Agriculture

More than 400 head of Hereford cattle from six different herds will be on display in northeastern Iowa during the annual Iowa Hereford Tour on Sunday, August 26. The event is sponsored by the Iowa Hereford Breeders Association (IHBA).

Attendees will gather at 9 a.m. at Lenth Herefords, 13690 1305th St., Postville, where they will be treated to coffee cake, rolls, coffee, juice and milk. Founded more than 50 years ago by Elden, Bea and Doug Lenth, the Lenth herd is currently run by Doug and his wife Marilyn, who were named the 2018 Iowa Seedstock Producer of the Year by the Iowa Beef Breeds Council.

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

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
• August 17: CRP Signup 51
• ARCPLC: September 28
• September 28: MPP-Dairy Premiums Due

Farm Storage Facility Loans
FSA’s Farm Storage Facility Loan (FSFL) program provides low-interest financing to producers to build or upgrade storage facilities and to purchase portable (new or used) structures, equipment and storage and handling trucks.

Women across Iowa have the opportunity to visit diverse agricultural businesses through one-day bus tours this summer. Each tour is designed by local groups of women in agriculture and led by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach county professionals and the Women in Ag program. Interested persons may sign up for a local tour, take a tour across the state, or join several tours.

While showcasing Iowa’s agricultural diversity, each tour will feature discussion around five common agricultural risks: 1) costs and benefits of production practices, 2) safety of families and employees, 3) impacts of changing regulation, 4) storing and marketing farm products, and 5) managing soil and water.

The Annual Fall Field Day at the ISU Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm will run from 1-4:15 p.m. on Wednesday, September 5. Steve Johnson, Extension farm management specialist, will kick-off the program in the Borlaug Learning Center by providing his insights on the crop market outlook. Following Steve is Antonio Mallarino, Extension soil fertility specialist, to discuss recent research on the use of high rates of gypsum, as well as a soil lime/pH update. We then convene outside for the farm wagon tour; Meaghan Anderson, Extension field agronomist, will share her thoughts on weed management, herbicide resistance and crop injury.

Daren Mueller, ISU extension plant pathologist, will review corn and soybean diseases that have impacted us in 2018 and management for 2019.

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.

More than half of Iowa farmland is rented.  In some Iowa locations, as much as 70 percent of the land is farmed by farmers who don’t own the land.

In Northeast Iowa, the result is many conversations and negotiations between farmland owners and producer-tenants to determine what makes sense for farmland leases and cash rental rates – both fixed rent and flexible arrangements.  Strong landlord/tenant relationships are important for the long-term viability of Iowa’s farming communities.

These are just a few reasons why Iowa State University Extension and Outreach offers workshops designed to answer questions that land owners and tenants have about farmland leasing and land values.

These workshops will be held across northeast Iowa counties starting August 6 through August 21.

Melissa O’Rourke, ISU Extension Farm & Agribusiness Management Specialist will present a wide range of topics related to farmland values and leasing.

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

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
• August 17: CRP Signup 51
• ARCPLC: September 28
• September 28: MPP-Dairy Premiums Due

Facility Loan Interest Rates
The interest rates for August are as follows:
• 2.625% for 3 years
• 2.750% for 5 years
• 2.875% for 7 years
• 2.875% for 10 years
• 2.875% for 12 years
• 2.875% for 15 years

Maintaining the Quality of Farm-Stored Loan Grain
Bins are ideally designed to hold a level volume of grain. When bins are overfilled, and grain is heaped up, airflow is hindered, and the chance of spoilage increases.
Producers who take out marketing assistance loans and use the farm-stored grain as collateral should remember that they are responsible for maintaining the quality of the grain through the term of the loan.

Amy Fenn pasture walk Tuesday, August 14, 2018, 10:30 am
12041 Severson Rd., Ferryville WI

Topic: Year 2 Conveting woods to silvopasture, designing a forage chain and adding chickens for fly control. Directions: From Seneca: Go N about 9 miles to County Rd C. Turn Left for 1 mile to Severson Rd on right. Go right 1.1 miles to 12041.

Studnicka Cattle Company pasture walk Tuesday, August 21, 2018, 10:30 am
1435 Blue River Rd., Muscoda, WI

A statewide effort to identify and map six types of conservation practices (terraces, ponds, grassed waterways, water and sediment control basins, contour strip cropping and contour buffer strips/prairie strips) has been completed and provides the most comprehensive inventory of conservation practices in the nation.

An analysis of the results shows the value of this public and private investment in conservation would be $6.2 billion in today’s dollars. Additional analysis work is underway to utilize the science of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy to quantify the water quality impact these practices are having in terms of reduced sediment and phosphorus loads to Iowa streams.

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

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
• August 1: Last day to request a farm/tract reconstitution for 2018 crop year
• August 1: Last day to file County Committee Election Nomination Form
• August 17: CRP Signup 51

County Office Committee Election in LAA-2 – Deadline for Nominations is August 1!
The COC nomination period started June 15, and producers can nominate themselves or others. If you would like to run, or are nominated and agree to run, you will need to complete form FSA-669A, which you can pick up at our office or online at www.fsa.usda.gov/elections.  All nominations must be postmarked or received in our office by August 1.

Waukon Feed Ranch provided jackets to the 4-H exhibitors who showed the Grand Champion Individual Market Hog and Reserve Grand Champion Individual Market Hog at the 2018 Allamakee County Fair Swine Show July 19. Pictured in the photo above are, left to right, exhibitor Trudy Baxter and her Grand Champion Individual Market Hog with Waukon Feed Ranch co-owner Kim Winters, Waukon Feed Ranch Swine Division Assistant Manager Corey Tieskoetter and Waukon Feed Ranch Human Resources Manager Michelle Winkie. Pictured in the photo below are, left to right, exhibitor Alaina Gebel and her Reserve Grand Champion Individual Market Hog with Waukon Feed Ranch co-owner Kim Winters and Waukon Feed Ranch Swine Division Assistant Manager Corey Tieskoetter. Submitted photos.