(Radio Iowa) – Many Iowa farmers are firing up their tractors for the first time this spring, and one expert suggests before you plant the first seed, make sure your equipment, your body, and your mind are ready for the season ahead. Dr. Kimberly Lansing, a family medicine physician with Gundersen Health System, says do a thorough check of your heavy equipment to make sure it’s safe to operate after sitting dormant for the winter. “Even if you checked it in the fall, you want to make sure that some family of raccoons didn’t move into your machine shed and rearrange your hydraulics,” Lansing says. “So, going over everything right before you get out in the field, making sure your finisher’s ready to go, and your equipment’s all functional is probably one of the most important things.”

Farming ranks as one of the nation’s most dangerous professions, and Lansing says all tractors should have rollover protection systems, as many farmers who have to be rushed to the emergency room had an accident with a tractor. “Typically, equipment-related injuries, equipment, motor vehicles, including ATVs, tractors and motor vehicles are among the largest things that bring people in,” Lansing says. “We see the most injuries in these areas between April and September, which of course, corresponds to the time when most farmers are out in the field and active.”

Farming can be a very strenuous profession, placing extreme demands on the body. “Of course, you want to have yourself in as good a condition as you keep your equipment,” she says. “So, making sure you do get adequate sleep, because if you’re sleepy behind the wheel, bad things happen. Also, making sure you’re in condition to do what you’re doing. People that work on farms may have other health problems, and you need to be really careful and cautious about what your own limitations are.” Farmers are considered the toughest of the tough, but Lansing says if you’re having a physical problem, don’t shrug it off for later, as there may not -be- a later.

Photo courtesy of the Iowa State University Extension

“You definitely should not ignore warning signs just because you’re busy. I literally once had somebody who said they were calving and couldn’t come in with chest pain and they got in and they were having an active heart attack,” Lansing says. “Fortunately, he survived but your own health and being there for your family is more important.” Farmers are considered one of Iowa’s most vulnerable populations for mental health struggles, and rural suicide deaths are two times higher than the state’s city and metro areas. Lansing encourages farmers to look after one another.

“Farmers are very observant because they need to be in order to keep their farms running,” she says. “You’ve got to look for that animal that’s starting to look sick, or, ‘Oh, the weather’s going to do this,’ but being somebody who will go out and grab an extra cup of coffee and bring it to their neighbor and say, ‘Hey, how’s it going?’ Just checking in with them and seeing how they’re doing is probably a nice first step.”

Gundersen Health System has clinics in Calmar, Decorah, Fayette, Lansing, Postville and Waukon, and a hospital in West Union.

Jim Field visits with comedian Austin Anderson, who will perform Saturday night at the Wilson Performing Arts Center in Red Oak.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (24.8MB)

Subscribe: RSS

(Radio Iowa) – The Dickinson County Board of Supervisors has unanimously adopted an ordinance that would require a proposed carbon pipeline to be at least 16-hundred feet outside of cities in the northwest Iowa county. Buffer zones also would be required around homes, schools, medical facilities and public parks. Bonnie Ewalt, of Milford, says the ordinance is needed to protect the health and safety of Dickinson County residents.

“Summit drew up the route for this hazardous CO2 pipeline without any regard for topography or proximity to high risk areas,” Ewalt said. Summit Carbon Solutions has proposed a pipeline through Iowa and four other states, to ship liquefied carbon to underground storage in North Dakota. Scott O’Konek, a Minnesota-based project manager for Summit, says ordinances like this could stymie development of the pipeline and harm the ethanol plants that plan to connect to it.

“The whole project is up to 57 plants and this ordinance has the ability to take that competitiveness away from Green Plains Superior.” Green Plains Superior is an ethanol plant located in Dickinson county. Summit has sued five other counties with ordinances similar to the one in Dickinson County.

