While the initial reaction to the grain and livestock markets was negative after U-S tariffs were announced, Iowa State University Extension Grain Marketing Specialist says some of those markets have shown signs of recovery. Chad Hart says there is some hope the U-S and China may begin negotiations to minimize the impact of the trade war. Hart says some if not all of the tariffs might not happen as they could be negoitiated away. He says while the tariffs were announced, they don’t go into place for two months.

Hart says the initial drop in soybean prices came back up some and there is hope the time lag before the tariffs happen gives hope the damage can keep from being too bad. He says there is time for negoitiators to get rid of the tariffs before they even start, and that led to some rebound in the markets after the initial drop. Hart says several Iowa farm and commodity organizations have had trade missions to China in order to build a relationship. He says it may be difficult for those farm organizations to maintain the trusting relationship needed with the Chinese. He says it often takes years to build up a trade relationship, but it can be swept away rather quickly.

(Radio Iowa)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump acknowledged Monday that farmers could be adversely affected by the escalating tariff dispute with China, but promised to make it up to them, saying they “will be better off than they ever were.” Speaking at a Cabinet meeting, Trump addressed the Chinese threat to slap tariffs on soybeans and other agriculture staples grown in rural America, a move that could hit Midwestern farmers, many of whom are strong supporters of the president. “If during the course of the negotiation they want to hit the farmers because they think that hits me. I wouldn’t say that’s nice, but I tell you our farmers are great patriots,” Trump said. “They understand that they’re doing this for the country. We’ll make it up to them. In the end they’re going to be much stronger than they are right now.”

China is threatening the tariffs in response to Trump moving to enact protectionist measures as punishment for Chinese theft of U.S. intellectual property. The U.S. bought more than $500 billion in goods from China last year and now is planning or considering penalties on some $150 billion of those imports. As the economic saber-rattling shakes global markets, Trump said Monday he had a good relationship with China and with President Xi Jinping, but repeated his claim that China has been “taking advantage of the United States for many years.” He added that he doesn’t blame China, but American leaders for creating a “lopsided” set of trade rules.

Earlier in the day, Trump tweeted about the “STUPID TRADE” with China, saying that when a Chinese-made vehicle is sent to the U.S., the tariff is only 2.5 percent, while American cars exported to China are slapped with a 25 percent tariff. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that he didn’t expect the tariffs to have a “meaningful impact on the economy” even as he left the door open for disruption. He allowed that there “could be” a trade war but said he didn’t anticipate one. Trump told advisers last week that he was unhappy with China’s decision to tax $50 billion in American products, including soybeans and small aircraft, in response to a U.S. move to impose tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese goods. Rather than waiting weeks for the U.S. tariffs to be implemented, Trump backed a plan by Robert Lighthizer, his trade representative, to seek the enhanced tariffs.

Further escalation could be in the offing. The U.S. Treasury Department is working on plans to restrict Chinese technology investments in the U.S. And there is talk that the U.S. could also put limits on visas for Chinese who want to visit or study in this country.

Spring is in the air, and plans are under way for gardening projects in Cass County. Local groups planning beautification, community gardening or education programs will again be eligible for assistance from the Cass County Master Gardeners. The group is offering grant money to be used in the 2018 growing season, to encourage gardening to grow food for education or donation, and/or improve local communities. The money may also be used for gardening education purposes. The Cass County Master Gardener Memorial Grants are offered in remembrance of the many years of service to the community provided by long-time Master Gardener volunteers who have passed.

Any Cass County not-for-profit group may apply. Schools, churches, libraries, 4-H clubs, Scouts, or other organizations/individuals working to improving their communities can apply for money to begin or improve gardens or landscaping for community benefit, or to provide education for their members or the public. To ensure the money is helping a wide variety of community organizations, those who were funded by 2017 grants will not be eligible to apply in 2018. Each grant has a maximum value of $300. Applications must include plans for teamwork and sustainability. Consideration for the environment is also an important factor in selection.

