(Radio Iowa) – House Speaker Pat Grassley says a House committee is likely to debate a bill this week that’s designed to boost the use of ethanol in Iowa. Grassley says both Democratic and Republican presidential administrations have not always been the best friends of the ethanol industry. “We need to stand up and send a message to the country that we’re going to do what we have to do in the state of Iowa to also promote the product,” Grassley says.

Grassley describes the core of the bill as providing incentives to retailers to install new gas pumps that can dispense ethanol-blended fuels. “We’re not making those complete investments, but being a partner in that, to make sure that we can continue to promote it,” Grassley says.

Earlier this year, Republican Governor Kim Reynolds suggested a proposed renewable fuels standard for Iowa to require all retailers to offer at least a 10 percent ethanol blend — and require any new pumps installed be designed to dispense fuel that includes ethanol. Iowa’s convenience stores and gas stations have lobbied against that mandate.

(Radio Iowa) Governor Kim Reynolds visited the NaturalShrimp facilities in Blairsburg and Webster City, Friday. The Dallas, Texas-based company this week began the process of stocking the shrimp at the two Hamilton County locations. “For them to come in bring the technology that really eliminates the wastewater that the previous facility was dealing with, it is exciting,” Reynolds says.

Gov. Reynolds tours shrimp farm

NaturalShrimp purchased the former Vero Blue Farms building in Webster City last January. Reynolds says one site services as the incubator for the shrimp and the other will grow them to a size where they can be sold to restaurants.

(Radio Iowa) – Aside from the common sparrows, blue jays and cardinals, experts say there are 429 species of birds in Iowa. If you’d like to attract more of them to your back yard this spring, conservation biologist Ryan Brady suggests making your feeder more attractive to your feathered friends. Brady says the best bird seed you can put out is black sunflower seeds.  “It’s fairly inexpensive, it works for a lot of different species and it has a high fat content,” Brady says, “so it’s good for the birds.”

Brady says you should also be sure to plant some cover for the birds that’s close to the feeder so they can hide from predators.  “Shrubbery that’s going to have a lot of thick branches, provide some cover from the elements,” Brady says. “Evergreens or conifers are excellent, so maybe plant a spruce or a fir.” If it’s impractical to place a shrub near your bird feeder, consider creating other cover nearby, like a brush pile.  “Maybe branches or other clippings that you have cut around your yard to spruce things up, instead of discarding them, make a pile of them off in the corner of your yard or property, maybe near the feeding station,” Brady says.

Iowans who have a traditional birdbath might consider adding a dripper, mister or bubbler to create motion in the water. Birds can see and hear that motion from a great distance and many curious species will fly in to investigate.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A second former officer at a northwest Iowa agriculture cooperative has been sentenced to federal prison for a grain-blending fraud scheme. The Sioux City Journal reports that Kenneth Ehrp was sentenced Wednesday to three months in prison after pleading guilty in November to one count of conspiracy to defraud the government. Prosecutors say Ehrp and another officer, Calvin Diehl, ordered Farmers Cooperative Society workers to layer soybeans over lower-value oats in bins and trucks while claiming the entire load was soybeans.

Prosecutors say the scheme to overvalue the co-op’s grain inventory was conducted to influence a lender’s action on a loan. Diehl was also sentenced to three months in February on the same charge.

ATLANTIC, IA (March 25, 2021) – Celebrate Spring and Easter with Produce in the Park’s Spring Celebration Farmers Market! A reminder: Spring Celebration Market is being held the day before Easter, and is accepting pre-orders now. Spring Celebration Market is pre-order drive-through pick-up only (there will be no in-person shopping). Pre-orders are being accepted now through Thursday, Thursday, April 1 (10 PM) on www.produceintheparkatlanticiowa.com. Purchases can be picked up on Saturday, April 3 at the Cass County Community Center between 12:00 – 2:00 PM.

Spring Celebration Market offers fresh greens, local food meal kits, farm-fresh eggs, spring-scented candles and soaps, and plants for summer gardens, in addition to a huge variety of
sweet treats and desserts from take-and-frost Easter-themed cookies to gourmet pies, and pastel-colored angel food cake to Danish pastries and Kringle. The market is being held the day
before Easter, so customers can pick up treats for Easter Baskets and local foods for Easter meals.

For more information on vendors and products, and to place pre-orders visit Produce in the Park’s website www.produceintheparkatlanticiowa.com or Produce in the Park’s Facebook page
www.facebook.com/ProduceInThePark. Spring Celebration Market is sponsored by the Atlantic Community Promotion Commission, First Whitney Bank and Trust, and Cass County Tourism, and supported by the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce.

(Atlantic) – The Cass County Conservation Board is now taking Pre-orders for their Native Plant Sale! The order form and payment will be DUE April 30th 2021 at 4PM. Forms can be found online https://www.casscountyia.gov/county-departments/conservation-office/

Native Local Eco-type live Plants will be sold. Live plants from nursery will come as small plugs; cells are 5” deep x 2” wide at top or 4.5”deep x 2” Cone. 1 Specie of Native grass, and 10 Native Forbs including many that benefit Pollinators! All orders must be picked up during designated times at our offices in Lewis unless prior arrangements made. Designated pick up times will be: Thursday May 27th 8 AM-6 PM OR Friday May 28th 8AM-7PM. Plants not picked up will be donated with NO REFUND.

