June 17, 2023

IN THIS ISSUE

• An Exceptionally Wet Spring Means Green Fields, and Some Concerns for Colorado's Farmlands
• CCPC and CSU SPUR on 1010KSIR
• Best Management Practices for Colorado Farms - Colorado Corn edition now available
• USMEF Conference Details Farm Bill Challenges, Examines Importance of U.S.-Mexico Trade Relations
• Prevented Planting Request for Information and Stakeholder Listening Sessions
• Pesticide Applicator Continuing Education

An Exceptionally Wet Spring Means Green Fields, and Some Concerns for Colorado's Farmlands

In spring of 2022, nearly the entire state of Colorado was parched with heat and drought. One year later, the story is remarkably different, with above-average rainfall and unusually cool temperatures. And while all those back-to-back rainy days put a damper on this year’s picnic season, the extra moisture is doing wonders for Colorado’s croplands.

When it comes to corn, Nicholas Colglazier, executive director of the Colorado Corn Promotion Council says growers couldn’t be more pleased with the bounty falling from the sky. Corn, after all, loves water.

“This amount of rain has really been a boon for our corn farmers this growing season,” he said. “It’s shaping up to be a good corn year. We can look at the stats and I don’t’ think I’ve ever seen them this good.”

Read more...

CCPC and CSU SPUR on 1010KSIR

Ryan Taylor, Director of Sustainability, Research, and Industry Relations, Colorado Corn Promotion Council

and Jordan Lambert, Director of Ag Innovation, CSU SPUR, sat down with Lorrie Boyer to talk about the partnership between the CCPC and CSU that advance the reach and research of corn.

Best Management Practices for Colorado Farms - Colorado Corn edition now available

The updated Best Management Practices for Colorado Corn is now available. If you have any questions, please reach out to Ryan Taylor rtaylor@coloradocorn.com.

USMEF Conference Details Farm Bill Challenges, Examines Importance of U.S.-Mexico Trade Relations

The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Spring Conference concluded at the end of May in Minneapolis with insights from former House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson on how to make international trade a higher priority in the next Farm Bill. 

Peterson, who oversaw the development of four Farm Bills during his 30 years in Congress, said trade has too often taken a back seat in Farm Bill debate and messaging.

“For those of you that have members of Congress in your area who are on the Ag Committee, start talking to them about trade,” Peterson said. “I used to meet with everyone from my district who came to discuss the Farm Bill. They would talk about crop insurance, Title One, conservation and rural development. And at the end of the meeting they would say, ‘Oh by the way, we have to do something about trade.’ It should be the first thing you talk to them about, not the last thing. That way you can get some people to the table who will put trade at the top of the agenda, not the bottom, and that’s what needs to happen.” 

Read more...

Prevented Planting Request for Information and Stakeholder Listening Sessions

RMA is gathering feedback on possible changes to prevented planting crop insurance coverage through a request for information (published May 23, 2023) as well as virtual and in-person listening sessions. These feedback opportunities will enable RMA to provide better crop insurance options.

Request for Information

The request for information on prevented planting requests input on prevented planting topics to include:

• Harvest Price Option – Feedback on whether to allow the prevented planting payment calculations to be based on the higher of projected price or harvest price under the revenue protection plan of insurance.
• “1 in 4” Rule – Input on the challenges or experiences since the rule (to be eligible for a prevented planting coverage acreage must have been planted to a crop, insured, and harvested in at least 1 out of the previous 4 crop years) was implemented nationwide.
• 10 percent additional coverage option – Input on if RMA should reinstate the option to buy-up prevented planting coverage by 10 percent.
• Contract price – Whether prevented planting costs are higher for contracted crops and how prevented planting payments should be calculated for contract crops.
• General – Willingness to pay additional premium for expanded prevented planting benefits, recommendations on other prevented planting limitations, etc.



Comments are due September 1, 2023, and they should be submitted through regulations.gov. The request for information, which includes details for submitting feedback, is available in this Federal Register notice.

Colorado will have a virtual listening session on July 20, 2023. Details will be released soon. There will be a virtual session on June 8, 2023. The details are:

• June 8, 2023 from 12-2pm MDT
• Meeting URL: Click here to join the meeting
• Meeting ID: 217 891 067 621
• Passcode: 43YLNt
• For audio only (call in): 314-530-5560
• Passcode: 746 772 69#

Pesticide Applicator Continuing Education

Mountain West PEST provides live in-person workshops and live online recertification credit training via Zoom Webinars.  Live online webinars and in-person workshops have been developed and approved for core and category credits. If your category is not listed as an "upcoming" webinar/workshop, please contact MWPEST (sandra@mountainwestpest.com).

View upcoming workshops

UPCOMING DEADLINES

• Margin Protection Insurance Plan – Sept. 30, 2023

UPCOMING EVENTS

• June 21 - CCPC Board of Directors Quarterly Meeting