Agriculture

by Joyce Davidshofer, Allamakee County Executive Director

The next Allamakee County FSA committee meeting will be Thursday, September 25 at 9 a.m. in the Allamakee County FSA conference room located in Waukon.

Reminders
April 15, 2014 – January 30, 2015 sign-up for the LIP/LFP/ELAP/TAP programs
June 9, 2014 – September 30, 2014 – CRP Continuous CRP Sign-up 46
November 1, 2014 – December 30, 2015 – Forage, pasture, grasses certification due for spring 2015 year. Late file fee will apply, no waivers.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey recognized Century and Heritage Farm families during a ceremony at the Iowa State Fair again this year. To qualify, a family must have owned at least 40 acres for 100 years or more in the case of Century Farms and 150 years or more for a Heritage Farm.
This year, 344 Century Farms and 86 Heritage Farms were recognized. The Collins family farm now owned and operated by the Mike and Teri Collins family at 1203 Collins Ridge Road in rural Harpers Ferry had the honor of receiving both recognitions at this year’s State Fair.
“It is a great pleasure and distinct honor to help recognize these farm families that have owned the same farm for 100 or 150 years. It is a testament to the values of land stewardship, hard work, patience, dedication and perseverance that are found in Iowa’s farm families,” Northey said.

by Joyce Davidshofer, Allamakee County Executive Director

The next Allamakee County FSA committee meeting will be Thursday, September 25 at 9 a.m. in the Allamakee County FSA conference room located in Waukon.

Reminders
April 15, 2014 – January 30, 2015 sign-up for the LIP/LFP/ELAP/TAP programs
June 9, 2014 – September 30, 2014 – CRP Continuous CRP Sign-up 46
November 1, 2014 – December 30, 2015 – Forage, pasture, grasses certification due for spring 2015 year. Late file fee will apply, no waivers.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey recognized Century and Heritage Farm families during a ceremony at the Iowa State Fair again this year. To qualify, a family must have owned at least 40 acres for 100 years or more in the case of Century Farms and 150 years or more for a Heritage Farm.
This year, 344 Century Farms and 86 Heritage Farms were recognized. Among those honored farms were the Century Farm owned by the LeRoy McCabe family of Waukon and the Heritage Farm owned by the James Hager family of Waukon.
“It is a great pleasure and distinct honor to help recognize these farm families that have owned the same farm for 100 or 150 years. It is a testament to the values of land stewardship, hard work, patience, dedication and perseverance that are found in Iowa’s farm families,” Northey said.

by Joyce Davidshofer, Allamakee County Executive Director

Quality beef begins with quality care. The Iowa Beef Industry Council wants to recognize beef producers and marketers who diligently care for and properly handle cattle in order to provide consumers with safe and wholesome beef. Applications for Iowa’s 2014 Iowa Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Awards are now being accepted.
BQA is a national program for beef cattle production that assures the highest standards of animal care and treatment. It was developed with guidance from leading animal health and well-being experts and outlines essential elements for cattle care. More than 90 percent of all U.S. beef is raised under the BQA program.

by Joyce Davidshofer, Allamakee County Executive Director

Reminders
April 15, 2014 – January 30, 2015 sign-up for the LIP/LFP/ELAP/TAP programs.
June 9, 2014 – September 30, 2014 – CRP Continuous CRP Sign-up 46.
November 1, 2014 – December 30, 2015 – Forage, pasture, grasses certification due for spring 2015 year. Late file fee will apply - no waivers.

In a unanimous vote, the Environmental Protection Commission adopted rules governing totally roofed confinement feeding operations August 19.
The rules require these facilities to have a federal permit to discharge to waters of the U.S. called a national pollutant discharge elimination system (NPDES) permit. Operations that need the permits must meet federal design, construction and monitoring standards.
However, the NPDES permit allows discharges of effluent to a water of the U.S. under certain conditions, such as heavy rainfall. Depending upon the location, an NPDES-permitted facility in Iowa would be allowed to discharge if more than 5.6 inches of rain fell within 24 hours.

by Joyce Davidshofer, Allamakee County Executive Director

Reminders
April 15, 2014 – January 30, 2015 sign-up for the LIP/LFP/ELAP/TAP programs.
June 9, 2014 – September 30, 2014 – CRP Continuous CRP Sign-up 46.
November 1, 2014 – December 30, 2015 – Forage, pasture, grasses certification due for spring 2015 year. Late file fee will apply - no waivers.

The Allamakee County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) currently has a project to help landowners include conservation in their farm leases by updating their NRCS conservation plan(s) and plan maps to include them as an addendum to the farm lease. This free service is available to anyone in Allamakee County. Since there is an active watershed project in the Waterloo Creek Watershed, the SWCD would especially like to encourage Waterloo Creek landowners in both the Iowa and Minnesota portions of the watershed to consider participating in this project.  This project helps to facilitate discussion between the landowners and tenants regarding their goals and priorities for the land.