Iowa Farm Custom Rate Survey Provides Guidance for Hiring
Custom machine work prices decline but can’t keep up with drop in crop prices
Article | Fri, 03/04/2016 - 09:02 | By Alejandro Plastina, Ann Johanns
AMES, Iowa – Hiring others to do custom machine work is a common practice for farmers across Iowa. The 2016 Iowa Farm Custom Rate Survey canvassed 182 farmers, custom operators and farm managers from the state, putting together a guide for pricing custom machine work.
The publication, which can be found online at the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Store (FM 1698) or on the Ag Decision Maker website as Information File A3-10, provides rates for custom work in the following categories: tillage, planting, drilling and seeding, fertilizer application, harvesting, drying and hauling grain, harvesting forages, complete custom farming, labor, and both bin and machine rental.
The survey found there was a 2 percent price decline across all surveyed categories. When the categories with the 5 percent highest and lowest change were removed, the average decline in rate became 2.6 percent.
“This change is tied to lower crop prices,” said Alejandro Plastina, assistant professor and extension economist with ISU Extension and Outreach. “The bad news is the decline in price for those who hire custom work is dwarfed by the overall decline in crop prices.”
The average rate and range for each machine work function were compiled into the survey as usual, but this year the median charge and number of responses for each category were added to provide additional context to the findings. The additions were included to make the publication more useful and user-friendly, providing clarity on how far apart the average and median charge were. Another addition to the 2016 survey are responses for scouting crops with a drone.
For the survey, the average is calculated as the simple average of all responses. The median is the response that splits all the ordered responses (from smallest to largest) in half. The range consists of the second-lowest value and the second-highest value in the sample.
The values presented in the survey are intended only as a guide. There are many reasons why the rate charged in a particular situation should be above or below the average. These include the timeliness with which operations are performed, quality and special features of the machine, operator skill, size and shape of fields, number of acres contracted, and the condition of the crop for harvesting. The availability of custom operators in a given area will also affect rates.The Ag Decision Maker website offers a Decision Tool to help custom operators and other farmers estimate their own costs for specific machinery operations. Plastina and Ann Johanns, program specialist in economics with ISU Extension and Outreach, authored the publication.
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Smart Investing Courses Improve Financial Capability
Article | Wed, 03/02/2016 - 09:22 | By Carol Ehlers, Cynthia Needles Fletcher, Laura Sternweis
AMES, Iowa -- A 2012 survey indicates that Iowans lack financial management skills. However, Iowans who have participated in “Smart Investing@Your Library®” report improving their knowledge and abilities in setting financial goals, planning and taking action. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach offers these online courses that help Iowans make well-informed decisions to improve their financial future.
FINRA Investor Education Foundation conducts the National Financial Capability Study. The 2012 survey showed that 61 percent of Iowans could not correctly answer more than three of five basic financial questions, indicating they would have difficulty applying financial decision-making skills to real life situations. This was the same percentage as the total U.S. sample.
“People need at least a basic level of financial literacy and decision-making skills to make informed decisions about saving and investing – from covering emergencies to saving for retirement and other long-term goals,” said Carol Ehlers, a human sciences specialist in family finance with ISU Extension and Outreach.
That’s why ISU Extension and Outreach offers three free Smart Investing courses, Ehlers said. The first course, “Starting Out,” targets people who are beginning to invest. “Building Up” targets those in mid-life and “Making It Last” focuses on those nearing or in retirement. All three courses are offered completely online.
“Information is tailored to each age group and the courses encourage participants either to start saving and investing or to take a second look at their current situation and make changes,” Ehlers said.
Each course involves four online modules. Topics include balancing risk, cutting investment costs, choosing an investment adviser and fine-tuning an investment portfolio at each life stage.
The online courses are taught by Cynthia Fletcher, a professor in human development and family studies and resource management extension state specialist. The courses were made possible by a grant to Iowa Library Services from the FINRA Investor Education Foundation through “Smart Investing@Your Library®,” a partnership with the American Library Association.
About the Authors
Human Development and Family Studies
515-294-8521 cynthia@iastate.edu
Organizational Advancement
515-294-0775lsternwe@iastate.edu
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Concerned about Gambling? Have the Conversation
March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month
Article | Mon, 02/29/2016 - 10:22 | By Polly Carver-Kimm , Margaret VanGinkel
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Governor Branstad will sign a proclamation Friday, March 4, marking March as Problem Gambling Awareness Month. While gambling is harmless entertainment for most Iowans, gambling can lead to personal and financial problems for others. According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, 294,000 adult Iowans experienced a problem related to their gambling in the past year.
