Agriculture

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

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
December 2: County Committee Election Ballots Due
December 6: Market Facilitation Program
December 11: ARC/PLC Decision Meeting
December 13: Dairy Margin Coverage Program for 2020

County Committee Election
Producers in Waterloo, Union City, Hanover, French Creek, Union Prairie, and Makee townships should have received their county committee voting ballots last week.  The final day to return completed ballots to the FSA office is December 2.  Committee members are a critical component of the day-to-day operations of FSA. They work to make FSA agricultural programs serve the needs of local producers.

Todd and Mari (Rush) Mellick have unique honor of farms in each of their families being recognized

Iowa Department of Agriculture and Farm Bureau celebrated families that have owned a farm for 100 years or 150 years

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig recognized Century and Heritage Farm families during a ceremony at the Iowa State Fair August 15. To qualify, a family must have owned at least 40 acres for 100 years or more in the case of Century Farms and 150 years or more for a Heritage Farm.

This year 332 Century Farms and 153 Heritage Farms were recognized. Among them were several Allamakee County farms, some of which are pictured below. The Frederick L. Miller family farm near Waukon was also recognized as a Heritage Farm but a photo was not available.

Practical Farmers of Iowa is holding a series of free farm transfer workshops across Iowa in November and December to help farm families understand the farm ownership landscape in Iowa and possible strategies to start the farm transition process.

Each workshop runs from 5-8 p.m. and will be hosted by a local farmer or landowner. Bios of each host are available on Practical Farmers’ website.

Mike Downey, of Next Gen Ag Advocates and Farm Financial Strategies, Inc., will lead the events and discuss the why and how of farmland transition, including farm leasing trends, how to communicate with family about your farmland transition and next steps to be thinking of in the farm transfer process.

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

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
November 11: Closed in Observance of Veterans Day
December 6: Market Facilitation Program
December 11: ARC/PLC Decision Meeting
December 13: Dairy Margin Coverage Program for 2020

A gathering of 25 farm ladies from a 75-mile radius around Cresco, from as far away as Preston, LeRoy and Houston, MN and Northwood and Waukon in Iowa, gathered Wednesday, October 23 for a Women Caring for the Land event that began with a Meet and Greet session serving coffee and donuts to allow the ladies to get acquainted. Event hostess Carol Dowe opened the meeting with thanks to the Lord and thanking CUSB Bank of Cresco for making its Grange Hall available for the event, as well as to the team of Sandy Good, Nancy Bolson, Mary Barth, Terry Falck and Lori Hageman, who all helped to put the event together. Each lady then introduced herself and described her farming setting and relationships.

In order to help Iowans understand their options under the 2018 Farm Bill, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is planning meetings across the state.

More than 50 informational meetings will be held, beginning November 12 in Grinnell, with a focus on explaining the different farm bill titles and programs that pertain to each part of the state. The meeting series stretches through the winter for landowners and producers to attend now, or following harvest, at a location that is convenient for them.

The agenda is similar at all meetings, and will include ISU Extension and Outreach farm management specialists and family life specialists, and local Farm Service Agency representatives.

Allamakee County will offer the Commercial Ag Weed, Insect and Plant Disease Management Continuing Instruction Course (CIC) for commercial pesticide applicators Wednesday, November 20. The program will be shown at locations across Iowa through the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP).

The local attendance site is 218 Seventh Avenue SE, Waukon. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., and the course runs from 9-11:30 a.m. The registration fee increases after November 13. To register or to obtain additional information about the CIC, contact ISU Extension and Outreach Allamakee County office at 563-568-6345.

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

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
November 11: Closed in Observance of Veterans Day
December 6: Market Facilitation Program
December 11: ARC/PLC Decision Meeting
December 13: Dairy Margin Coverage Program for 2020

Farmers, Landowners and Ag Professionals Offered Guidance on Farm Bill Decisions
ISU Extension and Outreach meeting in Northeast Iowa will address enrollment and election decisions for 2018 Farm Bill programs

Upcoming Iowa State University Extension and Outreach meetings will provide guidance for Iowa farmland owners and operators reviewing options under the 2018 Farm Bill. Farmland owners and operators have the opportunity to make new decisions on enrollment and election in the USDA Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs.

This edge-of-field practice offers benefits for the soil, water and for pollinators

Farmers and landowners who want to increase pollinator habitat while also improving water quality should consider the benefits of saturated riparian buffers enhanced with native wildflowers. Establishing pollinator habitat within riparian zones, where the agricultural value is lower and where the conservation and wildlife benefits are likely high, can be a win-win.

“Landowners looking for the combined benefits of native habitat and water quality can capture both by establishing pollinator-friendly species on top of saturated buffers,” said Dana Schweitzer, program coordinator with the Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium at Iowa State University.

Senators’ Seeding Rural Resilience Act praised by state-wide and national farming and mental health organizations

As the only farmers currently serving in the U.S. Senate, U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Jon Tester (D-Montana) are receiving praise from farm and mental health organizations across the country for the introduction of their Seeding Rural Resilience Act, which aims to curb the rising rate of farmer suicides in America.

“Farmers are increasingly feeling the pain of sinking commodity prices, devastating natural disasters and ongoing trade disruptions. That, coupled with the largely solitary nature of farming, has led more and more family farmers to desperation and feelings of hopelessness. This should not be the case. This bill continues important efforts to raise awareness about this issue and provide the assistance necessary to encourage farmers and their families during difficult times,” Grassley said.