Latest News — From Your Side of the Fence

Fenceline
From Your Side of the Fence – November 2018

The fall of 2018 has made manure application very challenging in specific areas of the state. We have been receiving questions on manure application rules and using the “Emergency Application Provision” if manure application gets delayed because of an unpredictable fall. To use the exemption, producers need to show field staff that they have exhausted all efforts to avoid using the provision before they issue an emergency exemption. For more information, visit the Iowa Department of Natural Resources' news release for tips to consider for confinement manure application. If you have additional questions, feel free to contact the Coalition at 800.932.2436 or go to www.supportfarmers.com.

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From Your Side of the Fence: Patience and planning

New construction of a livestock barn is a big project; it doesn’t happen overnight.  Depending on the size of the barn and location, it can take months before you are ready to build. Things to consider: (example, building a new 2,400 head hog barn) Alluvial and Karst soil: if your site has either of these...

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From your side of the fence: Top five neighbor relations tips

Neighbor relations is never an easy topic for farmers, or me, to talk about. No one-size-fits-all approach works for any and all farms. Each farm is different and each neighborhood is different. All you can do is make your best effort to communicate your plans for your farm in a way that is not offensive,...

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From your side of the fence: Combination farms

Combination livestock farms can be challenging if a farmer is considering expanding. The most common example of a combination farm is cattle and hogs on the same farm site. Under state law, for the purpose of new construction permitting, all animals units in the same production practice need to be counted together. What this means...

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