Agriculture

Learn about fly control strategies for dairy cattle

The I-29 Moo University 2021 Dairy Webinar Series continues Friday, March 26 from Noon to 1 p.m. This month’s topic is fly control strategies.

Roger Moon, retired veterinary entomology expert from the University of Minnesota, will identify common pest flies and how to manage them on confinement dairies.

“Different kinds of flies can bother your cows, workers and neighbors,” said Fred Hall, dairy specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. “Stable flies bite, cause cows to bunch, reduce milk production, breed mainly in soiled cow and calf bedding, and pretty much stay on the premise. House flies breed in wetter manure, annoy people and spread off premise to bother neighbors.”

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
March 15: 2021 ARCPLC Signup
May 15 – August 1: Primary Nesting Season
July 15: Crop Certification

Better Soil Health Means Less Fertilizer
by LuAnn Rolling, Allamakee County District Conservationist
One-third of the fertilizer applied to grow corn in the U.S. each year simply compensates for the ongoing loss of soil fertility, leading to more than a half-billion dollars in extra costs to U.S. farmers every year, according to new research from CU Boulder published in Earth’s Future.

Using fertilizer doesn’t just cost farmers money. It also comes at an environmental cost. A large portion of the global greenhouse gas emissions caused by agriculture - 24% of global emissions in 2010 and 10% of U.S. emissions in 2018 - comes from fertilizer production. This means that steps taken to reduce fertilizer use also helps address rising greenhouse gases.

Learn how to use dairy reports to the fullest advantage

The Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach Dairy Team will continue its monthly webinar series with a look at executive analysis reports Wednesday, March 17 from noon to 1 p.m. Executive analysis reports are made available through the Dairy Herd Improvement Association (DHIA), including the transition cow management reports and the udder health monitor report.

Greg Palas, manager of support services at Dairy Records Management Systems at Iowa State University in Ames, will present the program. Palas, a 1978 graduate of Waukon High School, will provide a hands-on webinar that will review report generation and points on using the reports to tweak herd management.

Farmers, other agricultural professionals and interested parties who work with corn following a previous corn crop can attend a corn rootworm management webinar on March 26 at 10 a.m., hosted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, the University of Illinois Extension, and the University of Wisconsin Extension.

“The strong winds of last summer’s storms caused damage to many corn fields. Inspections of those fields revealed that many continuous corn fields had roots severely damaged by corn rootworms,” said Virgil Schmitt, field agronomist with ISU Extension and Outreach. “Those damaged roots have caused many growers, input suppliers and independent crop consultants to re-evaluate the corn rootworm management strategies in those fields.”

Webinar topics include a background and a research update on corn rootworms by Erin Hodgson, professor and extension specialist in entomology at Iowa State.

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
March 5: WHIP Quality Loss Adjustment
March 15: 2021 ARCPLC Signup
May 15 – August 1: Primary Nesting Season
July 15: Crop Certification

Enrollment Deadline Nears for Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage Programs for 2021
Agricultural producers can now make elections and enroll in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2021 crop year. The signup period opened Tuesday, Oct. 13.  These key U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) safety-net programs help producers weather fluctuations in either revenue or price for certain crops, and more than $5 billion in payments are in the process of going out to producers who signed up for the 2019 crop year. Enrollment for the 2021 crop year closes March 15, 2021.

Annual event is being held by virtual webinar this year

Industry professionals and beef producers who are finishing and marketing dairy beef are invited to virtually attend the I-29 Dairy Beef Short Course. The webinar, offered by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, is set for March 23.

It features a morning session from 10 a.m. to noon and an afternoon session from 1-3 p.m. Participants may choose to attend one or both sessions.

The morning session focuses on factors affecting dairy beef performance. Tara Felix, extension beef specialist at Pennsylvania State University, will present information on the role of nutrition and implants in dairy beef health and animal performance. Following her is Phil Durst, field-based educator with Michigan State University with over 30 years of experience working with farmers. He will share how dairy beef employees influence animal health and performance.

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
February 26: CFAP 1 & 2 Updates
March 5: WHIP Quality Loss Adjustment
March 15: 2021 ARCPLC Signup

Grazing Cover Crops Increases Profits

by Jacob Hawes, Soil Conservationist

Farmers are good at producing a variety of crops, but one thing many farmers have been struggling to produce the last several years is a profit. The five-year average cost to produce a bushel of corn has exceeded the average price of a bushel of corn by five cents according to analysis from the Iowa Farm Bureau, leaving many Iowa farmers in the red or just breaking even. A recent climb in corn and bean prices should provide some relief for farmers, but even so farmers should be looking for alternatives to increase the profitability of their cropland acres and cover crops and cattle may be the answer.

The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach dairy team will continue its quarterly dairy goat webinar focusing on “Strategic Kid Management” March 3 from noon to 1:15 p.m.

This webinar will focus on situating the next generation of replacement does for a successful future. Multiple contagious diseases are transmitted to young goats right around kidding.

During this webinar, Roselle Busch, assistant specialist in Cooperative Extension at UC-Davis, will discuss why recommended management practices help to control and minimize the spread of disease in your herd. “I will cover the basics for healthy kids in the first month, going over colostrum management, use of automated feeders, and then get into the role that different kid rearing strategies play in mitigating disease transmission,” Busch noted.

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
February 26: CFAP 1 & 2 Updates
March 5: WHIP Quality Loss Adjustment
March 15: 2021 ARCPLC Signup

Enrollment Begins for Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage Programs for 2021
Agricultural producers can now make elections and enroll in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2021 crop year. The signup period opened Tuesday, Oct. 13.  These key U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) safety-net programs help producers weather fluctuations in either revenue or price for certain crops, and more than $5 billion in payments are in the process of going out to producers who signed up for the 2019 crop year. Enrollment for the 2021 crop year closes March 15.

by Kate Hansen, Policy Assistant, Center for Rural Affairs

For Ryan Collins of Harpers Ferry working on the family farm connects him to both past and future generations. He and his spouse, Samantha, have three children under the age of six and one on the way. Their operation has been in the Collins family since 1851, and Ryan sees conservation as a tool to ensure its vitality for generations to come.

“The kids love being on the farm. Last night we went to move the cows to a new paddock, and my oldest one was petting a cow,” he said. “I want to make sure the opportunity is there if any of them want to farm.”

One way he has been able to enhance conservation on his operation is with the help of the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). In Iowa this year, applications for the program are due February 19. Interested producers should reach out to their local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office.