Agriculture

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
March 15: ARCPLC Signup

Farm Loan Presence in Allamakee County
The USDA/FSA Farm Loan team will have a Loan Officer in our office every Tuesday during normal business hours (8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.).  If you would like to visit with the loan officer, feel free to call or stop in.

Floods, droughts, and wildfires over the past few years have many farmers and land managers thinking about ways to improve the resilience of their operations and become more nimble in responding to difficult conditions.

Moving livestock to available grazing is one way to be nimble. Adding cover crops and livestock to row cropping systems helps improve soil health and is one way to build resiliency. Trouble is, many livestock farmers don’t own or rent land in multiple locations – and many crop farmers don’t own or manage livestock.

The Midwest Grazing Exchange can help solve both sides of this equation. https://midwestgrazingexchange.com/.

Brett Mathews of Dividing Ridge Farm in Illinois says, “The Midwest Grazing Exchange connects cow producers to crop farmers and pasture owners. But I believe that more importantly, it puts livestock back on the ground.”

Crop and livestock farmers who are working on preparing their 2022 income tax returns can review two useful documents for end-of-year determinations.

The article “Suggested Closing Inventory Prices for 2022 Records” provides suggested closing inventory prices for all major crop and livestock commodities produced in Iowa, and “Deductible Livestock Costs for Adjusting 2022 Income Tax Returns” provides cost estimates for farmers who consume food produced by their operation, which must be deducted from expense reporting. Both documents are published by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach as part of the December Ag Decision Maker.

The inventory prices are averages compiled by economists with ISU Extension and Outreach, using data from the United States Department of Agriculture, the Iowa State Cash Rental Rates Survey, and the Iowa Farm Business Association. The prices are used by consultants with the Farm Business Association and tax preparers across Iowa.

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
January 16: Office Closed in Observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day
March 15: ARCPLC Signup

Transitioning a farm to the next generation is one of the biggest challenges that farm owners and beginning farmers will face. The decisions made can affect families, finances and rural communities for decades into the future.

That’s why Iowa State University’s Farm Transitions Conference, slated for Feb. 9-10 in Ames, will bring together experts and experienced landowners from a wide range of backgrounds with the goal of improving the farm transition process.

Bankers, attorneys, tax professionals, mediators and family farmers will all be part of this year’s event, to be held at the Gateway Hotel. Attendees will hear from professionals who deal with all parts of farm transitions – those looking to exit farming, those looking to enter or expand, and those who simply want to review their existing succession plans to ensure they are current.

Webinars announced for the upcoming year to assist with dairy goat management

The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach dairy team will continue its dairy goat webinar series in 2023 with all webinar dates and topics listed below. All webinars will be from noon to 1:15 p.m. and are free to attend.

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
January 16: Office Closed in Observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day
March 15: ARCPLC Signup

Farm Loan Presence in Allamakee County
The USDA/FSA Farm Loan team will have a Loan Officer in our office every Tuesday during normal business hours (8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). If you would like to visit with the loan officer, feel free to call or stop in.

Enrollment Open for Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage Programs for 2023
Agricultural producers can now make elections and enroll in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2023 crop year. The signup period opened in October and runs through March 15, 2023. These key U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) safety-net programs help producers weather fluctuations in either revenue or price for certain crops. Enrollment for the 2023 crop year closes March 15, 2023.

Transitioning a farm to the next generation is one of the biggest challenges that farm owners and beginning farmers will face. The decisions made can affect families, finances and rural communities for decades into the future.

That’s why Iowa State University’s Farm Transitions Conference, slated for Feb. 9-10 in Ames, will bring together experts and experienced landowners from a wide range of backgrounds with the goal of improving the farm transition process.

Bankers, attorneys, tax professionals, mediators and family farmers will all be part of this year’s event, to be held at the Gateway Hotel. Attendees will hear from professionals who deal with all parts of farm transitions – those looking to exit farming, those looking to enter or expand, and those who simply want to review their existing succession plans to ensure they are current.

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
January 2: Office Closed in Observance of New Year’s Day

Local Economies Need to be the First Consideration
by LuAnn Rolling, District Conservationist

Farmers and agribusiness professionals, ages 18-35, are invited to attend Iowa Farm Bureau Federation’s Young Farmer Conference January 27-28, 2023, at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. “This year’s conference theme is ‘Our Roots Run Deep,’” said Megan Hansen, Young Farmer Advisory Committee chair and Pottawattamie County farmer. “As young farmers, we’re grateful for those who have paved the way before us - planting that seed. As the next generation, we are intent on solidifying those roots by learning from experts and each other at this popular event that typically attracts between 500 to 600 young farmers.”