Standing water has been a common site in some northern parts of the state. In order to help producers deal with these wet conditions, Iowa State University Extension will hold a series of meetings next week in Emmet, Palo Alto and Kossuth Counties.

By KRISS NELSON

editor@farm-news.com

Producers in northern Iowa counties have been battling with wet conditions all spring, bringing sporadic opportunities to get crops in the ground.

Paul Kassel, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach field agronomist in northwest Iowa, said there are still some producers that haven’t had the chance to start their spring field work with some areas around Iowa Highway 9 only 5 to 10 percent completed with their corn planting.

“That could still be 30,000 acres in a county,” said Kassel. “That is no small potatoes.”

In order to help provide those producers struggling against Mother Nature to make decisions on how to move forward this spring, ISU Extension, in collaboration with Farm Service Agency (FSA) and crop insurance specialists, will be offering delayed planting meetings next week in Emmet, Palo Alto and Kossuth counties.

“There are always neighborhoods that get doused on worse and neighborhoods that don’t get it near as worse, but there is a need for information to help people make a decision,” said Kassel, who will speak on the agronomy side of things, giving producers an overview of the what-ifs they can expect for the rest of the 2018 growing season.

“I will talk about yield potential of corn, the yield potential of soybeans, switching hybrids, switching varieties, what the potential drying costs might be with late planting,” he said. “It will be just a little reality on what can be expected. When do you change from corn to beans or when you don’t do that.”

Crop insurance agents and FSA staff will be there to help answer questions and explain options producers have. For example, for delayed or preventative planting.

Preventive planting, according to the USDA’s Risk Management Agency, is described as a failure to plant an insured crop with the proper equipment by the final planting date designated in the insurance policy’s actuarial documents or during the late planting period, if applicable, due to an insurance cause of loss that is general to the surrounding area, and that also prevents other producers from planting acreage with similar characteristics.

If farmers have federal crop insurance and have not been able to plant by the given crop’s final planting date and have drowned out areas in the fields, they do have options.

Kassel said he will also speak with producers on their options if they choose to take preventative planting. Although they are not required to plant, he would like to encourage producers to consider planting a cover crop.

Meetings

On Tuesday, May 29, meetings will be held in Emmet and Palo Alto counties. Those interested have the option of attending in Estherville at the VFW Hall, 314 S. First St., beginning at 9 a.m., or at the Palo Alto County Extension Office, 2008 10th St., in Emmetsburg, beginning at 1 p.m.

In addition to Kassel, presenters include Gary Wright, farm management specialist for ISU Extension and Outreach; Nicole Tifft, crop insurance agent with Cornerstone Insurance, and Lisa Forburger, county executive director for the FSA.

Meetings in Kossuth County will be held on Wednesday, May 30. Two meetings will be held that day; one near Algona at the Water’s Edge Nature Center, 1010 250th St., at 9:30 a.m.; and one in Bancroft at the Summit Center, 304 S. Summit St., starting at 1:30 p.m.

Speakers will include Kassel, Tifft, and Angie Christian, county executive director for the FSA.

Those interested are asked to pre-register to ensure enough supplies and refreshments are provided.

For Kossuth County, those interested should contact Meredith Nelson at (515) 295-2469. In Emmet County, Britney Rosburg can be reached at (712) 362-3434 and in Palo Alto County, the contact person is Angie Strohman at (712) 852-2865.