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CSIF Tips of the Month – February 2013
Rules and Regs Highlight: DNR to Inspect ALL Medium and Large CAFOs Over the next 6 years, the Iowa DNR will be inspecting all medium and large concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) in the state. These inspections are being required by EPA who, after being sued by environmental groups, has required DNR to make a...
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Guidelines for Selecting Trees
Source: Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, RG 702 Revised February 2013; Prepared by Jeff Iles, extension horticulturist To read more, visit http://bit.ly/11Q39kd Selecting a single “good tree” for your yard or several hundred for your community will be more rewarding if you take time to critically evaluate the proposed planting site and the reasons...
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Guest Blog: Tree Planning from a Farmer’s Perspective
By: Katie Olthoff, On the Banks of Squaw Creek Last week, we braved the cold and stood outside planning some tree plantings around our turkey barns. We’ve talked about doing this for awhile, especially since two of our barns on along a well-traveled state highway. But we weren’t sure exactly what to plant or where....
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Windbreaks for Livestock Operations
Source: University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension EC 94-1766-X By: Vernon Quam and LaDon Johnson, North Dakota State University; Bruce Wight, Soil Conservation Service; and James R Brandle, University of Nebraska To read the full article: http://bit.ly/ZPCmn5. Windbreaks play an important role in the protection of livestock, particularly in young animals and in areas with cold...
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Medium-Sized Livestock Farms Under Scrutiny
During the last month, there have been rumors about EPA focusing on medium-sized livestock farms and forcing them to get costly permits. Before you panic, remember the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers is here to help. Neither EPA nor DNR can force a farm to get a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit unless...
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Farm Credit Services of America Invests in the Coalition
DES MOINES, Iowa – January 3, 2013 – Farm Credit Services of America, (FCSAmerica) a company dedicated to serving the agricultural credit and financial needs of farmers and ranchers, reaffirmed its support of Iowa agriculture through an investment in the non-profit Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers (CSIF). The financial commitment made by FCSAmerica will assist CSIF...
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CSIF Tips of the Month – January 2013
Rules & Regs Highlight: Keep Your Farm in Compliance This Winter Is your winter feeding area in compliance? Areas where cattle are wintered on corn stalks or other crop residue are on environmental regulators’ radar. EPA and DNR officials have indicated over the next few months they will be looking closely at these areas. In...
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Hay theft new threat for Iowa’s livestock farmers
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – December 19, 2012 – As if the drought and reduced crop yields haven’t been challenging enough for livestock farmers, there is a new threat that is popping up across rural Iowa – hay theft. The Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers (CSIF) has received numerous reports of hay being stolen across the...
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Will Trees Work on My Farm?
CSIF Assistant Field Specialist and Green Farmstead Partner program coordinator Rita Cook shares answers to the most commonly asked questions about tree plantings on livestock farms. Why should I plant trees? There are many reasons to plant trees – from snow control to wind protection to improving relationships with neighbors. Although there will be an...
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Neighbor relations vital for livestock success
By: Bethany Pint, Iowa Farm Bureau Posted with permission of the Iowa Farm Bureau Spokesman Communicating with neighbors and consumers is important, and farmers are responsible for sending the right message to these groups of people by what they say and what they do on the farm. Brian Waddingham, executive director of the Coalition to...
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