Are you a farmer or are you involved in the agriculture industry? Are you curious where the ag markets might be headed this year?  If yes, plan on attending Iowa State University Extension and Outreach – Shelby County’s Farmer’s Coffee January 31st at 9:30 a.m. ISUEO Farm Management Specialist Shane Ellis will be presenting a market outlook for both crops and livestock. Low commodity prices are impacting both producers and other industries related to agriculture.  Knowing what to expect in the near future will help to make good management decisions for the future.

Please join us at the Shelby County Extension Office 906 6th Street for hot coffee and refreshments, catch up on the latest ag news, bring your questions, and visit with others and Shane about what the new holds for agriculture.  There is no cost.  This informational meeting is for anyone who is involved in the agriculture industry! Please call the Shelby County Extension and Outreach Office at (712)755-3104 for more information.

• KJAN, Atlantic  .14″
• Massena  .17″
• Anita  .18″
• Red Oak  .06″
• Clarinda  .22″
• Denison  .08″
• Carroll  .09″
• Logan  .02″

w/Kate Olson.

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There’s growing concern by some in the ag industry that President-elect Donald Trump has not announced his choice for secretary of agriculture. It was a popular subject of conversation at the American Farm Bureau Federation convention that wrapped up Tuesday in Phoenix, Arizona. Iowa Farm Bureau President Craig Hill attended the convention and said most of the names being mentioned for the top post at the USDA are people who are very well qualified

“I’m hoping for a farmer. That would be nice,” Hill said. “But, it kind of looks like Sonny Perdue, the former governor of Georgia…there are some others, but I’ll just look forward to finding out when we can.” Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack has served as the U.S. Ag Secretary since January of 2009. He was nominated for the post in mid-December of 2008, shortly after Barack Obama was elected president.

Hill said he would prefer if Vilsack’s replacement was also from the Midwest. “You know, Iowa is a state that became number two in the country in terms of agricultural receipts. We overtook Texas. We may volley back-and-forth over time with that distinction, but agriculture production in the Midwest is strong and it drives our economy. We need representation from the Midwest,” Hill said.

Last week, Agri-Pulse reported Tom Vilsack is expected to take over as CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council once he leaves office. However, Vilsack told Brownfield Ag News that he has NOT made final plans for the future and he’s solely focused on his remaining days at USDA.

(Thanks to Ken Anderson, Brownfield Ag News)

Iowa landowners have the opportunity to enroll land in the Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) into special targeted areas for wildlife. D-N-R wildlife biologist Todd Bogenschutz says more C-R-P land is now eligible for what’s called the State Acres For wildlife Enhancement or SAFE program. “Basically what they’ve done, nationwide there’s two-point-five million acres coming out — some of them are continuous, most of them are general. They made this announcement that they are going to target 700-thousand of those acres toward the state safe practices,” Bogenschutz says. “That was great for Iowa because we have a couple of safe requests in. They basically gave us acres for all three of them.”

He says the SAFE program is designed to help particular species of wildlife. “It’s basically where there’s threatened and endangered species, a species that is declining significantly, or a species that’s economically important. States can come up with a targeted C-R-P practice to address one of those concerns, or any of those concerns,” Bogenschutz says.

He says Iowa has had success with its SAFE programs. “We have a gaining ground SAFE — which is targeted at grassland birds and pollinators — we have a pheasant recovery SAFE, and we just submitted a new quail SAFE — and they gave us additional acres for all three of those,” Bogenschutz says.

He says until the recent announcement they didn’t know if any new C-R-P acres would be allowed to go into the program. “Because we were at the cap people weren’t sure what was going to happen this coming year. If they were just going to have another sign up. SAFE’s been popular, but we can’t put any more in because the acres are all gone,” Bogenschutz says. “Now with this announcement people have an opportunity to get into SAFE. If you ‘ve got a contract that is expiring this year, you can re-enroll in that, which is going to probably make it better habitat than it was.”

The sign up is underway and Bogenschutz urges you to not delay in getting signed up. “Many people are expecting that these acres could be gone within a couple of weeks. There’s a lot of interest in C-R-P, a lot of people want to be in C-R-P and they can’t now that they’ve lowered the cap. So we expect it’s going to be very competitive, so if folks are interested in C-R-P I recommend they get right into their local U-S-D-A office, or contact one of our private land staff to get more info,” according to Bogenschutz.

