Agriculture

The 2018 Four State Dairy Nutrition and Management Conference is fast approaching June 13 and 14 at the Grand River Center in Dubuque, Iowa.

Alltech’s June 13 pre-conference symposium will focus on how herds can achieve their genetic potential.

Four State conference speakers include ways to improve prediction of metabolizable protein. Ev Thomas, retired Miner Institute Agronomist, will talk on low lignin forages. Jim Barmore, GPS consultant, and Brian Forrest, Maple Ridge Dairy, will discuss how farms are achieving high production using low lignin forages.

Randy Shaver, University of Wisconsin, will discuss how herds are achieving high production with more forages. John Goeser, Rock River labs will help make sense of all the fiber digestion metrics. Michigan State Universities Adam Lock will talk how different fatty acids affect cow performance.

Select breakout topics include:

During May letters will be sent farmers in Poweshiek through Wright Counties who had previously registered a premises

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today announced that during May the final round of letters will be sent to farmers who have previously registered a livestock premises in an effort to update the Iowa Premises Registration database. All information in the database is confidential and only used to contact producers in case of an animal disease outbreak.

Farmers are asked to respond to the letter and either confirm the information is correct or respond with their updated information. Letters will be sent to producers in Poweshiek, Ringgold, Sac, Scott, Shelby, Sioux, Story, Tama, Taylor, Union, Van Buren, Wapello, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Webster, Winnebago, Winneshiek, Woodbury, Worth and Wright counties this month.

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

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
• Through June 1: Margin Protection Program Signup
• May 15 - August 2: Primary Nesting Season. No Mid-Contract Management Activities on CRP Acres
• May 31: Marketing Assistance Loans for Prior Year Harvested Corn and Soybeans
• July 15: 2018 Crop Reports
• August 1: ARC/PLC Sign-up

Soil Health Meeting for Women Landownders
A fun and informative day is planned for local women landowners Wednesday, May 9, at the Winneshiek Wildberry Winery located at 1966 337th St, Decorah. Women Food and Agriculture Network is working with the Winneshiek Soil and Water Conservation District and local NRCS offices to host this meeting to facilitate the visit about soil health. All women landowners are invited.

Farmers preparing for spring planting would do well to renew their commitment to managing soybean cyst nematodes, according to an Iowa State University plant pathologist.

“I’m doing everything I can to convince farmers that we are on a slow-moving train heading towards a cliff,” Greg Tylka said of the push to revive a program called the SCN Coalition (https://www.thescncoalition.com).

The SCN Coalition started in the 1990s to raise awareness and provide information about the yield-robbing pest of soybeans. The program was successful in getting farmers to test for soybean cyst nematodes (SCN) and take steps to manage them if they were found to be a problem.

Women who own or manage farmland near Decorah are invited to participate in a free conservation discussion focused on soil health Wednesday, May 9, 2018 at the Winneshiek Wildberry Winery located at 1966 337th St, Decorah, IA. The program, sponsored by Women, Food and Agriculture Network, the Allamakee and Winneshiek Soil and Water Conservation Districts and USDA offices is called Women Caring for the LandSM.

Registration and resource sharing start at 8:30 a.m. with the meeting beginning promptly at 9 a.m. Lunch will be served, and during an afternoon field tour, participants will travel via bus to a nearby farm to see conservation practices and watch a demonstration of soil testing. The tests will measure for soil structure, stability and infiltration.

Participants will walk a short distance into a field, so please wear or bring appropriate clothing and footwear. The meeting will end with dessert and wrap-up at the winery by 3 p.m.

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

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
• April 9 - June 1: Margin Protection Program (MPP) Signup
• May 15 - August 2: Primary Nesting Season. No Mid-Contract Management Activities on CRP Acres
• May 31: Marketing Assistance Loans for Prior Year Harvested Corn and Soybeans
• August 1: ARC/PLC Sign-up

New Signup for the Margin Protection Program Signup for Dairy Producers
The registration and re-enrollment period for coverage year 2018 began April 9, 2018, and continues through June 1, 2018. The re-enrollment period allows dairy producers, including those that previously signed up and those that did not, an opportunity to make new elections for 2018. Coverage begins January 1, 2018. If a dairy operation previously elected coverage for 2018, a new coverage election for 2018 must be made during the re-enrollment period.

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

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
• April 9 - June 1: Margin Protection Program (MPP) Signup
• May 15 - August 2: Primary Nesting Season. No Mid-Contract Management Activities on CRP Acres
• May 31: Marketing Assistance Loans for Prior Year Harvested Corn and Soybeans
• August 1: ARC/PLC Sign-up

New Signup for the Margin Protection Program Signup for Dairy Producers
The registration and re-enrollment period for coverage year 2018 began April 9, 2018, and continues through June 1, 2018. The re-enrollment period allows dairy producers, including those that previously signed up and those that did not, an opportunity to make new elections for 2018. Coverage begins January 1, 2018. If a dairy operation previously elected coverage for 2018, a new coverage election for 2018 must be made during the re-enrollment period.

A new decision-making tool that can help crop and livestock farmers assess the economics of cover crops in their operations is now available for free on Iowa State University’s Ag Decision Maker website.

The tool, “Economics of Cover Crops,” consists of three in-depth budgeting worksheets designed to help farmers analyze the costs and benefits of cover crops – and paths to profitability – in their row crop operations with or without the integration of livestock:

• Cover Crops Budget looks at the economics of cover crops in systems without grazing or harvesting
• Grazing Cover Crops Budget estimates the costs and benefits with grazing or harvesting for feed
• Grazing Cover Crops Results uses farmers’ farm data to calculate the actual economic value of grazing or harvesting cover crops from the prior year

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

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
• April 9 - June 1: Margin Protection Program (MPP) Signup (Additional details below)
• May 15 - August 2: Primary Nesting Season. No Mid-Contract Management Activities on CRP Acres
• May 31: Marketing Assistance Loans for Prior Year Harvested Corn and Soybeans
• August 1: ARC/PLC Sign-up

Enyart Farms, LLC of Postville was awarded the High Herd Production Award for both milk and protein at the 2018 Allamakee County Dairy Banquet Saturday, March 24 at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon. Pictured above, left to right, are Avery, Steve, Alex and Adam Enyart. Not pictured: Paula Enyart. Submitted photo.