Agriculture

Wed
19
Jun

What's Up at the FSA Office?

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

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
May 15 - August 1: Primary Nesting Season.  No MCM activities on CRP acres.
June 3 - August 23: CRP Continuous Signup 52 
June 14: COC Nominations Begin
June 17 - Sept. 20: Dairy Margin Coverage Program Sign-Up
July 15: Last Day to Certify Crop Acres

Crop Reporting
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. Late-filed crop reports are assessed a $46 (per) farm visit fee.

Wed
19
Jun

Breakfast on the Farm set for June 22


Breakfast on the Farm June 22 to include tours and activities ... The Northeast Iowa Dairy Foundation will be celebrating National Dairy Month with the 10th Annual Breakfast on the Farm Saturday, June 22 from 8:30 a.m.- Noon at Iowa’s Dairy Center located south of Calmar at 1527 Highway 150. Submitted photo.

Join the Northeast Iowa Dairy Foundation in celebrating National Dairy Month with the 10th Annual Breakfast on the Farm Saturday, June 22, from 8:30 a.m. - Noon at Iowa’s Dairy Center located just south of Calmar at 1527 Highway 150 South.

Enjoy a wholesome, dairy-rich breakfast of Dad’s Belgian Waffles served with real butter and whipped cream, sausage, cheese, yogurt, milk and, of course, ice cream. In addition to breakfast, visitors will enjoy activities including guided tram tours of Iowa’s Dairy Center, hand-milking a cow, petting zoo, inflatables, corn pools, Story Time with the Dairy Princess and more. New features at this year’s Breakfast on the Farm event include expanded kids’ activities, the 10th anniversary scavenger hunt and farm-themed yoga.

Breakfast on the Farm will be held rain or shine. Parking is available on-site and donations are appreciated. This event is made possible by generous support from community sponsors. 

Wed
19
Jun

Field day near Decorah will explore weed control with fire and electricity in organic row crops June 25

Wayne and Ryan Wangsness, of Flying W Farm, will host a field day in partnership with Practical Farmers of Iowa and University of Northern Iowa exploring weed control in organic crop systems Tuesday, June 25, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., on their farm near Decorah (1869 Middle Ossian Road, about 8.5 miles south of town).

The event - “Controlling Weeds in the Row for Organic Crops” - is free to attend and will include a lunch provided by Iowa Farm Bureau Federation. RSVPs are requested for the meal by Friday, June 21. Sign up online at practicalfarmers.org/field-days, or contact Debra Boekholder at debra@practicalfarmers.org or (515) 232-5661.

Wed
12
Jun

What's Up at the FSA Office?

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

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
May 15 - August 1: Primary Nesting Season.  No MCM activities on CRP acres
June 3 - August 23: CRP Continuous Signup 52 Begins 
June 14: COC Nominations Begin
June 17: Dairy Margin Coverage Program Sign-Up Begins
July 15: Last Day to Certify Crop Acres

Crop Reporting
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. Late-filed crop reports are assessed a farm visit fee.

Wed
05
Jun

What's Up at the FSA Office?

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

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
May 15 - August 1: Primary Nesting Season.  No MCM activities on CRP acres
June 3 - August 23: CRP Continuous Signup 52 Begins 
June 14: COC Nominations Begin
June 17: Dairy Margin Coverage Program Sign-Up Begins
July 15: Last Day to Certify Crop Acres

Crop Reporting
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. Late-filed crop reports are assessed a farm visit fee.

Wed
05
Jun

June 26 field day will provide highlights of ag weather forecast and commercial hemp production

The Annual Spring Field Day at the ISU Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm will run from 1-4:10 p.m. Wednesday, June 26. Dennis Todey, Director of the Midwest Climate Hub, will kick-off the program in the Borlaug Learning Center, by providing his insights on crop weather for the 2019 growing season. Angie Rieck-Hinz, Extension agronomist, follows with a discussion of the likelihood of hemp production in Iowa for 2020, including development of regulations, current production practices and economic information from other states.

The on-farm wagon tour will feature Stephan Gailans, Research and Field Crops Director with Practical Farmers of Iowa, and Ed Zaworski, ISU field crops plant pathologist. Stephan will share his expertise on oat production and seeding cover crops into V6 corn, whereas Ed will discuss plant disease issues in a wet spring and considerations for foliar fungicide applications later in the season.

Wed
05
Jun

Cover crops on prevented planting fields

Submitted by Sara Berges, Allamakee County Soil and Water Conservation District

The rain this spring has made planting difficult and, in many cases, impossible. The weather outlook isn’t looking good for the next 10 days.  More producers are starting to talk about prevent plant.  If you are unable to plant a crop this spring, a cover crop can provide many benefits to help reduce weed pressure, reduce soil erosion, and reduce the risk of fallow syndrome.  The cover crops can also take up nitrogen, build organic matter, and hold potassium and phosphorus in place. There are many things to consider when choosing cover crops.  If an herbicide has already been applied, look at the restrictions. You don’t want to spend the money on cover crops only to have them fail due to your herbicide, so do the research and find a cover crop that will work with your herbicides.  

Wed
29
May

What's Up at the FSA Office?

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

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
May 15 - August 1: Primary Nesting Season.  No MCM activities on CRP acres
June 3: CRP Continuous Signup 52 Begins 
June 14: COC Nominations Begin
June 17: Dairy Margin Coverage Program Sign-Up Begins
July 15: Last Day to Certify Crop Acres

Crop Reporting
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.

Wed
29
May

Cover crops benefit soil health through microorganisms


Wheat and red clover roots ... Pictured above, wheat and red clover roots. Photo taken April 24, 2019. Submitted photo.

Nematode and bacteria ... A nematode and bacteria (the little dots) under magnification. Submitted photo.

Beneficial in so many ways ... Decaying turnip and worm castings (waste) provide a cyclical benefit to one another and the soil. Submitted photo.

Last fall was far from ideal for getting cover crops seeded.  The late crop harvest caused many producers to get cover crops planted very late, resulting in little or no fall growth. The few producers who planted cover crops following small grains or corn silage had the best opportunity for fall growth.

Depending on what was seeded, those cover crop fields may be carpets of green this spring.  One of the main soil health principles is to keep soil covered as much of the year as possible.

Wed
29
May

Nominate your neighbors for the 2019 Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Awards

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig and Department of Natural Resources Acting Director Bruce Trautman invite Iowans to nominate families in their communities for the Farm Environmental Leader Award. Farmers who voluntarily take actions, like planting cover crops or installing conservation infrastructure in their fields, are eligible for the award.

Farmers that are nominated should have made environmental stewardship a priority on their farm and incorporated best management practices into their farming operation. As true stewards of the land, they recognize that improved water quality and soil sustainability reaps benefits that extend beyond their fields to citizens of Iowa and residents even further downstream.

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