Agriculture

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey encourages Iowa hay and straw producers to register or update their listing on the Iowa Hay and Straw Directory. The directory lists Iowa producers with hay and straw for sale, as well as organizations and businesses associated with promoting and marketing quality hay and straw.
“The directory has been a great tool for both buyers and sellers and we hope farmers will take the time to review and update their information so that it remains a valuable resource,” Northey said.  “This directory can serve as a critical link for those producing hay and those looking to buy, so we encourage Iowans to take advantage of this free directory.”
 The listing is available to interested buyers throughout the nation, however only sellers from within Iowa can be included on the list.

Every farmer knows the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) harbors a giant number of farm programs under its wide Farm Bill umbrella. How to figure out which ones are best for you and your farm?
It seems the Agricultural Act of 2014 (ye olde farm bill) makes available $6 million in funds for what the agency calls “educational outreach” for farmers to analyze the various programs later this summer. Half the money goes to Texas A&M University to produces online tools to aid farmers in deciding which program is best for their farm. The other half will go to state extension services to begin holding educational meetings in farm country this summer.
According to Agriculture Online these meetings will be the beginning of when farmers decide whether to sign up for Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC), which is based on either county-level or farm-level revenue (Price Loss Coverage), with payments tied to fixed reference prices.

by Joyce Davidshofer, Allamakee County Executive Director

The Allamakee County Committee meeting will be held July 17 at 9 a.m.

June is dairy month and the dairy industry has a big economic impact in Iowa and, more specifically, Allamakee County. According to the 2012 Iowa State University Economic Review, Iowa’s dairy industry is the fifth largest sector of Iowa agriculture.  While herd size and location within the state have shifted substantially over time, the positive economic impact of this industry has remained valuable.

by Joyce Davidshofer, Allmamakee County Executive Director

by Peter Graham, Columnist

Iowa State University Extension Specialists emphasize crop production issues in a late start to the season during the Annual Spring Field Day, scheduled to be held Tuesday, June 24 at the ISU Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm near Nashua.
The program runs from 1 to 4:30 p.m. and will feature five speakers. Ken Pecinovsky, ISU Research Farm Superintendent, will briefly review 2014 seasonal weather and research on the farm. Mike Owen, Weed Management Specialist, will comment on herbicide research at the farm and product choices for corn and soybeans. Mark Hanna, Ag Engineer, will explain recent research conducted at ISU to save energy costs with proper farm equipment adjustments. Mark Licht, Cropping Systems Agronomist, will discuss current corn and soybean production issues in 2014. Erin Hodgson, Entomologist, will cover timely insect pest management tactics for the remainder of this season.

by Peter Graham, Columnist

by Joyce Davidshofer, Allamakee County FSA Executive Director

Farmers still have a fighting chance to stop Palmer Amaranth, a tough yield-robbing weed, from spreading in Iowa.
The Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach are working together to provide information to keep the weed at bay. Native to the southwestern United States, Palmer was first officially identified in Iowa last September. There are now documented cases in Harrison, Page, Muscatine, Fremont and Davis counties. Herbicide resistance, primarily to glyphosate, is an issue.
“We’re at a point that we can really restrict how quickly it spreads,” said Mike Owen, ISU weed specialist. “If we ignore it, in the next 10 years it could be infesting half the (row crop) acres in Iowa.”
That will decimate yields and the bottom line.