Applications must be received by Tuesday, April 24 for consideration. They may be submitted by mail or email. Grant recipients will be informed of their selection by May 1. For more information, or with questions, call the Cass County Extension office at 712-243-1132, email keolson@iastate.edu, or stop by the Extension Office at 805 W. 10th St in Atlantic. You may also contact Master Gardener Donna Reimers. Application forms can be picked up at the Extension Office, or printed from the Cass County Extension website- www.extension.iastate.edu/cass.

The Master Gardener program trains volunteers to develop their knowledge and skills in horticulture. These volunteers then give back to their communities through gardening service and education. The program is available in all 50 states and Canada through land grant university Extension programs such as Iowa State University Extension. Education courses are available throughout Iowa on a regular basis. For more information on the program, contact Cass County Extension Program Coordinator Kate Olson, at 712-243-1132 or keolson@iastate.edu.

The Cass County, Iowa Master Gardeners (CCMG) are offering a $1,000 scholarship, with applications due April 27. This scholarship is available to students who are graduating seniors or graduates of any of the following Iowa school districts, in which currently reside members of CCMG: Atlantic, Audubon, AHSTW, Clarinda, CAM, Exira-EHK, Griswold, Harlan, Red Oak or Riverside. The goal of the Master Gardener program is to support horticulture education and community service. CCMG members provide many hours of volunteer service in their communities. Accordingly, this scholarship is intended to provide post-secondary funds to individuals who are studying, or intend to pursue a career in, a horticulture-related field. The scholarship winner will be selected based upon academic success, history of community service, and career goals. Demonstration of interest and experience in horticulture will be very helpful.

The application form is available through the high school guidance departments, or on the Cass County Extension website at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass/. Applications should be submitted to the Cass County Extension Office, 805 W 10th St, Atlantic, Iowa 50022, or emailed to keolson@iastate.edu.

COUNCIL BLUFFS – Order forms are now online for MidAmerican Energy Company residential customers in the Council Bluffs area to purchase discounted trees. Through MidAmerican Energy’s Plant Some Shade program, customers can purchase up to two, 2.5- to 10-foot landscape trees for $30 each, including chinkapin oak, northern pin oak, hophornbeam and eastern white pine. Tree order forms are available at www.midamericanenergy.com/ia-res-trees.aspx.  Please contact Pottawattamie County Conservation at (712) 328-5638 before placing your order to ensure availability.

Advance purchase is required. Trees will be available for pickup Saturday, April 28th, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Harrah’s Casino parking lot, located at 1 Harrah’s Boulevard in Council Bluffs. To ensure all MidAmerican Energy customers have the opportunity to participate, tree purchases are initially limited to two trees per household. In the event additional trees are available on distribution day, they will be released for purchase at 8:30 a.m. on a first-come, first-served basis until all trees are sold.

The Plant Some Shade program promotes long-term energy savings by encouraging residents to plant trees around their homes. Strategically placed deciduous trees provide shade on hot summer days, easing the cooling load on air conditioners, while conifers shield homes from blustery Iowa winter winds. Plant Some Shade is funded by MidAmerican Energy in partnership with Pottawattamie County Conservation and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ Forestry Section.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa ethanol and biodiesel producers are warning President Donald Trump that imposing restrictions on biofuels production “would be viewed as a declaration of war on rural America.”

The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, representing refineries in the nation’s largest biofuels producing state, called on Sens. Charles Grassley and Joni Ernst on Friday to reach out to Trump. The refiners use corn, soybeans and animal fat to make biofuels and want the senators to tell Trump limiting biofuel production is a “complete abdication of his repeated promises” to protect biofuels.

The group says it’s heard that EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt plans to push Trump on Monday for a proposal that would cut biofuel demand. Farm states, already stinging from Trump’s tariff fight with China, are alarmed he could further hurt ag markets.

All Adair County 4-H and FFA members who plan to exhibit swine at the 2018 Adair County Fair must have their pigs tagged by Wednesday, April 18. A letter detailing the process has been sent to exhibitors. Tags, identification sheets, and other papers may be picked up at the Adair County Extension office between 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. County Fair tags are $1.50 each, Iowa State Fair tags are $8.00. There is a $3.00/ head charge for the Lean Value Carcass contest.

