Agriculture

Wed
08
Jan

What's Up at the FSA Office?

by Jeremy Leitz, Allamakee County Executive Director (563) 568-2148

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
February 28: CRP General Signup
March 15: 2019 ARCPLC Election
June 30: 2020 ARCPLC Election
September 30: PLC Yield Update

January 2020 CCC and FSFL Interest Rates
New rates were issued for the month of January and are as follows:
• 1.625% for 3 years
• 1.625% for 5 years
• 1.750% for 7 years
• 1.875% for 10 years
• 1.875% for 12 years
• 2.000% for 15 years

Crop year commodity loan rate for January is 2.50%

USDA Safety Net Program Enrollment Opens for 2019 and 2020
Producers now can enroll in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs – two U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) safety net programs – for the 2019 and 2020 crop year.

Wed
08
Jan

Practical Farmers of Iowa’s 2020 farminar season starts January 7

Topics include cereal rye for weed control, managing pests in organic vegetables, farm trusts and more

Practical Farmers of Iowa’s 2020 winter webinar series, referred to as “farminars,” will start on Tuesday, Jan. 7, with a presentation on an incubator farm model in Minnesota.

The event is one of 11 farminars offered through March 17 on issues relevant to beginning and experienced row crop, livestock and horticulture farmers, as well as landowners and those interested in farm transfer issues.

All farminars run weekly on Tuesdays from 7-8:30 p.m. CST and are free for anyone with an internet connection to participate. Each presentation focuses on a unique production or business management topic, and is led by a farmer or subject-matter expert. Attendees are able to ask questions in real-time using a chatbox while they listen and watch a slideshow. Each farminar is recorded and archived at practicalfarmers.org for later viewing.

Wed
08
Jan

The new year is prime time to review farm financial statements

Financial Statement tools can help farmers easily track their numbers

As farmers enter 2020, now is an ideal time to revisit financial statements.

In the December edition of Ag Decision Maker, updated files are available to help farmers with their net worth statement, farm income statement and financial performance measures.

William Edwards, professor emeritus in economics at Iowa State University, said most farmers use calendar-year accounting, so the end of the year is prime time for wrapping up farm financial numbers.

He said meetings with lenders usually happen in January and February, and that completing financial statements now will give farmers a head start on the process.

“One of the things that ag lenders always ask for is updated financial statements. The earlier we sit down and pull that information together the more accurate it’s going to be,” Edwards said.

Tue
31
Dec

What's Up at the FSA Office?

by Jeremy Leitz, Allamakee County Executive Director (563) 568-2148

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
January 1: Closed in Observance of New Year’s Holiday
January 8: ARCPLC Farm Bill Meeting
February 28: CRP General Signup
March 15: 2019 ARCPLC Election
June 30: 2020 ARCPLC Election
September 30: PLC Yield Update

Allamakee County FSA to Host Public Meeting for the 2019/2020 Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage Programs
Allamakee County FSA staff will hold a Farm Bill Decision meeting on January 8th in the basement meeting room at the Farmers and Merchants Savings Bank in Waukon.  The meeting begins at 1pm and should last approximately 90 minutes.  Staff will cover the program rules and regulations, the ARC or PLC decision, and updating PLC yields.  We’d encourage you to attend and get some good information before signing up for the program.

Tue
31
Dec

Driftless Region Beef Conference to be held January 30-31

Dubuque meeting will feature Place & Alexander

The upcoming Driftless Region Beef Conference will showcase two nationally-known keynote speakers.  Sara Place, currently Director of Sustainability for Elanco, and formerly Senior Director for Sustainable Beef Production Research at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, will discuss how cattle can help protect our environment and be sustainable. Following Place, Lacey Alexander, animal welfare lead for beef, Cargill Protein North America, will discuss Beef Quality Assurance and the role of animal welfare and handling in the beef industry. The conference will be held January 30-31, 2020, at the Grand River Conference Center in Dubuque.

Tue
31
Dec

Women landowners improve knowledge at Agronomy in the Field

Extension program helps educate women landowners on current agronomic issues

Women landowners, farmers and ag retailers will have the opportunity to meet again this fall and winter to learn more about agronomy and related agricultural topics through distance-learning sessions of Agronomy in the Field.

This is the fifth year Agronomy in the Field for Women has been offered by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach at several locations across Iowa. The goals of Agronomy in the Field are to strengthen agronomic skills for women that allow for better decision-making, provide a better understanding of inputs for crop production, see and understand different conservation practices and increase confidence in communication with a spouse, farming partner, ag retailer or tenant. 

Tue
24
Dec

What's Up at the FSA Office?

by Jeremy Leitz, Allamakee County Executive Director (563) 568-2148

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
January 1: Closed in observance of New Year’s Holiday
January 8: ARCPLC Farm Bill Meeting
February 28: CRP General Signup
March 15: 2019 ARCPLC Election
June 30: 2020 ARCPLC Election
September 30: PLC Yield Update

USDA Safety Net Program Enrollment Opens for 2019 and 2020
Agricultural producers now can enroll in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs – two U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) safety net programs – for the 2019 and 2020 crop year.

Tue
24
Dec

Crop Protection Network releases new series: Pest Research Updates

The Crop Protection Network (CPN) has added an additional publication series to its wealth of print and PDF resources. Beginning in 2020, CPN’s online library at https://cropprotectionnetwork.org/resources/publications will feature annual Research Updates, highlighting advancements in crop-pest research.

These publications are intended to distill published, academic research articles into referable, easy-to-understand summaries. This ensures that growers, Certified Crop Advisors (CCAs), extension specialists and researchers and others in crop protection are armed with the most updated information possible when making crop protection decisions.

Tue
24
Dec

Dairy Days to feature profitable practices

Event will focus on dairy herd management strategies

Iowa dairy producers will have the opportunity to learn about emerging dairy industry issues during the 2020 Dairy Days events hosted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. The program is scheduled at five eastern Iowa locations between Jan. 20 and Feb. 6.

“Producers have seen low milk prices in the last few years, causing added farm stress. Our goal is to help producers make sound herd management decisions that are backed by current and relevant information,” said Jennifer Bentley, dairy specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach. “We host these workshops for farmers to network, share ideas, and take back management tips to help improve profit margins.” 

Topics will include ventilation options for freestall barns, dealing with farm stress, dairy market outlook, stress and metabolic responses on dairy cows, and group calf housing and its effects on calf behavior.

Wed
18
Dec

What's Up at the FSA Office?

by Jeremy Leitz, Allamakee County Executive Director (563) 568-2148

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
December 25: Closed for Christmas Holiday

USDA Opens Signup for CRP General Signup
The U.S. Department of Agriculture opened signup for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) on December 9, 2019. The deadline for agricultural producers to sign up for general CRP is February 28, 2020.

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