Acreage Living Newsletter
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Plan Now for Donating Excess Produce |
If your home garden ends up larger than planned or more tomatoes, potatoes, and zucchini are planted than are actually needed, donating to your local food pantry is a great option. Donations from home gardeners and commercial fruit and vegetable growers are important to food pantries. |
| Census of Agriculture Countdown Begins for America’s Farmers and Ranchers |
Don't miss the opportunity to represent agriculture in your community and industry by taking part in the 2017 Census of Agriculture! Done every five years, the Census of Agriculture remains the only source of uniform, comprehensive, and impartial agriculture data for every county in the nation. If you are new to farming or did not receive a Census of Agriculture in 2012 you still have time to sign up to receive the 2017 Census of Agriculture report form by visiting www.agcensus.usda.gov and clicking on the ‘Make Sure You Are Counted’ button through June.
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Managing Soil pH in Horticultural Crops |
Iowa soils are very diverse and so are the chemical characteristics that make up these soils. Soil pH is one property that can vary widely across the state both naturally and due to crop production inputs. It is also one of the most cost effective and easy to manage soil properties that can be modified to improve plant health and crop production. |
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Mowing Maintenance Reminders |
To ensure your mower is in good shape and limit downtime, it’s wise to review basic maintenance procedures. |
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Boosting Pasture Production |
Looking to boost pasture production this summer? When considering how to carry cows on fewer acres, pasture fertilization may be one of the easiest and most economical solutions. |
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Planting Bare-root Trees vs. Container-grown Trees |
Spring is a great time to plant new trees on an acreage. Do you know the differences between planting bare-root trees and container-grown trees? When should each be planted and what applications work well for each type? |
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Veterinary Feed Directive: What Small Farming Operations Need to Know |
What does the Veterinary Feed Directive mean for small-scale livestock producers? First, it is important to note that the new FDA rules apply to all livestock producers, practicing veterinarians, and distributors of medicated feeds regardless of the operation size. What does that mean for you? |
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Helping Monarchs and Pollinators through USDA Assistance Programs |
With the declining number of Monarch butterflies migrating north through the central United States, USDA is offering a new incentive program to Iowa farmers to help increase Monarch breeding habitat. |
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May is American Wetlands Month: USDA Programs Provide Restoration Opportunities |
Prior to European settlement wetlands made up about 11 percent (or 4 million acres) of the Iowa landscape. Wetlands were not only prevalent in the Prairie Pothole region of north central Iowa, they were part of every watershed in the state. Today, however, 95 percent of Iowa wetlands have been drained. |
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What Story is your Land Telling? |
We can learn about our land in a variety of ways. An alternative, simple, and reliable method remains perhaps underutilized and is accessible to anyone with trained eyes: reading the stories plainly displayed on the face of the land and trees. Understanding the stories hidden in the elements of our landscapes can transform a walk in the woods or a country drive into a history lesson on the land and the stories hidden in its plants and soils. |