Columbia County Ag Reporter

May/June 2017

WHAT’S INSIDE...

General Information: Ag Reporter Calendar ..................... ..2 MOO-Day Brunch……..………..........2 DATCP Helps……...…...…………..3-4 What’s Alfalfa Worth……….…....…...5 Frequent Cutting of Alfalfa.………….6 Hay Desiccants and Preservatives…………...…....…….7-8 Pest Management…………………....8 Transferring the Farm……………9-10 Rollover Protection..………………..11 Check the Noise Level……………..13 Local Foods…………………………17

Land & Water: Farmland Preservation Updates.…..12 Tree Sale Success….……………….13 USDA/FSA: Make Your Appointment to Enroll in

ARC-PLC Program ....................... 14

USDA/FSA Dates to Remember ..... 14 NASS Seeks Input From Growers ................................. 15 Stewards of the Earth ...................... 16 Conservation Compliance…………..17 NRCS: Public Access.……………………….18 General Information: Research on the Farm……………...19

Calendar of Events (pg. 2)

DATCP provides Help (pg. 3-4)

Hay Desiccants (pg.-7-8)

Transferring the Farm (pg. 9-10) ***We’re MOVING! Mid June—New Address will be: Administration Bldg, 112 East Edgewater Street, Portage, WI 53901

This issue’s highlighted articles:

Q: “What kinds of things does a farmer talk about when he’s milk-ing cows?” A: Udder nonsense

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The Columbia County Ag Calendar and Deadlines’ webpage is located at http://columbia.uwex.edu/ag-calendar-and-deadlines/.

Ag Reporter Calendar of Events

May 1 Best Day to Plant Corn 10 Corn planted after this date looses 1 bu/acre per day 20 Complete planting soybeans by this date for best yields 29 Memorial Day (offices closed) June 17 Columbia County Moo Day Brunch, Arlington Public Events Bldg. Mid We’re Moving to the New Administrative Building, 112 West Edgewater Street, Portage, WI 53901 July 4 Independence Day (offices closed) 11-13 Farm Tech Days—Kewaunee County 25-30 Columbia County Fair

Columbia County MOO-DAY Brunch

Date: Saturday, June 17th

Brunch Served: 9am—1pm

Menu: All your favor ites! Pizza Hut Pizza, gr illed

cheese, Sassy Cow Ice Cream Sundaes, milk,

yogurt & cheese

Hosted by: UW Ar lington Ag Research Station, N695 Hopkins Rd, Ar lington

Directions: from Arlington—go South on Hwy 51 to Hwy K, go west 1 mile to Hop-

kins Rd, south to Public Events Bldg., watch for signs, shuttle to dairy center

Admission: Ages 11 years—Adult—$7.00

Ages 4—10—$4.00

Ages 3 and under—free with paying adult ($1.00 off with a non-perishable food item—one per person)

Activities: Educational displays, children’s games, balloon ar tist, Bucky Badger ,

Alice in Dairyland, antique tractors, cloggers, wagon rides, door prizes!

For more information: call Debi Stiemke 608.635.2858

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Rick Hummell, 608-224-5041, rickhummell@wisconsin.gov Bill Cosh, Communications Director, 608-224-5020, William2.Cosh@wisconsin.gov

Whether stressed from the loss of a processor or low commodity prices or even just considering transitioning the farm to the next generation, Wis-consin farmers can benefit from helpful information and support.

Since the mid-1980s, thousands of farm families have turned to the Wis-consin Farm Center, which provides an extensive array of services to farm-ers, often in cooperation with the university, governmental or private sec-tor.

“The Farm Center mission is help farmers with both the challenges and op-portunities inherent in farming,” said DATCP Secretary Ben Brancel. “The Center’s agricultural economic development consultants help Wisconsin farmers deal with the critical economic, business and social needs of farm families.

“Each situation is different and unique, but the Farm Center experts have the experience and the knowledge of farm operations to help make these transitions go smoothly,” added Brancel. “They are dedicated to keeping people in farming and growing Wisconsin’s leadership in agriculture.”

