Agriculture

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey recognized Century and Heritage Farm families during a ceremony at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines 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.

Among those farms recognized this year were four Allamakee County farms. Those farms included the Heritage Farm owned by the Blake Family Partnership, LLP of Dorchester and three Century Farms owned by the Gail E. Dunning family of Waukon, the Duane and Joann Leppert family of Lansing, and the Evelyn Wild family of Lansing.

This year, 320 Century Farms and 103 Heritage Farms were recognized. This year was the 40-year anniversary of the Century Farms program and the 10-year anniversary of the Heritage Farms program.

by Cindy Mensen, Acting Allamakee County Executive Director (563) 568-2148

ATTENTION FARMERS - REMINDER:
Sept 27: Allamakee County Committee meeting at the USDA Service Center  9:00 am start
Sept 30: End of the fiscal year for FSA purposes
Nov 15: Deadline to certify all forage or grazed 2017 crops
Dec 16: New deadline for the 2017 MPP sign-up

Marketing loans are available in the Allamakee County FSA office.  2016 loan rates for Allamakee County is $1.87 and $4.99 for corn and soybeans, respectively.

There currently is a Hard Red Winter Wheat LDP, if you certified a HRW crop for the 2016 crop year, stop in or call the Allamakee County FSA office to find out more.

World renowned plant physiologist and soil ecologist Dr. Jill Clapperton shared knowledge and strategies to promote soil health with NE Iowa farmers, landowners, and youth over the course of three public events and a five-day trip to the region.

Dr. Clapperton, the Principal Scientist and Co-founder of Rhizoterra Inc., is a well-known researcher, lecturer and advocate of farm practices that promote soil health who has conducted research and consulted with farmers around the globe. In 2013, she was the Syngenta No-Till Innovator for Research and Education.

IMPACT OF FLOODING ON LIVESTOCK
Recent floods and excess water could mean changes to livestock and crops management this harvest season. Many of the effects are yet to be determined as the standing crop still grows and each field and/or farm is affected differently. It is recommended to properly assess your situation and review these guidelines in preparation for harvest and feeding of livestock.

by Cindy Mensen, Acting Allamakee County Executive Director (563) 568-2148

ATTENTION FARMERS - REMINDER:
Sept. 1: Premiums were due for 2016 MPP buy-up coverage
Sept. 27: Allamakee County Committee meeting at the USDA Service Center  9:00 am start
Dec. 16: New deadline for the 2017 MPP sign-up

Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP)

Brian Lang
Extension Agronomist
563-382-2949
bjlang@iastate.edu

FLOODED CROPS
The flash flooding in northeast Iowa has left many producers wondering what to do next. In many areas, the flooding of 2016 reached record levels.
 
Corn
Past experience has shown us that if flood waters got above ear height, the ears were likely ruined. That assessment was correct for the floods of 2008 and 1993, but corn was flooded near tassel stage. In those cases, ears under water were ruined, basically turning to mush within a week.

It is a different story this year. The August 24 flood occurred with most corn at early dent stage. In general, ears from these flooded fields still look to be in good condition, so far. The flood waters appeared to drop quickly, which in most cases will minimize potential problems. Here are some factors to watch.

Denise Schwab, ISU Extension & Outreach Beef Specialist, 319-721-9624

Stockmanship, Cattle Handling and BQA Workshops
Three Stockmanship, Handling and BQA workshops featuring Dr. Tom Noffsinger from Nebraska, will be held in eastern Iowa September 19 & 20. The Stockmanship sessions teach cattle handling methods that improve animal movement and cattle performance by reducing the stress on livestock. Noffsinger bases his presentation on four simple principles of cattle behavior; cattle want to see you, go around you, be with other cattle, and can only process one thought at a time. He will also demonstrate low stress cattle handling methods that can be used whether gathering from the pasture or processing through corrals.

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach

Kayla Koether
Food System Specialist
koether@iastate.edu
563-382-2949

SUPPORT FOR BEGINNING FARMERS
ISU Extension is increasing its support for beginning farmers. Two opportunities for farmers in northeast Iowa were recently announced.
The Northeast Iowa Beginning Farmer Network is a regional effort supporting new farmers who are adding value to their products by marketing food to local consumers, restaurants and institutions or utilizing niche markets. Beginning farmers who are managing farm produce inventory and direct-to-customer sales have a distinct set of challenges. To add to those challenges, they are often only one of a handful of farms or businesses in their communities establishing a local food market. While creating something new can be exciting, it can also be isolating.

by Cindy Mensen, Acting Allamakee County Executive Director (563) 568-2148

ATTENTION FARMERS - REMINDER:
Aug. 31: Allamakee County Committee meeting at the USDA Service Center  9:00 am start
Sept 1: Premiums are due for 2016 MPP buy-up coverage
Dec 16: New deadline for the 2017 MPP decision

Emergency Conservation Program
Adverse weather, such as the torrential rains experienced this past week, makes life challenging.  The Farm Service Agency may apply for Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) if the disaster situation calls for implementation.  ECP is a cost-share program subject to the availability of funds.  Funding is not guaranteed for ECP.  Please note that the Allamakee Co FSA has not yet applied for assistance. 

By Cindy Mensen, Acting Allamakee County Executive Director (563) 568-02148

ATTENTION FARMERS - REMINDER:
Sept 1: Premiums are due for 2016 MPP buy-up coverage
Sept 30: Deadline to complete CCC-782 for 2017 MPP-Dairy coverage

MPP-Dairy payments made for May/June period
Area dairy producers who chose MPP-Dairy coverage at the $6.00 or higher level recently received an MPP payment.  The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reported the All Milk price for May was $14.50 and for June was $14.80.  Those prices are averaged and then the feed costs for alfalfa hay, corn and soybean meal are compiled into a “Final Feed Cost” which was reported as $8.72797 for May and $9.04648 for June.  These price statistics resulted in a milk margin of $5.76277 for the two month period.