Agriculture

Iowa State University and the Northeast Iowa Agricultural Experimental Association will be hosting the Annual Fall Field Day Wednesday, September 5, 2018, 1-4:15 p.m. at the ISU Research Farm in Nashua.

Presentations at the Borlaug Learning Center and on-farm tour will include:

- Crop Market Outlook: Steve Johnson, ISU Farm Management Specialist
- High Rates of Gypsum and Soil pH/lime update: Antonio Mallarino, ISU Soil Fertility Specialist
- Weed Management, Herbicide Resistance and Crop Injury: Meaghan Anderson, ISU Agronomist
- Corn and Soybean Diseases in 2018 and Management for 2019: Daren Mueller, ISU Plant Pathologist

This program is free and open to the public. Certified crop advisors can receive 4 CCA credits (1 CM, 1 NM, 2 PM) for $20 payable to Iowa State University.

by Sara Berges, Allamakee SWCD

To cancel a cropland lease, Iowa law requires notice by either party, tenant or landlord, before September 1. If notification isn’t served, the lease automatically renews on existing terms for the coming year.  The most common way to serve notice is to mail the notice by certified mail before September 1.  The date of mailing (not the date received) must be before September 1.  It must be by certified mail rather than regular mail.  You can also hand deliver the notice and have the other party sign for it.

Just because a lease is terminated doesn’t necessarily mean the tenant won’t be renting it the following year.  Terminating a lease allows the parties to reevaluate the terms of the lease and make necessary changes.  With tight profit margins, many producers are going to want to renegotiate for lower cash rental rates to help with cash-flow.

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

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
• ARCPLC: September 28
• MPP-Dairy Premiums Due: September 28

Elections for the 2018 County Committee
Elections for USDA’s Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Allamakee County Committee are now underway.

It is important that every eligible producer participate in these elections because FSA county committees are a link between the agricultural community and the USDA. The 2018 election in Name County will be conducted for the representative Local Administrative Area (LAA) 3: which includes Iowa, Lansing, Center, LaFayette, Paint Creek and Taylor townships.

Practical Farmers of Iowa is now accepting applications for the Savings Incentive Program, which has served 138 beginning farmers on their path to establishing a healthy farm business since it launched in 2010. The two-year program aims to help beginning farmers succeed at their farm start-ups through mentorship from experienced farmers; business plan support; the chance to save money and receive matching funds; the opportunity to attend a range of learning events; and access to a network of supportive peers.

Applications for the Savings Incentive Program’s Class of 2020 will be accepted through October 10. Applications must be filled out and submitted using the online form at practicalfarmers.org, which will then be evaluated by a committee of PFI members using a scoring system that rewards a noticeable commitment to developing independent farming goals. Up to 12 beginning farmers will be admitted this round, with those enrolled starting in January 2019.

More than 400 head of Hereford cattle from six different herds will be on display in northeastern Iowa during the annual Iowa Hereford Tour on Sunday, August 26. The event is sponsored by the Iowa Hereford Breeders Association (IHBA).

Attendees will gather at 9 a.m. at Lenth Herefords, 13690 1305th St., Postville, where they will be treated to coffee cake, rolls, coffee, juice and milk. Founded more than 50 years ago by Elden, Bea and Doug Lenth, the Lenth herd is currently run by Doug and his wife Marilyn, who were named the 2018 Iowa Seedstock Producer of the Year by the Iowa Beef Breeds Council.

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

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
• August 17: CRP Signup 51
• ARCPLC: September 28
• September 28: MPP-Dairy Premiums Due

Farm Storage Facility Loans
FSA’s Farm Storage Facility Loan (FSFL) program provides low-interest financing to producers to build or upgrade storage facilities and to purchase portable (new or used) structures, equipment and storage and handling trucks.

Women across Iowa have the opportunity to visit diverse agricultural businesses through one-day bus tours this summer. Each tour is designed by local groups of women in agriculture and led by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach county professionals and the Women in Ag program. Interested persons may sign up for a local tour, take a tour across the state, or join several tours.

While showcasing Iowa’s agricultural diversity, each tour will feature discussion around five common agricultural risks: 1) costs and benefits of production practices, 2) safety of families and employees, 3) impacts of changing regulation, 4) storing and marketing farm products, and 5) managing soil and water.

The Annual Fall Field Day at the ISU Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm will run from 1-4:15 p.m. on Wednesday, September 5. Steve Johnson, Extension farm management specialist, will kick-off the program in the Borlaug Learning Center by providing his insights on the crop market outlook. Following Steve is Antonio Mallarino, Extension soil fertility specialist, to discuss recent research on the use of high rates of gypsum, as well as a soil lime/pH update. We then convene outside for the farm wagon tour; Meaghan Anderson, Extension field agronomist, will share her thoughts on weed management, herbicide resistance and crop injury.

Daren Mueller, ISU extension plant pathologist, will review corn and soybean diseases that have impacted us in 2018 and management for 2019.

The field day is free and open to the public.  It starts at the Borlaug Learning Center Headquarters on the ISU Northeast Research Farm and Demonstration Farm.

More than half of Iowa farmland is rented.  In some Iowa locations, as much as 70 percent of the land is farmed by farmers who don’t own the land.

In Northeast Iowa, the result is many conversations and negotiations between farmland owners and producer-tenants to determine what makes sense for farmland leases and cash rental rates – both fixed rent and flexible arrangements.  Strong landlord/tenant relationships are important for the long-term viability of Iowa’s farming communities.

These are just a few reasons why Iowa State University Extension and Outreach offers workshops designed to answer questions that land owners and tenants have about farmland leasing and land values.

These workshops will be held across northeast Iowa counties starting August 6 through August 21.

Melissa O’Rourke, ISU Extension Farm & Agribusiness Management Specialist will present a wide range of topics related to farmland values and leasing.

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

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
• August 17: CRP Signup 51
• ARCPLC: September 28
• September 28: MPP-Dairy Premiums Due

Facility Loan Interest Rates
The interest rates for August are as follows:
• 2.625% for 3 years
• 2.750% for 5 years
• 2.875% for 7 years
• 2.875% for 10 years
• 2.875% for 12 years
• 2.875% for 15 years

Maintaining the Quality of Farm-Stored Loan Grain
Bins are ideally designed to hold a level volume of grain. When bins are overfilled, and grain is heaped up, airflow is hindered, and the chance of spoilage increases.
Producers who take out marketing assistance loans and use the farm-stored grain as collateral should remember that they are responsible for maintaining the quality of the grain through the term of the loan.