Agriculture

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
December 4: Last Day to Return COC Ballots
December 15: Crop Reporting for Fall-Seeded Small Grains
January 31: Livestock Forage Program (LFP)

USDA to Provide More Than $3 Billion to Commodity and Specialty Crop Producers Impacted by 2022 Natural Disasters
The U. S Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide more than $3 billion to commodity and specialty crop producers impacted by natural disaster events in 2022. Eligible impacted producers can apply for financial assistance through the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) 2022. The program will help offset the financial impacts of crop yield and value losses from qualifying disasters occurring in 2022.

Good grain management can benefit bottom line and help prevent entrapment incidents

Keeping grain in good condition is important for a farmers bottom line by allowing them to sell high-grade grain and maintain all their marketing options. Good grain management has another major benefit: It can help prevent grain entrapment and engulfment incidents, since most of the incidents that happen every year involve grain flow issues due to grain spoilage.

Why aerate grain?
Aeration is used to cool grain in the fall and keep temperatures across the grain mass even throughout its storage life. Cool temperatures keep insect and mold activity low and increase the maximum allowable storage life of grain.

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
November 1: Organic Certification Cost-Share and Transition/Education Certification Program
December 4: Last Day to Return COC Ballots
December 15: Crop Reporting for Fall-Seeded Small Grains
January 31: Livestock Forage Program (LFP)

Conservation Update
submitted by Ben Cottrell, District Conservationist, NRCS
It is not too late to think about planting cover crops this fall. We are still within the seeding window and have some limited funding available for cover crop cost share if you are still interested this fall.

Farmers surveyed on specific ag technologies

One of the biggest keys to farm profitability is being efficient. Farmers are constantly looking for ways to improve yields while managing their inputs, and one of the ways they’ve done this for the past several years is by using precision agriculture.

Although this term can be defined many ways, the United States Department of Agriculture calls it a suite of technologies that can reduce input costs by providing the farm operator with detailed spatial information, that can be used to optimize field management practices.

In essence, it’s producing more with less. But precision agriculture is a diverse field, and farmers approach it differently.

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
November 1: Organic Certification Cost-Share and Transition/Education Certification Program
December 4: Last Day to Return COC Ballots
December 15: Crop Reporting for Fall-Seeded Small Grains
January 31: Livestock Forage Program (LFP)

Farmers.gov - Your online hub for conducting business with USDA
Farmers.gov gives you one place to do business with USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), including accessing your farm records, maps, and common land units. You can create a farmers.gov account for the farmers.gov authenticated site, where you can access self-service features through a secure login.

A study of Iowa farmers’ use of 4R Plus nutrient management practices offers insights into social, economic, and ecological influences on adoption that operate at both an individual level and within a larger, county-level context.

The 4R approach to agricultural nutrient management aims to ensure use of the “right source” of nutrients at the “right rate,” the “right time” and in the “right place” for efficient use of fertilizers to avoid nutrient loss and maximize farm income. While 4R refers to in-field nutrient management practices,

“Plus” refers to in-field conservation practices, such as no-till and cover crops, and edge-of-field conservation practices, including bioreactors or saturated buffers.

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
November 1: Organic Certification Cost-Share and Transition/Education Certification Program
December 4: Last Day to Return COC Ballots
December 15: Crop Reporting for Fall-Seeded Small Grains
January 31: Livestock Forage Program (LFP)

Fall 2023 Cover Crops
submitted by Eric Novey, Project Coordinator, NRCS
With harvest underway, many people are thinking about planting fall cover crops. With the summer drought, fewer people may be considering planting cover crops than normal. But with the recent rainfall, cover crops are likely to grow well this fall. One benefit of cover crops after a dry season is that they can scavenge nutrients that were not used during row crop production. There may be concerns about herbicide carryover. Smaller seeded species tend to be most sensitive to herbicides, but cereal rye is considered to be fairly tolerant.  

As farmers begin to make financial projections for the new year, there are resources available from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach that can help.

A popular choice is the Farm Financial Planning Program, which includes access to seven different farm financial associates, in addition to software and helpful publications and guides.

Nancy Brannaman, a financial associate from east central Iowa, said the program allows producers and the associate to take a broad look at what’s going on within an operation, where the operator would like to be in the future and what must be done for success.

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
November 1: Organic Certification Cost-Share and Transition/Education Certification Program
December 4: Last Day to Return COC Ballots
December 15: Crop Reporting for Fall-Seeded Small Grains
January 31: Livestock Forage Program (LFP)

October 2023 CCC and FSFL Interest Rates
New rates were issued for the month of October and are as follows:
• 4.625% for 3 years
• 4.375% for 5 years
• 4.375% for 7 years
• 4.125% for 10 years
• 4.125% for 12 years
• MAL’s: 6.375%

Livestock Inventory Records
Producers are reminded to keep updated livestock inventory records. These records are necessary in the event of a natural disaster.

Safety tips for grain handling equipment from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach

Harvest season can be hectic, but it is well worth taking the time to consider safety when operating grain handling equipment. Hazards abound when handling grain, such as equipment entanglement, grain entrapment and engulfment and dust explosions, among others.

Agricultural confined-space related cases of injuries and fatalities saw a dramatic rise in 2022, including grain entrapment cases that rose nearly 45%, based on Purdue University’s annual report. Iowa had more cases of grain entrapment than any other state at nine total in 2022.

Nearly all of these cases involved grain flow issues due to grain spoilage, which means that improved grain management could prevent cases in the future. This series aims to provide useful information to help farmers keep their grain in good condition and keep them and their families safe around grain.