DES MOINES — Iowa received a statewide annual precipitation of 33 inches in 2017, more than two inches less than normal, according to the latest Water Summary Update from the Iowa DNR. The year began with a wetter than normal spring, followed by drier than normal summer and fall months, with the exception of a very wet October. “The distribution of rainfall was uneven this year, with some areas of southeastern Iowa ending the year more than 10 inches short on rainfall,” said Tim Hall, the DNR’s Hydrology Resources Coordinator. “Good spring rainfall will help to restore soil moisture and shallow groundwater in those areas.”

Streamflow has been generally normal for the second half of the year. Southeastern Iowa remains an area of concern after two consecutive years of drier than normal conditions.  Meanwhile, 2017 was an unusually warm year with a statewide average temperature of 49.9 degrees Fahrenheit, or 1.8 degrees above normal. This ranks as the eighth warmest year on record.

For a thorough review of Iowa’s water resource trends, go to www.iowadnr.gov/watersummaryupdate.

w/Max Dirks.

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A high school student from Audubon County was one of four winners in an essay contest for active FFA members, sponsored by Growmark. Anna Campell, of Hamlin, joined students in Illinois, Missouri and Wisconsin as State winners in the contest, the theme for which was “How can cooperatives demonstrate their value to the next generation of agriculturists?”​

2018 is the 25th year for the essay contest sponsored by GROWMARK and participating FS member cooperatives. The goal of the contest is to encourage students to develop writing skills, learn about current issues impacting agriculture and understand the unique role of cooperatives. You can view her essay under a pdf of her essay, here:  2018-Iowa-Winning-Essay

State winners receive a $500 award. The FFA chapter of the state winner receives $300 award, and four runners-up per state: each receive a $125 award.

This Year’s Topic: The average age of farmers in the United States is 55 years old, meaning many current farmers are nearing retirement age. Cooperatives have played a vital role in agriculture for many years, offering products, services, and expertise to help farmers increase efficiency and profitability, while keeping up with a rapidly changing industry. As a younger generation steps up to fill their shoes, they will need a wide variety of resources and technology to be successful. What does the next generation of agriculturists need from a cooperative partner, and how can cooperatives work with young farmers to remain relevant?

FARLEY, Iowa (AP) — Frigid temperatures are creating challenges for Iowa farmers who say animals can endure cold winter conditions but need extra attention to stay healthy and productive. Iowa entered 2018 with subzero temperatures. The National Weather Service reported a Jan. 1 record temperature in Dubuque of 21 degrees below zero (-29 Celsius). And wind chills on the first two days of the year reached negative 30 degrees.

Dairy farmer Wayne Kramer tells the Telegraph Herald that his livestock needs to be partially protected from the frigid conditions. He says the cold weather can make cows uncomfortable and cut into productivity. Livestock farmer Craig Recker says the wind poses a threat to his cattle. Recker uses corn stalk fodder for his cattle’s bedding, which he says helps them generate heat.

One of the changes in regulations for the paddlefish season this year in western Iowa is the lifting of the restrictions that allows you to keep so-called rough fish that are snagged in the process. Fisheries biologist Ryan Hupfeld says the surveys they took following the paddlefish season singled out one particular fish. “We got a lot of comments saying that people wanted to harvest Asian carp — an invasive species — so we should utilize that resource as well, so we opened up the harvest for them.” Hupfeld says.

Paddlefish feed on plankton at the bottom of the river and are caught by snagging them on a treble hook. Asian carp are caught on the same hooks and now they can be kept. Hupfeld says it should be a positive thing. “Asian carp are having a lot of negative impacts on our fish populations, especially with paddlefish because they are feeding on the same food resource,” Hupfeld says.

He says allowing the taking of the Asian carp in the paddlefish season could help cut their populations. “If we can promote harvest on Asian carp and reduce their numbers and hopefully create a commercial market for them then we can hopefully manage their populations to a certain extent,” Hupfeld says. “Asian carp is actually very good to eat, so I would suggest anglers get out there and harvest some of these fish and try them.”

You have until January 7th to buy a paddlefishing license. The season on the Big Sioux and Missouri River opens February 4th and runs through April 30th. A resident paddlefish license sells for 22 dollars and you must have a valid Iowa fishing license to buy the special license.

(Radio Iowa)

w/Kate Olson.

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Officials with the Golden Hills R-C and D in Oakland, say in 2016, a three county region of Harrison, Pottawattamie and Mills Counties, completed a community-led, comprehensive plan to address the future of the tri-county region’s parks, trails, and cultural assets to enhance overall economic and community vitality. Regional plan development was supported through the Iowa Parks Foundation and former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad’s Green Ribbon Commission, to “enhance, promote, sustain, and connect” the region’s cultural, natural and park assets.

