11/24/06 Forage issues and deadlines

Glen Shewmaker believes that the Idaho forage industry is economically healthy but it faces many challenges too. The University of Idaho extension forage specialist says dairy and horse hay demand have made forages more of a cash crop rather than a rotation crop. On December 12th Shewmaker will kickoff the general session of the 2006 Western Alfalfa and Forage Conference in Reno with a presentation on emerging issues in Idaho and the Northwest. Today is the deadline for Wetlands Reserve Program. NRCS can take applications today from landowners seeking financial and technical assistance to protect, restore and enhance wetlands on their property. Many people are thinking end of harvest, Thanksgiving and the coming holiday season but Farm Service Agency Idaho director Wayne Hammon says don't forget you only have a few days left to meet an important deadline. HAMMON "A lot of the crop insure programs include the FSA ones, but also your normal multi-peril crop insurance that deadline is coming up November 30th and so people have got to think ahead as to what they what they are planning to do in the spring and get in and get their crop insurance purchased." Early next month is the deadline to vote for FSA county committee members. Those ballots went out earlier this month but have to be returned by December 4th. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott