Today Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey announced that farmers can list corn available to be chopped for silage on the Iowa Hay & Straw Directory. The change comes in response to the drought conditions affecting the state as well as the many livestock farmers now looking for additional feed.
?We have started to see some corn being chopped for silage and I expect we will see much more than usual as pastures and hay ground have dried up and farmers are looking for alternatives,? Northey said. ?The drought has been especially tough on livestock farmers and we hope the directory continues to be a resource as farmers seek additional feed sources for their animals.?
Previously the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship allowed farmers with Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) land available for haying to be listed on the hay and straw directory; all haying activities on those lands must be completed by August 31, 2012, which underscores the urgency with which interested farmers should contact their local Farm Service Agency or Natural Resources Conservation Service office quickly.
The Iowa Hay and Straw Directory, which is offered by the Department each year, lists producers with hay and straw for sale, as well as organizations and businesses associated with promoting and marketing quality hay and straw.
Farmers wishing to list potential silage should visit the Department?s website at www.IowaAgriculture.gov. An application form can be found by going to the ?Home Page? and then clicking on the Marketing tab on the top of the page? and then selecting Hay and Straw in the right hand column. This will take you directly to the Hay & Straw Directory. You can also call the Hay/Straw Hotline at 800-383-5079. The Department will fax or send a printed copy of the application to be filled out.
