Agriculture

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
May 15-August 1: Primary Nesting Season (PNS)
May 26: Office Closed for Memorial Day
May 31: Deadline to request a Marketing Assistance Loan (MALs) for 2024 farm stored or warehouse stored grain
June 19: Office closed in observance of Juneteenth

Dairy farmers and industry professionals are invited to attend the 2025 Four-State Dairy Nutrition and Management Conference June 11 and 12 at the La Crosse Center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. This conference features the latest insights to improve productivity and profit for dairy producers.

“Dairy farmers can expect two days of timely topics and discussion,” said Gail Carpenter, assistant professor and extension dairy specialist at Iowa State University. “This is a great opportunity to learn more about topics ranging from dairy nutrition to reproduction, and to network with others in the industry.”

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
May 14: 2025  deadline to complete spring CRP Mid-Contract Management (MCM) activities
May 14: Deadline to establish new cool season grass practice CRP seedings
May 15-August 1: Primary Nesting Season (PNS)
May 26: Office Closed for Memorial Day
May 31: Deadline to request a Marketing Assistance Loan (MALs) for 2024 farm stored or warehouse stored grain
June 19: Office closed in observance of Juneteenth

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
May 14: 2025  deadline to complete spring CRP Mid-Contract Management (MCM) activities
May 14 – Deadline to establish new cool season grass practice CRP seedings
May 15-August 1: Primary Nesting Season (PNS)
May 26: Office Closed for Memorial Day
May 31: Deadline to request a Marketing Assistance Loan (MALs) for 2024 farm stored or warehouse stored grain

Compaction Limiting Yield
Farm equipment is obviously getting larger.  Speed of field work is important, but at what cost to our soil does the extra horsepower, with the extra weight have?  According to South Dakota State University Soils Field Specialist Anthony Bly, “Back in the day, they weren’t recommending any more than 5 tons per axle.  We’ve well exceeded that in most all of our tractors and combines today.”

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig invites eligible Iowa farm owners to apply for Century or Heritage Farm recognition as part of the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s (IDALS) Century and Heritage Farm Program. The program was created by the Department and the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation to honor families who have owned their farms for 100 years and 150 years, respectively.

“Century and Heritage Farm families embody the very best of our state, showcasing the strength and perseverance that define Iowa agriculture. The pride, stories, and legacies of these multi-generational farm families are truly inspiring,” said Secretary Naig. “The Century and Heritage Farm ceremony at the Iowa State Fair is a celebration of Iowa agriculture, and I look forward to honoring these families every year. I encourage eligible families to submit their applications and join us at this great event.”

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
May 14: 2025  deadline to complete spring CRP Mid-Contract Management (MCM) activities
May 14 – Deadline to establish new cool season grass practice CRP seedings
May 15-August 1: Primary Nesting Season (PNS)
May 26: Office Closed in observance of Memorial Day
May 31: Deadline to request a Marketing Assistance Loan (MALs) for 2024 farm stored or warehouse stored grain

Conservation Reserve Program Reminders
Required Management (RM) - All Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contract holders with a Required Management (RM) requirement for 2025 are required to complete management by May 14, 2025.  Please be aware, RM activities are prohibited during the primary nesting season of May 15-August 1.  The following options exist for management; disking, spraying, burning, or inter-seeding in combination.  

Livestock diseases have received substantial attention and global media coverage in recent years. Highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, has dominated the news as it has led to loss of millions of poultry, increased egg prices and viral spillovers to other livestock such as dairy cattle, and has recently been found to infect humans. However, there are many other diseases that impact Iowa’s livestock sector, the top U.S. producer of red meat and eggs, including porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, or PRRS, and bovine respiratory syncytial virus, or bovine RSV, that cause billions of dollars in annual losses to farmers and increased consumer prices.

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
May 14: 2025  deadline to complete spring CRP Mid-Contract Management (MCM) activities
May 15-August 1: Primary Nesting Season (PNS)
May 31: Deadline to request a Marketing Assistance Loan (MALs) for 2024 farm stored or warehouse stored grain

USDA Conservation Compliance
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) places high importance on maintaining productive land and a healthy environment. Part of that commitment is reducing soil erosion and preserving wetlands. Soil erosion reduces the fertility of the nation’s farmland and harms water quality in our lakes and rivers. Wetlands serve a vital role in protecting water quality, re-charging groundwater and reducing the impact and frequency of flooding.

The Urban Agriculture team with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is offering four Urban Agriculture Field Days in 2025, partnering with area urban farms. Local community members and those interested in urban agriculture are invited to attend.

This field day series provides an opportunity for urban farms and their communities to engage with local ISU Extension and Outreach offices, while learning about urban farming practices through onsite demonstrations.

Urban farms are essential to providing food security, sustainability, access to nutritious food and economic strength to urban communities, according to Iowa State’s urban agriculture outreach specialist, Graham Sandersfeld.

Each event will have a unique agenda but will generally include a tour of the host farm and a presentation of agricultural research from on-farm demonstrations during the 2025 growing season.

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
April 15: 2025 Agriculture Risk Coverage & Price Loss Coverage Program (ARC/PLC) Signup deadline
May 14: 2025  deadline to complete spring CRP Mid-Contract Management (MCM) activities
May 15-August 1: Primary Nesting Season (PNS)
May 31: Deadline to request a Marketing Assistance Loan (MALs) for 2024 farm stored or warehouse stored grain

USDA Expediting $10 Billion in Direct Economic Assistance to Agricultural Producers
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, on National Agriculture Day, announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is issuing up to $10 billion directly to agricultural producers through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) for the 2024 crop year. Administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), ECAP will help agricultural producers mitigate the impacts of increased input costs and falling commodity prices.