The Iowa D-N-R has created a web page for landowners to learn more about federal and state programs available to them. The web page includes a list of D-N-R staff who are experts at connecting landowners with programs and writing land management plans that benefit the landowner, wildlife and improve water quality. There is also a link to F-S-A where landowners can find information about their local F-S-A office. The landowner assistance webpage is at www.iowadnr.gov/crp.

(Radio Iowa)

Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman reports a Public Hearing will be held next week on the designation of a 2017 Cass County Agribusiness Urban Renewal Area, and on a proposed Urban Renewal Plan and Projects. The Hearing will be held Jan. 18th at 8:45-a.m., at the Cass County Courthouse.

The hearing is on the question of designating as the 2017 Cass County Agribusiness Urban Renewal Area (the “Urban Renewal Area”), pursuant to Chapter 403, Code of Iowa, the property situated in Cass County, Iowa described as follows:

Certain real property situated in Cass County, Iowa bearing the following Cass County Property Tax Parcel Identification Numbers as of January 1, 2017:

• Parcel ID: 180001556001000 – 3.55 acres;
• Parcel ID: 250000488001005 – 13.29 acres
• Parcel ID: 250000488001006 – 50.87 acres
• Parcel ID: 250000488004011 – 2.25 acres
• Parcel ID: 250000488004012 – 8.95 acres
• Parcel ID: 250000522001006 – 1.93 acres
• Parcel ID: 250000523002003 – 3.17 acres
• Parcel ID: 250000533001001 – 2.81 acres
• Parcel ID: 250000533001002 – 0.24 acres
• Parcel ID: 250000533001003 – 1.04 acres
• Parcel ID: 250000687003002 – 6.08 acres
• Parcel ID: 250000754001002 – 3.60 acres Parcel ID: 250000754003002 – 4.41 acres; and
• All of the right-of-way of Echo Road from and including its intersection with Olive Street on the east and continuing west to and including its intersection with Buck Creek Road; and
• All of the right-of-way of Buck Creek Road from and including its intersection with Echo Road on the north and continuing south to and including its intersection with Glacier Road; and
• All of the right-of-way of Glacier Road from and including its intersection with Buck Creek Road on the east and continuing west to the paved segment of Glacier Road.

(A More detailed description of the parcels is available from the Cass County Auditor’s Office) The subject matter of the public hearing will also include a proposed urban renewal plan (the “Plan”) and project for the Urban Renewal Area identified above, pursuant to Chapter 403, Code of Iowa, a copy of which plan is on file for public inspection in the office of the County Auditor.

The general scope of the proposed Plan, as more specifically described therein, includes the following:

• Increasing the tax base and promoting economic growth in Cass County by encouraging commercial, industrial and agribusiness development.
• The Plan authorizes certain initial urban renewal projects to be undertaken in the Urban Renewal Area consisting of (i) providing tax increment financing support to Elite Octane, LLC in connection with the planning, design and construction of an ethanol plant (the “Development Project”);
• and (ii) using tax increment financing to pay the costs of constructing certain road and greywater sewer system improvements necessary for the development of the Development Project.

At the hearing any interested person may file written objections or comments and may be heard orally with respect to the subject matter of the hearing.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Officials in Omaha and Council Bluffs, Iowa, are taking different approaches toward handling an expected infestation of an ash tree-killing insect. The Omaha World-Herald reports Omaha plans to treat up to 5,000 of its 11,000 ash trees and to remove the rest.

In Council Bluffs, officials plant to treat most of the 1,260 ash trees on city property, then evaluate the situation in 10 years. Crews removed 30 unhealthy trees last year and treated 200 trees. Workers will treat about 1,000 trees this spring.

At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, workers will treat about 10 percent of the 368 ash trees on campus. Officials must take action because of the emerald ash borer. Since being found in 2002 in Michigan, the insect has killed millions of trees across the country.

The Iowa Corn Promotion Board is releasing a series of videos touting the state’s top crop featuring an actor known as the Iowa Nice Guy. Board president Larry Klever, of Audubon, says the videos are being posted on the Iowa Corn YouTube website. “We’re always looking for new ways to get our message out and we decided to team up with Scott Siepker and use his fun and energetic way of telling stories to help us out.”