Services include financial and business consultation, farm succession plan-ning, farm ownership transition planning, conflict mediation, production challenges, legal and financial mediation, and other assistance. Professional and confidential services offered through the Farm Center are provided at no cost.

“The nature of our call volume often depends on what is going on in the bigger farming picture,” said Kathy Schmitt, Farm Center director. “Right now, we are expecting to hear from more dairy producers seeking assis-tance in finding processors willing to take on more volume.”

Many of the calls for advice or assistance come in to the center’s telephone

Help Line (1-800-942-2474) and are directed to staff agricultural consult-

ants with expertise in a wide variety of areas. Schmitt said in recent years,

the center has handled approximately 1,200

calls annually.

“Our financial counselors are out in the field,

sitting down with people at the kitchen table,

and helping them plan for profit,’ said Schmitt.

“We can also be a major tool in the toolbox of beginning farm- more…..

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ers, as well as for farming families looking to transition from one genera-

tion to the next,” said Schmitt.

The Farm Center’s core programs include:

Agricultural Economic Development: Consultants help Wisconsin

farmers deal with the critical economic, business and social needs of

farm families including financial and business consultation, farm suc-

cession planning, conflict mediation, and production challenges.

Organics, Livestock Grazing and Specialty Crops: This program pro-

vides information and technical assistance to organic growers and

processors. In addition, the program works to strengthen farm sup-

port services and processing capacity, along with a host of other ser-

vices, including information on the latest developments in technolo-

gy that can impact organics, livestock grazing and specialty crops

farmers.

Minority Farmers Outreach: This program provides outreach and risk

management assistance to beginning and minority farmers to in-

crease their sustainability and profitability. The program emphasiz-

es working with Hmong fresh market producers and Hmong

ginseng growers, but assists all minority farmers facing produc-

tion or marketing challenges and opportunities

Mediation and Arbitration: This program provides mediation services for farmer disputes ranging from credit issues to environmental con-cerns to farm family conflicts. Mediation involves a neutral individual who helps facilitate negotiation and understanding between conflict-ing parties. Confidentiality is upheld throughout the mediation pro-cess.

Farmers and small agribusiness owners can get in touch with the Farm Center through the toll-free line at 1-800-942-2474. For more information about the Farm Center, visit datcp.wi.gov/Farms/Wisconsin_Farm_Center/index.aspx

We’re Moving! Mid June—Our New Address will be:

Administration Building

UW Extension

112 East Edgewater Street

Portage, WI 53901

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What’s Standing Alfalfa Worth in 2017?

Greg Blond, UW-Extension Agriculture Agent

One of the challenges in coming up with a value for standing hay is the lack of established market price information like corn and soy-beans. Another challenge is multiple cuttings of hay versus a single harvest for grains. So it’s no wonder the price for standing hay can vary greatly between farms, even between fields. Here’s one approach for pricing standing hay in 2017.

Assuming four ton dry matter (DM)/acre for the entire year of dairy quality alfalfa hay worth $100 to $150/ton baled ($0.06 to $0.09/lb DM), half the value is credited to the owner for input costs (land, taxes, seed, chemical and fertilizer), and half the value is credited to the buyer for harvesting, field loss and weather risk. Obviously, estimated yield is an important factor when negotiating price. This formula will help determine pre-season maximum alfalfa dry matter yield potential…(0.10 x stems/ft2 ) + 0.38. Actual yield will likely be lower due environmental conditions and indi-vidual harvest / management practices. Wait until stems are at least 4-6 inches tall and count only stems upright enough to be cut by the mower.

Using yield distribution based on recent multi-year UW-Extension field research in NE WI for a three cut (43% / 31% / 26%) or four cut (36% / 25% / 21% / 18%) har-vest system, the following price range (rounded to the nearest $5) may offer a starting point for buyers and sellers to negotiate a sale of good to premium quality standing alfalfa in 2017:

4 Cuts:

1st Crop $85—130

2nd Crop $60—90

3rd Crop $50—75

4th Crop $40—65

3 Cuts:

1st Crop $100—155

2nd Crop $70—110

3rd Crop $60—95

In this example, the standing value for the entire alfalfa field could range from $230 to $360/acre for the entire growing season. Keep in mind ownership costs can run $300- 400/acre when the seller considers lost rent, establishment costs and top-dress fertilizer to maintain soil fertility. That’s why the same price is not always the right price for everyone. Ultimately, a fair price is whatever a willing seller and an able buyer can agree to.