During Problem Gambling Awareness Month, Iowans are encouraged to have the conversation about gambling with those they care about. “We know the majority of Iowans who gamble do so because it’s fun and they don’t have any problems as a result of it,” said Eric Preuss of the of the IDPH Office of Problem Gambling Treatment and Prevention. “But for those with a gambling problem, many suffer in silence because they don’t know why they developed a problem, what gambling addiction is or where to get help.”
Symptoms of problem gambling include the following:
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Thinking a lot about gambling, such as past gambling experiences, future gambling ventures or ways of getting money for gambling
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Needing to gamble with larger amounts of money or with larger bets to get the same feeling of excitement
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Repeatedly trying to cut down or stop gambling without success
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Feeling restless or irritable when trying to cut down or stop gambling
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Gambling to run away from problems or to get relief from feeling depressed, anxious, or bad about oneself
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After losing money gambling, often returning another day in order to win back the losses
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Lying to family members, friends, or others in order to hide the gambling from them
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Losing or almost losing a significant relationship, job, or an educational or career opportunity because of gambling
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Relying on others to provide money to relieve a desperate financial situation caused by gambling
“You can call 1-800 Bets Off (1-800-238-7633) to start that conversation and get connected to a Gambling Treatment Center near you,” said Margaret VanGinkel, hotlines coordinator for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. ISU Extension and Outreach has a contract with IDPH to answer the Bets Off Hotline and connect both gamblers and others who have concerns about gambling to appropriate resources. Bets Off is available all hours, all days.
The Office of Problem Gambling Treatment and Prevention works to reduce the harm caused by problem gambling by funding a range of services for Iowans. These services include outpatient counseling for problem gamblers, concerned individuals and family; recovery support services; financial counseling, including budgeting and debt reduction plans; and statewide information and referral services through 1-800-BETS OFF and www.1800betsoff.org. In addition, the program funds targeted prevention and education services for schools, community groups, casino employees and other at-risk groups.
"If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-BETS OFF or go to www.1800BETSOFF.org," VanGinkel said.
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Commercial Potato Production Discussed In New Publication
From planting to harvest, ISU Extension and Outreach publication covers all aspects of growing potatoes
Article | Wed, 03/02/2016 - 13:26 | By Ajay Nair, Donald Lewis
AMES, Iowa –Potatoes have become an extremely important commercial crop in the United States, with over 1 million acres planted and an approximate value of $3.9 billion. Iowa itself has over 400 farms growing potatoes on more than 1,000 acres.
All potato production aspects, including post-harvest management, are discussed in the ‘Commercial Potato Production Guide’ (HORT 3044), a new Iowa State University Extension and Outreach publication that can be found on the ISU Extension and Outreach Store.
The publication is authored by Ajay Nair, assistant professor of horticulture and extension vegetable production specialist; Vince Lawson, superintendent, Muscatine Island Research and Demonstration Farm; Donald Lewis, professor and extension entomologist; Laura Jesse, director and extension plant pathologist, Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic; and Lina Rodriguez-Salamanca, plant pathology diagnostician, PIDC, and microbiology specialist, ISU Extension and Outreach.
“Local foods are gaining ground in Iowa and the potato is a great addition to the list of locally grown vegetable crops, as it is well adapted to our climate and can be stored over winter for extended marketing,” said Nair.
The publication discusses all aspects of potato production, beginning with choosing the correct type of potato to grow, size of seed potatoes, spacing, fertility, and pest management.
Protecting growing plants from both insect pests and disease are crucial to developing large yields. The publication includes in-depth coverage of common pests that damage potato crops - Colorado potato beetle, flea beetle, potato leafhopper and aphids - and what can be done to prevent those pests from impacting the crop. Ways of combating common diseases like blight, scab, bacteria soft rot and blackleg are also discussed at length.
A strict three-to-four year crop rotation cycle is critical to help limit both damage from pests and disease. Rotating the crop to a different field each year makes it harder for pests who winter next to the fields to have an impact on the potato the next growing season.
Appropriate harvesting time and method, along with small and large-scale harvesting equipment, are covered topics in the publication.
