by Jeremy Leitz, Allamakee County Executive Director (563) 568-2148
Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
• May 15 – August 2: Primary Nesting Season. No MCM Activities on CRP Acres
• June 15: Final Planting Date for Soybeans
• July 15: 2018 Crop Reports
• August 1: ARC/PLC Sign-up
Crop Reporting
The Allamakee County FSA office welcomes all county farmers to come in and report their 2018 crops. Certifying your crops is a requirement for many FSA programs. This includes all spring planted crops and land uses. Forages and pastures were to be reported last fall, and if you missed that deadline, we will be asking for that report now and collecting a late fee. 100% of the farm must be reported to be eligible for programs. Please report what is planted on your farm by the deadline of July 15.
Peake Orchards and Dairy ... A group touring the orchard is pictured above. Jeremy and Jodi Peake, pictured below, show Dayna Burtness and Nick Nguyen the suction of the milking machine. Submitted photos.
Touring the dairy facility ... Jodi Peake, pictured above, showing a milker to Dayna Burtness. Submitted photo.
Rain showers stayed at bay to provide a small group of local farmers with a beautiful evening tour of Peake Orchards and Dairy Sunday, May 20. Jeremy and Jodi Peake and their daughters Molly and Leah hosted the farm tour.
Some of the group arrived early to see milking in progress in the tie-stall barn, which was an opportunity for experiential learning. Many of the attendees specialized in other farming systems including vegetable production or small livestock, so there were many in-depth questions about how the dairy production system works from start to finish.
Jeremy shared that he selects his herd (mainly Jerseys and some Ayrshire genetics) to succeed in their grazing system, where the cows are never fed any grain. They milk year-round, utilizing baleage and hayleage over the winter months. The herd of around 40 milking cows are moved to fresh pastures 3-4 times per day, and are milked twice per day.
Mike Naig ... Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig speaking at the event. Submitted photo.
The Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy is a science and technology-based framework to assess and reduce nutrient loss from both point sources (such as municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants) and nonpoint sources (stormwater runoff from both urban and agricultural landscapes) in Iowa.
The Strategy was finalized May 29, 2013, and in the five years since there has been significant work by farmers, landowners, communities, businesses, stakeholders and partners to help improve water quality in Iowa.
25th Annual VMH Foundation Golf Tournament ... Thanks to Farm Bureau Financial Services agents pictured above, left to right, Andy Moore and Wade Bucknell, the first person hitting a hole-in-one on the first round of golf at the 25th annual Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation Golf Tournament will be awarded a new Harley Davidson motorcycle. A new John Deere riding lawn mower, pictured below, will be the hole-in-one prize for the second round of golf at the tournament, thanks to Waukon Implement. The tournament will be held Monday, June 18 at the Waukon Golf and Country Club. Call the Waukon Golf and Country Club at 563-568-9939 to register. Submitted photos.
The Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation’s 25th annual Three Person Best-Shot Golf Tournament will be held Monday, June 18. The tournament will be held at the Waukon Golf and Country Club beginning with a shotgun start at 9:30 a.m.
Thanks to Wade Bucknell and Andy Moore, agents of Farm Bureau Financial Services, Waukon, the first person hitting a hole-in-one during the first round at the tournament will be awarded a new Harley Davidson motorcycle.
Also, thanks to Waukon Implement, anyone hitting a hole-in-one during the second round at the tournament will be awarded a new John Deere riding lawn mower. As always, many other gifts and prizes will be awarded to all the golfers participating.
Teams of three will play 18 holes of golf. Breakfast rolls, lunch and dinner and prizes for everyone are all provided for the donation of just $75. All those interested are asked to pre-register their team by calling the Waukon Golf and Country Club at 563-568-9939.
Most skin cancers are linked to sun exposure, a risk factor that almost everyone can control by heeding a few common-sense precautions. While many have seen or heard these “sun safety” tips before, the fact remains that there will be approximately one million new cases of skin cancer this year in America; evidence that not everyone’s listening yet.
The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Monday, June 11 from 12-5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church located in south Waukon. Blood drives are held once a month in Waukon, to allow for more donors to give. The LifeServe Blood Center supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon with its blood and blood products.
Blood centers across the United States see a decrease in blood donations during the busy summer months. During the summer, people become more active, have busier schedules, spend more time outdoors and take vacations. While donations decline, hospitals see an increase in the need for blood. More driving can mean more automobile accidents. A person who has suffered severe injuries from an automobile accident can need up to 50 units of blood.
The Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, June 21 at 10 a.m. The meeting will be held at Veterans Memorial Hospital in the Large Conference Room, located on the lower level of the hospital.
This diabetes class is open to everyone who has diabetes or who has a friend or loved one with diabetes. For more information on the Diabetes Support Group, call Angie Mettille, RN at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.
The local Grief Support Group will hold its monthly meeting at Veterans Memorial Hospital Tuesday, June 12 at 5 p.m. in the Education Conference Room. This informal meeting is open to anyone suffering from any type of loss whether it be death, divorce, illness or some other grief. Feel free to attend and bring a friend. This grief support group now meets the second Tuesday of each month at Veterans Memorial Hospital.
“Welcome to Medicare” is a free, two-hour seminar offered by the Veterans Memorial Hospital Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) counselors. This program will be held Monday, June 11 from 5-7 p.m. in the Large Conference Room located on the lower level of Veterans Memorial Hospital. “We’re excited to offer another free seminar to the community,” says Russ Hagen, SHIIP volunteer. “Medicare is such an important program and understanding what it offers helps assure that anyone eligible gets the health benefits they deserve.”
“Welcome to Medicare” will cover Medicare Part A and Part B benefits, the prescription drug benefit (Part D), Medicare Advantage plans and Medicare supplement insurance.
The local Grief Support Group will hold its monthly meeting at Veterans Memorial Hospital Tuesday, June 12 at 5 p.m. in the Education Conference Room. This informal meeting is open to anyone suffering from any type of loss whether it be death, divorce, illness or some other grief. Feel free to attend and bring a friend. This grief support group now meets the second Tuesday of each month at Veterans Memorial Hospital.
