Agriculture

Farmers still have a fighting chance to stop Palmer Amaranth, a tough yield-robbing weed, from spreading in Iowa.
The Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach are working together to provide information to keep the weed at bay. Native to the southwestern United States, Palmer was first officially identified in Iowa last September. There are now documented cases in Harrison, Page, Muscatine, Fremont and Davis counties. Herbicide resistance, primarily to glyphosate, is an issue.
“We’re at a point that we can really restrict how quickly it spreads,” said Mike Owen, ISU weed specialist. “If we ignore it, in the next 10 years it could be infesting half the (row crop) acres in Iowa.”
That will decimate yields and the bottom line.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey announced recently that $1.4 million in cost share funds are available to help farmers install new nutrient reduction practices.  The practices eligible for this funding are cover crops, no-till or strip till, or using a nitrification inhibitor when applying fertilizer.
 “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. “We were extremely pleased by the response last year from farmers and we are excited to have funds available again this year.”
The cost share rate for farmers planting cover crops is $25 per acre and for farmers trying no-till or strip till is $10 per acre. Farmers using a nitrapyrin nitrification inhibitor when applying fall fertilizer can receive $3 per acre.

by Joyce Davidshofer, Allamakee County Executive Director

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach offices across northeast Iowa are hosting farmland leasing meetings from July 30 through August 21 at selected locations. These meetings will address questions that land owners, tenants, or other interested individuals have about farmland leasing. Locations include:
Calmar at 9 a.m. August 6;
Dyersville at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. August 12;
Fayette at 9 a.m. August 13;
Waukon at 1:30 p.m. August 13;
Osage at 9 a.m. August 14;
Cresco at 1:30 p.m. August 14;
Waterloo at 9 a.m. August 15;
Tripoli at 1:30 p.m. August 15;
Elkader at 1:30 p.m. on August 21.
Meetings are approximately 2 ½ hours in length.

by Joyce Davidshofer, Allamakee County Executive Director

The Allamakee County Committee meeting will be  July 17 at 9 a.m.

by Joyce Davidshofer, Allamakee County Executive Director

The Allamakee County Committee meeting will be  July 17 at 9 a.m.

by Peter Graham, Columnist

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey encourages Iowa hay and straw producers to register or update their listing on the Iowa Hay and Straw Directory. The directory lists Iowa producers with hay and straw for sale, as well as organizations and businesses associated with promoting and marketing quality hay and straw.
“The directory has been a great tool for both buyers and sellers and we hope farmers will take the time to review and update their information so that it remains a valuable resource,” Northey said.  “This directory can serve as a critical link for those producing hay and those looking to buy, so we encourage Iowans to take advantage of this free directory.”
 The listing is available to interested buyers throughout the nation, however only sellers from within Iowa can be included on the list.

Every farmer knows the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) harbors a giant number of farm programs under its wide Farm Bill umbrella. How to figure out which ones are best for you and your farm?
It seems the Agricultural Act of 2014 (ye olde farm bill) makes available $6 million in funds for what the agency calls “educational outreach” for farmers to analyze the various programs later this summer. Half the money goes to Texas A&M University to produces online tools to aid farmers in deciding which program is best for their farm. The other half will go to state extension services to begin holding educational meetings in farm country this summer.
According to Agriculture Online these meetings will be the beginning of when farmers decide whether to sign up for Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC), which is based on either county-level or farm-level revenue (Price Loss Coverage), with payments tied to fixed reference prices.

by Joyce Davidshofer, Allamakee County Executive Director

The Allamakee County Committee meeting will be held July 17 at 9 a.m.