Siepker made a name for himself several years ago with his snarky videos promoting the state of Iowa and catapulted onto national sports T-V programs with further commentary. Klever says the new videos will educate consumers about the different ways corn is used, from food to fuel. “We talk about what is E-15 and high-fructose corn syrup, how it’s similar to cane sugar,” Klever says. “Also, your lawns versus our fields, water quality and sweet corn versus field corn.”

There are five videos produced in the series so far. If they’re a success, Klever says there will be more coming.

(Radio Iowa)

Progress continues on the Nishna Valley Trails, Inc. (NVT) Troublesome Creek Connection Trail. Dave Chase, NVT President, says the trail projects are carried out in increments because of the costs involved, not to mention the engineering aspect of the entire project. Chase said donations help to make progress on the trail possible, including the recent funding from TS Bank in Atlantic, through their Community Support Program.

TS Banks provided a $7,500 donation, which will allow for the engineering and construction of a 150-yard section connecting existing trails. He said the Troublesome Creek Trail is basically done. The whole idea is to link up with the trail system at the Atlantic Municipal Utilities well head site. The TS Bank donation will allow for engineering and development of the trail along Olive Street that leads to the AMU trail, which will be hard-surfaced. When that’s completed, there will be a contiguous, 6-mile loop on the north side of Atlantic.

Chase says later this Spring, a kiosk will be set-up across the street from the KJAN Studios that will provide information about the area trails and their locations. So far, nearly two-miles of paved trail have been created to connect the two trails, including a 162-foot long pedestrian bridge that spans Troublesome Creek behind the KJAN Studios. The project began about 7-years ago, and is expected to be finished later this Fall.

If you’d like to contribute funds for the trails, send your checks to: Nishna Valley Trails, P.O. Box 496, Atlantic, IA 50022.  You can also contact Dave Chase (712-243-2444) if you’d like to donate or find out more about the trails project.

An Iowan who’s an agricultural advisor for President-elect Trump’s transition team is urging Trump to “block” some “mega-mergers” in the ag industry. Bruce Rastetter, of Alden, says the pending mergers of “agrochemical and seed giants” like DuPont and Dow Chemical will mean higher prices for farmers. “There will be bundling of services, so if they combine chemical and seed and only those seed traits can take a certain chemical sold by that company, it’s naturally going to increase costs,” Rastetter says.

Rastetter also cites the proposed merger of St. Louis-based Monsanto and Bayer, which was founded in Germany more than 150 years ago. “So concern about competition, concern about then the lack of innovation, lack of multiple companies we have and the concern for choice for farmers,” Rastetter says.

If Trump’s Administration doesn’t step in, Rastetter says the four largest seed and ag chemical suppliers in the country will become just two mammoth companies — controlling between 60 and 70 percent of the U.S. corn and soybean seed market. “Those two both start selling chemicals and seed, when they primarily did one or the other before and so the market share becomes very large, in a variety of different crops,” Rastetter says.

With two rather than four major companies, Rastetter says there will be less research to boost crop yields. He says smaller companies developing new plant varieties and traits are struggling to bring new products to market. “The root cause of this is government regulation. It costs $150 million to create a new seed trait. Think of that. How many small businesses can do that? And then, not only the $150 million, but an uncertain timeline for when or if the government’s ever going to approve it,” Rastetter says. “So if we really want to get serious about this, yes, the mergers shouldn’t go through, but we should to fix the government problem and I believe Donald Trump will do that.”

Rastetter is an entrepreneur who has made millions by raising pork and producing ethanol. His “Summit Agricultural Group” has partnered with a Brazilian company to build Brazil’s first corn-only ethanol plant. Rastetter says those experiences give him a platform to raise the alarm about these two agribusiness mergers. “As a businessman and as a farmer on two continents, in Brazil and the U.S., I have a unique perspective on it,” Rastetter says. “And also I have been concerned that commodity groups have been tentative about saying something on this situation.”

Rastetter says Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley shares his concerns about these mergers. Rastetter predicts Grassley will bring up the merger issue next week when Trump’s nominee for attorney general appears before the senate committee Grassley leads.

(Radio Iowa)