What’s New

ANRE Spring Newsletter – 2016

Inside the Issue:

  • Herbicide Resistance & Weed Management Meeting
  • Horse Creek Watershed Meeting
  • PAT Training
  • Poultry for Beginners Workshop
  • Cattle Feeders Workshop
  • Cash Rental Update
  • Strategies to consider with tight Margins
  • Hop Production Seminar

 

Successful Conservationist – April 2015 Newsletter

“With the new IOH rules in place, we have a new condensed outline of information on road authority and when overweight permits are needed” MA permit cheat sheets

Farm Bill Update Meetings Offered for Row Crop Producers

Farmers and landowners will get their questions answered about the crop provisions of the new Farm Bill at Informational Meetings on Tuesday, November 11th  9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Elmwood Auditorium in Elmwood, WI.  University of Wisconsin-Extension and the Farm Service Agency offices in Pierce and St. Croix Counties are hosting this free informational program.

Paul Mitchell, agriculture economics specialist from UW-Madison will explain the two crop coverage programs created by the new Farm Bill: Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) during the informational meeting.  Also on the program is Brenda Boetel, agricultural marketing specialist at UW-River Falls who will provide a 2015 Grain Outlook.

Brenda Boetel is an Extension Agricultural Marketing Specialist focusing in the areas of livestock marketing and price analysis.  Paul Mitchell is a professor and extension specialist in Cropping Systems Economics, focusing on production risk management and crop insurance, as well as the economics of pest management.

The farm bill passed by Congress and signed by President Obama in February of this year eliminated direct payments to producers and created the new programs as key components of the USDA farm safety net. The 2014 farm bill requires producers to pick either ARC, which protects against falling revenue, or PLC, which provides floor for crop prices.

The Elmwood Auditorium is located in downtown Elmwood off Main Street and W. Winter Avenue. The Auditorium is located on the second floor above the village offices.  Signs will be posted.  Pre-registration for this program is requested.  Please contact the Pierce County UW-Extension office at: 715-273-6781 or the St. Croix County UW-Extension Office at: 715-531-1930.

Because the decision between ARC and PLC are of the importance to farmers, USDA enlisted ag research organizations at the University of Missouri, University of Illinois and Texas A & M to develop online tools to help farmers assess the options.  The new online tools provide a comprehensive look at ARC, PLC and other provisions of the farm bill. The tools are available at http://fsa.usapas.com/.

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  • Interested in knowing how to determine sale prices for direct marketing of grain fed beef animals? Read more here… Determining Sale Prices.
  • Pricing Wet (HMSC) Corn App – free app based off a spreadsheet to help determine an equivalent value for wet shell corn when compared with a dry shell corn price. Now available on Google Play store (search for HMSC). For more information, read our post on the HMSC$ app here. 
  • Late and Prevented Planting Coverage and Replant Provisions for Wisconsin Farmers.
  • Team Forage Website: How to Price Standing Forage
    • Pricingstandhay-FOF – A “Focus on Forage” fact sheet written by UW-Extension Agents Ted Bay and Rhonda Gildersleeve, Ken Barnett, UW-Extension Farm Management Specialist, and Dan Undersander, UW-Extension Forage Agronomist.
    • Copy of Price Standing Forage Worksheet – This spreadsheet developed by Extension Educator Ken Barnett, helps to determine ceiling and floor prices to pay for standing forage.
  • Land rolling has become a common soil-finishing practice for soybean in Minnesota and throughout the Upper Midwest. The practice has been used for decades in alfalfa and grass seed production to improve germination and manage rocks, but it is relatively new for row crops, where its main purpose is to improve harvesting efficiency and reduce combine damage.
  • Getting the Most from Drought Stressed Forages   –  “While Pierce County as of early summer is the garden spot of Wisconsin, alfalfa and hay growers can utilize this fact sheet to better manage hay stands if the summer continues to be dry”
  • Renting Farm Assets workshops will include information about local farmland rental rates, rental rate trends, fixed and flexible cash rental, lease and contract law, leasing forms, AgLease 101 resources, and decision tools for renters and landlords.   Program Topics:
    • And you Want what for Rent?
    • 2012 Pierce County Farmland Rental Survey Interpretation and Trends
    • Fixed and Flexible Cash Rental Options
    • Lease and Contract Law
    • AgLease 101 Resources
      • Lease Forms
    • Decision Tools for Renters and Landlords