Ag Economy & Crop Demand Chad Hart – Iowa State University Professor of Economics
Batch & Build Program & Central Iowa Cover Crop Partnership Will Hoffman – Heartland Co-op Conservation Agronomist
11:00 AM | Lunch & Check In for Golf
Noon | Golf Shotgun Start
LOCATION
Veenker Memorial Golf Course | Ames, Iowa
All registrations must be confirmed and paid by Thursday, June 13, 2024. NO cancellations will be accepted and NO refunds will be given after Thursay, June 13, 2024.
To pay with credit card please use the following link:
DES MOINES – In 2023, nearly $464,000 in financial assistance was provided to farmers through the Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crop Initiative for cost share associated with cover crop conservation practices through the Water Quality Initiative (WQI). The Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crop Initiative is a project developed by the Iowa Seed Association with the Agribusiness Association of Iowa, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, and Iowa Corn. “Cover crop utilization in a seed corn production system offers a unique opportunity for earlier establishment to further increase soil conservation efforts and protect water quality,” said Iowa Seed Association’s Board of Directors President Jeff Steinback. In 2023, 137 growers received finance assistance, covering over 32,000 acres, saving almost 97,000 tons of soil, and spending an estimated $1.15 million of their own money to implement cover crops.
Partnerships with eight seed companies, representing the majority of seed corn production in Iowa, provide cost share, technical assistance, outreach, and education dedicated to seed corn growers. Funding incentives available to seed corn growers are $15 per acre for winter-hardy and $10 per acre for winterkill cover crops. An additional $5 per acre incentive is available for first-time cover crop users. Financial assistance provided by the Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crop Initiative is stackable with private funds, such as the Practical Farmers of Iowa.
In 2023, the Iowa Seed Association collaborated with Heartland Co-op for dedicated outreach and technical assistance for edge-of-field water quality practices that were not invasive to field operations. The Iowa Seed Association’s $10,000 contribution, along with additional contributions from Agriculture’s Clean Water Alliance, BASF, Iowa Nutrient Research & Education Council, and Syngenta, supported forty saturated buffers and sixteen bioreactors to be released for bidding this spring in the Big Creek and Lower Cedar River watersheds. According to William Hoffman, a Conservation Agronomist for Heartland Co-op, these structures will drain a total of 3,486 acres and remove an average of 41,831 pounds of nitrogen annually. Identification of potential sites was completed by Hoffman and other Conservation Agronomists from Heartland Co-op, who reached out to landowners and surveyed sites for engineering. By connecting growers with technical and cost share information on these practices, increased knowledge and awareness of these practices can further understanding of conservation practices and facilitate accelerated implementation.
The Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crops Initiative helps increase adoption of cover crops specifically within the seed corn production system in Iowa. The focus on seed corn is driven by the unique opportunity that seed corn provides due to the earlier harvest, thereby providing better timing opportunities for establishing cover crops in the late summer and early fall after harvest. Cost share applications for planting cover crops on seed corn acres this coming fall are currently being accepted. Visit www.sustainableseedcorn.org for more information.
All registrations must be confirmed and paid by Wednesday, June 15, 2023 . NO cancellations will be accepted and NO refunds will be given after Wednesday, June 15, 2023.
To pay with credit card please use the following link:
DES MOINES – In 2022, over $589,000 in financial assistance was provided to farmers and landowners through the Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crop Initiative for cost share associated with cover crop conservation practices through the Water Quality Initiative (WQI). The Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crop Initiative is a project developed by the Iowa Seed Association in partnership with the Agribusiness Association of Iowa, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, and Iowa Corn. Seed corn growers continue to show increased interest in the adoption of cover crops on acres used for seed corn production. Nearly 200 seed corn growers signed up for funding in 2022, covering over 41,000 acres, saving almost 125,000 tons of soil, and spending an estimated $1.6 million of their own money to implement cover crops.
Partnerships with eight seed companies, representing the vast majority of seed corn production in Iowa, provide cost share, technical assistance, outreach, and education dedicated to seed corn growers. Funding incentives available to seed corn growers are $15 per acre for winter-hardy and $10 per acre for winter-kill cover crops. An additional $5 per acre incentive is available for first-time cover crop users. In 2022, sixteen new users established cover crops through the Initiative. Applications are being accepted at www.sustainableseedcorn.org for planting cover crops this fall.
For 2023, the Iowa Seed Association approved a new collaboration with Heartland Cooperative for dedicated outreach and technical assistance for edge-of-field water quality practices that are permanent and not invasive to field operations. By connecting seed corn growers with technical and cost share information on these practices, increased knowledge of these practices can facilitate accelerated implementation.
The Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crops Initiative focuses on ways to help increase adoption of cover crops specifically within the seed corn production system in Iowa. The focus on seed corn is driven by the unique opportunity that seed corn provides due to the earlier harvest, thereby providing better timing opportunities for establishing cover crops in the late summer and fall after harvest. Cost share applications for planting cover crops on seed corn acres this coming fall are being accepted. Visit www.sustainableseedcorn.org for more information.
All registrations must be confirmed and paid by Wednesday, June 15, 2022 . NO cancellations will be accepted and NO refunds will be given after Wednesday, June 15, 2022.
To pay with credit card please use the following link:
All registrations must be confirmed and paid by Tuesday, July 27 , 2021 . NO cancellations will be accepted and NO refunds will be given after Tuesday, July 27 , 2021 .
To pay with credit card please use the following link:
The 2020 Iowa Seed Golf Tournament is canceled, leadership asks members to donate funds to support seed scholarships.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Iowa Seed Association (ISA) leadership has decided not to hold the 2020 Annual Golf Tournament in June. ISA plans to resume the tournament in June of 2021. As a member of the seed industry, you can make an impact on scholarship at Iowa State University this year. The unfortunate cancellation of our event presents an excellent opportunity for you to help students achieve their dreams.
The state of Iowa has
provided guidance for keeping field workers safe during the 2020 growing season
in response to challenges posed by COVID-19.
Iowa Workforce Development and the Iowa Department of Public Health have released theirCOVID-19 Guidance for Agriculture Employers, Farm Labor Contractors, Migrant and Seasonal Farm Workers, and Migrant Labor Camp Operators to help keep workers, and all Iowans, safe. Included in the document is guidance for transportation of workers, housing and sleeping units, eating areas, restrooms/bathrooms, and tools used in the field. Information also is provided for handling situations where workers are showing COVID-19 symptoms and when a worker is diagnosed with the virus.
Many of the guidelines involve additional physical separation through spacing or barriers as well as additional cleaning protocols. The full document can be found here. The Iowa Seed
Association encourages members to use the information provided to help maintain
a healthy and productive growing season.
If you have additional questions or concerns, contact Joan O’Brien who can assist with connecting you to the proper resource to answer your question – joanoagribizorg or 515-975-7461 (cell).
COVID-19 Guidance for Agriculture Employers, Farm Labor Contractors, Migrant and Seasonal Farm Workers, and Migrant Labor Camp Operators
Farming is an essential business operation and activity, often supported by the use of migrant and seasonal farmworkers. COVID-19 can spread rapidly in settings with many people living in close proximity, including living facilities for migrant farmworkers. Agriculture employers and farm labor contractors who provide housing for migrant workers should implement plans to prevent exposure to the virus that causes COVID- 19, care for individuals with COVID-19 and prevent community transmission of the disease. Commitment to strong sanitary protocols will decrease operational impacts.
Individuals above the age of 65 and people with pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes, chronic lung disease, and chronic heart disease, or a compromised immune system (e.g., cancer, cancer treatment, or other immunosuppressant treatments) have a greater risk of severe illness from COVID-19. This could include agricultural workers with lung problems associated with exposure to common hazards and irritants such as smoke, pesticides, and fungi found in crops. The following recommendations from Iowa Workforce Development and the Iowa Department of Public Health are intended to prevent exposure to COVID-19, where possible, and protect the public health of the state.
The key components of a prevention plan for migrant farmworkers include:
Minimizing the risk for exposure to the virus,
Early detection of individuals with symptoms of COVID-19, and
Caring for individuals with COVID-19 while ensuring that they do not give the infection to anyone else.
As you prepare your own field operations, ASTA has a
checklist for keeping workers safe which can be used in conjunction with the
state of Iowa guidance:
Pesticide applicators and licensed businesses have a new way to apply for their certification, pay fees, and check on their status. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) has launched a self-service portal for pesticide applicators meant to streamline the certification process.
First-time users will need to register to use the online site. Once registered, users can check on their status, pay fees, and retrieve certification numbers. The site also works for licensed businesses and private applicators.
Additionally, for new applicators who will be working for a licensed business under the supervision of a certified applicator and need to take the private applicator test as the workaround during the COVID-19 pandemic, registration, and payment of fees can be done directly from the portal. A successfully completed test immediately provides a certified applicator number.
Instructions on First Time User registration instructions – click here
Pesticide Applicator Self-Service site (login page for those already registered) – click here
The self-service portal uses each pesticide applicator’s unique certification number to match their application and payment to their training and testing history.
