Agriculture

Hear from farmers and equipment representatives familiar with strip-till

Farmers will have an opportunity to see various strip-till bars in action at a field day farm near Renwick, Thursday, August 10. Iowa continues to see an increasing number of acres of strip-tillage each year.

“The goal of this field day is to increase awareness of strip-tillage as a conservation practice to help reduce erosion, improve soil health, protect water quality and complement cover-cropping systems,” said Angie Rieck-Hinz, field agronomist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

Attendees have the opportunity to visit with several strip-till equipment representatives and see strip-till bars running on cornstalk (sweet corn) residue as well as visit with farmers who have been using strip-till for many years.

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
May 15 - August 1: Primary Nesting Season
July 15: Spring Crop Reporting
July 14: ERP Phase 2
July 14: PARP

submitted by Eric Novey, Soil Conservationist, NRCS
Do you ever sit and wonder if the expense that goes into cover crops is worth it? You already know what they are costing you, but do you know what cover crops are giving back to you? With the cost of production continually increasing, thoughts on how to trim expenses take over.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship offers a free, searchable online directory to connect Iowa farmers who have hay or straw to sell with buyers who are interested in purchasing it.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig is encouraging farmers or those with hay or straw to sell to update their listing at least once per year or as they have new inventories to offer. Organizations associated with promoting and marketing hay and straw can also access the free, online tool.

“Building markets for Iowa products is a priority for us, and the Hay and Straw Directory is a free, searchable online tool that connects Iowa sellers with both in-state and out-of-state buyers,” said Secretary Naig. “The Hay and Straw Directory is most effective and useful when it includes updated information, so I would encourage those with hay or straw to sell to make your updates now.”

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
May 15 - August 1: Primary Nesting Season
July 15: Spring Crop Reporting
July 14: ERP Phase 2
July 14: PARP

CRP Reminders
The primary nesting season runs from May 15 – August 1. Be sure to contact the FSA office if you need to perform spot maintenance activities on your CRP acres during this time. Cosmetic mowing of your CRP acres is always prohibited, but you can spot treat areas that are threatened by undesirable vegetation throughout the year. A written request must be made before the County Committee grants approval to conduct maintenance during the nesting season. As a reminder, volunteer trees and woody vegetation must be controlled and removed from CRP acres. Failure to control undesirable vegetation on CRP can result in financial penalties.

Iowa State University researchers are leading a quest to develop a farming system that integrates cash crops with a cover crop that would only need to be planted once every five to 15 years. It’s a tall order, but one the research team thinks can soon be realized.

The project goes by the name, RegenPGC, short for Regenerating America’s Working Landscapes to Enhance Natural Resources and Public Goods through Perennial Groundcover. The large team of scientists and engineers all share a vision of seeing year-round cover on cropland in the Midwest become the norm rather than the exception.

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
May 15 - August 1: Primary Nesting Season
July 15: Spring Crop Reporting
July 14: ERP Phase 2
July 14: PARP

Iowa Watershed Academy provides learning and networking opportunities for coordinators across the state

Working directly with farmers and community leaders, watershed coordinators are the “boots on the ground” of water quality improvement in Iowa.

Coordinators meet people where conservation decisions happen – farm fields, dinner tables and community events – and work hand-in-hand with these decision-makers to achieve conservation goals and implement water quality improvement projects that benefit all Iowans.

It’s a tall task, one that requires knowledge of technical topics like natural resource management and agronomy, soft skills like communication and outreach, and most importantly, the ability to form relationships with farmers and landowners.

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
May 15 - August 1: Primary Nesting Season
July 15: Spring Crop Reporting
July 14: ERP Phase 2
July 14: PARP

CRP Reminders
The primary nesting season runs from May 15-August 1. Please contact the FSA office if you need to perform spot maintenance activities on your CRP acres during this time.  Cosmetic mowing of your CRP acres is always prohibited, but you can spot treat areas that are threatened by undesirable vegetation throughout the year. A written request must be made before the County Committee grants approval to conduct maintenance during the nesting season. As a reminder, volunteer trees and woody vegetation must be controlled and removed from CRP acres. Failure to control undesirable vegetation on CRP can result in financial penalties.

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
May 15 - August 1: Primary Nesting Season
July 15: Spring Crop Reporting
July 14: ERP Phase 2
July 14: PARP

Managing your pasture to reduce soil erosion
submitted by Ben Cottrell, District Conservationist
ICM News Archive - When it comes to soil erosion and surface runoff from agriculture land, tillage and row-crop management attract a lot of attention. However, most Iowa land currently in pasture is unsuitable for crop production because of steep slopes. These slopes make pasture even more vulnerable to water erosion. Mismanaged pasture can contribute substantially to water quality degradation due to soil erosion and sediment transport to nearby water bodies.

The Annual Spring Field Day at the ISU Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm will run from 1-4:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 21. Chad Hart, Iowa State University Extension Economist, will kick-off the program, by providing his insights on current and future agricultural markets. Bob Hartzler, Iowa State University professor (emeritus) and extension weed specialist, will discuss weed management strategies in regard to waterhemp.

Randall Cass, extension entomologist, will provide updates on pollinator habitat establishment and management. Ed Zaworski, extension plant pathologist, will review crop diseases for the 2023 growing season in Northeast Iowa, and give an update on the Iowa State University Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic.

The field day is free and open to the public.  It starts at the Borlaug Learning Center Headquarters on the ISU Northeast Research Farm and Demonstration Farm.