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Adair County Extension: 4-H and FFA to Weigh Beef January 2, 2021

Ag/Outdoor

December 16th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

The Adair County ISU Extension and Outreach office reports Market beef weigh-in for Adair County 4-H and FFA members is set for Saturday, January 2, 2021 at the Adair County Fairgrounds in Greenfield. All market steers and market heifers must be tagged and weighed to be eligible to exhibit at the 2021 Adair County Fair slated for July 21-25.

Identification of Iowa State Fair market beef will be between 8:00 – 8:30 a.m. Animals will be weighed and tagged at the fairgrounds then go to the Adair County Vet Clinic for retinal imaging. FFA members and 4-H’ers that plan to exhibit at the county fair only should arrive between 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Cost to identify state fair entries is $5.00, including retinal imaging. Exhibitors will pay $1.50 for county fair tags.

Officials say staff and exhibitors will be practicing social distancing. Families are asked to stay in their trucks until it’s time to weigh their animals. Masks are required if social distancing cannot be maintained.

For questions about the 4-H market beef project, the Live Beef Performance – No Fit Class, or the weigh-in, call the Adair County Extension office 641-743-8412. Please call the Extension Office by December 30 if you plan to weigh in market beef on January 2.

Tyson plant in Storm Lake sued over worker’s COVID-19 death

Ag/Outdoor, News

December 15th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

STORM LAKE, Iowa (AP) — The family of a 65-year-old Iowa man is suing Tyson after he died of COVID-19 while working at the company’s pork plant in Storm Lake. Michael Everhard, of Fonda, died June 18, three weeks after he contracted the virus. His family contends in a lawsuit that Tyson didn’t implement proper safety precautions to protect Everhard and other employees from the virus.

Several Tyson executives at the plant are also named in the lawsuit, which was filed on behalf of Everhard’s three children. A Tyson spokeswoman said the company has implemented several safety measures that meet or exceed federal guidelines designed to slow the spread of the virus.

 

Iowa Farmers Union leader urges legislators to address water quality issues

Ag/Outdoor, News

December 15th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The president of the Iowa Farmers Union says he’s reaching out to state lawmakers in hopes they make addressing the state’s water quality issues a top priority in the new legislative session opening January 11th. Aaron Lehman says Iowa has a lot of work to do on clean water issues and farmers need to be an integral part of that. Lehman says, “Finding out what that state investment will be and whether Iowa will fund our Natural Resources Trust Fund, as voters passed it ten years ago, will be the largest question before the legislature.”

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted multiple vulnerabilities in the state’s food production system and Lehman says he’d like to see legislators create more opportunities for smaller meat processors across the state. “Developing the infrastructure for our smaller processors is critically important, as is developing other links in our food system chain, which is very much relied upon by our citizens,” Lehman says. “In Iowa, the startling thing is, all the food we eat in Iowa, less than 15-percent of it comes from Iowa.”

Lehman says he also expects legislators to address property tax relief in the upcoming session. “We’ve got a lot of details to figure out on how those efforts can actually reach the farm and reach our fields,” he says. “There’s a lot yet to be figured out with that but I think it will be something that the legislature’s likely to take up.” Lehman acknowledges state lawmakers will have a lot on their plates in the new year, including crafting the all-important state budget.

Iowa farmland values increase slightly

Ag/Outdoor, News

December 15th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The annual Iowa State University Land Value Survey finds a modest one-point-seven percent statewide increase in the value of an acre of farmland in 2020. Survey leader Wendong Zhang says there was a big difference in price changes based on the type of land. “Nearly flat for higher quality and six-point-seven percent growth for low-quality land,” Zhang says. “Overall across the nine crop reporting districts, only southwest Iowa saw a modest one percent decline. While the other eight crop reporting districts reported a zero to three percent growth.”

That puts the average price of an acre of ground at seven-thousand-559 dollars ($7,559). He says continued low interest rates were part of the reason for the slight land value increase.  Zhang says another driver is a recent rally in commodity prices because of surging exports and improved trade prospects. Zhang says the federal payments to farmers from the pandemic had some impact — but he doesn’t think we’ve seen their full impact yet.