To help farmers and landowners better evaluate their pricing options, Greg Blonde, UWExtension Agriculture Agent developed a mobile app for pricing standing hay. With more than 1500 downloads and 600 users across the country, the app pro-vides quick access to baled hay market prices for reference calculations, with value per acre by cutting displayed using annual yield and harvest cost projections. The Android app is free to download at the Google Play store (search for Hay Pricing) or by going to: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.smartmappsconsulting.haypricing

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Cutting Alfalfa Very Frequently ipcm.wisc.edu /blog/2017/04/cutting-alfalfa-very-frequently/

Dan Undersander, UW-Extension Forage Agronomist There has been some interest in cutting alfalfa frequently to get very low fiber for dairy rations. We had a study in 2000 and 2001 where we compared 20 alfalfa varieties with and without wheel traffic. We cut at 21-day and at 35-day intervals. The yield data averaged across the varie-

ties is presented in the table below. In the seeding year, we saw 33 to 51% yield reductions and, in the first production year, about 50% yield reductions.

The study was not continued beyond the first production year because the 21-day alfalfa varieties with 21-day cutting interval died out the next winter while the same varieties with 35-day cutting intervals came through the winter in good shape.

There did not appear to be any significant differences among the varie-ties in tolerance of the more frequent cutting.

Thus, as farmers are thinking of the shorter cutting intervals to reduce fiber content of the forage, we should keep the 50% yield reductions and expected shorter stand life in mind. It is difficult to believe that the economics of this practice will beneficial to the farmer.

Table 1. Effect of Cutting Frequency on Alfalfa Yield, Arlington, WI

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Hay pre-servatives can reduce the spoilage and heating loss-es from hay baled wetter than opti-mum.

First, it is important to recognize that two totally different types of products with different modes of action are sold: one is a desiccant which is a compound applied to the hay at cutting to increase drying rate and the other is a preservative which is applied to hay as it is baled to al-low baling of wetter than normal hay without spoilage during storage. Both products are usually applied through a spray system, either on the mower (for desiccants) or on the harvesting equipment (for preserva-tives).

Potassium or sodium carbonate are effective desiccant’s. These com-pounds disturb the waxy cuticle of the alfalfa stem to allow it to dry faster. Desiccants work only on leg-umes such as alfalfa, trefoil, and clo-vers, not on grasses. Effectiveness varies with climatic conditions. Des-iccants reduce drying time most when drying conditions are good. Thus, they tend to work better on second and third cuttings in Wiscon-

sin. They are seldom

used due to the large

volume of water that must be applied along with the desiccant.

Preservatives are applied to the hay as it is harvested to prevent heating and spoilage of hay baled at higher than 14 to 18% moisture content. Pre-servatives are cost effective if used only when needed to prevent rain damage to hay and if applied uni-formly to windrow as it is entering the baler. The most effective pre-servatives for alfalfa are organic ac-ids, primarily propionate (propionic acid) and acetate (acetic acid).

Any preservative containing a high percentage propionate (propionic acid) will be effective. Use of ammo-nium propionate (also called buff-ered propionic acid) rather than pro-pionic acid is recommended because the product is less caustic – there-fore safer to handle and less corro-sive to machinery. When purchasing preservatives, compare cost on a per pound of propionic acid basis. Other additives do little if anything to pre-serve hay. Hay preservative products that dilute the propionic acid require greater product use rates.

Hay Desiccants

and Preservatives Dan Undersander, UW-Extension Forage Agronomist

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Rates of propionic acid required to preserve hay vary with the moisture content of the hay. As indicated in Figure 1, the amount of propionic acid required varies from 8 lb/dm ton for hay with less than 18% moisture to 20 lb/dm ton for hay with over 25% mois-ture. Note that rates are for pounds of propionate not product. Therefore, a product with 50% propionate would need to be applied at twice the above rates.

Acetic acid is about half as effective as a preservative and therefore requires twice as much product for equal preservation. Use of preservatives for hay above 35% moisture is not recommended.

Anhydrous ammonia is an effective preservative for grasses. It can be in-jected into bales or released into a stack of bales covered and tightly sealed with plastic. Ammonia should be applied at the rate of 20-40 lbs/ton with higher rates used for hay near

35% moisture and lower rates used when moisture is near 20%. Anhydrous ammonia should not be used as a pre-servative on alfalfa because the addi-tional nitrogen is of little benefit to animals and toxic chemicals can form in the hay. No microbial hay preservatives have been shown to be effective in preserv-ing hay.

Preservatives should not be necessary when making baleage (plastic wrapped bales) since the oxygen is necessary for mold growth and the plastic should prevent oxygen from entering the bale.

Hay cont...

Pest Management in Wisconsin Field Crops

Pest Management in Wisconsin Field Crops is a publication from UW-Extension that is updated annually and contains both general and specific pest management recommendations for corn, soy-bean, forages, small grains and stored grain. Including rates, remarks and performance data for pesticides. This 256 page book is chock full of information to save you time and mon-ey on pest control decisions for the 2017 growing season.

George has 10 copies in the Extension office available to the first 10 people to come to the office and pick it up. Cost of these publications is $30 from the UW Learning Store. A great value to any farm and yours free for the first 10 people by visiting our office and asking for one.

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Getting It Right! Tips For Transferring the Farm

Source: Jennifer Blazek, Dairy & Livestock Agent, UW-Extension Dane County

Top 10 Tips:

1. Don’t be afraid to get help– Talking over the farm transfer/succession pro-cess with a professional helps to keep the momentum going and to overcome any bumps. Worried about cost? Extension educators make great mediators, can provide you with some of the information you need, and can help you form your questions to make better use of a CPA or attorney’s time. Plus Extension educators are free!

2. If you can, start early– It’s best to get the process going earlier than later. It’s never a good situation when there’s been a death of one of the parents and the living spouse is now trying to figure out what to do with the farm. Starting early can also help you establish protections from the nursing home taking the farm. It also gives the family plenty of time to adjust to role changes, transition over assets, and establish a plan for the future.

3. Be fair, not equal– A lot of parents feel strongly about being equal to all their kids when it comes to passing down their assets. When it comes to the farm though, we encourage parents to consider being fair, rather than equal. Chil-dren who have worked on and been a part of the farming operation, especially if they want to take it over, should be treated differently than children who have not. And that’s okay! The purpose of farm succession is to make sure the farm continues into the future. If the home farm is divided equally 8 ways, the kid/s who want to farm are going to have a hard time doing it.

4. Make sure everyone is involved– Ah, the dreaded in-laws! Yes, while you might prefer to deal with them for short periods of time and not very often, they do need to be a part of the conversation. Spouses of children need to feel involved in the process; remember, according to Wisconsin law, they own half of everything in the marriage. Unfortunately, all too often marriages end in a nasty divorce and can end up negatively affecting the farm business. It’s best to keep them in the loop.

5. Get it in writing– In today’s world, a handshake and a verbal agreement un-fortunately do not carry any weight. When it comes to land contracts, agree-ments for the farming kid/s to take over certain aspects of the farming opera-tion, or wills, it’s vitally important everything is put down in writing. That way the ‘he said, she said’ argument doesn’t happen.

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6. Be aware of the needs of non-farming children– Non-farming children may not be involved in the day-to-day operations, but they do have an inter-est in their parents’ assets. They will want to know what is coming to them and it’s best to be clear and upfront with them about your intentions.

7. Be aware of the family dynamic– Farms are family businesses, and as such, family is naturally interwoven into the fabric of the farm. Family dynamics can present challenges for farms because they bring along a lot of baggage which

can negatively affect the business in the form of conflict. While the farm and

family can’t always be separated, steps can be taken to make sure the business comes first, when it’s appropriate. For example, when farm business needs to be discussed, have a formal meeting, complete with agenda, separate location (i.e. not the kitchen table), and ground rules.

8. Farm meetings make all the difference– Whether you are meeting with your employees or other farm owners or partners, it is important to meet regularly. Many farmers meet monthly to keep everyone in the loop and address any is-sues right away. And it doesn’t have to be a day-long meeting. Short meetings work well to keep people on task and so the meeting does not feel like a burden.

9. Be honest– This might seem like common sense, but it’s surprising how many times farm family members are not honest about their feelings, needs, wants, or their opinions. We always say in meetings we facilitate, “silence is acceptance”. If you don’t speak up, then your silence means you are okay with what’s being discussed and decided. Honesty isn’t just about speaking the truth, but speaking up in general. Too often the younger generation or spouses of any age, will keep quiet because of family roles (i.e. parent vs. child or husband vs. wife) or be-cause they feel their voice will not be welcomed (i.e. in-law). This causes long-term hurt in the person not speaking, and keeps new ideas from coming forward for the good of the group.

10. Don’t let things stagnate– We’ve all done it. You go to a workshop, get excit-ed and write down a list of to-dos related to farm succession, then you go home and the list sits on a shelf somewhere. It’s easy to let things go when everything that needs to get done on a farm is calling. Make an effort to revisit that list or plan regularly. Keeping it fresh in your mind means you are more likely to act on it.

Tips, continued...

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It’s NEVER too late to add protection

The occupational death rate on farms is nearly 800 percent greater than in all other industries combined. The leading cause of farm deaths is tractor rollovers. These incidents cost U.S. agriculture $115 million each year. Operators involved who survive these incidents lose an aver-age of 70 work days, and the cost of a medical care, lost time, property damage is at least $900,000 per event.

“A properly designed and installed rollo-ver protective structure (ROPS) used in combination with a seatbelt is almost 100 percent effective at preventing injury and death to the operator if a rollover hap-pens,” said John Shutske, University of Wisconsin-Extension Bio Systems special-ist at UW-Madison. “Still, about half of tractors on farms do not have rollover protection.”

To address this issue, and en-courage and incentivize ag pro-ducers to add this important safety device, a variety of public and pri-vate organizations have come together to provide significant rebates to assist with the costs of installing a ROPS on unprotected tractors. One of the key partners with the National ROPS Rebate Program in Wisconsin is the National Farm Medicine Center in Marshfield, an important source of research and tech-nical information on agricultural health issues and child safety.

The program offers up to a 70 percent rebate on ROPS and seatbelts that can be applied toward a ROPS kit (rollbar and seatbelt), shipping, and professional in-stallation which is required in Wisconsin

to receive the rebate. Nationally, the av-erage out-of-pocket cost for those who have taken advantage of this opportunity is $391.

To be fully protective, a rollover protec-tive structure must meet important de-sign and performance standards that were developed and published by the American Society of Agricultural and Bio-logical Engineers (ASABE) and other engi-neering standards organizations. Machin-ery design engineers and safety experts from around the world review these standards and other agricultural safety design principles on a constant basis with the aim of protecting farmers, family members, and employees.

“Not all tractors can be equipped with a retrofit,” Shutske said. “Older, antique tractors often were not designed to accommo-date a ROPS, and their axle hous-ing often will not support a pro-

tective structure or have the ability to withstand the forces that occur with a rollover. Most tractors manufactured from the mid to late 1960s can be retro-fitted as well as a few before that time.”

Application materials for this program can be found at https://www.ropsr4u.com/apply.php?state=WI; this website contains additional infor-mation and facts to help farmers and tractor owners to make smart and in-formed decisions.

Another resource for agricultural health and safety tips is the UW Center for Agri-cultural Safety and Health website https://fyi.uwex.edu/agsafety/.

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Land & Water Conservation

Department

Updates & Program Information By Kurt Calkins, Director of Columbia County Land & Water

2017 Farmland Preservation Update

Over the past 5 years the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection has implemented a series of changes for the Farmland Preservation Program (FPP). Moving forward in 2017, FPP participants will be required to main-tain their eligibility as follows:

Annually submit a FPP Self Certification Postcard (June)

Annually submit a 590 NMP Checklist (Form ARM-LWR-480 (06/10)

Receive an onsite NR 151 compliance status review once every 4 years (Year determined by LWCD)

The self-certification postcards will be mailed to the Farmland Preservation Members the week of June 5. Participants will have the option to complete the postcard through an online log-in process or return the postcard to the Columbia County Land and Water Conservation Department. All postcards must be postmarked before July 15, 2017, or they will be charged a $10.00 late fee. FPP Participants who do Not maintain their eligibility by submit-ting the annual self-certification postcard, annually providing a 590 Nutrient Management Checklist and maintaining NR 151 Com-pliance can have their Certificate of Compliance ID # voided with the Department of Revenue, thus removing their ability to claim the Farmland preservation Tax Credit for the applicable tax sea-son. NR 151 conservation compliance reviews will begin for a fourth of the FPP participants in 2017. For questions, please contact the LWCD office at 608-742-9670.

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2017 Tree Sales Program-Success Continues:

On April 20, 2017 the Columbia County Land & Water Conservation De-partment successfully completed our 36th Annual Tree and Shrub sales

program. Beginning in 1981, this program has continued to be a great tool to help promote tree planting throughout our area. This year we sold just

under 40,000 trees and shrubs; and our sales for tree supplies (tubes, stakes) was increased as well. We had the least amount of left over

product that any of us can remember. We appreciate the support of the 400 plus individuals who purchased trees this year. If you have not pur-chased from us in the past and would like to be included in our mailing list, feel free to contact our office and we will include you in our data-base. People who have ordered will be automatically on our list. Thanks again to all of you and a special thanks to Kelly Maginnis, our Administra-

tive Secretary here at the LWCD. She works hard to put all the pieces together each year to make this program work almost effortlessly. If any-

one has some thoughts on how we can make the program even better, please feel free to give us your thoughts.

Land & Water continued...

Say What? Check the Noise Level

Evidence is clear that there are a variety of agricultural jobs with hazard-ous noise exposure levels. NIOSH occupational hearing loss surveillance has found:

In the United States, hearing loss is the third-most common chronic physical condition among adults after hypertension and arthritis.

About 11% of the U.S. working population has hearing difficulty.

About 24% of the hearing difficulty among U.S. workers is caused by occupational exposures.

About 8% of the U.S. working population has tinnitus (‘ringing in the ears’) and 4% has both hearing difficulty and tinnitus.

Agricultural work sites can have hazardous workplace noise. Field and farmstead ma-chines, motors, pumps, fans, and power tools may be creating high noise exposures for workers that require hearing protection. Measuring the sound level can help determine the right hearing protection needed for the worker. NIOSH sound level meter app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store to check noise levels.

More information about the NIOSH SLM app can be found at cdc.gov under Noise

and Hearing Loss Prevention.

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Dates to Remember

Make Your Appointment Now to Enroll in 2017 ARC-PLC Program

From: Susan Hunter County Executive Director

Columbia County FSA Office

May 1 Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) application deadline to purchase loss coverage for 2017 nursery crops May 29 USDA offices closed in observance of Memorial Day May 31 Last day to obtain 9-month, low-interest Marketing Assistance Loans on 2016 corn & soybean crops June 1 Make your appointment at the Columbia County FSA Office to sign up for the 2017 ARC-PLC Program by this date! June 15-Aug. 1 County Committee Election nomination period for Local Administrative Area (LAA) 2 in Columbia County that is up for election this year. LAA2 includes the townships of Fort Winnebago, Marcellon, Pacific, Wyocena, Lowville, Otsego, and Leeds. Producers can nominate themselves or others.

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During the first two weeks of June, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will conduct two major mid-year surveys, the June Agricultural Survey and the June Area Survey. These surveys are one of the largest and most comprehensive surveys that NASS does each year. Farmers contacted by NASS will be asked questions about 2017 planted acreage, current grain stocks, livestock inventory, cash rents, and values of land and sales.

