Agriculture

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

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
August 23: CRP Continuous Signup 52
September 20: Dairy Margin Coverage Program Sign-Up
December 6: Market Facilitation Program

USDA Opens Signup for Market Facilitation Program
Signup opened for the Market Facilitation Program (MFP), a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program to assist farmers who continue to suffer from damages because of unjustified trade retaliation from foreign nations. Through MFP, USDA will provide up to $14.5 billion in direct payments to impacted producers, part of a broader trade relief package announced in late July. The sign-up period runs through December 6.

MFP payments will be made to producers of certain non-specialty and specialty crops as well as dairy and hog producers.

by Meaghan Anderson, Field Agronomist and Dr. Bob Hartzler, Professor of Agronomy, Integrated Crop Management News and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach

Now is a great time to scout for Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) in Iowa crop fields. As of late 2018, this species had been identified in over half of Iowa’s 99 counties. While new identifications have waned since the widespread introductions in 2016, Palmer amaranth is a species to watch out for in virtually any Iowa crop field. A native of the American southwest, Palmer amaranth is more competitive than common waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus), a pigweed native to Iowa. Both species are known for fast development of herbicide resistance, prolific seed production (>500,000 seeds/plant possible), and prolonged emergence.

Insect and disease issues are on the agenda, including an overview of 2019 production issues

Thistle caterpillars, late season crop diseases and crop development will highlight the fall field day at Iowa State University’s Northern Research and Demonstration Farm September 5.

“Farmers and agribusiness will hear the latest on thistle caterpillar and tar spot of corn,” said Paul Kassel, field agronomist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. “Thistle caterpillar and tar spot are two new pests that have raised questions for Iowa producers in 2019.”

The program begins at 9:30 a.m. with Matt Schnabel, Northern Research Farm superintendent, giving a review of the growing season and a discussion of summer activities.

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

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
August 23: CRP Continuous Signup 52 
September 20: Dairy Margin Coverage Program Sign-Up
December 6: Market Facilitation Program

New Farmers.gov Feature Helps Producers Find Farm Loans to Fit Their Operation
A new online tool can help farmers and ranchers find information on U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) farm loans that may best fit their operations. USDA has launched the new Farm Loan Discovery Tool as the newest feature on farmers.gov, the Department’s self-service website for farmers.

Submitted by Sara Berges, Allamakee SWCD

If you are thinking of making any changes to your farm lease, the September 1 deadline to give notice of termination is quickly approaching.  If you do not give notice by September 1, your lease will auto-renew under the same terms and conditions as the original lease.  This applies to both written and oral leases and one-year and multi-year leases. Either the tenant or landlord can terminate a lease. Just because you terminate a lease does not necessarily mean that the landlord wants to get a new tenant. This may mean that they want to discuss the terms of the lease, including rent, and make adjustments.   

Topics will include crop price risk and cash flow, weed science research and insect resistance

The fall field day at Iowa State University’s Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm will be held August 28, from 1-4:20 p.m.

The program will begin in the Borlaug Learning Center, with a talk by Steve Johnson, farm management specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, about crop price risk and cash flow management.

Prashant Jha, weed specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach, will discuss weed science research, followed by an on-farm wagon tour featuring Antonio Mallarino, professor and extension specialist in agronomy at Iowa State, and Erin Hodgson, associate professor and extension specialist in entomology at Iowa State.

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

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
August 23: CRP Continuous Signup 52 
September 20: Dairy Margin Coverage Program Sign-Up
December 6: Market Facilitation Program

Market Facilitation Program (MFP)
Signup for the 2019 Market Facilitation Program began on July 29th and continues through December 6, 2019.  Payments are expected to start in mid-to-late August. 

For non-specialty crops such as corn, soybeans and alfalfa, payments are based on a single-county payment rate multiplied by a farm’s total plantings of MFP-eligible crops in aggregate in 2019. Those per-acre payments are not dependent on which of those crops are planted in 2019. A producer’s total payment-eligible plantings cannot exceed total 2018 plantings. The Allamakee County payment rate is $40 per planted acre.

Producers can gain valuable fertility management knowledge and learn more about soil testing

The cost of managing soil fertility in Iowa continues to change, with increased fertilizer input costs and a rising demand for nutrients from higher-yielding crops.

To help producers understand the changes, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is hosting four workshops in August called “Soil Testing Interpretations and Recommendations: Maximizing Return on Investment.”

The workshops will lead farmers through the basics of soil testing, analytical tests, calculating crop nutrient removal, understanding return on investment from fertilizer applications, how crop response correlates to soil test levels and what is known about crop response to micronutrients.

“These workshops provide producers the skills to best allocate fertilizer input dollars on their farms,” said Terry Basol, field agronomist with ISU Extension and Outreach.

The Annual Fall Field Day at the ISU Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm will run from 1-4:20 p.m. Wednesday, August 28. Steve Johnson, Farm Management Specialist, will kick off the program in the Borlaug Learning Center, and will cover “Crop Price Risk & Cash Flow Management”. He is followed by Prashant Jha, Weed Specialist, with a discussion of the “ISU weed science research and extension program: 2019 and beyond”. Then the program heads to the field with the on-farm wagon tour featuring Antonio Mallarino, Soil Fertility Specialist, and Erin Hodgson, Entomologist. Antonio will explain “How results from long-term PK rate studies influence soil tests and interpretations”. Whereas Erin will discuss “Concerns with corn and soybean insect pest resistance to insecticides and Bt-traits, and update us on 2019 Soybean gall midge research”.

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

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
May 15 - August 1: Primary Nesting Season. No MCM activities on CRP acres.
June 3 - August 23: CRP Continuous Signup 52 
June 17 - Sept. 20: Dairy Margin Coverage Program Sign-Up
August 1:Last day to file a COC nomination form

Dairy Margin Coverage
Signup for new Dairy Margin Coverage program began June 17 and runs through September 20, 2019. Coverage is retroactive to January. 

Coverage levels range from $4 to $9.50 per cwt, in $0.50 increments. Coverage percentage of the dairy operation’s production history ranges from 5 percent to 95 percent, in 5 percent increments. You have the option to receive a 25% discount on your annual premiums if you lock in for five years. You cannot change your coverage if you lock in.