Agriculture

Cover Crop Guidelines
The Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Risk Management Agency (RMA) worked together to develop consistent, simple and a flexible policy for cover crop practices.

Cover crops, such as grasses, legumes and forbs, can be planted: with no subsequent crop planted, before a subsequent crop, after prevented planting acreage, after a planted crop, or into a standing crop.

Termination:
The cover crop termination guidelines provide the timeline for terminating cover crops, are based on zones and apply to non-irrigated cropland. To view the zones and additional guidelines visit nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/landuse/crops/ and click “Cover Crop Termination Guidelines.”

Farmers who plant fall cover crops can save $5 per acre on next year’s crop insurance premiums as part of the Crop Insurance Discount Program

Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig and Governor Kim Reynolds are encouraging Iowa farmers to plant cover crops this fall to improve water quality and save money on next year’s crop insurance premiums. The savings are offered through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s (IDALS) Crop Insurance Discount Program.

The innovative annual program, part of the implementation of Iowa’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy, provides farmers who plant fall cover crops the opportunity to apply for a $5 per acre discount on their crop insurance premiums. There is no cap on the number of cover crop seeded acres that can receive the crop insurance discount. 

The microscopic, soil-borne soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is considered the most serious biological threat to the U.S. soybean industry. In North America, it causes yield losses worth more than $1 billion annually. 

The SCN Coalition helps farmers combat this relentless pathogen in a variety of ways. Established by Professor Greg Tylka, director of the Iowa Soybean Research Center, with several colleagues at other universities, the coalition was launched in 2018 and now includes university scientists from 28 states and Ontario, Canada, grower checkoff organizations and corporate partners. 

Each year, Tylka and his team develop an updated list of commercially available SCN-resistant varieties for Iowa that the Coalition helps promote. ISU Extension and Outreach publishes the list in the fall. A preliminary version of the list for 2026 is available online.

Update Your Records
FSA is cleaning up our producer record database and needs your help. Be sure to report any changes of address, zip code, phone number, email address or an incorrect name or business name on file to our office. You should also report changes in your farm operation, like the addition of a farm by lease or purchase. You should also report any changes to your operation in which you reorganize to form a Trust, LLC or other legal entity.

FSA and NRCS program participants are required to promptly report changes in their farming operation to the County Committee in writing and to update their Farm Operating Plan on form CCC-902.

To update your records, contact the Allamakee County USDA Service Center at (563) 568-2148 ext.2. 

Learn methods for managing and minimizing soil compaction impact on crop yields, November 14

Soil compaction caused by farm machinery and field traffic will be discussed at an upcoming Soil Compaction School event on Nov. 14. The event will cover methods to minimize compaction and mitigate any soil compaction that may have already occurred.

“Soil compaction can significantly impact crop yields, as it can push soil particles together, reducing soil infiltration capacities and increasing resistance to crop root penetration and development,” said Kapil Arora, field agricultural engineer with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. “This, in turn, impacts moisture and nutrient availability to crop plants for growth and development, even under favorable weather conditions. Ten to 20 percent yield loss has been reported under unfavorable weather conditions.”

USDA Offers Options for Signing and Sharing Documents Online
Farmers and ranchers working with USDA’s Farm Service Agency or Natural Resources Conservation Service can now sign and share documents online in just a few clicks. By using Box or OneSpan, producers can digitally complete business transactions without leaving their homes or agricultural operations. Both services are free, secure, and available for multiple FSA and NRCS programs.

Box is a secure, cloud-based site where FSA or NRCS documents can be managed and shared. Producers who choose to use Box can create a username and password to access their secure Box account, where documents can be downloaded, printed, manually signed, scanned, uploaded, and shared digitally with Service Center staff. This service is available to any FSA or NRCS customer with access to a mobile device or computer with printer connectivity.

De-Su Angus of rural New Albin ranked as largest in registering the most Angus beef cattle in Iowa with the American Angus Association® during fiscal year 2025, which ended September 30, according to information provided by Mark McCully, Association Chief Executive Officer.

Association members across the nation in 2025 registered 309,926 head of Angus cattle. “Angus breeders lead the way in innovation and genetic progress, giving their commercial cattlemen customers an advantage in the marketplace, McCully said. “The diversity of the breed means that cattlemen across the country can find the right genetics - no matter their breeding objective.”

USDA Issues Second Economic Assistance Payment to Agricultural Producers
Washington, September 26, 2025 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is issuing a second Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) payment to eligible producers for the 2024 crop year. Of the authorized $10 billion in ECAP assistance, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has already provided over $8 billion in payments to eligible producers to mitigate the impacts of increased input costs and falling commodity prices. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins made the announcement yesterday at the Ag Outlook Forum in Kansas City.

As fall harvest starts across Iowa, the risk of wildfires in crop fields increases.  Parts of Iowa are seeing dry conditions with the risk of relative humidities dropping to dangerous levels for wildfires and ignition sources in the fields. Ready to harvest standing crops contain very low moistures, creating fuels that are receptive to ignition and at risk of rapid rates of fire spread. 

October Brings Conservation Opportunities for Row Crop and Cattle Producers in Allamakee County
As the leaves turn and the first frosts arrive, October marks an important transition for Allamakee County’s farms. For both row crop and livestock producers, fall is the time to take stock of the year’s work and make preparations that will protect natural resources and set up success for next season.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) encourages producers to consider the following practices this fall and winter: