ISU Extension
Agronomy- Extension
IA State Univ.
IA Dept. of Ag
IA DNR

Northwest Area Extension

March 2004

In this issue
Have You Read Your County Soil Survey Lately?
Beginner's Course in Farrowing House Management for Hispanic Workers
Ewe-Lamb Replacement/Retention Program
Cyclone Beef Days
Crop Insurance Decisions
New Livestock Buildings 

Have You Read Your County Soil Survey Lately?
By Todd Vagts, ISU Extension Crop Field Specialist

The National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS) is a county-by-county scientific inventory of U.S. soils on nearly all public and private land. A soil survey includes soil maps and descriptions of each type of soil in the county, as well as interpretations of the soil’s characteristics and potential for community planning, agricultural land management, engineering and wildlife management.  Maps in the survey show the location of soils in a county, township, section and sub-section.

• Descriptions of each soil type may include:

• Depth of each major soil layer.

• How well water will infiltrate the soil and how easily roots can penetrate it.

• The rate at which water moves downward through the soil.

• How much water the soil can store for plants.

• How acid or alkaline the soil is.

• The soil’s susceptibility to erosion by water and wind.

The survey highlights a soil’s potential and limitations for some uses, and the risk of damaging the soil or the environment through improper use.

The survey identifies:

• The soils potential for crop production with a Corn Suitability Rating (CSR).

• The most suitable hay and pasture plants for specific soils, and practices that can overcome shortcomings in a particular soil.

• Average expected yields per acre of principal crops raised under a high degree of management over time.

• Soils are also rated for their potential to produce trees, support livestock and provide habitat for wildlife.

• Areas where wind or water erosion is a major concern and what can be done to control it.

In addition, soils are rated for their suitability for recreation, such as camping areas, picnic areas, playgrounds, paths and trails for hiking and horseback riding, and golf fairways.  The survey interprets the suitability of soils for the construction of dwellings and small commercial buildings, local roads and streets, septic tank absorption fields, sewage lagoons, landfills, ponds, and dikes and levees.

Soil Surveys are available from several sources, including the state or local office of the NRCS, county extension office, public libraries and conservation district offices.  The National Soil Survey Center Web site is: www.statlab.iastate.edu/soils/nssc

Information Source:  The Soil Survey: Its Use; http://www.swcs.org/t_resources_survey_fact.htm

Beginner's Course in Farrowing House Management for Hispanic Workers
by Jerry Weiss, ISUE Swine Field Specialist

ISU Extension is offering a classroom and hands-on instruction course in farrowing house management for HispanicWorkers. The focus will be introducing a new workforce to the swine industry. It will also be useful for those just recently employed in the swine industry. The sessions will be held at the Iowa lakes Community College production farm near Emmetsburg. The session will be held 2 days per week for 4 weeks. Mondays and Tuesdays from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm. Starting March 29 & 30, April 5 & 6, 12 & 13, and 19 & 20. All instruction will be in Spanish.

The participants will be required to demonstrate skills in handling, feeding and care for sow and litter including: farrowing, processing, treating, fostering, weaning, recording, and washing/

sanitation. Because participants will be working with live animals, strict bio-security practices will be stressed. Those attending and completing the entire session will receive a certificate of completion and become PQA III certified.

This course is a pilot project designed to train individuals for the pork production industry and also to help those just starting to better understand the jobs they are currently doing in the farrowing house.

For questions regarding course content, contact Jerry Weiss, ISU Extension Swine Field Specialist, 712-335-3103 or call Palo Alto County Extension, 712-852-2865 or 712-852-2452 (Espanol).   

 

Ewe-Lamb Replacement/Retention Program
Dennis DeWitt, ISUE Livestock Field Specialist

County Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices have received Notice LD-545 pertaining to the Ewe-Lamb Replacement and Retention Program.

According to the notice, "producers will be paid $18 per head for ewe lambs purchased or retained during August 1, 2003, through July 31, 2004. Producers must also retain the qualifying ewe lambs in the herd for at least 1 complete offspring lambing cycle."

"The qualifications and eligibility requirements of the program ought to be the same as they were in 2003," stated Peter Orwick, American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) executive director. "We are pleased that USDA/FSA took into consideration the recommendations made by the industry to start the program August 1, 2003, so we do not have a gap in eligibility between program years."

Have patience as it may be a few weeks before the local FSA offices receive the necessary paperwork to take applications.

 

Cyclone Beef Days
Dennis DeWitt, ISUE Livestock Field Specialist

The Iowa Beef Center kicks off its 2004 ‘Cyclone Beef Days’ schedule with a comprehensive agenda featuring everything from new ration software to new energy and implant strategies. These meetings will be held Wednesday, March 10, at the Clay County Regional Events Center in Spencer, Iowa, and Thursday, March 11, at the Izaak Walton Building in Humboldt’s Oxbow Park.

The Iowa Beef Center is pleased to offer this program to producers at no cost, due to the generous support of twenty local agri-businesses that value the importance of the Iowa beef industry.

The agenda includes topics that affect all segments of the Iowa beef industry, and features notable presenters.  Greg Wood will begin the meeting with an introduction to HerdWorks^®, a Pasture-to-Plate system for premium branded beef programs.  Dennis DeWitt will introduce BRANDS (Beef Ration and Nutrition Decisions Software), new from the Iowa Beef Center.  Dr. Dan Loy, also of ISU Extension, will discuss the potential for improved feed efficiency and lean gain from Optaflexx™, a new feed additive from Elanco.  An update of the Iowa Quality Beef Supply Co-op will be given by the co-op’s CEO, Dr. Gene Rouse. 

Dr. John Lawrence, ISU Extension Economist, will give insights and outlooks on a potpourri of issues, including BSE, COOL, USAIP, EMS, and markets, followed by an introduction to composting carcasses by DeWitt.  The meeting will conclude with a review of Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) by Brian Waddingham of the Iowa Beef Industry Council.  The goal of BQA is to raise the competitive base for beef, thus enhancing products and maximizing profitability.

Producers are asked to pre-register by calling 712-336-3488 or by emailing DeWitt at dewitt@iastate.edu.  More information and a printable brochure (with registration form) can be found at www.iowabeefcenter.org  The programs begin with registration at 9:30 am and conclude at 4:00 pm.  Lunch is not guaranteed, so early registration is recommended.

Crop Insurance Decisions
By Ron Hook, ISUE Farm Management Specialist

The indemnity prices for corn and soybeans for APH insurance have been announced at $2.45 and $5.60 per bushel, respectively. Last year’s APH indemnity prices were $2.20 for corn and $5.15 for soybeans.

The prices that will be used to calculate the guarantees for the revenue insurance products, such as Revenue Assurance and Crop Revenue Coverage, will not be announced until the end of February. It is very possible that futures market prices will average over $2.80 for corn and $6.60 for soybeans which is well above the averages of $2.42 for corn and $5.26 for soybeans that were recorded for 2003.

This year 1993 yields are removed from the 10-year moving average that is used to calculate APH yields.  The average Iowa corn yield in 1993 was 80 bushels per acre.  The average yield for the state in 2003 is currently estimated at 157 bushels per acre.  APH yields for corn may jump as much as 5 to 10 bushels per acre this year.

Soybeans are a different story. The average Iowa soybean yield was 31 bushels per acre in 1993, but is estimated at only one bushel above that for 2003.  Individual farms may still have had substantially higher yields last year than a decade ago.

Of course, higher guarantees will also mean higher premiums, in many cases. Because insurance companies have more dollars at risk, they must collect more in premium payments. Higher APH yields may modify those increases somewhat.

In recent years, Iowa producers have been shifting away from yield insurance toward more use of the revenue insurance products. A few years ago the insurance indemnity prices for soybeans were below the county loan rate for most producers. This meant that price risk was essentially neutralized, and many farmers chose just to insure yields.

Since then, however, the loan rate has been lowered (for soybeans) and prices have increased dramatically. Today the risk of prices dropping substantially from February to harvest is much higher, making it more important to insure revenue. Moreover, the APH indemnity prices look to be somewhat lower than those that will be used for revenue insurance this year.

New Livestock Confinement Buildings
By Kris Kohl, ISUE Ag Engineer

Producers planning to build confinement buildings this year need to start early.

It is necessary to meet separation distances from neighbors.  Currently, there are three different separation distance requirements depending on when the first confinement building was built on the property.

Producers are required to fill out Manure Management Plans for finished facilities greater than 1250 head but less than 2500 head. Then, there is a 30-day wait for DNR approval.

For larger operations of swine finishing – those that exceed 2500 head – a producer is required to:

1. Meet separation distances

2. File a manure management plan

3. File a construction permit application

4. Meet Master Matrix requirements

5. File construction design statements

6. File a storm water discharge permit

7. File a water withdrawal permit

8. Wait 60 days for approval

While an engineer is not required to complete the paperwork, the task is difficult.

To assist producers who plan to build, ISU Extension is hosting a 2-day construction workshop to be held on Monday, March 8 and Thursday, March 11, 2004 to help producers fill out the paperwork.  The program will be held in LeMars at the ISU Extension office from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. each day.  DNR staff will review the requirements and Extension staff will assist with filling out the paperwork.

The cost for this 2-day program is $100.00 per permit application.   This will include lunch on both days.  Additional members of the operation can attend at $20.00 each to cover meals/expenses.

If you are planning to build a confinement this year, make plans to attend this workshop.  Call the Plymouth County Extension office at 712-546-7835.

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