“About 46 BILLION dollars was a significant portion of the COVID relief payments and that has resulted in the 30 to 40 percent growth in U-S farm income and that certainly has stabilized the market. But it takes multiple years for changes in government payments and interest rates to be fully capitalized in the land market,” according to Zhang. Scott County and Decatur Counties reported the highest and lowest values, respectively for the eighth straight year. Despite having the highest overall value — land values in Scott County decreased 178 dollars per acre to 10-thousand-659.

Decatur County saw average values increase 264 dollars per acre to three-thousand-849 ($3,849). He says the lower value land has an increasing demand outside of the normal crop production. “For the lower quality land, it seems that one of the factors is a strong demand for recreational acres might behind the six-point-seven percent growth compared to the one-point-seven percent average statewide,” he says. Zhang says people want that land for pasture and timber grounds for hunting and it is even more appealing with social-distancing requirements in place.

Zhang says this survey didn’t show the impact of the political landscape — but another indicates it could impact land issues in the future. He says a Purdue University survey that shows farmers are more concerned about whether there will be more environmental regulations, less farm subsidies and less support for ethanol. “So there are some and concerns.” Zhang says on the other side their is some thought that there could be fewer questions about trade issues with a new administration. He says the land values are likely to continue slowly improving.

Zhang says they asked professionals about the value one year and five years from now and they project stable land values with maybe a slight increase in the next 12 months. He says the projection for the next five years is an increase of value between five and ten percent.

NRCS Obligates Nearly $60 Million to Iowa Farmers in Conservation Assistance

Ag/Outdoor

December 14th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, IA, DEC. 14, 2020 — USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) contracted with Iowa farmers and landowners to treat natural resources on more than 316,000 acres, obligating $59.8 million in financial assistance during fiscal year 2020 that ended Sept. 30. NRCS also wrote 12,624 conservation plans that cover 889,071 acres, during fiscal year 2020. The conservation plans will help Iowa farmers reduce soil erosion, improve soil health and water quality, increase wildlife habitat, and treat other environmental issues.

Iowa NRCS assisted agricultural producers through several conservation programs and targeted initiatives, including the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). “Like so many industries, implementing conservation practices and programs is challenging during a pandemic,” said Jon Hubbert, State Conservationist for NRCS in Iowa. “With many of our offices open by appointment only or completely closed to the public, it’s been important for our staff to find other ways to communicate and work with farmers. I am extremely proud of our staff, Iowa conservation partners, and Iowa’s agricultural producers for working together during this difficult time to get conservation on the ground.”

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP): Through EQIP, NRCS obligated $30.1 million to treat 126,696 acres through 1,022 contracts. EQIP is a voluntary program that promotes agricultural production and environmental quality. Farmers can choose from a conservation practice list developed at the county level to treat local resource concerns.

Top EQIP Practices Adopted – Some of the top conservation practices adopted by Iowans through EQIP include:

Cover Crops (1,116 contracts/149,168 acres/$6.3 million)
Fence (383 contracts/992,253 feet/$1.2 million)
Brush Management (292 contracts/2,667 acres/$465,419)
Prescribed Grazing (269 contracts/15,258 acres/$474,322)

Top Counties for EQIP
State leaders in EQIP contracts, funding, and acres treated:

Wayne County led the state with 36 contracts, obligating $1.5 million to local farmers, helping to treat resource concerns on 2,106 acres.
Sioux County finished 2020 with 34 contracts, providing $865,760 to help treat natural resources on 4,865 acres.
Jackson County had 30 EQIP contracts, obligating $440,606 which will help treat 2,362 acres.

Other statewide EQIP highlights include:

Nearly $8 million will assist livestock grazing producers implement conservation practices on their pastures.
More than $3.6 million through the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI) for practices in targeted watersheds that will help control, trap and reduce nutrient runoff.
About $1 million in the Prairie Pothole counties in north central Iowa to seed conservation cover and other wildlife habitat on water-saturated portions of cropland fields.

Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP): Iowa NRCS obligated about $17.4 million through new and renewed CSP contracts during the past year. In fiscal year 2020, 395 Iowa farmers signed five-year CSP contracts to treat natural resource concerns on 187,981 acres. CSP helps farmers build on existing conservation efforts by customizing a plan to meet conservation goals and needs. More than $1.7 million in CSP funding is contracted for Monarch Butterfly habitat through the “Improving Working Lands for Monarch Butterflies” project. Thirty-two Iowa landowners signed up for the project in 2020, providing 12,100 acres of habitat.

Overall, northeast Iowa landowners signed 51 percent of new and renewed CSP contracts in 2020:

Winneshiek County led the state with 34 CSP contracts, totaling 15,953 acres, with an obligation of $1.43 million.
Jackson County was next with 22 contracts, covering 4,973 acres with an obligation of $714,500.
Chickasaw County finished with 20 CSP contracts that cover 5,879 acres, obligating $576,850.
Floyd County had 19 contracts, covering 15,652 acres with an obligation of $833,808.

Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP): In fiscal year 2020, Iowa NRCS obligated $2.8 million through RCPP to treat natural resource concerns on 22,916 cropland acres. NRCS assisted producers through RCPP partnership agreements and 69 contracts. RCPP promotes coordination between NRCS and its partners through agreements and program contracts. Currently, there are six RCPP projects in Iowa that focus on improving water quality and soil health, implementing monarch butterfly and other wildlife habitat, and creating sustainable grain supply chains.

Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP): Seven landowners in six Iowa counties placed agricultural land into conservation easements through ACEP in 2020. The new easements cover 1,755 acres at a price to NRCS of about $10.5 million. Through ACEP, NRCS helps landowners, land trusts, and other entities protect, restore, and enhance wetlands, grasslands, and working farms through conservation easements. Overall, there are 1,664 conservation easements in Iowa covering about 190,000 acres.

NRCS also provided Iowa easement owners about $1.8 million for stewardship activities on existing easements. For more detailed Iowa NRCS program results and information, visit https://bit.ly/IowaAtAGlance2020.

Produce in the Park “Christmas Pop-Up Market” now accepting pre-orders

Ag/Outdoor, News

December 14th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

ATLANTIC, IA (December 14, 2020) –Produce in the Park’s Christmas Pop-Up Market is now open and taking pre-orders. Shoppers can visit www.ProduceInTheParkAtlanticIowa.com, to see a full list of all 11 participating vendors with products offerings and to pre-order online. If a shopper isn’t comfortable ordering online, they are encouraged to contact the vendor about alternative payment and ordering options. Vendor phone numbers can also be found on the website.

Pre-orders will be accepted through midnight, Saturday December 19. Purchases will be available for drive-through pickup on Monday, December 21 between 2:00 –6:00 PM at the Cass County Community Center (805 W. 10thSt. Atlantic, IA 50022). In order to comply with current state mandates and keep customers and vendors safe, Christmas Pop-Up Market will not offer indoor in-person shopping.

Christmas Pop-Up Market is being held the Monday before Christmas so customers can pick up local produce, baked goods, jellies, meats, Christmas cookies, and more to enjoy at their holiday meals. The market also offers holiday gifts and cozy winter home décor by local crafters and artisans, including candles and soaps, Christmas decorations and tea towels, along with Christmas cookie decorating kits.For more information on Christmas Market visit Produce in the Park’s website www.produceintheparkatlanticiowa.com, the Produce in the Park Facebook page www.facebook.com/ProduceInThePark, or contact Market Manager Brigham Hoegh at produceintheparkatlanticiowa@gmail.comor 712-249-5870.

Report finds dairy industry supports more than 15K Iowa jobs

Ag/Outdoor, News

December 12th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – A comprehensive review of Iowa’s dairy industry details its importance to the state and regional economies. Northwest Iowa Extension dairy specialist Fred Hall says the report, which is done every five years, shows the state’s dairy industry is having a significant impact and it’s continuing to gain momentum. Hall says, “The industry represents about 15,600 jobs and the impact of each single dairy cow in the state to the community is about $25,500 dollars.” It’s not just about the milk, as Hall says the spin-off benefits from all dairy products contribute heavily to each Iowa community where there’s a dairy farm. “They can bottle it for milk, they can make cheese, yogurt, dried powder,” Hall says. “Really, once it leaves the farm, it has a tremendous application.”

