Ag News Information & Resources April 2019

Fayette County

ISU Extension & Outreach

218 South Main Street

Fayette, IA 52142

Phone: (563-425-3331)

Fax: (563)425-3339

http://www.extension.iastate.edu/fayette/

Extension Links

Ag Decision Maker

http://www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/

Beef Center

http://www.iowabeefcenter.org/

Dairy Team

http://www.extension.iastate.edu/

dairyteam/

ISU Nutrient Reduction Strategies

http://www.nutrientstrategy.iastate.edu/

Iowa State Research Farms

http://farms.ag.iastate.edu/farms

Iowa Water Quality Initiative

http://www.cleanwateriowa.org/

Manure Management

http://www.agronext.iastate.edu/immag/

Pesticide Management

http://www.extension.iastate.edu/psep/

Pork Center http://www.ipic.iastate.edu/

Custom Rates Expected to Jump 7% in 2019

Contact: Alejandro Plastina, Extension Economist/Asst. Professor in Economics, 515

-294-6160, plastina@iastate.edu and Ann Johanns, Dept. of Economics, 641-732-

5574, aholste@iastate.edu

Prices for performing custom work are expected to jump in 2019, according to data gathered by Iowa State University Ex-tension and Outreach economists. The 2019 Iowa Farm Cus-tom Rate Survey showed a 7 percent price increase across all surveyed categories.

The 2018 Custom Rate Survey, which is available in the March issue of Ag Deci-sion Maker or through the ISU Extension Store at https://store.extension.iastate.edu/product/1792, was conducted by Alejandro Plastina, assistant professor and extension economist at Iowa State.

“Even with stable fuel prices and thin profit margins in crop production on the horizon, the majority of operations reported a rate increase,” said Plastina.

Changes from 2018 to 2019 varied across categories, with complete harvesting and hauling for corn and soybeans increasing by 6 percent and hired labor going up by 7 percent.

“I believe this is more indicative of part-time custom workers paying more atten-tion to covering all costs and actually profiting from this activity than of a substan-tially higher demand for their services,” Plastina said.

The survey received input from 121 farmers, custom operators and farm manag-ers to determine estimated pricing for custom work. Custom rates are provided for tillage, planting, drilling, seeding, fertilizer application, harvesting, drying and hauling grain, harvesting forages, complete custom farming, labor and both bin and machine rental.

The reported rates are expected to be charged or paid in 2019, including fuel and labor. The average prices for diesel fuel was assumed to be $2.94 per gallon. The values presented in the survey are intended only as a guide.

There are many reasons why the rate charged in a particular situation should be above or below the average. These include the timeliness in which operations are performed, quality and special features of the machine, operator skill, size and shape of fields, number of acres contracted and the condition of the crop for har-vesting. The availability of custom operators in a given area will also affect rates. Any custom rate should cover the cost of operating the farm machinery (fuel, re-pairs, depreciation, interest) as well as the operator’s labor.

The Ag Decision Maker website offers a Decision Tool, a downloadable Excel file (www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/crops/xls/a3-29machcostcalc.xlsx), to help custom operators and other farmers estimate their own costs for specific machin-ery operations.

Farmland Value Survey Contact: Ag Decision Maker, March 2019

Tillable cropland values for the past 6 months show a decline of -2.7% for northeast Iowa. The March 2019 update is available at: https://www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/wholefarm/html/c2-75.html Participants were asked to estimate average values of farmland as of March 2019. The estimates are for bare, unimproved land with the sale price on a cash basis. Pasture and tim-ber land values were also requested as supplemental information.

County Extension Offices Hosting Farmers Market Nutrition Vendor Webinars

Contact: IDALS, https://iowaagriculture.gov/

In cooperation with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will host the Farmers Market Nutrition Program 2019 webinar training for new and returning farmers market vendors March 28 or April 11. Ten ISU Extension and Outreach county offices are hosting the March 28 webinar and 22 Extension offices are hosting the April 11 webinar. This viewing option is provided as a service to individuals without access to a computer or lim-ited internet service.

To attend an ISU Extension and Outreach hosted webinar, simply show up at one of these ISU Extension and Outreach loca-tions near you. Go to the webpage at https://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/county-extension-offices-hosting-farmers-market-nutrition-program-vendor-webinars to find a site offering the program.

Vegetable Workshop to Explore Managing Disease, Insect Pests and Weeds Contact: Ajay Nair, Extension Commercial Horticulturist, 515-294-7080, nairajay@iastate.edu

An integrated pest management workshop will be held this spring to help commercial growers, local foods coordinators, Extension staff, county horticulturists and industry representatives learn about man-aging common insects, diseases and weeds in vegetable production systems.

