DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Republicans have picked a state agriculture secretary nominee, but it didn’t come easy. The Des Moines Register reports that incumbent Mike Naig was selected Saturday at the Iowa GOP state convention after four rounds of voting. After each round, the bottom candidate was dropped from the ballot. In the last round, Naig topped Corning farmer Ray Gaesser.

Naig nearly won the five-candidate June 5 primary, coming up a fraction of a percentage point short of reaching the 35 percent threshold needed to secure the nomination. That left the matter to be decided at the convention, where a candidate needs 50 percent plus one vote to win. Naig has served in the position since March after the departure of longtime agriculture secretary Bill Northey, who took a job at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Naig faces Democrat Tim Gannon in the November general election.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have launched another investigation into the suspected misuse of public money by an employee at an Iowa soil and water conservation district. The latest case involves the Jasper County district in Newton. A spokesman for the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship tells The Associated Press the agency was notified May 25 about concerns involving a district employee’s use of funding, which were discovered during an audit of the district’s financial records. State Auditor Mary Mosiman and law enforcement officials are now looking into the case.

A similar audit and criminal investigation have been going on for months into an employee who allegedly misused funds while working as an assistant in the soil districts based in Black Hawk and Bremer counties.
A 2014 audit found that an employee in the Mahaska County district embezzled $280,000.

DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig reported today (Wednesday), that many strawberry growers across the state are now reaching the peak season for many varieties of this delicious crop. Naig encouraged Iowans to visit a local strawberry grower or shop for strawberries at one of Iowa’s many farmers markets. Strawberries go from bloom to fruit in about 30 days and are best eaten within a few days of being picked. Strawberry harvest season only lasts about 4 weeks in Iowa and harvest times vary across the state. Most strawberry growers in the state offer pre-picked and u-pick options at their farms.

“Locally grown, fresh strawberries are a delicious and versatile treat that can be eaten alone or enjoyed as an addition to many recipes. They’re a great crop to kick-off the growing season of purchasing and consuming fresh, Iowa grown fruits and vegetables,” Naig said. As a favorite fruit among many Iowans, strawberries are low in calories and fat-free. One cup of unsweetened strawberries only has 55 calories. Strawberries are also a good source of vitamin C, folic acid, potassium, and fiber.

A family trip to the strawberry patch is a great way to support a local farmer and make memories that will last a lifetime. If visiting a strawberry patch, be sure to call or check the website for their harvest information. Many growers also offer other fruits and vegetables for sale to consumers. You can find strawberry growers by visiting the Fruit and Vegetable Farms Directory at https://www.idalsdata.org/fmnp/index.cfm or on the Iowa Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association “farm search” page at http://www.ifvga.org/en/about_us/farm_search/.

Five men still hoping to run for state ag secretary this fall gave their closing pitches to a group of Polk County Republicans last (Tuesday) night. No candidate got at least 35 percent of the vote in last week’s primary to secure the G-O-P nomination outright, so delegates at the Iowa G-O-P’s state convention will choose a nominee this Saturday. Mike Naig replaced Bill Northey as state ag secretary in early March when Northey left for a job in the Trump Administration. Naig was the first place finisher in last week’s primary, with a fraction less than 35 percent.

“It is absolutely critically important that we maintain conservative leadership in the secretary’s office at the Department of Ag and we must be prepared for a competitive race against the Democrat candidate in November and so we’ve got to put our best foot forward,” Naig said. “I think the experience that I bring being in the office really brings a lot to the table.”

State Senator Dan Zumbach of Ryan was the second-place finisher in the primary, with about 20 percent of the vote. Zumbach emphasizes his ability to survive the Farm Crisis and his work in the legislature.  “This isn’t where I thought I’d be. I never thought I’d be a public speaker. I’m much more comfortable sitting in a tractor with the radio turned up, but here I am in front of a group of folks in Des Moines,” Zumbach said. “…Allow me to utilize my talents, my hard work and my passion to represent you.”

Former Iowa Farm Bureau president Craig Lang of Brooklyn was the third place finisher in the primary. Lang says his experience on the board that governs the three state universities as well as leading the Farm Bureau have equipped him for this new job. “Our nominee must be prepared to take the battle to the Democrat nominee and win,” Lang said. “I ask you to judge my future ability to serve as your secretary of agriculture by judging my decades-long past performance of fighting and winner the fights that matter.”