Jim Field visits with Kiera Reed, who was diagnosed with acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia when she was nine years old.  She is now a leukemia survivor passionate about funding research for a cure.  Help her toward her goal of raising $50,000 by stopping out to the Pizza Ranch in Atlantic on Monday, April 22, 2024 from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm.  10% of the proceeds from the evening will go to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (24.2MB)

Subscribe: RSS

• KJAN, Atlantic  .46″
• 7 miles NNE of Atlantic  .83″
• Massena  .88″
• Elk Horn  .35″
• Audubon  .82″
• Earling 26″
• Bridgewater  1.5″
• Underwood  .34″
• Missouri Valley  .4″
• Logan  .28″
• Red Oak  .35″
• Corning  1.16″
• Creston  1.25″
• Clarinda  1.99″

w/Kate Olson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.3MB)

Subscribe: RSS

(Iowa News Service) – The chair of the Federal Trade Commission will be in rural Iowa this weekend to hear from farmers and other residents about the proposed sale of Iowa Fertilizer to Koch Industries. The sale is pending FTC approval. Iowa spent $500 million to build an Iowa Fertilizer factory in Waverly to create competition in an already consolidated industry. Aaron Lehman, president of the Iowa Farmers Union, said he plans to tell FTC Chair Linda Khan a sale to Koch Industries would backtrack on any competitive progress the state has made.
“Our concern is that an industry that already lacks competition and has all sorts of monopoly problems would only get worse if this sale is allowed to go through,” Lehman explained.

Koch and other corporate ag conglomerates have said consolidating allows them to provide better products to farmers more efficiently. The hearing is set for Saturday on Main Street in Nevada. In addition to reducing competition for fertilizer, Lehman argued the sale would increase prices for farmers, and ultimately mean higher food prices for Iowans. He wants Khan to hear stories firsthand, from the people on the ground in Nevada. “We know that we might not be able to have a dialogue with the people who are investigating this situation, because they need to be impartial,” Lehman acknowledged. “But our farmers need to tell their story about how the industry is already in a monopoly state.”

Some 18 other ag organizations have joined the Iowa Farmers Union calling on the FTC and the Justice Department to investigate the proposed sale.

The Southwest Iowa Fishing Team started up their spring tournament season in the AgriVision Elite boat series. Seventeen student angler teams launched their boats early on Sunday morning and navigated the lake looking to hook the five biggest fish. Atlantic Trojan anglers Joaquin and Jake Wailes of Wiota reeled in the winning bag in Powerade High School Series at the AA Tree Service TBF bass fishing tournament on Lake Anita. The brothers found the fish early and late to bring their limit of 5 fish weighing 10.32 pounds. The rest of the Top places were highly competitive Cam Cougars Owen and Brentyn Hoover finished in the runner up spot with a total of 8.68, third place went to Atlantic Trojan’s Colton and Colin Rudy with 8.32, West Central Valley Jordon Robison / Nathan Bentler were fourth with 8.20 and rounding out the top five Atlantic Trojans Gavin Dougherty and Harlan Cyclones Cody Swank 5.55.

Robinson hooked a 4.80 to win AM Cohron & Son Big fish for the Powerade High School anglers.

In the Fairlife Junior division Colton and Adien Krueger from Riverside weighed in their winning bag of 5 fish totaling 6.03. Runner up spot went to Talan Vanarsdol and Tim Donovan Tri Center with 5.43, Grayson Molgaard / Owen Miller Atlantic Trojans finished third 4.65, fourth was Colton and Kaden Frieze from Griswold, 4.34,and rounding out the top five was Mater Heigenberger / Liam O Banion with 1.29.

Other winners from the tournament were.

• Big Bite Baits Fish On- (first fish caught)- Nathan Bentler
• Fast Metal First Five in the Box- Joaquin & Jake Wailes – HS
• Fishing Assault Beat your best- Nathan Bentler
• Dump Truck Jig Haulin in the Bass- Joaquin and Jake Wailes
• Ol Blue Bait Tackle Trash It- Owen Miller, Colton Kruger
• Middle River Deer Blinds Off the Hook- Holden DeVore
• Firman Power Move of the Tournament- Rob Clausen
• Jump Start Boat Captain of the Tournament- Adam Kruger

The next event for 4th Annual Strike King Iowa SAF/TBF/MLF Bass State Championship in Okoboji on Saturday April 26th. High School anglers will be trying to qualify of the SAF/MLF High School National Championships and the Juniors will be trying to qualify for the TBF Junior World Championship in July.

