Agriculture

Wed
05
Jul

What's Up at the USDA Office?

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
May 15 - August 1: Primary Nesting Season
July 15: Spring Crop Reporting
July 14: ERP Phase 2
July 14: PARP

CRP Reminders
The primary nesting season runs from May 15 – August 1. Be sure to contact the FSA office if you need to perform spot maintenance activities on your CRP acres during this time. Cosmetic mowing of your CRP acres is always prohibited, but you can spot treat areas that are threatened by undesirable vegetation throughout the year. A written request must be made before the County Committee grants approval to conduct maintenance during the nesting season. As a reminder, volunteer trees and woody vegetation must be controlled and removed from CRP acres. Failure to control undesirable vegetation on CRP can result in financial penalties.

Wed
05
Jul

Scientists lead quest for perennial cover tailored to conventional cropping systems

Iowa State University researchers are leading a quest to develop a farming system that integrates cash crops with a cover crop that would only need to be planted once every five to 15 years. It’s a tall order, but one the research team thinks can soon be realized.

The project goes by the name, RegenPGC, short for Regenerating America’s Working Landscapes to Enhance Natural Resources and Public Goods through Perennial Groundcover. The large team of scientists and engineers all share a vision of seeing year-round cover on cropland in the Midwest become the norm rather than the exception.

Wed
28
Jun

What's Up at the USDA Office?

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
May 15 - August 1: Primary Nesting Season
July 15: Spring Crop Reporting
July 14: ERP Phase 2
July 14: PARP

Wed
28
Jun

Building positive relationships in the watershed with the Iowa Watershed Academy

Iowa Watershed Academy provides learning and networking opportunities for coordinators across the state

Working directly with farmers and community leaders, watershed coordinators are the “boots on the ground” of water quality improvement in Iowa.

Coordinators meet people where conservation decisions happen – farm fields, dinner tables and community events – and work hand-in-hand with these decision-makers to achieve conservation goals and implement water quality improvement projects that benefit all Iowans.

It’s a tall task, one that requires knowledge of technical topics like natural resource management and agronomy, soft skills like communication and outreach, and most importantly, the ability to form relationships with farmers and landowners.

Wed
21
Jun

What's Up at the USDA Office?

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
May 15 - August 1: Primary Nesting Season
July 15: Spring Crop Reporting
July 14: ERP Phase 2
July 14: PARP

CRP Reminders
The primary nesting season runs from May 15-August 1. Please contact the FSA office if you need to perform spot maintenance activities on your CRP acres during this time.  Cosmetic mowing of your CRP acres is always prohibited, but you can spot treat areas that are threatened by undesirable vegetation throughout the year. A written request must be made before the County Committee grants approval to conduct maintenance during the nesting season. As a reminder, volunteer trees and woody vegetation must be controlled and removed from CRP acres. Failure to control undesirable vegetation on CRP can result in financial penalties.

Wed
14
Jun

What's Up at the USDA Office?

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
May 15 - August 1: Primary Nesting Season
July 15: Spring Crop Reporting
July 14: ERP Phase 2
July 14: PARP

Managing your pasture to reduce soil erosion
submitted by Ben Cottrell, District Conservationist
ICM News Archive - When it comes to soil erosion and surface runoff from agriculture land, tillage and row-crop management attract a lot of attention. However, most Iowa land currently in pasture is unsuitable for crop production because of steep slopes. These slopes make pasture even more vulnerable to water erosion. Mismanaged pasture can contribute substantially to water quality degradation due to soil erosion and sediment transport to nearby water bodies.

Wed
14
Jun

June 21 Field Day to highlight ag markets, management strategies for weeds, pollinator habitat and crop disease updates

The Annual Spring Field Day at the ISU Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm will run from 1-4:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 21. Chad Hart, Iowa State University Extension Economist, will kick-off the program, by providing his insights on current and future agricultural markets. Bob Hartzler, Iowa State University professor (emeritus) and extension weed specialist, will discuss weed management strategies in regard to waterhemp.

Randall Cass, extension entomologist, will provide updates on pollinator habitat establishment and management. Ed Zaworski, extension plant pathologist, will review crop diseases for the 2023 growing season in Northeast Iowa, and give an update on the Iowa State University Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic.

The field day is free and open to the public.  It starts at the Borlaug Learning Center Headquarters on the ISU Northeast Research Farm and Demonstration Farm.

Wed
07
Jun

What's Up at the USDA Office?

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
May 15 - August 1: Primary Nesting Season
July 15: Spring Crop Reporting
July 14: ERP Phase 2
July 14: PARP

CRP Reminders
The primary nesting season runs from May 15 – August 1. Please contact the FSA office if you need to perform spot maintenance activities on your CRP acres during this time. Cosmetic mowing of your CRP acres is always prohibited, but you can spot treat areas that are threatened by undesirable vegetation throughout the year. A written request must be made before the County Committee grants approval to conduct maintenance during the nesting season. As a reminder, volunteer trees and woody vegetation must be controlled and removed from CRP acres. Failure to control undesirable vegetation on CRP can result in financial penalties.

Wed
07
Jun

Celebrate Dairy Month at open house events in June

Iowans of all ages will have the chance to experience modern dairy farming this June, as the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach dairy team celebrates dairy month across the state.

June 14, the Western Iowa Dairy Alliance and Hickory Hill Farms will welcome visitors to an on-farm dinner and tour of the Meissner family’s farm, located at 4045 400th St., near Hospers. Participants will learn about the history and growth of this family farm, including the milking parlor and cow barns, from 4-8 p.m.

June 24, the public can enjoy Breakfast on the Farm, held from 8:30 a.m. until noon at Iowa’s Dairy Center in northeast Iowa, located at 1527 Highway 150 S., south of Calmar.Breakfast on the Farm will be held rain or shine. Donations are accepted the day of the event and parking is available on-site.

Wed
07
Jun

Cash rents reach new high in Iowa, survey shows average increase of 9%

Average cash rents in Iowa are the highest on record, according to the Cash Rental Rates for Iowa 2023 Survey conducted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

The survey shows an increase of 9% in 2023, for a state average of $279 per acre. The new record is 3.3% higher than the previous record set in 2013, when rent was $270 per acre. The increase in rent since 2013 compares to a 2.8% increase in the non-inflation adjusted price of corn, and a 4.4% decrease in the price of soybeans.

Results of the survey are summarized in the May edition of Ag Decision Maker, in an article written by Alejandro Plastina, associate professor in economics and extension economist with ISU Extension and Outreach.

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