What's Up at the FSA Office?
by Jeremy Leitz, Allamakee County Executive Director (563) 568-2148
Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
• Through June 1: Margin Protection Program Signup
• May 15 - August 2: Primary Nesting Season. No Mid-Contract Management Activities on CRP Acres
• May 31: Marketing Assistance Loans for Prior Year Harvested Corn and Soybeans
• July 15: 2018 Crop Reports
• August 1: ARC/PLC Sign-up
Soil Health Meeting for Women Landownders
A fun and informative day is planned for local women landowners Wednesday, May 9, at the Winneshiek Wildberry Winery located at 1966 337th St, Decorah. Women Food and Agriculture Network is working with the Winneshiek Soil and Water Conservation District and local NRCS offices to host this meeting to facilitate the visit about soil health. All women landowners are invited.
Women own or co-own nearly half the farmland in Iowa. Some are feeling overwhelmed with all of the decisions of farmland management, especially if they are new to the situation. Many may not know the new soil health information that is vital to good production. We strive to put these landowners in touch with local resource professionals who can help with the information, connections, and encouragement they need to take good care of their land.
Registration, coffee and resource sharing start at 8:30 a.m., with the meeting beginning promptly at 9 a.m. Free lunch is provided. Interactive activities and discussion will focus on how your local professionals can assist you with soil health and conservation planning for your operation. There will be an afternoon field tour to observe simple soil tests you can use to start a conversation with your farmer about profitability and conservation. The meeting will end by 3 p.m.
Space is limited and registration is required. Please respond by Monday, May 7th at www.wfan.org/Decorah-2018/ or to carol@wfan.org or 641-430-2540.
Crop Reporting
With spring planting right around the corner, Allamakee county farmers are reminded to report all spring planted crops to the FSA office by July 15 to remain eligible for FSA and other USDA programs. Please remember to bring planting dates with you. It is the producer’s responsibility to accurately report acres and producer’s shares in individual crops. Discrepancies found later may affect eligibility for all FSA-administered programs.
New Signup for the Margin Protection Program Signup for Dairy Producers
The registration and re-enrollment period for coverage year 2018 began April 9, 2018, and continues through June 1, 2018. The re-enrollment period allows dairy producers, including those that previously signed up and those that did not, an opportunity to make new elections for 2018. Coverage begins January 1, 2018. If a dairy operation previously elected coverage for 2018, a new coverage election for 2018 must be made during the re-enrollment period.
If a new election for 2018 is not made by June 1, the dairy operation will not have coverage for 2018.
Highly Erodible Land Conservation (HELC)
Due to the topography of Allamakee County, many farms have highly erodible land. These fields must be following conservation plans that are established by the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). If you are not following your soil saving plan, you may be in violation of the HELC provisions. Violations could have fines up to $10,000 per farm and prevent you from obtaining all government payments. We encourage you to be cautious when developing your tillage plans for the upcoming crop year. If you haven’t reviewed your conservation plan in a while, it’s time to do so. Stop at the USDA Service Center to review plans on all the land you operate.