For complete details and updated information visit www.swifishingteam.com

For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow SWIFT’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Thanks to all the sponsors, boat captains, parents, volunteers, and anglers for making an awesome event.

04/14/2024 Lake Anita

Powerade High School Teams

Place  Team                                                          Weight

1.           Joaquin Wailes / Jake Wailes                    10.32
2.           Owen Hoover / Brentyn Hoover                8.68
3.           Colton Rudy / Colin Rudy                          8.32
4.           Jordon Robinson / Nathan Bentler           8.20
5.           Cody Swank / Gavin Dougherty                5.55
6.         Tegan Steinkuehler /  Brock Limerick       4.84
7.          Braxton Hass / Hunter Quist                      3.48
8.           Jarrett Hansen / Christan Thompson       0.00
9.          Carson Faue / Gannon Otte                       0.00
10.         Cameron Hoden / Wyatt Conard              0.00

Fairlife Junior Teams

Place  Team                                                         Weight

1.           Aiden Krueger / Colton Krueger                6.03
2.           Talan Vanarsdol / Tim Donovan               5.43
3.           Grayson Molgaard / Owen Miller              4.65
4.           Colton Freize / Caden Freize                     4.34
5.          Mater Heigenberger / Liam O Banion      1.92
6.           Holden DeVore / Colton Anderson           0.00
7.           Letty McSorely / Brendan Wilke                0.00

Photo credits to Jill & Callie Rudy, and Hade DeVore.

(Radio Iowa) – The U-S-D-A crop report shows four percent of corn was planted last week as farmers slowly got into the fields. Some farmers attended I-S-U Extension’s “Planter University” earlier this year where field agronomist Meaghan Anderson says they learned how to best use their equipment. “Talk about more of the theory behind some of the technology and differences between them as well as really in-depth into the maintenance aspects that are going to be across all colors of planting equipment,” Anderson says. She says planter technology has advanced along with tractors through the years — leading to changes in things like speed across a field.

“Typically it wasn’t unusual for people to be planting anywhere from maybe three and a half to five or so miles per hour in the past and now there’s technology that allows people to plant more in the maybe eight to 10 are slightly faster miles per hour,” she says. Anderson says issues with the planter can cost farmers money when it comes to harvest time.”There’s certainly some changes and how we need to make sure we’re maintaining them and paying attention to changes in those planters as the season goes on to make sure that that seed gets planted where it needs to be when it needs to be,” Anderson says. She says having the planter ready to go at the start is only part of planting success.

“But in addition to that, being able to make appropriate adjustments on the fly, as farmers move perhaps across fields, as they move from one week to the next during the early part of the growing season when we know that rainfall can be variable and soil differences and residue differences can make such a change in how the seed actually enters the ground,” Anderson says. The Planter University team moves across the state in February so they can offer hand’s-on training in preparation for planting. This is the third year for the program.

(Radio Iowa) – Work is progressing on crafting the new Farm Bill, and Iowa’s Fourth District Congressman Randy Feenstra, a Republican from Hull, says he’s hopeful the legislation that’s so important to the heartland will be finalized soon. “We’ve got the text ready to go, but before we can release the text, we have to know the tax score, what it’s going to cost,” Feenstra says. “The Congressional Budget Office has got to create that score because we’ve got to know, how do we pay for this? That’s what we’re waiting for.”

The Farm Bill is typically updated every five years, but a new version didn’t materialize last year, and Congress passed a one-year extension which will last through this fall.  “We’ve been dragging this thing out, but we’re really hoping that by May we can get it out of committee, and then mid-June, get it off the floor of the U.S. House, and then it’s up to the Senate,” Feenstra says. “I know our producers, just talking to them around all of my 36 counties, this is a really big deal.”

Feenstra says there’s a lot of concern over the crop insurance element of the Farm Bill. “With our low commodity prices right now, with soybeans below $12, and corn around $4.30, everybody’s worried because insurance is that safety net,” Feenstra says. “The input costs of putting that crop in, you’ve got to cover yourself and that’s the big, big issue.” He says there’s also a great deal of concern about the export market and finding new free trade agreement areas in which to grow.