Agriculture

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently reported that its work to comply with a five-year agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 7 is right on track. DNR staff completed 41 percent of required animal feeding operation inspections in its first two years of the work plan.
“Our biggest effort is to complete the required 8,582 inspections, working to identify any hog, cattle, dairy or other operations that need National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits,” said Barb Lynch, chief of DNR’s field services and compliance. “We agreed to complete about 20 percent of the inspections each year.

Hot temperatures, low stream levels and cloudbursts are the perfect recipe for a fish kill.
“Historically, fish kills occur more frequently under these conditions, and we are very dry here in northwest Iowa,” says Ken Hessenius, supervisor of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR’s) Spencer field office. “We’ve also investigated a few fish kills in other parts of the state this week.
“For that reason, we want to encourage farmers, pesticide and manure applicators and homeowners to be extra careful when using chemicals, fertilizers and manure,” he added.
The dog days of summer, when heat and algal blooms cause oxygen levels to drop, cause fish and other aquatic organisms like crayfish and dragonfly larvae to be especially vulnerable to pollutants.
Anyone who handles chemicals or animal manure can take a few simple precautions to prevent downstream impacts.

by Joyce Davidshofer, Allamakee County Executive Director

The next Allamakee County Committee meeting will be Thursday, August 27 at 9 a.m. at the Allamakee County FSA Office conference room.

Reminders
June 15 - August 3: Nominations can be received for the COC elections.
June 15 - September 30: ARC/PLC sign-up for 2014/2015 program.
July 1 - September 30: 2016 MPP (Dairy) Program sign-up period.

Producers bringing land into production that has not been previously cropped need to complete a sodbust plan at the Farm Service Agency (FSA) before doing any ground-breaking activity.  Producers should also check with FSA before removing any trees or shrubs from fence lines to ensure that those areas are considered part of existing fields or a sodbust form will need to be filled out. Failure to complete a sodbust plan could jeopardize farm program payments. Producers will also need to revise their NRCS conservation plan to ensure that the planned tillage and rotation will meet the soil loss requirements.  
The Allamakee County District Commissioners have decided that they will not approve sodbust plans for the following reasons:
• If sodbust paperwork is not filed at the FSA office before breaking ground;
• If the ground has a class 6 or higher;
• If the ground is predominantly an E slope or greater;

by Jason Johnson, Public Affairs Specialist, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service

submitted by Sara Berges, Allamakee SWCD

Now is a good time to think about your farm lease for next year.  According to Iowa law, if you want to terminate your rental agreement or make changes in your current lease terms, you must properly serve a notice of termination by September 1. This applies to both cash and crop-share leases, but not custom farming contracts.
 
In 2013, the Iowa Legislature made a change in state law regarding lease termination. The previous law exempted termination notice for parcels under 40 acres.  Now, a written notice of termination is required on all tracts of rented farmland, regardless of size. Farm leases automatically continue as written from year to year unless either party gives a notice of termination. Even an oral lease is automatically renewed if it is not properly terminated.

by Joyce Davidshofer, Allamakee County Executive Director

Reminders
June 15-Aug. 3: Nominations for COC elections.
June 15 - September 30: ARC/PLC sign-up period for 2014/2015 program.
July 1 - September 30: 2016 MPP (Dairy) Program sign-up.
August 1: Last day to request reconstitution for 2015.

The next Allamakee County Committee meeting will be Tuesday, July 28, at 9 a.m. in the Allamakee County FSA conference room.

Reminders
June 15 - August 3: Nominations can be received for the COC elections.
June 15 - September 30: ARC/PLC sign-up for 2014/2015 program.
July 1- September 30: 2016 MPP (Dairy) Program sign-up period.
August 1: Last day to request a reconstitution for 2015.

On many stretches of state highway, the Iowa Department of Transportation allows land owners and others to harvest hay out of the roadside by permit. The permitting process begins in the spring, but mowing for hay is not allowed until July 15 by Iowa law, with some exceptions. The Iowa DOT requires a permit for several reasons, one of which is the protection of habitat.
“By delaying haying until July 15, we lose a little on hay quality, but gain much benefit for wildlife,” said Joy Williams, an Iowa DOT agronomist. “Roadsides are important corridors of habitat for many species. Leaving the roadside undisturbed during early summer not only benefits nesting wildlife, but also leaves cover and flowers for bees and other pollinators, including the Monarch butterfly, whose populations are declining.”

by Joyce Davidshofer, Allamakee County Executive Director

Reminders
June 15 - August 3: Nominations can be received for the COC elections.
June 15 - September 30: ARC/PLC sign-up for 2014/2015 program.
July 1 - September 30: MPP (Dairy) Progam sign-up
July 15: Deadline to certify all crops and CRP acres for FSA purposes.
August 1: Last day to request a reconstitution for 2015.