Agriculture

Deadlines/Dates
February 12: County Committee Meeting - Count Election Ballots
February 16: President’s Day - Office Closed
February 26: Deadline to apply for the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) Program
March 2: Deadline to apply for 2025 Livestock Indemnity Program

Retirement
After 26 years of dedication, hard work, and countless contributions, Linda Winkie is hanging up her work hat and stepping into a well-deserved retirement! To celebrate this exciting new chapter, we’re hosting a card shower in her honor. Instead of a big party, we’re inviting friends, family, and colleagues to send cards filled with warm wishes, fond memories, and words of encouragement for her adventures ahead. 

Send cards to:
Linda Winkie
770 11th Ave SW
Waukon, IA 52172

Deadlines/Dates
February 16: Closed in Observance of President’s Day
April 30: Deadline to apply for SDRP Stage 1 & 2

‘Dust Bowl’ Agency at USDA Looks to Cut Red Tape and Speed Up Slow Computers That Frustrate Farmers (Source: Ag Web)
The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), under Chief Aubrey Bettencourt, is implementing sweeping reforms to modernize operations and reduce inefficiencies that have long frustrated farmers. Following USDA’s 2025 reorganization and workforce downsizing, concerns grew about service delays. Bettencourt argues the real bottleneck isn’t staffing - it’s outdated technology and redundant processes. Her initiatives aim to streamline program delivery, cut paperwork, and improve connectivity in field offices, ensuring NRCS can work at the speed agriculture demands.

Iowa Learning Farms virtual field day is scheduled for February 12 at 1 p.m. CST

Iowa Learning Farms, in partnership with C-CHANGE: Grass2Gas, will host a virtual field day Thursday, February 12, at 1 p.m. The event, which is available at no cost, will feature a live discussion with Carl Kurtz, a professional writer, teacher, naturalist and photographer with over 50 years of prairie establishment and management experience.

This field day aims to assist farmers, landowners and conservation professionals with establishing and maintaining prairie perennial vegetation. These areas provide numerous benefits, such as creating pollinator habitats, reducing soil erosion in sensitive locations, improving soil health, enhancing wildlife presence, increasing landscape beauty and serving as biomass feedstock for renewable natural gas production.

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) is pioneering the use of GPS-enabled electronic collars for cattle to address regional soil health challenges through a multiyear research project in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Community College Alliance for Agricultural Advancement (C2A3). Deployed at Iowa’s Dairy Center, 1 mile south of the Calmar campus, this virtual fencing technology allows producers to control herd movement via smartphone, eliminating the need for physical fences and reducing the labor barriers to sustainable land management.

Deadlines/Dates
February 2: Deadline to submit Wool/Pelt LDP for 2025
February 2: Last day to return or postmark completed ballots to the USDA Service Center
February 16: Closed in Observance of President’s Day
April 30: Deadline to apply for SDRP Stage 1 & 2

USDA Opens Enrollment for Dairy Margin Coverage for 2026
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the enrollment period for the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program for the 2026 coverage year, an important safety net program that provides producers with price support to help offset milk and feed price differences. Dairy producers can enroll in DMC from January 12, 2026, to February 26, 2026.

Registration is now open for the winter 2026 Annie’s Project and Grain Marketing courses. The courses are designed to strengthen Iowa farmers’ business and risk-management skills. These programs are open to all and provide practical education to help producers improve profitability by managing risk, controlling costs and increasing market prices.

Annie’s Project is a national program that supports confident decision-making in all five key areas of agricultural risk management: financial, human resources, legal, marketing and production.

“These programs continue to be a trusted resource for farmers looking to strengthen their management skills and make informed business decisions,” said Madeline Schultz, program manager with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
This winter’s lineup includes both in‑person classes across the state and a virtual option.

Deadlines/Dates
February 2: Deadline to submit Wool/Pelt LDP for 2025
February 2: Last day to return or postmark completed ballots to the USDA Service Center
February 16: Closed in Observance of President’s Day
April 30: Deadline to apply for SDRP Stage 1 & 2

Winter is Planning Season: Steps to a More Resilient and Profitable Farm in 2026
While the fields across Allamakee County are resting under a blanket frost and some snow, now is the perfect time for landowners and producers to plan for a successful and sustainable 2026 growing season. The decisions made in the warmth of your office or kitchen today, backed by decades of agricultural research, can have a significant impact on your soil health, water quality, and bottom line this spring and for years to come.

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) is pioneering the use of GPS-enabled electronic collars for cattle to address regional soil health challenges through a multiyear research project in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Community College Alliance for Agricultural Advancement (C2A3). Deployed at Iowa’s Dairy Center, 1 mile south of the Calmar campus, this virtual fencing technology allows producers to control herd movement via smartphone, eliminating the need for physical fences and reducing the labor barriers to sustainable land management.

Deadlines/Dates
January 19: Closed in Observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day
February 2: Deadline to submit Wool/Pelt LDP for 2025
February 2: Last day to return or postmark completed ballots to the USDA Service Center
February 16: Closed in Observance of President’s Day
April 30: Deadline to apply for SDRP Stage 1 & 2

USDA Encourages Farmers and Ranchers to Vote in Allamakee’s County Committee Election
February 2 is the Last Day to Return Ballots
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has mailed ballots for the Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committee elections to eligible farmers and ranchers across the country. To be counted, ballots must be returned to the Allamakee County FSA office or postmarked by February 2, 2026.

Iowa Farmers Partner with NRCS to Invest Millions in Conservation Funding
Iowa farmers and other private landowners invested millions in conservation practices to help treat natural resource issues on their lands last year, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

Through four major Farm Bill conservation programs offered in Iowa, the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), and Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), Iowa farmers contracted with NRCS to address natural resource concerns such as soil erosion and water quality on about 258,000 private land acres in Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25).