The information collected from growers will provide the first clear sign of the prospective production and supply of major commodities in Wisconsin and the United States for the 2017 crop year.

NASS gathers the data for the June Agricultural Survey by mail, phone and online. For the June Area Survey, a NASS field interviewer will visit randomly selected segments of land and interview the operators of the land in that segment.

By taking a few minutes to participate, selected farmers can help ensure the accuracy and quality of this data so that NASS reports can eliminate speculation about potential acreage and help producers make critical decisions about marketing their crops this year. The data is also used by other USDA agencies in administering government programs.

As with all NASS surveys, information provided by producers is kept strictly confidential, as required by federal law. NASS safeguards the privacy of all responses and publishes only state-level and national-level results, ensuring that no individual producer can be identified.

The results from the survey will be published in a series of USDA reports, including the annual Acreage report and quarterly Grain Stocks report, both released on June 30, 2017. All reports will be made available on the NASS website at www.nass.usda.gov.

Please contact Greg Bussler, Wisconsin State Statistician, at 800-789-9277 or email at greg.bussler@nass.usda.gov for any questions regarding the NASS surveys.

NASS Seeks Input from Growers about 2017 Planted Acreage, Stocks, Livestock Inventory and Land Values

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Earth Day and Every Day, American Farmers and Ranchers are Stewards of the Earth

Farmers and ranchers are stewards of the Earth. Understanding the fragility of the land, agricultural producers want to sustain and pro-tect the land they operate to en-sure its availability generations to come.

According to the 2012 Agriculture Census, there are 3.2 million farm-ers and ranchers in the United States. These producers are always looking for new and sustainable ways to operate to help preserve natural resources.

Through their voluntary participa-tion in the various conservation programs the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) oversees, farmers and ranch-ers help protect drinking water, reduce soil erosion, and help pre-serve and restore wildlife habitats, forests and wetlands. Thanks to American agricultural producers, there are currently more than 23 million acres enrolled in the Con-servation Reserve Program.

As we recognized Earth Day on April 22, we thank our farmers and ranchers for caring for the land, and ensuring the air we breathe and the water we drink are safe and clean.

Acreage Certification Spring Deadlines – Report Failed Acres

After spring planting, producers must file their reports accu-rately and timely for all crops and land us-

es, including prevented and failed acreage, to ensure they maintain eligibility for USDA program benefits. Spring-seeded acreage reports are considered timely filed when com-pleted by the applicable final crop reporting deadline of July 15, 2017. Prevented acreage must be reported within 15 calendar days after the final planting date. Failed acreage must be reported before the disposi-tion of the crop, as FSA needs to ver-ify the losses.

Producers should contact the Co-lumbia County FSA office at 608-742-5361, ext. 2, to report any failed acres or to schedule their appoint-ment to report their 2017 crops after planting.

For more information on FSA con-servation programs, visit www.fsa.usda.gov.

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Maintain Eligibility by Following Conservation Compliance

All USDA program participants are required to have a conservation system in place on all highly erodible land (HEL) and wetlands (W). Renting new cropland, purchasing new land, breaking out additional land, changing crops, and changing or removing existing conservation practices can result in compliance issues. It is important that you contact FSA before creating new drainage by tiling, filling, dredging, land clearing, excavation, or stump removal. Failure to obtain advance approval for any of these activities may result in loss of all federal payments, including crop insurance premium support, and USDA program eligibility. Columbia County producers should call 608-742-5361, ext. 2 to ensure any changes made follow these important conservation compliance requirements.

http://columbia.uwex.edu/local-foods/

If you are a Columbia County-

based local food grower, produc-

er, farmers market, community

garden manager and/or a CSA

owner and would like to be listed

on our website or in our publica-

tions, please contact the Columbia

County UW-Extension Office,

Kathleen Haas, 608.742.9683 or

Kathleen.haas@ces.uwex.edu.

