Agriculture

Learn what’s involved with bringing people onto your farm or enterprise

Bringing visitors onto the farm can be a great way to educate others about farm life, and it’s a critical part of the agritourism and agritainment industries.

However, there are important risk management considerations for those involved with on-farm visitors. In order to help educate farmers about the risks and how to prepare, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is offering a free, online training that covers the types of concerns these farmers might face.

The “Farmers with On-Site Visitors Course”, link at https://store.extension.iastate.edu/product/15787, takes six hours to complete and includes seven modules that can be completed individually or concurrently. The training is in partnership with North Central Extension Risk Management Education.

Workshops will cover all major brands of planters

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach specialists are teaming up with Iowa State University ag and biosystems engineering specialists to bring planter equipment expertise across Iowa from February 7-11, 2022. The workshops are an opportunity for farmers, agricultural service providers, equipment and precision ag dealers, and others to gain insight into how both traditional and high-speed planters function; optimize settings for individual seed, field and equipment needs; and improve understanding of planter wear and calibration.

“Planter University will go far beyond a typical planter clinic, offering attendees direct access to specialists with expertise in planter technology and settings,” said Rebecca Vittetoe, field agronomist with ISU Extension and Outreach. “We are excited to offer this opportunity across the state.”

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
Feb 4: Organic and Transition Education Certification Program (FY20, FY21)
Feb. 18: Dairy Margin Coverage Program
Feb. 25: Spot Market Hog Pandemic Program
Mar. 15: ARCPLC Program Deadline

Using Cover Crops as Spring Forage

by LuAnn Rolling, NRCS District Conservationist

A new Researcher Directory being launched this week highlights Iowa scientists engaged in nutrient reduction research. The online search tool is hosted by the Iowa Nutrient Research Center, at https://www.cals.iastate.edu/inrc/researcher-directory.

The directory is envisioned as a quick way to disseminate information about INRC-funded research to anyone who wants to learn more about projects and the researchers involved. It also aims to facilitate professional networking among university faculty and staff, extension specialists and agency personnel.

The easy-to-use directory is designed to be searched in two ways.

A new publication from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach helps horse breeders determine the dietary needs of their mares during gestation and lactation. A mare’s gestation or pregnancy is approximately 340 days, or 11 months, according to Peggy Auwerda, associate professor in animal science and extension equine specialist at Iowa State University. The dietary needs change significantly during gestation and lactation, and are critical to the health of the horse and its foal.

“Special attention must be given to the diet of the pregnant mare from conception to foaling,” said Auwerda. “This publication provides some background and definition as to what the gestating and lactating mare needs, and illustrates it with both tables and figures.”

According to Auwerda, the foal does not gain much weight during the first eight months of pregnancy, but growth becomes rapid during the second half, when the foal typically gains 75% of its final birth weight.

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
Feb 4: Organic and Transition Education Certification Program (FY20, FY21)
Feb. 18: Dairy Margin Coverage Program
Feb. 25: Spot Market Hog Pandemic Program
Mar. 15: ARCPLC Program Deadline

Conservation Reserve Contractors
With just over 17,000 acres in CRP throughout Allamakee County, contract holders are constantly looking for folks who can help complete establishment or maintenance activities.  If you are someone who can help with these services (seeding, mowing, spraying, burning, pruning, etc.) please contact our office so we can get you added to our contractors list.

New specialist will help growers with challenges

Corn and soybeans may be the dominant crops grown in Iowa, but there is plenty of opportunity for specialty crops, including fruits, according to the newest fruit crop specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

Suzanne Slack, assistant professor and fruit crops specialist, plans to help Iowa’s fruit crop growers overcome challenges and increase their chances of success.

“My goal is to help them improve their fruit crops, both in helping with grower knowledge as well as making recommendations that can increase yields, crop diversity and sustainability,” said Slack, who began with the university in November. “I think there are a lot of opportunities here in Iowa and I look forward to working with Iowa growers and the fruit crop industry.”

Confinement site manure applicators and anyone interested in learning about manure issues should plan to attend a two-hour workshop offered by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach in January or February 2022. These workshops are offered in cooperation with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Registration is required. No walk-ins allowed. There is no fee to attend the workshops, but applicators will need to pay certification fees and send the forms in to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to complete certification requirements.

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
Dec. 31: Office closed in observance of New Year’s Day holiday
Jan. 7: Organic and Transition Education Certification Program (FY20, FY21)
Feb. 18: Dairy Margin Coverage Program
Feb. 25: Spot Market Hog Pandemic Program
Mar. 15: ARCPLC Program deadline

Some Waterhemp has Developed Dicamba Resistance

by LuAnn Rolling, NRCS District Conservationist

According to a recent article in Successful Farming University of Illinois (U of I) weed scientists have confirmed resistance to the herbicide dicamba in a Champaign County (east-central Illinois) waterhemp population.

The population had never been sprayed with dicamba or its relative 2,4-D (both Group 4 synthetic auxin herbicides), to which it is also resistant.  According to the researchers waterhemp in the study population resists herbicides in five other site of action groups.

Verbio Nevada Biorefinery begins making renewable natural gas from corn residue

One of the state’s most abundant resources – corn “stover” – is being used to create renewable natural gas that heats Iowa homes and businesses.

As of December 7, the Verbio North America plant in Nevada, Iowa, has been converting chopped cornstalks into natural gas that enters an Alliant Energy pipeline that traverses central Iowa.

Using anaerobic digestion, eight large digesters combine the corn stover with the bacteria of livestock manure, which results in the conversion of corn residue into biomethane gas that is equivalent to the natural gas found in fossil fuels.