Ray Gaesser of Corning, the past president of the Iowa and American Soybean Associations, argues those posts gave him experience in foreign export markets as well as with congress in writing the Farm Bill. “I really don’t need a job. I really don’t want to be governor either or anything else,” Gaesser said. “I want to be the best secretary of agriculture that I can be and, I promise you, if you vote for me and elect me, I will be. And I know how to support the party.”

Chad Ingels of Randalia was the last place finisher in last Tuesday’s primary and he says he’s not at all embarrassed about it. “I spent a fraction of the money on my campaign as the other candidates did,” Ingels says. “…I’m very proud of the 8000 votes I got in the last election and hope to get many more on Saturday.”

The Iowa Republican Party’s state convention schedule seems to indicate the process of selecting the G-O-P nominee for this post will begin early Saturday afternoon.

(Radio Iowa)

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources continues to focus on clean-up efforts following a fire at the River Valley OHV Park in April, forcing the park to remain closed for a lengthy amount of time. Although the park may look healthy and green, the park will remain closed for safety reasons for an undetermined amount of time. The DNR is working with contractors and the City of Council Bluffs, as well as others, to move forward with clean-up. Any unauthorized use of the park is considered trespassing and is a violation of the law.

A report from the Natural Resources Defense Council says hog farmers aren’t doing enough to cut the use of antibiotics in pigs. Report author David Wallinga says 37-percent of the antibiotics that are given to livestock go to pigs, drugs that are also critical to human health. Willinga says new restrictions, in effect since January of 2017, prohibit antibiotic use for growth promotion.  “Regardless, they’re using these antibiotics now the same way they were before,” Wallinga says. “They’re using them at low doses, routinely, added to feed or drinking water and oftentimes when there’s no sick animals present.”

The report says antibiotic use in pork production continues to threaten the critical drugs’ effectiveness in people. That’s because low-dose, routine use allows bacteria to develop resistance. Tom Marsteller, with Des Moines-based Kemin Industries, says consumer demand as well as changes to government rules about using antibiotics in livestock are driving producers to other treatments. “The end result is better stewardship of our antibiotic use, use when necessary, when the animals are sick and need the antibiotics,” Marsteller says, “but that means then we’ll use less antibiotics in total, which then should be good for animal health and human health long-term.”

The report cited Denmark and the Netherlands as examples of places that have drastically reduced reliance on antibiotics in pork production by setting and meeting goals. The report urges consumers to continue pressuring restaurants and grocery stores to offer meat raised without antibiotics.

(Radio Iowa, w/Thanks to Amy Mayer, Iowa Public Radio)

Iowa farmers, based on their location, are having much different experiences during the early part of this growing season. Bruce Rohwer is growing corn and soybeans in northwest Iowa’s O’Brien County, where snow delayed planting. Once he could get in his fields, rain interrupted his progress. “We are completed on planting of corn and beans. It’s just a little bit later than usual, but the weather is doing its best to make up for the calendar,” Rohwer says. While there’s flooding in some areas of northern Iowa from recent torrential downpours, Rohwer is thankful his crops are getting “adequate” rain. “As a farmer, you always hope it will continue that way throughout the year,” Rohwer said. “But, you’re also a farmer, and you know that Mother Nature can change the hand at any time. We’re looking good at this point.”

Areas of southern Iowa could use some of that rain. Kyle Phillips, who has a 4,000 acre corn and soybean operation near Knoxville, says the dry conditions helped with planting. “We were done planting the earliest in history, we were done the 9th of May,” Phillips said. According to Phillips, the little bit of rain Marion County got over the weekend won’t be enough to keep his crops moving in the right direction. “We need a lot more rain,” Phillips said. “We have an excellent stand, both corn and soybeans, but we’ve got to have substantial rain to bring this crop home.”

The USDA crop report released Monday shows 81-percent of Iowa’s corn crop in good to excellent condition. Ninety-seven-percent of the corn has emerged. Eighty-nine percent of soybeans have emerged, with 78-percent of the soybean crop rated in good to excellent condition.

(Radio Iowa)

• KJAN, Atlantic  2.61″
• Anita  3.45″
• Massena  .67″
• Elk Horn  .61″
• North edge of Elk Horn  5.3″
• Audubon  1.03″
• Guthrie Center  1.84″
• Corning  .87″
• Lenox  .8″
• Oakland  .27″
• Missouri Valley  .58″
• Logan  .61″
• Irwin  .84″
• Underwood  .28″
• Manning  1.48″
• Kirkman  1.53″
• Carroll  .53″
• Cresrton  2.38″
• Murray  1.47″
• Earlham  1.83″
• Minburn  1.85″
• Waukee  1.93″
• West Des Moines  2.09″
• Winterset  2.24″

There’s still time to sign up for the first-ever Iowa Outdoor Learning Environments Conference which will be held in Ames later this month. One of the organizers, Carly Sabus, explains the focus of outdoor learning environments, or OLEs (pronounced OH-lees).