The Iowa Parks Foundation was founded in 2008 by Iowa Governor Terry Branstad and former Congressman Neal Smith. Iowa is preparing to celebrate its park system’s 2020 centennial. One of the primary goals of the initiative is to offer a premier parks system to help Iowa attract and retain young people who are interested in a vigorous lifestyle, which will help stimulate the state’s economy and help attract and retain businesses. The Parks to People initiative will leverage public and private resources by supporting regional projects identified in the plan.

The Loess Hills Missouri River Region Plan identifies five key focus areas: the Loess Arts and Nature Loop, Frontier Iowa Trails Network, the Loess Discovery Web, Ridges and Rivers: Explore, and WanderLoess.com, an online platform to promote attractions and recreational opportunities in the region. The focus areas support collaborative, regional projects to enhance:

• Economic development and tourism,

• Public health and social vitality,

• Natural resources (habitat, water) health, parks, and trails, and

• Overall regional vibrancy

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds will speak about the Loess Hills Missouri River Region 2:30-p.m. Friday, January 19th, at the Iowa West Field House, 4 Arena Way, in Council Bluffs, Iowa. At that time, the first private investment by the MidAmerican Energy Foundation will also be announced.

Pesticide Applicators with a private license can choose to re-certify by attending a continuing instruction course (CIC) each of the three years during their renewal cycle.  Iowa State University Extension and Outreach—Montgomery County will be hosting two CICs on Wednesday January 10, 2018.  They will be held at the Stanton Community Room; participants can choose to attend the two hour session at either 9:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m.  There is a $20 registration fee.  Pre-registration is not necessary.  Contact Angela Silva at 712-623-2592 with any questions.

If this date doesn’t work for you, applicators can attend in another county.  In addition, certification can be renewed via testing every three years.  Please check the IDALS Pesticide Bureau website for testing dates and locations at www.iowaagriculture.gov/pesticide/pesticidetesting.asp

Time is running out for Iowa farmers to return their 2017 Census of Agriculture forms. The USDA conducts the survey every five years and the results help shape federal and state policy. Iowa’s deputy secretary of agriculture, Mike Naig, is urging farmers and landowners to fill out the entire survey and take it seriously. “The more information that we can provide the USDA, the better their dataset will be. The fewer people who respond, the more assumptions the USDA has to make,” Naig says.

Business, universities, and local and national farm groups also use the Census of Agriculture data to make various funding and program decisions. Eligible Iowans should have received their surveys and responding, either on paper or online, is required by law. Naig says he looks forward to seeing what’s changing in Iowa farm country.

“We are very interested in seeing any trends that are developing or continuing in terms of land use, no-till, conservation practices, cover crops, those types of things that emerge from that dataset are very interesting to us,” Naig says.

The Census of Ag, conducted every five years, will also show changes in the age of Iowa’s farmers, and how many women and veterans are farming in the state. The responses are due February 5.

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

Former Iowa Governor and U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack is wrapping up his first year as president of the U.S. Dairy Export Council. Vilsack says uncertainty about the future of the North American Free Trade Agreement is not good for agriculture and he’s hoping to see more trade progress from the Trump administration in 2018. “Certainly, for the dairy industry, we’ve seen a substantial expansion of dairy sales in Mexico – our number one market,” Vilsack says. “We’d like to see more opportunity to sell in Canada. We think this negotiation has the chance of opening up that market.”

The U.S., Mexico and Canada are scheduled to return to the bargaining table for a fifth time to renegotiate NAFTA late this month (January). Vilsack says pulling out of NAFTA, which the president has threatened to do, would be devastating for the ag economy. “There’s a tendency to talk about trade as if every industry in the country is either plus or minus. The reality is some industries benefit from trade and some industries have been hurt,” Vilsack said. “Clearly, these negotiations need to make sure that we preserve, for the industries that are doing well, the benefits of trade and that would certainly include agriculture.”

President Trump, shortly after he took office, withdrew the U.S. from the Trans Pacific Partnership. Vilsack says that’s created “opportunities for competitors” and challenges for the dairy industry. “We have to have more people representing U.S. dairy in many of the Asian countries that were party to the TPP agreement, as well as in China and taking full advantage of our relationship in Japan and South Korea,” Vilsack said. “But, we need more people, we need more partnerships, and we need more focus and more passion. And over the course of the next year or so, I think you’re going to see the organization that I’m part of try to be part of that effort to move exports forward.”

The 67-year-old Vilsack became president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council in February of 2017 after serving eight years as the leader of the USDA.

(Radio Iowa)