Iowa Congressman David Young is scheduled to be joined by Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey for the annual “Bringing in the Harvest” tour, this Friday (Oct. 27th. They will tour family farms, cooperatives, and  agribusinesses to learn more about issues affecting Iowa’s farmers and agriculture economy.  Congressman Young will hear from Iowa’s farmers about this year’s harvest, the importance of trade for Iowa’s agriculture economy, and concerns they have which Congressman Young can take to Washington.

Among the places Young will visit on the tour, is Rose Acre Farms, near Guthrie Center, the Henry A. Wallace Country Center in Orient, Milk Unlimited in Atlantic, The POET Biorefinery in Corning, a Water Quality Demo Project near Sharpsburg, and a listening session with Ringgold County FSA, Soil and Water Conservation Boards.

Acting Iowa Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg paid a visit Monday afternoon to the Elite Octane, LLC Ethanol Plant, in Atlantic. Gregg met with Project Developer Ron Fagen, Plant President and CEO Nick Bowdish, Plant Manager Mike Messing, Republican Senator Tom Shipley and others, about what it took to make the plant a reality since 2006, when several attempts for various reasons each resulted in a failure to get off the ground. The site sat empty, except for one office building, and a concrete pad, until 2015.

Bowdish told Gregg “We’re back at it. We’ve had dozens of hurdles to see this thing come together, but one of the key ones was at that time, Governor Branstad [and current Governor Reynolds] took a meeting. We sat down and laid out ‘If this was gonna be competitive, we had to get the sale tax exemption done with Iowa Economic Development Authority, and that wasn’t just a rubber stamp.”

Bowdish said they just sent in the paperwork this week for their first sales tax redemption. He said they’ve estimated it at a $4.25-million dollars sales tax redemption through the Iowa Economic Development Authority. “Without that [he said] the capital costs would have been over what we could have justified.”

Bowdish asked Gregg to share with Governor Reynolds, thanks for her efforts to get keep the RFS in place and to strengthen it, if possible. Gregg said he was proud to see his boss in action, speaking with President Trump last week. He said “It was surreal… to watch Gov. Reynolds in her moment….advocate [for RFS].” He said it’s not every day that you’re in the room when the President is on the phone.”

Trump directed the EPA to table proposals to weaken the RFS, but Reynolds has said she’ll keep pressing to make sure that doesn’t happen. Gregg said their faith was validated last Thursday, when EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt put his assurances in writing as Reynolds asked. Gregg said Gov. Reynolds will be meeting with Tuesday in Washington, D.C. with Administrator Pruitt and Vice President Pence. The topic of discussion will be Fair Trade.

Left to right: Pat McCurdy; Ryan Pellett; Sen. Tom Shipley; IA Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg; Nick Bowdish; Mike Messing; Ron Fagen, Inc.; Russell Joyce/CADCO.

Bowdish told the Lt. Governor they’re looking at a May 2018 start-up for the Atlantic Elite Octane Ethanol Plant. At first, he said, there will be about 50 people, and although they haven’t advertised yet, all the positions are posted on the company’s website. They already have more than 200 applicants.

Bids were placed last week for some of the needed corn. They’ve already purchased one-half million bushels. They will process 50-million bushels and ultimately produce more than 120-million gallons of ethanol per year, when fully operational.

Fagen, Inc. Chairman Ron Fagen (Left) speaks with Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg

The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency reports the fire danger today is HIGH.   Any open burning plans need the approval of your local Fire Chief and a burn plan. High wind speeds, sunshine and rapidly drying conditions, will make fires difficult to control. The Shelby County EMA says it will begin twice weekly update, Mondays and Thursdays, to help keep the public informed of conditions which may be dangerous.

Recent wildfires in California, in areas thought to be at very low risk, show us that  being prepared and knowledgeable about the conditions conducive to fire spread and growth are vitally important to all of us. This program developed through the EMA and Local Emergency Services Association is a proactive approach to keeping the public safe.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — All roads and nature trails at the DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge remain closed weekend for a scheduled deer hunt. The closure began Saturday and runs through Sunday to ensure public safety during the white-tailed deer hunt. The visitor center will remain open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A second antlerless muzzleloader deer hunt is scheduled for the weekend of Dec. 16-17. A temporarily closure will take place that weekend as well.

Spots for that hunt are still available to Iowa and Nebraska hunters. Nebraska residents can apply for the hunt through the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s website or a local office. Iowa residents can apply by contacting the refuge at 712-388-4803. The refuge is located 25 miles north of Omaha on U.S. Highway 30.

Bob Beebensee and DNR Conservation Officer Grant Gelle talk about all things outdoors. A lot of hunting seasons opening up for the Fall and Bob and Grant talk about the regulations and what to be on the look out for.

