What's Up at the USDA Office?
Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
December 13: Deadline to apply for Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP)
December 15: Deadline to certify fall-seeded crops - Note: Although cover crops can be reported at any time, we encourage you to do it this fall (2024)
December 25: Office closed in observance of Christmas Day
January 1: Office closed in observance of New Years Day
Available Funding Opportunities and Cover Crop Extension
The first application cutoff for Iowa farmers and other private landowners to apply for conservation practices was November 22, 2024. Although this date has past, we still accept and process applications for future funding rounds.
Commonly used NRCS Farm Bill programs by Allamakee County Producers:
• Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)
• Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
Several practices, management activities and enhancements have been added to Fiscal Year 2025 for funding opportunities. Some of these include: Brush Management and Cover Crop on areas less than 1 acre, Prescribed Burning in Woodland with Topography, Virtual Fence for livestock, some instances of Perimeter Fence Wildlife Habitat for Nesting and Brooding in non-cropped areas, and adding Telemetry to watering Facilities to monitor water levels remotely. For more information on available practices or enhancements, State Cost lists can be found at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/getting-assistance/payment-schedules.
As a final reminder, we announced an extension for the cover crop deadline for individuals with cover crop applications and contracts. Although the published seeding dates provide the best guidance for establishing cover crops, a late seeding variance for winter cereal rye, winter triticale, and camelina allows these species to be seeded prior to December 21. The late seeding date requires additional management considerations to realize the benefits of seeding a cover crop. Drilling or incorporating the seed in the late fall will improve establishment, allowing the cover crop to grow longer in the spring prior to termination which will allow more biomass and root growth. Strategies can be incorporated into the overall cropping system to increase the probability of benefits from the cover crop. Consider planting earlier maturing crops for more timely fall seeding, overseeding the cover crop as the primary crop senesces, timely harvest of fields being seeded to cover crops, etc.