Sabus says, “We define an outdoor learning environment as a deliberately-designed outdoor space for intentional learning and an intentional setting for exploration, inquiry, and learning to empower environmental literacy and education and STEM learning.”

An OLE can be located at a school or other community location like a library, park, protected natural area, or other places where the outdoor setting can enhance educational opportunities for youth and community members. The two-day conference will zero in on helping Iowans create more OLEs. “We will be having a whole line-up of workshops and speakers from all over the region who are local experts on these outdoor learning environments,” Sabus says. “We’ll be tackling subjects like gaining community support for your outdoor learning environment, helping get funds, how you get volunteers.”

Workshops will also teach participants how to create educational programs, design, implement and maintain OLEs. The event will be held June 18th and 19th at the Gateway Hotel and Conference Center in Ames. The event is sponsored by Prairie Rivers of Iowa.

(Radio Iowa) –  more at www.prrcd.org

Front Row Rookies are L to R, Trenton Boots, Austin Eblen, Ayden Goetz, Tristan Williamson, and Creighton Kinzie. Second Row Intermediate Entry (IE) are L to R, Brandon Raasch, Eyon Steffensen, Jack Sargent, Dalton Reed, Kaden Herr, and Jordan Brewer. Third Row Intermediate Advance (IA) are L to R, Logan Eilts, Ty Eblen, Brady Goetz, Michael Maas, Brett Dreager, and Cayden Jensen. Back Row Coaches are L to R, Corey Stephenson, Cliff Aupperle, Paul Upmeyer, and Chuck Kinzie.

The CAM Shooting Sports team and few other area shooters competed at the Iowa Youth Trapshooting Championships on Wednesday in Cedar Falls. The event is hosted by the Iowa DNR and Iowa State Trapshooting Association at the ISTA home grounds just north of Cedar Falls.

CAM Shooting Sports team results

ROOKIES
Placed 7th out of 13 Squads
Squad score 283/500
Creighton Kinzie 75/100 placed 22nd out of 82 shooters
Ayden Goetz 59/100 placed 53rd out of 82 shooters
Austin Eblen 57/100 placed 60th out of 82 shooters
Trenton Boots 50/100 placed 68th out of 82 shooters
Tristan Williamson 42/100 placed 77th out of shooters

INTERMEDIATE ENTRY LEVEL
Placed 32nd out of 51 Squads
Squad score 632/1000
Brandon Raasch 163/200 placed 73rd out of 310 shooters
Eyon Steffensen 47/200 placed 305th out of 310 shooters
Dalton Reed 110/200 placed 273rd out of 310 shooters
Jordan Brewer 151/200 placed 139th out of 310 shooters
Kaden Herr 161/200 placed 83rd out of 310 shooters

INTERMEDIATE ENTRY LEVEL
Jack Sargent 89/200 placed 295th out of 310 shooters

INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED LEVEL
Placed 23rd out of 49 Squads
Squad score 849/1000
Ty Eblen 186/200 placed 38th out of 298 shooters
Logan Eilts 178/200 placed 91st out of 298 shooters
Cayden Jensen 180/200 placed 71st out of 298 shooters
Michael Maas 155/200 placed 210th out of 298 shooters
Brett Dreager 150/200 placed 228th out of 298 shooters
(Ty Eblen had two perfect rounds where is shot 25/25 and Logan Eilts had a perfect round shooting 25/25 also.)

INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED LEVEL
Brady Goetz 127/200 placed 278th out of 298 shooters

Other top area competitors

INTERMEDIATE ENTRY LEVEL
Chase Dimmitt, Harlan- 184/200. 8th out of 310 shooters.
Will Devine, Underwood Youth Trap Club- 169/200. 51st out of 310 shooters.

INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED LEVEL
Boys
Hugh Griffith, Harlan- 191/200. 12th out of 298 shooters.
Joshua Kenkel, Harlan- 190/200. 21st out of 298 shooters.

Girls
Avery Carter, Harlan- 141/200. 42nd out of 56 shooters.

Check out full results here.