Agriculture

Iowa State University scientists are leading a new study to mine the intricate content of pigs’ blood cells to improve selection for disease resilience.

“We’re looking for new, more effective ways to measure and predict different traits in pigs, especially disease resilience,” said Christopher Tuggle, professor of animal science and the lead investigator on a new grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

“Many of the traits pork producers want to improve by genetic selection are difficult to measure and predict,” Tuggle said. “Growth rate is easy to measure, and as a result, we’ve made significant improvements in this area. Disease resilience, on the other hand, is much more challenging and an area where we haven’t made enough progress.”
Blood samples are often used as a practical way to search for markers of disease or immunity.

Funding is available to help farmers explore new ways to process, market, and sell their products

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced in recent days that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is again offering Choose Iowa Marketing and Promotion grants for 2023. The program matches up to $25,000 per project to help farmers, businesses, and non-profits increase or diversify their agricultural product offerings. The recent announcement was made during a visit to 2022 Choose Iowa grant awardee Skyview Farms of Nora Springs.

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
October 31: Organic Certification Cost-Share and Transition/Education Certification Program
December 5: Last day to return COC ballots
December 9: Dairy Margin Coverage Program
December 15: Crop Reporting for Fall-Seeded Small Grains

Consider No P Application Next Year
by LuAnn Rolling, District Conservationist
Now is the time to be considering inputs for your 2023 crop.  According to Dan Kaiser with the University of Minnesota, the application of P fertilizer is common, but it is not always required to achieve maximum yield.  In an article posted in Nutrient Management, Precision Agriculture, Soil Health, he says that while applying crop removal rates is equivalent to hitting the easy button, if P is not required for the crop, the money spent on P fertilizer is likely best spent elsewhere.

Partnership with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Brings Additional Resources, Mental Health Support to Rural Communities

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today announced that Iowa farm families and their advocates are benefitting from mental health and stress assistance as well as other wellness support, thanks to the Farm and Ranch Wellness: Meeting Local Needs program.

In August 2021, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship was awarded a $500,000 grant to expand farmer mental health support programs in Iowa. Over the last year, the Department has partnered with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach to help raise awareness about mental health and wellness resources and make them more accessible to farmers and rural communities.

The I-29 Moo University Dairy Webinar Series continues Thursday, November 10, from noon to 1 p.m. with a focus on long-term dairy supply and demand trends.

The webinar will feature food and agriculture consultant Betty Berning, operator of Betty Berning Consulting, which provides services ranging from supply chain optimization to market intelligence for the food and agricultural sector. Berning will help producers learn about how dairy supply and demand are shifting globally and what that means for U.S. dairy.

“With the world-wide production declining and the current strong demand for dairy products bolstering prices, all eyes are on the future – the value of the dollar, recession and world politics that can change the situation in a heart-beat,” explained Fred Hall, dairy specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. “Berning will share her insights on what’s ahead for the dairy industry.”

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
October 31: Organic Certification Cost-Share and Transition/Education Certification Program
December 5: Last day to return COC ballots
December 9: Dairy Margin Coverage Program
December 15: Crop Reporting for Fall-Seeded Small Grains

Farm Loan Presence in Allamakee County
The USDA/FSA Farm Loan team will have a Loan Officer in our office every Tuesday during normal business hours (8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.).  If you would like to visit with the loan officer, feel free to call or stop in.

October 2022 CCC and FSFL Interest Rates
New rates were issued for the month of October and are as follows:
• 3.625% for 3 years
• 3.375% for 5 years
• 3.375% for 7 years
• 3.125% for 10 years
• 3.375% for 12 years

Farmers and landowners can again apply for a $5 per acre discount

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced today that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship will again offer its crop insurance discount program for cover crops this year. The program offers farmers and landowners who plant fall cover crops, like rye and oats, the opportunity to apply for a $5 per acre discount on their spring crop insurance premiums. The sign up for the program will begin on December 1.

With harvest season underway, the Allamakee County Community Foundation (ACCF) encourages farmers to consider making a gift of grain to benefit their community. Donating grain is a simple way to make a meaningful charitable gift outside of the traditional cash contribution.

“Donating grain is a unique way of giving back that many don’t consider,” said Betty Steege, foundation coordinator. “The value of the grain can be donated to any fund hosted by the Foundation or used to start a new endowment. The Foundation will steward and grow the gift, and the interest an endowed fund earns can be granted out to improve quality of life in the community, forever.”

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
October 31: Organic Certification Cost-Share and Transition/Education Certification Program

Defining Soil Health
by LuAnn Rolling, District Conservationist
I’ve talked a lot about soil health over the past years, but what truly is the definition?  One definition I found said, “Soil health is the vitality of a soil in sustaining the socio-ecological functions of its enfolding land.” What does that mean?

Soil health can be broken down into three elements, according to H. Henry Janzen, David W. Jansen and Edward G. Gregorich writing in Soil Biology and Biochemistry in August of 2021. The first would be functionality, which they said can be defined as, “the condition of an organism in which it performs its vital functions normally or properly.”  They add that function cannot be evaluated by measuring soil composition but by observing how well its ecosystem thrives.

The Iowa Nutrient Research Center at Iowa State University announces funding of over $1.4 million to support a dozen water quality and nutrient management projects for 2022-2023.

“This year, INRC celebrates its first decade. We are very pleased to have the opportunity to continue supporting this important work to improve Iowa’s water quality and agricultural systems,” said Matt Helmers, Iowa Nutrient Research Center director and professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering at Iowa State. “These projects represent new approaches, as well as continuing study of areas where more work is needed to inform recommendations for farmers, policymakers and stakeholders.” The new projects, listed below, fall into INRC’s edge-of-field, multi-objective and nutrient management categories. Lead researchers are located at Iowa State unless otherwise indicated. Projects will extend for one to two years.