign an AD-1026 for Federal Crop Insurance.
July 4: Office closed.
July 15: Deadline to certify all crops and CRP acres.

Farm Loan Programs

Farm Ownership Loans
Eligible applicants may obtain direct loans up to a maximum indebtedness of $300,000. Maximum indebtedness for guaranteed loans is $1,392,000 (amount adjusted annually for inflation). The maximum repayment term is 40 years for both direct and guaranteed farm ownership loans. In general, loan funds may be used to purchase a farm, enlarge an existing farm, construct new farm buildings and/or improve structures, pay closing costs, and promote soil and water conservation and protection.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey announced recently that funds are available to help farmers install nutrient reduction practices.  Practices eligible for this funding are cover crops, no-till or strip till, or using a nitrification inhibitor when applying fertilizer.
The cost share rate for first-time  users of cover crops is $25 per acre, no-till or strip till are eligible for $10 per acre and farmers using a nitrapyrin nitrification inhibitor when applying fall fertilizer can receive $3 per acre. Any farmer not already utilizing these practices will receive priority consideration for this assistance. Farmers that have used cover crops in the past may be eligible for $15 per acre for cover crops
.
“We continue to hear from farmers interested in doing even more to limit nutrient loss and better protect water quality and these funds will help them try new voluntary science-based conservation practices on their farm,” Northey said.

by Joyce Davidshofer, Allamakee County Executive Director

2015 Allamakee County Committee Elections
Producers elect farmers and ranchers to County Committees. The following are some of the requirements for being a candidate to serve on a County Committee:
• Be of legal voting age.
• Live in the LAA holding an election.
• Participate or cooperate in a program administered by FSA.
The LAA #3 is up for elections. The townships are Iowa, Lansing, Center, La Fayette, Paint Creek and Taylor.
The nomination period begins June 15 and ends August 3. Request nomination forms from the Allamakee County FSA office or online at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/elections.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey reminds eligible farm owners that the deadline to apply for the 2015 Century and Heritage Farm Program is June 1. The program recognizes families that have owned their farm for 100 years in the case of Century Farms and 150 years for Heritage Farms.
 “The deadline for families with a Century or Heritage applications is quickly approaching and I hope those with an eligible farm will take the time to apply,” Northey said. “This program is a great way to highlight the deep history and strong heritage of agriculture in our state.”
Farm families with a century or heritage farm must submit an application to the Department no later than June 1 to qualify for recognition this year.
Applications are available on the Department’s website at www.IowaAgriculture.gov by clicking on the Century Farm or Heritage Farm link under “Hot Topics.”