The food Industry includes:

Agriculture: raising of fruits and vege-tables, livestock and seafood

Food processing: preparation of fresh products for market, and manufacture of prepared food produce

Wholesale and distribution, warehous-ing

Grocery, farmers markets, public mar-kets and retailing

Regulation: local, regional, national, and international rules and regulations for food production and sale, includ-ing food quality, food security, food safety

Columbia County has access to many local producers who provide a variety of fresh

items.

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Provide public access to the outdoors in return for incen-

tives and technical assistance ~ The Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program, administered by the

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), with funding from the U.S. De-partment of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service, is currently enrol-ling new properties in 52 eligible counties throughout Wisconsin. Enrolled landowners can earn income through opening their property to year-round public hunting, fishing,

trapping and wildlife observation. Lease rates vary by land cover, ranging from $3/acre for agricultural land, $10/acre for grassland or wetland and $15/acre for forest land. VPA leases will expire on Aug. 31, 2020. Landowners participating in other conservation programs are encouraged to apply, including:

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP); Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP); Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQI); Wetlands Reserve Easement (WRE); and Managed Forest Law (MFL) (closed).

Technical assistance and financial incentives are available to enrolled landowners who implement recommended wildlife habitat practices. VPA landowners reported very high overall satisfaction with the program in 2016. Little is required for enrolled landowners beyond providing for public access. Under state statute, landowners are generally immune from liability for injuries received by individuals recreating on

their lands. DNR provides compensation for damages to property or crops that occur as a result of opening land to public access.

Visit the updated VPA-HIP website to find out more information and to apply to en-roll in the program. Interested landowners should contact Anne Reis, DNR VPA-HIP Coordinator, for more information at 608-279-6483 or via email at

Anne.Reis@wisconsin.gov.

For more general information regarding VPA-HIP, search the DNR website, dnr.wi.gov, for keyword "VPA ".

Portage Service Center

2912 Red Fox Run

Portage, WI 53901

(608) 742-5361, ext.3

Enrollment Open for Voluntary Public Access and Habitat

Incentive Programs

Helping People Help the Land

19

An EEO/Affirmative Action employer, University of Wisconsin-Extension provides equal

opportunities in employment and programming, including Title IX and ADA requirements.

Please make requests for reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access to educational

programs as early as possible preceding the scheduled program, service or activity.

If you have a change of email, address or would like to be removed, please call the UW-

Extension office at (608) 742-9687 or email your request to:

jennifer.evans@ces.uwex.edu

UW-Extension Columbia County Agriculture Staff George Koepp, Agriculture Agent……...…………………………………………(608) 742-9682 george.koepp@ces.uwex.edu

Office Hours: 8:00 a.m.– 4:30 p.m. Monday—Friday Office: (608) 742-9680; Fax: (608) 742-9862; http://columbia.uwex.edu/agriculture/

UW-Extension Columbia County (UWEX) Office Staff Jennifer Evans, Administrative Assistant (4-H, Ag, CRD) ......................... (608) 742-9687 Kathleen Haas, CRD Educator ................................................................. (608) 742-9683 Vacant, Family Living Educator ................................................................. (608) 742-9686 Karen Nelson, 4-H Youth Development Educator ..................................... (608) 742-9684 LuAnn Olson, Administrative Assistant (Admin, FL, WNEP) ..................... (608) 742-9688 Caitlin Richardson, Food WIse Coordinator .............................................. (608) 742-9693 Pat Wagner, 4-H Youth Development Assistant…………………………….(608) 742-9685 Web Site: http://columbia.uwex.edu/

DIRECTORY

This 32-page Ag Innovations Series technical

bulletin provides detailed instruction for crop

and livestock producers, as well as educators, on

how to conduct research at the farm level using

practical strategies and peer-reviewed research

findings. How to Conduct Research on Your Farm or Ranch also includes a comprehensive

list of in-depth resources and real-life exam-

ples—from a Missouri crop and livestock farmer

testing the effect of additional cover cropping on

forage available to his animals to a West Virginia

organic producer experimenting with an inte-

grated trap crop and pheromone trap system for

ecological management of stink bugs—in order

to stimulate on-farm research ideas and provide

guidance.

How to Conduct Research on Your Farm or Ranch

Contact UW-Extension for your free copy by calling

608-742-9680!

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