To apply for a new or renew an existing pesticide applicator license, individuals will use their certification number to log-in to the self-service portal. The licensee can submit their application, test results, and payment online.
Once in-person testing resumes, proctored test locations will use each applicator’s unique certification number when uploading the test results to the self-service portal. The portal will link the user’s training and testing information to the application and payment records stored in the online system.
Once the application, payment, training, and testing information are received, the licenses and certifications will be processed and sent directly to the applicant.
By moving the process online, individual pesticide applicators can access their records anytime by logging into the self-service portal. The system also has a public search function that empowers customers and employers to verify that their pesticide applicators are licensed to work in the state of Iowa.
Questions about the self-service site can be directed to the Pesticide Bureau via email pesticidesiowaagriculturegov (pesticidesiowaagriculturegov) .
Shannon Moeller, the project coordinator for the Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crop Initiative, is honored with the new Impact award from the Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance (IAWA) as part of the third annual Iowa Watershed Awards program.
Moeller was honored with five other watershed coordinators for their multitude of contributions and steadfast dedication to improving water quality across the state.
Moeller is currently helping Iowa seed corn producers adopt cover crops while also simultaneously advancing the objectives of the statewide Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy (NRS) through the Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crops Initiative.
Improving Water Quality with Cover Crops on Seed Corn Acres
Before handling this cover crops project with seed corn growers, Moeller was the project coordinator for the Benton/Tama nutrient reduction watershed project.
“Working with farmers and landowners to adopt conservation practices that improve water quality across Benton and Tama counties was a great experience for my current project with the Iowa Seed Association (ISA),” she says. “Helping seed corn growers use cover crops across the entire state is very rewarding.”
Since this project began in 2016, Moeller has worked with
seed companies to educate and encourage farmers to seed cover crops following
seed field harvest. “Before this project began, only 5 to 10% of seed corn
acres in the state had cover crops. In 2019, I worked with over 200 growers in
the program covering 30% of Iowa’s seed acres, with some areas close to 75%,”
she says.
In addition, more than 50 growers have expanded cover crop
use on their commercial corn (non-seed corn) acres, which also helps to meet
the goals of the Iowa NRS, she adds.
In 2019, ISA and the Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crop Initiative partnered with the Iowa Ag Radio Network to co-host a series of field days for the Row Crop Run in the summer and fall. Moeller, through her efforts at field days and seed meetings, has made a big difference in helping farmers understand the soil health and water quality benefits provided by cover crops. She shares that growers get excited when they see visible improvements in soil structure, as well as less erosion and runoff.
“After four years, it’s exciting for me to share the
successes and challenges, from farmer to farmer,” she says. “So many farmers
are now calling me for advice, which is an honor and a privilege.”
Success doesn’t stop there, as Moeller says she retains
almost 100% of growers to continue growing cover crops year after year. “They
are switching from basic covers like oats that winter-kill to more winter-hardy
species like cereal rye and other seed blends designed to improve soil organic
matter and water infiltration faster,” she says.
Partnership invaluable
Moeller is quick to point out the value of partnerships and
mentors that help drive program success. “I pride myself in developing field
days with value, and that includes talks by experienced cover crop farmers,
along with involvement from local watersheds, NRCS, Iowa State University (ISU)
Extension and Outreach, Practical Farmers of Iowa, Iowa Learning Farms, the
Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance, Soil Health Partnership, and many others,” she
says.
To help maintain momentum for her work, Moeller will receive funding through the Iowa Watershed Award to apply to the Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crop Initiative, as well as funding for her own professional development. She recently added to her ISU Agronomy degree by becoming a Certified Crop Adviser in 2019, with the goal to never stop learning.
Directly engage seed corn companies to work with their growers on adopting cover crops
Increase the number of seed corn growers utilizing cover crops
Develop and deploy new strategic partnerships with agricultural retailers to provide turn-key services for growers to assist them with cover crop implementation
Develop and distribute educational and informational materials primarily targeted to entry-level audiences to provide more focus on beginning cover crop user needs
Hold demonstration field days and grower meetings to provide information and advice designed to equip farmers with the resource support needed for successful establishment and management of cover crops
The Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crops Initiative focuses on ways to help increase the adoption of cover crops specifically within the seed corn production system in Iowa. The focus on seed corn is driven by the unique opportunity that seed corn provides due to the earlier harvest, thereby providing better timing opportunities for establishing cover crops in the late summer and fall after harvest. This focus is also heavily driven by the seed corn industry in Iowa, and their efforts to help promote and support the use of cover crops as part of Iowa’s Nutrient Strategy.
Find out how you can become a part of the Initiative or start cover crops on your seed corn acres at www.sustainableseedcorn.org
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