For more information about the county and state fair swine tagging requirements and details for classes in the county fair division, please call the Extension office at 641-743-8412 or 1-800-ISUE 399.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will conduct its annual spring wildlife surveys this month. Wildlife research biologist, Jim Coffey says the surveys start around one hour after sunset and can last until just about sunrise. “It’s going to cover what we call our nighttime animals or nocturnal animals — we kind of call it the second shift,” Coffey says.

“It started out in the 70’s as a raccoon survey in a response to that we were over harvesting raccoons — or people thought we were — and they were going to become extinct. And we started to do this survey at that time.” The survey then expanded to include deer and eventually all animals they would see. The information helps them chart how each species is doing.

“What we look at is trends over time and are we seeing animals in the same places or are we seeing animals in different places than we have in the past. How do we see comparatively numbers from not just from last year — but from maybe the last five or tens years — so are we seeing more or less in those areas,” Coffey explains. He says they can used all the statistic to make some predictions about where they should see the various animals. Coffey says the deer survey is one that everyone always pays attention to, but he says the fun part is the diversity of wildlife you can see on a survey run.

“You pick up the occasional animals that we’re not used to seeing. So, we might see a bobcat in a county where we are not used to seeing it in, so it becomes documented that. It’s always fund to get to see some of those odd creatures. If you get to see a grey fox — that’s an anomaly — we know they are out there, we just don’t get to see them very often,” according to Coffey. The surveys are always done in April as Coffey says they try to do them in the same type of weather conditions each year to take that variable out of the equation. They often begin in southern Iowa.

He says they want to be in line with an early spring or late spring. Coffey says they are seeing some green grass and buds appearing in southern Iowa, indicating it’s time to start the surveys. “We also want to time it with the actual humidity and the temperature. Because what we know is animals like raccoons and possums usually don’t like to come out until it gets into the mid 30’s. If it’s too cold they are not going to come out,” Coffey says. He says each D-N-R staff member has their own way of keeping track of the animals they see.

“I’m kind of an old schooler — I still use a pen and paper and I document it on my map. We’ve got some guys who use G-P-S locations and we’ve got some guys who are actually stepping up into the 21st century and are using I-Pads now that will download the data directly into our computer and actually saves us some calculation times,” he says

Coffey says each county has a pre-selected route covering 50 miles of varying habitat. Surveyors will follow the route shining spotlights from both sides of the vehicle to document the animals they see.

(Radio Iowa)

w/Kate Olson.

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Republican Congressman Steve King says he is “uneasy” about the Trump Administration’s moves on trade. “Where we are today is we’re in the beginnings of an all-out trade war,” King says, “and I hope and pray that it is not.” China slapped import duties on dozens of U.S. products Monday, including a 25 percent tariff on pork, as a response to President Trump’s tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum. King says he had a “direct conversation” over the phone with Trump “several months ago” about the importance of trade, including the “complex negotiations” over the North American Free Trade Agreement. “I’m uneasy about where we have gone,” King said. “I would not have initiated any of this, actually. I’ve always been working towards the most stable trade situation we can have that’s going to allow us to increase our exports of agriculture and our exports of manufacturing.”

King says he hopes China concludes it needs the American market and the Trump Administration decides American consumers want cheap Chinese goods, but if neither side “backs off,” King says agriculture will be hurt “a lot.””This is an escalating thing that has the looks of how a trade war begins,” King says. And King predicts a trade war will lead to fewer family farms. “We’ve lost about half of our market value in our commodities from the peak about 10 years ago and that’s caused our producers to spend some of their equity down, especially our young guys that are trying to build that equity so they can sustain themselves through the hard times,” King said. “This is hurting them the most.”

King also says it’s ironic that since a Chinese company bought U.S.-based Smithfield Foods, pork processed in the U.S. by Smithfield will be charged the tariff.

(Radio Iowa)