The Adair County Board of Supervisors, Wednesday, voted to extend for another 90 days, an Engineering Agreement with Union County. The two counties will continue to share the services of Adair County Engineer Nick Kauffman, while Union County looks to get their own Engineer in-place. Kauffman has been serving as the Adair-Union County Engineer since mid-September, 2020, following the resignation of Union County Engineer Zack Gunsolley at the end of August, 2020. The original agreement was set to have expired March 3^rd.

Kauffman said also, he has received driveway applications from MidAmerican Energy for a Solar Farm. The driveway/culvert for the proposed farm would be at southeast of Stuart, near the intersection of Walnut and 130^th Street.

Discussion was once again held with regard to Solar Farms in Adair County. Supervisor Steve Shelley said he wanted to specifically learn about any health benefits the farms might cause, and not any gripes about MidAmerican Energy or questions regarding a perceived conflict of interest he may have. He gave each person who wanted to speak, five minutes – in order to say on time for the next agenda item.

As with their meeting on March 9^th, the Board heard from Adair County residents Curt Beane and Tammy Baier on the matter of Solar Farms. Tammy Baier sent each board member a copy of the Madison County Ordinance on those devices, prior to their meeting. She said her main concern goes back to the days when the Wind Turbines were introduced to Adair County.

She said the Supervisors should know and understand the extent of the project, the size and what kind of project it is.

Tammy Baier said also, Adair County was one of the largest producers of cattle in Iowa. The foot imprint for solar, she said, takes up a lot of land, and will affect ag farm production in the county. She said Solar will take away a lot of jobs if it becomes expansive, like the turbines.

She said concluded by saying she doesn’t want Adair County to become “A dumping ground” for Solar, farms, and she questioned if the County residents would realize a decrease in energy costs, as well as a reduction in taxes. Baier also doesn’t want Solar farms to get tax abatements, like the turbines did. They should have to start paying taxes, she said, just like any other big business coming into the county.

No action was taken. In other business, the Board voted to re-open the Adair County Courthouse to the public April 5^th, with the caveat that each department may set it own rules with regard to COVID-19 safety. The Supervisors will continue to hold their meetings by telephone conference call, until further notice.

It may not feel like boating season yet, but the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), along with boating safety advocates nationwide, are urging boaters to KeepYourEdge by enrolling in a boating education course this spring. “Education is the key to having a safe and enjoyable day on the water, and spring is the perfect time to take a course before the summer boating season begins,” said Susan Stocker, boating law administrator and education coordinator for the Iowa DNR.   Traditional and online courses are available. Courses are made to fit every schedule and lifestyle. The Iowa DNR has boater education information online at https://www.iowadnr.gov/things-to-do/boating/boater-education.

“A boating safety course provides critical boating knowledge and better prepares you for the risks you may face while boating,” Stocker said.

Benefits to taking a boater education course:

• Boost your confidence and Keep Your Edge by brushing up on essential boating skills.
• Even if you have already taken a course or are an experienced boater Keep Your Edge by taking a new course to sharpen your skills.
• A boating safety course can save boaters money. Many boat insurance providers offer discounts to people who have successfully completed a boating safety course.

Iowa boating statistics

• In 2018, there were 32 reported boating incidents on Iowa waters: 17 of those were personal injury; seven involved property damage and eight resulted in fatalities. Of the eight fatalities, three involved alcohol as a contributing factor
• In 2019, there were 22 reported boating incidents on Iowa waters: 14 of those were personal injury; six involved property damage and six resulted in fatalities. Of the six fatalities, two involved alcohol as a contributing factor
• In 2020, there were 39 reported boating incidents on Iowa waters: 16 of those were personal injury; 17 involved property damage, and nine resulted in fatalities. Of the nine fatalities, six involved alcohol as a contributing factor.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) says crews released between 1,000 to 2,000 rainbow trout at four community trout ponds as part of its cool weather trout program that brings trout to areas that cannot support them during the summer. The following locations are ready for anglers to catch trout:  Banner Lake South (Indianola), Big Lake (Council Bluffs), Moorland Pond (Fort Dodge) and Terra Lake (Johnston). All spring community trout stockings will be unannounced this year and family fishing events will not be held to help reduce the crowd size at stocking locations and minimize the spread of COVID-19.

Check the DNR website at www.iowadnr.gov/trout and watch for future press releases to find out when the remaining community trout locations have been stocked. The spring community trout stockings are a great place to take kids to catch their first fish. A small hook with a nightcrawler or corn under a small bobber or small simple spinners such as a panther martin or mepps is all you need to get in on the fun. Bringing trout to cities and towns offers a “close to home” option for Iowans who might not travel to the coldwater streams in northeast Iowa to discover trout fishing.

The popular program is supported by the sales of the trout fee. Anglers need a valid fishing license and pay the trout fee to fish for or possess trout. The daily limit is five trout per licensed angler with a possession limit of 10. Children age 15 or younger can fish for trout with a properly licensed adult, but they must limit their catch to one daily limit. The child can purchase a trout fee which will allow them to catch their own limit.

Find more information about trout fishing in Iowa on the DNR trout fishing webpage.

• KJAN, Atlantic  .67″
• 7 miles NNE of Atlantic  .81″
• Massena  .71″
• Anita  .88″
• Avoca  1.1″
• Audubon  .88″
• Bridgewater  .8″
• Corning  .72″
• Manning  1.12″
• Carroll  1.15″
• Red Oak  .92″
• Missouri Valley  1.48″
• Clarinda  .66″
• Shenandoah  .62″