Agriculture

by Allamakee County Executive Director Joyce Davidshofer

The next Allamakee County FSA committee meeting will be October 30 at 9 a.m. in the Allamakee County FSA Conference Room.

Reminders
April 15, 2014 – January 30, 2015 sign-up for the LIP/LFP/ELAP/TAP programs.
September 2, 2014 – November 28, 2014 – MPP- Dairy Program
September 29, 2014 – February 27, 2015 – PLC/ARC-CO/ARC-IC Base acres reallocation and yield update process to be completed.
IMPORTANT: November 1, 2014 – December 30, 2015 – Forage, pasture, grasses certification due for spring 2015 year. Late file fee will apply and no waivers will be granted.

The first step to including conservation in a farm lease is to have a written lease. If you do not currently have a written lease, you can talk to an attorney or utilize one of the forms found online at www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm or aglease101.org. Once you have a written lease, you can either write conservation provisions directly into your lease or include a provision that requires adherence to a third-party (such as NRCS) conservation plan. Examples of conservation provisions can be found at sustainablefarmlease.org. An example of a provision that requires following an NRCS conservation plan can be found at allamakeeswcd.org/watershed-projects/conservation-lease-project/.
If a tenant is required to install or maintain specific conservation practices, it is important to include a map showing where those practices are located. If you would like to get a map that shows these practices, contact the Allamakee SWCD.

by Joyce Davidshofer, Allamakee County Executive Director

Reminders
April 15, 2014 – January 30, 2015 sign-up for the LIP/LFP/ELAP/TAP programs
September 2, 2014 – November 28, 2014 – MPP- Dairy Program
November 1, 2014 – December 30, 2015 – Forage, pasture, grasses certification due for spring 2015 year. Late file fee will apply, no waivers will be granted.

Winneshiek Energy District has been awarded over $400,000 from the United States Department of Agriculture to develop and implement an agricultural energy efficiency and renewables initiative over three years. The initiative will include the six northeast Iowa counties of Winneshiek, Allamakee, Clayton, Fayette, Howard and Chickasaw.
“Farmers aren’t too different from the rest of us” said District Director Andy Johnson, “they lead busy lives and energy isn’t always top of the to-do list. Their potential return on investment, however, may be orders of magnitude greater than yours and mine, and cost-effective opportunities are tremendous right now thanks to a convergence of technology, price drops and incentives.”

by Allamakee County Executive Director Joyce Davidshofer

Reminders
April 15, 2014 – January 30, 2015 sign-up for the LIP/LFP/ELAP/TAP programs
September 2, 2014 – November 28, 2014 – MPP- Dairy Program
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 encourages farmers and those living in and traveling through rural Iowa to stay safe this harvest season. Northey issued the reminder as part of National Farm Safety and Health Week which runs from September 21 to 27.
“Iowa looks to have very large crop this year, which means long days and more trips on the road. It is important everyone in rural Iowa keep safety in mind throughout the harvest season,” Northey said. “Harvest is a great time on the farm, but it is also very busy and can be stressful. It is important everyone working on the farm and Iowans traveling through the rural parts of our state stay alert and take the necessary time to make sure we have a successful and safe harvest season.”

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.