Agriculture

April is the time in Iowa for farmers to start planting and gardeners to prepare their beds for a bounty of fresh produce. It’s also a good time for growers to think about how they can do their part to combat hunger in Iowa. An underutilized state tax incentive helps growers maximize their contributions to participating food banks and pantries, giving the gift of fresh and healthy food to Iowans who need it most.
The Farm to Food Tax Donation Credit allows taxpayers to receive a 15% tax credit, up to $5,000, in return for fresh produce, meat and other wholesome food items donated during the tax year. Adopted by the Iowa legislature in 2013, the credit was underutilized in its first year, with only a small fraction of farmers and food organizations participating in tax year 2014. Iowa’s charities hope that broader awareness of the incentive will increase needy Iowans’ access to healthy food.

by Joyce Davidshofer, Allamakee County Executive Director

As the number of Iowa farmers using cover crops continues to grow, it’s important to help make sure these farmers have a successful experience. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey recently shared a number of spring management tips for farmers new to growing cover crops.
“We have seen tremendous growth in the number of farmers using cover crops on their farm as they seek to reduce erosion, protect water quality and improve soil health. As with any new practice there can be a significant learning curve. These tips can hopefully help farmers have a successful experience which encourages them to grow cover crops again in the future,” Northey said.

by Joyce Davidshofer, Allamakee County Executive Director

The next Allamakee County Committee meeting will be announced at a later date.

by Joyce Davidshofer, Allamakee County Executive Director

The next Allamakee County Committee meeting will be announced at a later date.

A group of 43 dairy producers participated in a California Dairy Tour organized by the Northeast Iowa Dairy Foundation from March 5-10 to learn more about the state’s dairy industry.
The trip offered opportunities for the group to learn more about dairy operations in California, which is currently the number one dairy production state in the U.S. Members of the tour group – who collectively manage 4,834 milk cows in Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois – met with representatives of the Western United Dairymen, toured dairies in Escalon, Oakdale and Hillmar, CA and observed the many environmental struggles farmers are facing in the state, particularly with severe drought conditions and water use restrictions.

by Joyce Davidshofer, Allamakee County Executive Director

The Allamakee County Committee meeting will be Thursday, March 26 in the Allamakee County FSA Office conference room at 9 a.m.

Reminder
March 31 is the deadline for ARC/PLC program elections – ARC-CO, ARC-IC or PLC. Contact the Allamakee County FSA Office if you have any questions on this deadline.
Postcards will be sent to owners/operators who have not made an election for ARC- CO, ARDC-IC or PLC. Please do not disregard this postcard. Give the Allamakee County FSA Office a call if you have any questions.  

Changing Bank Accounts
All FSA payments should be electronically transferred into your bank account. In order to make timely payments, you need to notify the office if you close your account or if your bank is purchased by another financial institution. Payments can be delayed if we are not aware of changes to account and routing numbers.     

by Joyce Davidshofer, Allamakee County Executive Director

The Allamakee County Committee meeting will be held Thursday, March 26 in the Allamakee County FSA Office conference room at 9 a.m.

The Executive Director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Allamakee County, Joyce Davidshofer, urges producers who want to purchase coverage through the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) to do so before the sales closing date of  March 15.
NAP provides financial assistance to producers of noninsurable crops when low yields/grazing loss, loss of inventory or prevented planting occur due to natural disasters including drought, freeze, hail, excessive moisture, excessive wind or hurricanes.

The annual meeting of the Northeast Iowa Dairy Foundation will be held Friday, March 20 at Iowa’s Dairy Center in Calmar. Registration for the event will begin at 10:30 a.m.
The events for the day start at 11 a.m. and include a cooperative presentation by Dave Lawstuen, Michelle Elliott and Corey Meyer about the conservation efforts of the Dairy Foundation, Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) and the Winneshiek County Soil and Water Conservation District through the Turkey River Watershed Project. Chuck Gipp, Iowa DNR Director, will also discuss and answer questions about regulations facing Iowa livestock producers.
There will be a meal at noon, followed by the annual meeting. The meeting includes the election of officers at 1:15 p.m. In addition, there will be displays from leading dairy industry businesses that support the Dairy Foundation.