The workshop will be held April 9 at the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Dubuque County office, 14858 West Ridge Lane, Dubuque. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. with the workshop starting at 9 a.m.

ISU Extension and Outreach specialists will provide instruction on insect, disease and weed management, and crop rotation in vegetable crops. Workshop presenters from Iowa State University include Ajay Nair, associate professor and extension vegetable production specialist; Donald Lewis, professor and extension entomologist; Patrick O’Malley, extension commercial horticulture specialist; and Ray Kruse, extension food systems program coordinator.

Online registration at https://www.extension.iastate.edu/vegetablelab/vegetable-ipm-workshop is required as space is limited. There is no cost for the workshop, and a lunch is included. Registration must be completed by March 31.

Training for Livestock Judging Coaches Offered on April 20 in Ames Contact: Amy Powell, Animal Science & 4-H, 515-294-3441, ampowell@iastate.edu

A training session for livestock judging coaches will be held on April 20 at the Hansen Agriculture Learning Center in Ames. The training is designed for adults who are interested in learning how to coach a youth livestock judging team or want to improve their livestock coaching skills.

Topics covered during the training include teaching oral reasons, getting the most out of practice, recruiting youth, evaluation tools and terminology. Agriculture teachers, 4-H youth educators, volun-teer leaders, producers and other interested individuals are welcome to attend.

“Whether you have been coaching livestock judging teams for years or have never coached a team, this training will help you improve or develop important skills and provide innovative teaching tools for helping young people become successful evaluators,” said Amy Powell, youth animal sciences STEM specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach.

Cost to attend the training is $30 and includes lunch and training materials. Additional event information and registration can be found online (www.extension.iastate.edu/4h/livestock-judging). Contact Powell at ampowell@iastate.edu with any questions.

Cleanup After Flooding

ISU Extension and Outreach maintains a website that includes many aspects of dealing with flood related issues, from home cleanup of flooding, mold, structural, etc. to who to talk to about stress and business related issues. Go to: https://www.extension.iastate.edu/disasterrecovery/flooding

A “Primer” on Farm Stress Resiliency Contact: Larry Tranel, Extension Dairy Specialist, 563-583-6496, tranel@iastate.edu

Farming is dangerous and stressful, no doubt. Farmers have varying degrees of resiliency to deal with the physical and mental dangers of farming, leading to varying stress levels. The integrated blend of family, farming and nature can cause unique situations of stress in farm families.

Stress is normal and can be healthy as it might push us to do things that can promote growth in us. But, too much acute stress or piled up chronic stress can make it difficult to:

• Concentrate, remember and process information.

• Organize, calculate and make decisions

• Sleep, relax and breathe properly

• Communicate, share and bond as a family.

Stress can become a source of conflict but can also help families grow together as many farm families are strong because they had

gone through a tough time together. Too much stress can lead to anxiety, doubt, depression and hopelessness. Overcoming stress

overload by developing skills can help families have more resiliency to farm stress.

Radon: Invisible Threat Contact: Shawn Shouse, Ag Engineering Field Specialist, sshouse@iastate.edu

It has been 30 years since Iowans started talking about radon gas. Awareness has increased greatly, but the risk still exists. So let’s have a quick reminder discussion about radon.

Radon is a radioactive gas. It comes from the radioactive decay of radium which is found in small amounts in the soil. In a long list of radioactive decay products beginning with uranium and ending with lead, radon is the only step in the process where a solid product becomes a gas. For an average of 4 days, this radon gas is free to move about through spaces in the soil before it decays again into the next solid product, polonium. If radon gas finds its way into

an enclosed space like a home, in sufficient concentration it can have serious health effects.

Iowa requires State certification for contractors who test for radon or make corrective measures (mitigation) and laboratories who measure radon. The Iowa Department of Public Health maintains a list of certified radon measurement specialists, mitigations spe-cialists, and testing laboratories. To access these lists and many other radon resources and information, visit the department web-site at http://www.idph.iowa.gov/radon or call 1-800-383-5992. The US EPA has additional information at https://www.epa.gov/radon The Fayette Extension Office has test kits available for $8.

To read the complete article click https://www.extension.iastate.edu/smallfarms/radon-%E2%80%93-invisible-threat

Check Private Wells for Contamination After Flooding

Contact: Shawn Shouse, Ag Engineering Field Specialist, sshouse@iastate.edu

Even if your home was not damaged by flooding, your private well may need attention. Wells that have been submerged beneath floodwater or high groundwater tables should be disinfected and tested for safety before using water from them for drinking or food preparation.

Most wells do not have watertight caps, so bacteria, silt and other pollutants are likely to enter them if they are submerged. Wells located near streams or drainage ditches are particularly vulnerable to flooding following rapid snowmelt or heavy rainfall, but wells located away from surface water also can become submerged if

they are located inside leaky frost pits that become flooded as shallow water tables rise during wet seasons.

