Agriculture

by Joyce Davidshofer, Allamakee County Executive Director

The next Allamakee County FSA Committee meeting will be held Thursday, October 30 at 9 a.m. in the Allamakee County FSA Conference Room.

MPP- Dairy Program
The sign-up for the MPP-Dairy Program is from September 2, 2014 to November 28, 2014 for the 2014 and/or 2015 milk calendar years. The Allamakee County FSA office will need 2011, 2012 and 2013 pounds for each year before signing up.
For more information on this program, contact the Allamakee County FSA Office. We are willing to work with small groups in the office to talk over the MPP program with you. Please call to set up a time.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey recently announced that farmers participating in the state cost share programs that are intending to plant cover crops have until November 1, 2014 to get the cover crops planted and still qualify for assistance.
This extension is only available for winter-hardy, small grains that are likely to establish yet this fall, specifically winter rye, winter triticale and winter wheat.  Other species such as oats, radishes, turnips and legumes are not likely to provide the desired growth to be effective this late in the season. There are an estimated 108,000 acres of cover crops supported by state cost share programs.

by Joyce Davidshofer, Allamakee County Executive Director

Reminders
April 15, 2014 – January 30, 2015 sign-up for the LIP/LFP/ELAP/TAP programs
These programs are going back to the 2012 drought year. For example, livestock grazed on pasture and non-cropland acres. Any disaster event which caused a loss of livestock (drought, etc.) may be eligible  in this sign-up period. Call the FSA office for more information.
September 2, 2014 – November 28, 2014 – MPP- Dairy Program.
Producers are starting to inquire about the Margin Protection Program (MPP). Contact the Allamakee County FSA Office to schedule a time and bring in your 2011, 2012 and 2013 production records. The deadline to sign up for 2014/2015 is November 28, 2014. The next time to sign for 2016 milk will be July 1 – September 30, 2015.
September 29, 2014 – February 27, 2015 – PLC/ARC-CO/ARC-IC. Base acres reallocation and yield update process to be completed.

Farmers and landowners will learn about the new programs authorized by the Agricultural Act of 2104 (commonly referred to as the Farm Bill) at an informational meeting conducted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and local USDA Farm Service Agency staff members. A local meeting will be held November 17 at Farmers and Merchants Saving Bank in Waukon, beginning at 1 p.m.
The Farm Bill – Program Overview meetings will focus on the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) and Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) that will be administered by USDA Farm Service Agency, and the Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) administered by USDA Risk Management Agency through federal crop insurance providers.

by Allamakee County Executive Director Joyce Davidshofer

The next Allamakee County FSA committee meeting will be October 30 at 9 a.m. in the Allamakee County FSA Conference Room.

Reminders
April 15, 2014 – January 30, 2015 sign-up for the LIP/LFP/ELAP/TAP programs.
September 2, 2014 – November 28, 2014 – MPP- Dairy Program
September 29, 2014 – February 27, 2015 – PLC/ARC-CO/ARC-IC Base acres reallocation and yield update process to be completed.
IMPORTANT: November 1, 2014 – December 30, 2015 – Forage, pasture, grasses certification due for spring 2015 year. Late file fee will apply and no waivers will be granted.

The first step to including conservation in a farm lease is to have a written lease. If you do not currently have a written lease, you can talk to an attorney or utilize one of the forms found online at www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm or aglease101.org. Once you have a written lease, you can either write conservation provisions directly into your lease or include a provision that requires adherence to a third-party (such as NRCS) conservation plan. Examples of conservation provisions can be found at sustainablefarmlease.org. An example of a provision that requires following an NRCS conservation plan can be found at allamakeeswcd.org/watershed-projects/conservation-lease-project/.
If a tenant is required to install or maintain specific conservation practices, it is important to include a map showing where those practices are located. If you would like to get a map that shows these practices, contact the Allamakee SWCD.

by Joyce Davidshofer, Allamakee County Executive Director

Reminders
April 15, 2014 – January 30, 2015 sign-up for the LIP/LFP/ELAP/TAP programs
September 2, 2014 – November 28, 2014 – MPP- Dairy Program
November 1, 2014 – December 30, 2015 – Forage, pasture, grasses certification due for spring 2015 year. Late file fee will apply, no waivers will be granted.

Winneshiek Energy District has been awarded over $400,000 from the United States Department of Agriculture to develop and implement an agricultural energy efficiency and renewables initiative over three years. The initiative will include the six northeast Iowa counties of Winneshiek, Allamakee, Clayton, Fayette, Howard and Chickasaw.
“Farmers aren’t too different from the rest of us” said District Director Andy Johnson, “they lead busy lives and energy isn’t always top of the to-do list. Their potential return on investment, however, may be orders of magnitude greater than yours and mine, and cost-effective opportunities are tremendous right now thanks to a convergence of technology, price drops and incentives.”

by Allamakee County Executive Director Joyce Davidshofer

Reminders
April 15, 2014 – January 30, 2015 sign-up for the LIP/LFP/ELAP/TAP programs
September 2, 2014 – November 28, 2014 – MPP- Dairy Program
November 1, 2014 – December 30, 2015 – Forage, pasture, grasses certification due for spring 2015 year. Late file fee will apply, no waivers.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey encourages farmers and those living in and traveling through rural Iowa to stay safe this harvest season. Northey issued the reminder as part of National Farm Safety and Health Week which runs from September 21 to 27.
“Iowa looks to have very large crop this year, which means long days and more trips on the road. It is important everyone in rural Iowa keep safety in mind throughout the harvest season,” Northey said. “Harvest is a great time on the farm, but it is also very busy and can be stressful. It is important everyone working on the farm and Iowans traveling through the rural parts of our state stay alert and take the necessary time to make sure we have a successful and safe harvest season.”