Agriculture

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

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
• September 1 – December 15: 2018 Margin Protection Program Sign-Up
• September 30: End of fiscal year for FSA
• September 30: Last day to remove bales for those who requested managed haying on CRP grounds.
• December 15: Acreages intended to be used for forage and pasture in 2018 need to be reported

Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybee, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP)
The Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) provides emergency assistance to eligible livestock, honeybee, and farm-raised fish producers who have losses due to disease, adverse weather or other conditions, such as blizzards and wildfires, not covered by other agricultural disaster assistance programs.

Each year since 1944, the third week of September has been recognized as National Farm Safety & Health Week. This recognition has been an annual promotion initiated by the National Safety Council and over the years, the development and dissemination of National Farm Safety and Health Week materials has shifted to the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety. NECAS is the agricultural partner for NSC and has been serving the agricultural family and business community since 1997.

Iowa State University researchers have literally, and figuratively, shed new light on the odor problems arising from livestock facilities.

Jacek Koziel, an associate professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering, and his team are using black light to help neutralize the volatile components that make up objectionable odors. Shined on surfaces coated with a thin layer of titanium dioxide, the black light initiates photo-catalytic reactions that have been found to significantly reduce several odorous chemicals that are found downwind of livestock operations.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, in conjunction with the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, annually recognizes farm families who have continuously owned their farm land for 150 years or more with the Heritage Farm Award. Duane and Linda Flatland were presented this award by Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey at the Iowa State Fair August 17 for their farm, which is located in Winneshiek County at 2295 Winnmakee Road, Waukon. Submitted photo.
 

Allamakee County will offer the Ornamental and Turfgrass Applicators Continuing Instruction Course (CIC) for commercial pesticide applicators Wednesday, November 8, 2017. The program can be seen at locations across Iowa through the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP) team.

The local attendance site is Allamakee County Extension, 218 7th Ave SE, Suite #102. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., and the course runs from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The registration fee is $35 on or before November 1 and $45 after November 1. To register or to obtain additional information about the CIC, contact the ISU Extension and Outreach office in Allamakee County by phone at 563-568-6345.

Submitted by Sara Berges, Allamakee SWCD

As fall approaches and producers prepare for harvest, many are also preparing for cover crop seeding. Keep in mind a few points regarding seeding rates, methods, and seeding dates. If you are receiving government cost-share (either through state funds or federal EQIP funds) and are planting winter-hardy species like cereal rye, the planting deadline is October 21. Cereal rye should be planted at a rate of 55 lbs/acre of pure live seed (PLS) if drilling, 61 lbs/ac PLS if broadcasting with incorporation, and 66 lbs/acre of PLS if broadcasting without incorporation.  Pure Live Seed can be determined using the following calculation (percent germination + dormant seed) x (percent purity) all divided by 100. There are also calculators available online (such as on the allamakeeswcd.org website) or stop by the NRCS office for assistance.

Mark your calendars for a noon webinar September 26. Join the ISU Extension and Outreach Dairy Team as Dr. Larry Tranel, ISU Extension and Outreach Dairy Specialist hosts “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”.  This webinar will discuss organic and organic “grass-fed” dairy systems.  

The webinar is sponsored by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and North Central Risk Management Education Center. To join the webinar, log onto https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/isuedairy, or for more information contact Larry Tranel attranel@iastate.edu, 563-583-6496 or Jenn Bentley at jbentley@iastate.edu, 563-382-2949.

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

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
• September 1 – December 15: 2018 Margin Protection Program Sign-Up
• September 30: End of fiscal year for FSA

Fall-Seeded Crops
For producers who have any fall seeded crops, such as hay and pasture, you have until December 15, 2017 to get those acres certified for the 2018 crop year.  Failure to do so will result in a late file fee for each farm with hay or pasture. 

Managed Haying Requests
For those who have stopped in to request managed haying on your CRP ground, make sure the bales are off that ground by September 30. 

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

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey recognized Century and Heritage Farm families during a ceremony at the Iowa State Fair again this year.  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 354 Century Farms and 119 Heritage Farms were recognized. Among those honored farms were the following from Allamakee County (some of which are pictured on this same page): Ralph and Marie Plein family and Tom and Lynn Reburn family as Heritage Farms; and Donald Aldrich family, George Beardmore family, Donald Henningsgaard family, Vernalene Oelberg family, Dennis Schulte family and Bonnie (Myhre) Williams family as Century Farms.

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

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
• September 1 – December 15: 2018 Margin Protection Program Sign-Up

Fall-Seeded Crops
For producers who have any fall seeded crops, such as hay and pasture, you have until December 15, 2017 to get those acres certified for the 2018 crop year. Failure to do so will result in a late file fee for each farm with hay or pasture. 

Managed Haying Requests
For those who have stopped in to request managed haying on your CRP ground, make sure the bales are off that ground by September 30.