Agriculture

by Jeremy Leitz, Allamakee County Executive Director (563) 568-2148

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
• April 9 - June 1: Margin Protection Program (MPP) Signup
• May 15 - August 2: Primary Nesting Season. No Mid-Contract Management Activities on CRP Acres
• May 31: Marketing Assistance Loans for Prior Year Harvested Corn and Soybeans
• August 1: ARC/PLC Sign-up

New Signup for the Margin Protection Program Signup for Dairy Producers
The registration and re-enrollment period for coverage year 2018 began April 9, 2018, and continues through June 1, 2018. The re-enrollment period allows dairy producers, including those that previously signed up and those that did not, an opportunity to make new elections for 2018. Coverage begins January 1, 2018. If a dairy operation previously elected coverage for 2018, a new coverage election for 2018 must be made during the re-enrollment period.

A new decision-making tool that can help crop and livestock farmers assess the economics of cover crops in their operations is now available for free on Iowa State University’s Ag Decision Maker website.

The tool, “Economics of Cover Crops,” consists of three in-depth budgeting worksheets designed to help farmers analyze the costs and benefits of cover crops – and paths to profitability – in their row crop operations with or without the integration of livestock:

• Cover Crops Budget looks at the economics of cover crops in systems without grazing or harvesting
• Grazing Cover Crops Budget estimates the costs and benefits with grazing or harvesting for feed
• Grazing Cover Crops Results uses farmers’ farm data to calculate the actual economic value of grazing or harvesting cover crops from the prior year

by Jeremy Leitz, Allamakee County Executive Director (563) 568-2148

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
• April 9 - June 1: Margin Protection Program (MPP) Signup (Additional details below)
• May 15 - August 2: Primary Nesting Season. No Mid-Contract Management Activities on CRP Acres
• May 31: Marketing Assistance Loans for Prior Year Harvested Corn and Soybeans
• August 1: ARC/PLC Sign-up

Enyart Farms, LLC of Postville was awarded the High Herd Production Award for both milk and protein at the 2018 Allamakee County Dairy Banquet Saturday, March 24 at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon. Pictured above, left to right, are Avery, Steve, Alex and Adam Enyart. Not pictured: Paula Enyart. Submitted photo.

As the date for corn planting approaches, farmers who planted cover crops last fall need to prepare to terminate that growth and apply the right amount of nitrogen at corn planting to ensure the best corn yields.

Research by Practical Farmers of Iowa has found that killing the cover crop two to three weeks before corn planting, the common timeframe on most Iowa farms, combined with an effective fertilizer strategy can maintain corn yields while saving farmers money.

Stefan Gailans, research and field crops director for Practical Farmers, says there’s a misconception among new or inexperienced cover crop farmers that extra nitrogen beyond their typical corn fertilization rates must be applied to corn following a cover crop, a belief that leads these farmers to spend money needlessly. In reality, it’s not rate that matters, he says, but the timing of application.

by Jeremy Leitz, Allamakee County Executive Director (563) 568-2148

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
• May 15 - August 2: Primary Nesting Season. No Mid-Contract Management Activities on CRP Acres
• May 31: Marketing Assistance Loans for Prior Year Harvested Corn and Soybeans
• August 1: ARC/PLC Sign-up

CRP Mid-Contract Management
We would like to remind CRP producers who have Mid-Contract Management (MCM) scheduled for 2018 that the activity must be completed by May 14, 2018. Upon completion of the MCM activities, you will need to notify the FSA office that MCM has been completed by signing the FSA-848B form and providing acceptable evidence of the practice completion to determine proper cost share payment. Cost share for MCM is 50% Not to Exceed the per acre rate established for each MCM activity.

The Allamakee SWCD will be hosting a cover crop and manure use field day Monday, April 9 at the Weymiller Bottoms Farm near 1261 Hartley Drive, New Albin.  The event will start at 11 a.m. and should be done by 1 p.m. We will be looking at fields that were planted with cereal rye right before or right after manure application. Part of one field was slurry-seeded where the seed was mixed directly in the manure tank and seeded with the manure application. Neil Sass, NRCS Area Agronomist, will talk about how cover crops work with manure to improve soil health as well as cover crop termination. Sara Berges, Project Coordinator with the Allamakee SWCD, will talk about cost-share for cover crop seeding. The cover crop demonstration sites were established with assistance from the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture.

by Jeremy Leitz, Allamakee County Executive Director (563) 568-2148

CRP Participants Must Maintain Approved Cover on Acreages Enrolled in CRP and Farm Programs
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) participants are responsible for ensuring adequate, approved vegetative and practice cover is maintained to control erosion throughout the life of the contract after the practice has been established. Participants must also control undesirable vegetation, weeds (including noxious weeds), insects and rodents that may pose a threat to existing cover or adversely impact other landowners in the area.

Practical Farmers of Iowa and farmer Don Elsbernd will host a cover crop field day Wednesday, April 4, from noon to 3 p.m. on Don’s farm near Postville (809 Pole Line Road, about 7.5 miles north of town). The field day - “Cover Crops for Corn and Soybeans” - is free to attend and will start with lunch. RSVPs are requested for the meal to Debra Boekholder, debra@practicalfarmers.org or (515) 232-5661.

The event is part of Practical Farmers’ 2018 spring cover crop “caravan” field day series, which features events at locations across Iowa exploring cover crop issues in grazing and row crop systems.

Don farms with his son, Eric, raising corn, soybeans, cover crops and some alfalfa hay on 1,150 acres in Allamakee and Winneshiek counties. Cover crops are an important part of the Elsbernds’ strategy for protecting soil health on their farm.

The Iowa State Fair, along with DuPont Pioneer with media sponsors Iowa Farmer Today, WHO Radio and The BIG SHOW are seeking nominations for 2018 Way We Live Awards. The Way We Live Award, celebrating 10 years, will recognize 10 outstanding Iowa families who exemplify hard working farm values and a love for the occupation of farming. Over the past 9 years, Way We Live Awards have been given to 53 well-deserving Iowa families.

To enter or nominate someone you know, submit an entry form along with a 500-1500 word essay describing how living on a farm and choosing the occupation of farming has shaped the family’s life. All entries must include a family picture that illustrates the family’s commitment to their farming operation. Entry forms can be downloaded from the Iowa State Fair website: http://www.iowastatefair.org/participate/way-we-live-award/. All entries must be postmarked or emailed by May 15.