Agriculture

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation President Brent Johnson and Iowa Farm Bureau Federation Vice President Brian Feldpausch honored 398 Iowa farm families with Century or Heritage Farm designations at the 2023 Iowa State Fair in Des Moines Thursday, August 17. The program celebrates farms that have been owned by the same families for 100 and 150 years, respectively.

This year, 242 Century Farms and 156 Heritage Farms were recognized. To date, more than 21,000 Century Farms and 1,800 Heritage Farms have been recognized across the state of Iowa. The Century Farm program began in 1976 as part of the Nation’s Bicentennial Celebration. The Heritage Farm program began in 2006.

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
November 1: Organic Certification Cost-Share and Transition/Education Certification Program
January 31: Livestock Forage Program (LFP)

County Committee (COC) Election
It’s that time of year when FSA begins the process of the county committee election.  This year the election will be for LAA-2, which includes Ludlow, Jefferson, Post, Franklin, Linton, and Fairview townships.  Essentially the southern portion of the county. The nomination period began in June and runs through August 1.  You can nominate yourself or someone else by completing the appropriate form at our office or download it online. Once nominations are finalized, producers who reside in LAA-2 will cast ballots which will be mailed to you in November. These ballots are due back to the FSA office by early December.  The elected member will take office January 1 of next year.

As harvest season quickly approaches, Iowans are reminded to practice safety around grain bins and grain handling equipment.

There were nine reported grain entrapments in Iowa in 2022, more than any other state, according to an annual report by Purdue University.

Agricultural confined-space related cases of injuries and fatalities saw a dramatic rise in 2022, including grain entrapment cases, which rose nearly 45%.

Nearly all of these cases involved grain flow issues due to grain spoilage, which means that improved grain management could help prevent cases in the future, according to Kristina TeBockhorst, an agricultural engineer with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

In order to get Iowans information to help keep them, their employees and their families safe around grain, TeBockhorst is publishing a series of short articles that highlight important considerations for grain safety, including storing grain without spoilage.

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
November 1: Organic Certification Cost-Share and Transition/Education Certification Program
January 31: Livestock Forage Program (LFP)

2024 Program Dates
submitted by Ben Cottrell, District Conservationist
The end of September brings the end of the Fiscal Year 2023 for us and all the Farm Bill Programs. With that, we are transitioning to a new set of funding for Fiscal Year 2024. It was recently announced that an established application date for the first round of funding considerations on all programs will be November 3, 2023. Applications will still be accepted on a continual basis after the date and considered for future funding rounds. Two of the bigger programs we assist producers within the county are the Conservation Stewardship Program and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program.

Monday, September 11, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed a proclamation relating to the weight limits and transportation of grain, fertilizer and manure in the state of Iowa.

The proclamation is effective immediately and continues through October 11, 2023. The proclamation allows vehicles transporting corn, soybeans, hay, straw, silage, stover, fertilizer (dry, liquid and gas), and manure (dry and liquid) to be overweight (not exceeding 90,000 pounds gross weight) without a permit for the duration of this proclamation.

As the annual fall harvest season gets underway, Alliant Energy reminds farmers of the vital importance of staying safe when operating farm equipment near power lines.

According to Alliant Energy, contact incidents with electric power lines significantly increase this time of year. The fall harvest season is riskier for several reasons: More equipment is deployed in the field; the equipment tends to be larger, such as combines, wagons and tractors; and farmers often work long hours into the dark when it’s difficult to see poles and wires.

In addition to the risk of an injury or fatality, contact with power lines can interrupt electric service. That can halt work and slow electricity-dependent farm activities such as grain drying and other crucial farm functions.

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
November 1: Organic Certification Cost-Share and Transition/Education Certification Program
January 31: Livestock Forage Program (LFP)

Farm Loan Presence in Allamakee County
The USDA/FSA Farm Loan team will have a Loan Officer in our office every Tuesday during normal business hours (8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). If you would like to visit with the loan officer, feel free to call or stop in.

If drought-stressed corn is green-chopped, producers should be aware of the potential for nitrate toxicity

Iowa is fortunate to have corn as a major cropping enterprise. That’s why it’s important to keep harvest management tips in mind, according to Beth Doran, beef specialist with Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach.

“We grow a lot of corn, which offers producers the opportunity to harvest green-chopped corn as forage or to put it up as silage,” Doran said. “Regardless of what producers choose, there are other factors to consider, especially when harvesting drought-affected crops.”

Doran cautions producers to check with both their Farm Service Agency and crop insurance agency before chopping. If drought-stressed corn is green-chopped, producers should be aware of the potential for nitrate toxicity.

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
November 1: Organic Certification Cost-Share and Transition/Education Certification Program

Offseason Management of CRP
by Jacob Hawes, NRCS

As the harvest season is over and we have more time, landowners need to consider fall and winter management of lands enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program or CRP. The next few months are an ideal time to begin scouting for weeds, trees, and shrubs that are beginning to sneak their way in. Although you may be required to burn or mow as part of your mid-contract management, these onetime practices alone often aren’t sufficient to remedy unwanted vegetation.

Early weaning may be necessary due to drought

As forage resources dwindle in times of drought, producers may need to consider early weaning options for the cow herd. Early weaning is designed to save body condition on the females by ending lactation and decreasing nutritional requirements. Getting each cow to a body condition score of 5.5-6 by calving is a key step in establishing reproductive success for the following year.

Terry Engelken, a professor with Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine at Iowa State University, says early weaned calves may present health challenges as producers are now dealing with a younger and lighter calf than those weaned at the traditional date.