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A contest is underway to select the cover of the next Iowa Travel Guide. Iowa Tourism Office spokesperson Jessica O’Riley says Iowans can vote for one of four options. “We have one of a couple shopping in downtown Mount Vernon, we’ve got people hiking in the Loess Hills in western Iowa, we’re showing off one of Iowa’s three whitewater parks – one on the cover is in Manchester, and then we also have a nice image of some people paddleboarding at sunset on Gray’s Lake in Des Moines,” O’Riley said. Iowans can check out the photos and vote for their favorite at traveliowa.com

ITG 2018 cover options

Visitors to the website can vote daily through early next week. “Voting closes at 10 a.m. on Tuesday and we’ll announce the winner on Wednesday, October 25, at the Iowa Tourism Conference (in Sioux City) and on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts,” O’Riley said. The 2018 Iowa Travel Guide will be available in late January. More than 125,000 guides are distributed annually to travelers from every state and around the world.

A photo of the Snake Alley Criterium in Burlington is on THIS year’s cover of the Iowa Travel Guide.

(Radio Iowa)

Shelby County Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Seivert today, is advising local fire chiefs in the County to place your local fire danger signs in the Extreme category, until 7-pm. The request is due to the expected high wind and dry conditions. No open burning is allowed in Shelby County today. Fires that do start will move quickly and be very difficult to contain and control. Seivert advises property owner/tenants to “Have a plan. If a fire occurs and you are in the path. You must move quickly to place of safety.”

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The trend of raising backyard chickens is causing a soaring number of illnesses from poultry-related diseases. Since January, nearly 1,000 people have contracted salmonella poisoning from chickens and ducks in 48 states. More than 200 were hospitalized and one person died. The Centers for Disease Control says that toll was four times higher than in 2015.

Experts say a big factor is people who treat their birds like pets by kissing or snuggling them and letting them walk around indoors. Poultry can carry salmonella bacteria in their intestines that can be shed in their feces. The bacteria can attach to feathers and dust and brush off on shoes or clothing. But the CDC says illnesses can be prevented with proper handling, including washing hands after handling the birds.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A new report is highlighting growing concerns that farm foreclosures will be the greatest challenge to rural banks in parts of 10 Plains and Midwestern states over the next five years. The Rural Mainstreet Index for the region rose slightly to 45.3 in October from 39.6 in September. The index released Thursday ranges between 0 and 100, with any number under 50 indicating a shrinking economy.

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss, who oversees the survey of bankers, says about 10 percent of bank CEOs surveyed expect their operations to be hit hard by farm foreclosures in the next five years. Goss blamed the concern on weak farm income and low commodity prices.

Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming were surveyed.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship today (Thursday) announced that eleven projects in Iowa have been selected to receive grant funding to help enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops.  The Department received $282,032 through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service to support the program. Iowa agricultural non-profit organizations, cooperatives, specialty crop industry associations or organizations, and producer groups were eligible to apply for funding. The maximum grant award from the Department to sub-grantees is $24,000 and administrative and indirect costs are not allowed.

Among the grant recipients in southwest Iowa, is:

Golden Hills Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) in Oakland, which received $23,991. The organization is working with New Tree School, local growers, and other partners, to create new markets for sales of locally-sourced and locally–propagated native oak trees.  They will first identify public and private lands with old-growth oak trees from which to harvest acorns. Project partners such as farmers and landowners with an interest in propagating oaks will be identified and trained in proper growing practices.

Southern Iowa Resource, Conservation & Development, in Creston, received a $23,968 grant  for a project aimed to draw the millennial demographic to farmers markets. Southern Iowa Resource, Conservation & Development will use text message marketing and Facebook advertising, to exclusively promote specialty crop farmers’ market vendors at area farmers’ markets, in addition to radio and newspaper ads.

Other recipients include: Lutheran Services in Iowa – $24,000; Iowa State University of Science and Technology – $23,750; Iowa State University of Science and Technology- $23,968; Allamakee New Beginnings, Inc. dba Iowa Food Hub – $21,198; The James Gang dba Iowa Valley Global Food Project – $23,331; University of Northern Iowa – $17,186; Practical Farmers of Iowa – $24,000; Iowa State University Extension and Outreach – Johnson County Extension- $20,764; and, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Local Foods Program – $24,000.

Iowa Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said “The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program has supported a wide variety of projects here in Iowa in the past several years to promote locally grown products and we are excited to get another round of funding that will support food safety, research and marketing efforts.  Specialty crops are a very important part of Iowa agriculture as they allow farmers to diversify and give customers access to local foods and other products.”

“Specialty Crops” that are eligible under the program are fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits and horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture.  The funds not passed through to Iowa organizations will be used by the Department to administer the grant. Grant funds will be used for projects that benefit and enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops industry as a whole, and cannot be for projects that directly benefit a particular product or provide a profit to a single organization, institution, or individual.