The report says the prospects for Iowa’s dairy producers are bright as milk and milk products are in high demand globally. “The export of dairy product into growing countries is tremendous,” Hall says. “As our population grows in this country, we find a bigger market every day for milk.” He notes, that’s not necessarily just fluid milk but all of the other products created with milk. The report shows dairy revenue is expected to continue to rise by more than one-percent to close to $40 billion.

Missouri and Big Sioux River paddlefish license on sale Dec. 15

Ag/Outdoor, Sports

December 12th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

Iowa anglers can buy the Missouri and Big Sioux River paddlefish license and tags starting Dec. 15th and running through Jan. 7th. Buy your special paddlefish license and tags on the Iowa DNR online licenses sales website at https://gooutdoorsiowa.com. A resident license sells for $25.50. You must also have a valid Iowa fishing license. You can buy up to two tags – one from Dec. 15 to Dec. 31 and an additional tag from Jan. 1 to Jan. 7, or two tags if you didn’t buy one in December.

The license, harvest tag(s), and regulations will be mailed to purchasers in mid-January. Purchasers will be asked to complete an electronic survey to help the Iowa DNR evaluate the success of the paddlefish season. Please complete the survey whether you harvested a paddlefish or not.  The Iowa DNR is always working to improve the paddlefish season for anglers; any input provided is considered and is greatly appreciated.

The Missouri and Big Sioux River paddlefish season opens Feb. 1st and runs through April 30th. For more information about Iowa’s special paddlefish season, visit the DNR website at www.iowadnr.gov/paddlefish.

Deer hunters reminded to brush up on safe firearm handling, safety skills

Ag/Outdoor, Sports

December 12th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) responded to six incidents related to shotgun deer hunting last weekend  (12/5-6) – five related to property damage and one minor injury. Megan Wisecup, hunter education administrator for the Iowa DNR, says “The incidents all had a common theme of hunters not following safety protocol.”  Wisecup said following safety protocol can reduce the risk of injury and property damage. She said hunters should keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, properly identifying the target and what’s behind it, by not shooting at a running deer, and by making sure of the backstop and not shooting over the horizon and out of sight.

“Safety should be part of every hunting plan and discussed with the group before heading to the timber,” Wisecup said. “That includes discussion on the layout of the property, where everyone will be at all times during the hunt, where the roads and property boundary are and areas where they should not take a shot to avoid damaging private property.” Iowa’s first shotgun season ends Dec. 9. Second shotgun season is Dec. 12-20. An estimated 120,000 hunters are expected to participate in one of the two seasons.

2021 hunting, fishing licenses on sale Dec. 15

Ag/Outdoor, Sports

December 12th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

Iowans can buy 2021 resident hunting, fishing and other licenses beginning this Tuesday, Dec. 15.  Licenses purchased for 2020 expire on Jan. 10th, 2021. The Iowa DNR says the menu of license options includes the popular Outdoor Combo annual resident hunting/fishing/habitat combo license for $55; the Angler’s Special three-year fishing license for $62; and the Hunter’s Special three-year hunting license with habitat included for $101. Also available is the Bonus Line option for $14 letting resident and nonresident anglers to fish with one more line in addition to the two lines allowed with the regular fishing license.

You can upgrade your paper license to a durable hard card with custom art from Iowa artists for only $5. Download the GoOutdoorsIowa mobile app for iPhone and Android devices to buy and access your license information, no matter where you are.  Sync your hunting and fishing licenses on the app to show in the field.  You may download multiple customer licenses to offer one secure digital license document location for families, groups, and more.

Licenses are available at 700 locations across the state, and on the DNR website at www.iowadnr.gov/GoOutdoorsIowa. Hunting and fishing are often enjoyed with family and friends. The DNR hints “A fishing or hunting license makes a great stocking stuffer.”