Agriculture

Insect and disease issues are on the agenda, including an overview of 2019 production issues

Thistle caterpillars, late season crop diseases and crop development will highlight the fall field day at Iowa State University’s Northern Research and Demonstration Farm September 5.

“Farmers and agribusiness will hear the latest on thistle caterpillar and tar spot of corn,” said Paul Kassel, field agronomist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. “Thistle caterpillar and tar spot are two new pests that have raised questions for Iowa producers in 2019.”

The program begins at 9:30 a.m. with Matt Schnabel, Northern Research Farm superintendent, giving a review of the growing season and a discussion of summer activities.

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

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
August 23: CRP Continuous Signup 52 
September 20: Dairy Margin Coverage Program Sign-Up
December 6: Market Facilitation Program

New Farmers.gov Feature Helps Producers Find Farm Loans to Fit Their Operation
A new online tool can help farmers and ranchers find information on U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) farm loans that may best fit their operations. USDA has launched the new Farm Loan Discovery Tool as the newest feature on farmers.gov, the Department’s self-service website for farmers.

Submitted by Sara Berges, Allamakee SWCD

If you are thinking of making any changes to your farm lease, the September 1 deadline to give notice of termination is quickly approaching.  If you do not give notice by September 1, your lease will auto-renew under the same terms and conditions as the original lease.  This applies to both written and oral leases and one-year and multi-year leases. Either the tenant or landlord can terminate a lease. Just because you terminate a lease does not necessarily mean that the landlord wants to get a new tenant. This may mean that they want to discuss the terms of the lease, including rent, and make adjustments.   

Topics will include crop price risk and cash flow, weed science research and insect resistance

The fall field day at Iowa State University’s Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm will be held August 28, from 1-4:20 p.m.

The program will begin in the Borlaug Learning Center, with a talk by Steve Johnson, farm management specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, about crop price risk and cash flow management.

Prashant Jha, weed specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach, will discuss weed science research, followed by an on-farm wagon tour featuring Antonio Mallarino, professor and extension specialist in agronomy at Iowa State, and Erin Hodgson, associate professor and extension specialist in entomology at Iowa State.

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

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
August 23: CRP Continuous Signup 52 
September 20: Dairy Margin Coverage Program Sign-Up
December 6: Market Facilitation Program

Market Facilitation Program (MFP)
Signup for the 2019 Market Facilitation Program began on July 29th and continues through December 6, 2019.  Payments are expected to start in mid-to-late August. 

For non-specialty crops such as corn, soybeans and alfalfa, payments are based on a single-county payment rate multiplied by a farm’s total plantings of MFP-eligible crops in aggregate in 2019. Those per-acre payments are not dependent on which of those crops are planted in 2019. A producer’s total payment-eligible plantings cannot exceed total 2018 plantings. The Allamakee County payment rate is $40 per planted acre.

Producers can gain valuable fertility management knowledge and learn more about soil testing

The cost of managing soil fertility in Iowa continues to change, with increased fertilizer input costs and a rising demand for nutrients from higher-yielding crops.

To help producers understand the changes, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is hosting four workshops in August called “Soil Testing Interpretations and Recommendations: Maximizing Return on Investment.”

The workshops will lead farmers through the basics of soil testing, analytical tests, calculating crop nutrient removal, understanding return on investment from fertilizer applications, how crop response correlates to soil test levels and what is known about crop response to micronutrients.

“These workshops provide producers the skills to best allocate fertilizer input dollars on their farms,” said Terry Basol, field agronomist with ISU Extension and Outreach.

The Annual Fall Field Day at the ISU Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm will run from 1-4:20 p.m. Wednesday, August 28. Steve Johnson, Farm Management Specialist, will kick off the program in the Borlaug Learning Center, and will cover “Crop Price Risk & Cash Flow Management”. He is followed by Prashant Jha, Weed Specialist, with a discussion of the “ISU weed science research and extension program: 2019 and beyond”. Then the program heads to the field with the on-farm wagon tour featuring Antonio Mallarino, Soil Fertility Specialist, and Erin Hodgson, Entomologist. Antonio will explain “How results from long-term PK rate studies influence soil tests and interpretations”. Whereas Erin will discuss “Concerns with corn and soybean insect pest resistance to insecticides and Bt-traits, and update us on 2019 Soybean gall midge research”.

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

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
May 15 - August 1: Primary Nesting Season. No MCM activities on CRP acres.
June 3 - August 23: CRP Continuous Signup 52 
June 17 - Sept. 20: Dairy Margin Coverage Program Sign-Up
August 1:Last day to file a COC nomination form

Dairy Margin Coverage
Signup for new Dairy Margin Coverage program began June 17 and runs through September 20, 2019. Coverage is retroactive to January. 

Coverage levels range from $4 to $9.50 per cwt, in $0.50 increments. Coverage percentage of the dairy operation’s production history ranges from 5 percent to 95 percent, in 5 percent increments. You have the option to receive a 25% discount on your annual premiums if you lock in for five years. You cannot change your coverage if you lock in.

Producers who were prevented from planting conventional crops this past spring may have a head start on going organic

The historically wet spring of 2019 prevented many conventional and organic farmers in Iowa and across the Midwest from planting corn and soybeans.

However, those who ended up planting a cover crop on their prevented planting acres may have an advantage if they want to transition to organic.

“The cover crop year will provide a good opportunity as your first year in the three years of organic transition (T-1; organic certification in 2021),” said Kathleen Delate, professor and extension organic specialist in horticulture and agronomy with Iowa State University.

The extension Farm Financial Planning Program has resources that can help farmers with their numbers

Knowing your numbers is key to the profitability of any farm operation, and whether you’re struggling to make ends meet, or simply looking to improve or do something differently, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach has an experienced group of associates and specialists who can help.

The Farm Financial Planning Program with ISU Extension and Outreach offers producers one-on-one financial counseling, a computerized analysis of the farm business, and referrals to other extension programs and outside services that may be useful.

Mark Olsen, one of six trained associates who help administer the program across the state, said more than half of the referrals he gets are from farmers who are struggling financially, especially in this time of tight profit margins.