To reduce the risks of well contamination caused by submergence, wells should be constructed with watertight casing that extends at least 1-2 feet above ground or above the highest known flood level at that location. In addition, earth should be mounded around the casing to prevent ponding of contaminated water around the well.

If your well has been flooded, disinfect it using a procedure called shock chlorination. Experienced and properly equipped do-it-yourselfers may be able to shock chlorinate their own wells, but the procedure requires removing the well cap, and dealing with elec-trical wiring and piping that may obstruct the interior of narrow diameter wells. A well driller or pump installer would have the profes-sional training and equipment to perform the job thoroughly and safely.

After the well is disinfected, a water sample must be tested for coliform bacteria to ensure that the disinfection procedure was effec-tive and that the water is again safe to drink. Until test results indicate that water from the well is safe for human consumption, use bottled water from a safe source for drinking and food preparation. If bottled water is not available, small batches of clear (not cloudy) well water can be disinfected by vigorously boiling it for at least five minutes. More information can be found in the following ISU

Extension and Outreach publications: Good Wells for Safe Water (PM 840) Shock Chlorinating Small Water Systems (PM 899) Sampling Your Drinking Water (PM 1335). More detailed information and guidance for wells with significant flood damage is avail-

able from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. See the publication "What Should I Do When My Well Floods?" from Iowa DNR.

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach does not discriminate on the basis of age, disability, ethnicity, gender identity, genetic information,

Contact: Melissa O’Rourke, Extension

Farm Management Specialist, 563-382-

2949, morourke@iastate.edu Perhaps you already have access to some acres, equipment, education, and experience. But you hope to establish and grow your operation over the years. How can you tell your story,

spread the word, and expand your farming operation?

First - be a good farmer. Be everything that makes others look at you and say, "There’s somebody I would like to know, somebody I would like to do business with." Think specifically about those traits – honesty, dependability, flexibility, good communicator - and many more. Check yourself in the mirror each day, and honestly decide if you see those characteristics reflected in your behavior. If not - take action to improve yourself at every opportunity.

Develop your 30-second elevator pitch. You should be able to answer the question, "Why should I hire you to farm my ground?" in the time it would take to ride an elevator from the top to the bottom floor - getting your point across in a timely, succinct manner.

Follow up with your farm resume. This is a one- page piece that adds information to your elevator pitch, and continues to answer that question "Why should I hire you to farm my ground." Answer some key questions:

1. Who are you? Provide a little information on family background and history in farming.

2. Education - formal and continuing. Tell about ag-related coursework and school activities (high school, college, and beyond) as well as seminars and workshops you attend through ISU Extension and Outreach (such as Crop Advantage, Farmland Leasing, farm and field tours).

3. Leadership - 4-H, FFA, and other community leadership experiences.

4. Skills - What equipment can you operate? Include not just farm equipment knowledge, but high-tech computer, software, programs and apps that are useful in agriculture.

5. Experience - What have you done, at home or for a neighbor or employer? List any custom farming operations, crops, field, or livestock work.

6. References - Who could vouch for you? Who could talk about what they have seen you do? Make a list of any employers, teachers, 4-H/ FFA leaders, bankers, neighbors. Then pick the top three, let them know, and include their contact info on your resume.

Prepare your resume. Put your information together in an attractive, easy-to-read format. This could be a traditional one-page resume, or you could try an eye-catching tri-fold brochure. Print a business card that you can carry with you and always have ready to hand out.

Share your story. Hand out your resume and business card to anyone who might know some- body who could offer more farming opportunities and experiences. The list is long – local co-op managers, ag professionals, ag suppliers, bankers; real estate, insurance and investment professionals; neighbors and any farmer you meet. Use social media of all kinds to share your story . . . Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat . . . but remember your audience and people that you want to reach - use the formats that they are likely to see.

Building Your Farm Resume

Upcoming Events

Apr 7-13 — Iowa State University Extension & Outreach Week

Apr 11 — Private Pesticide Train-ing, 1:30 pm, Extension Office

Apr 16 — Extension Council, 7:30 pm, Extension Office

Looking for even more info? We’ve got a Podcast! Interested in starting seeds on your farm? Beginning with beekeeping? Or may-be getting started in niche pork production? The Small Farm Sustainability program has a monthly podcast that covers all things small farm - from opportunities to challenges facing those in rural life. You can find the show on your favorite podcast outlet - iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify and Google Play. If you aren't a fan of subscription podcasts, you can always listen directly from our website, https://www.extension.iastate.edu/smallfarms/search/content?f%5B0%5D=im_field_category%3A2&retain-filters=1.

Small Farm Sustainability Podcasts