(Radio Iowa) – The State Ag Secretary says Iowa’s soybean harvest could be wrapping up very soon. The Ag Secretary’s comments come as the latest U-S-D-A crop report shows the bean harvest hit 83 percent complete by Sunday. That is up from 60 percent complete last week and six days ahead of the five-year average. The report says the southern one-third of the state lags behind in the bean harvest.

Lots of progress was made on the corn side last week as the completion rate hit 60 percent — up from 43 percent the prior week. That’s one week ahead of the five-year average. Growers in the northeast and south-central regions still have more than half of their corn remaining to be harvested.

(Atlantic, Iowa) –  Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department Director Bryant Rasmussen, Monday (Today), said it was the intention of the Parks and Recreation Departmentto keep the bathrooms at the various city parks open as long as possible, but “with the current string of vandalism to our facilities and projected colder temperatures on the horizon we are beginning to winterize all of our bathrooms.” Rasmussen said “By the end of the week all restrooms in Sunnyside, City Park, and the bathhouse at Schildberg will be closed for the season.”

(Radio Iowa) – Researchers have found the toxic substances known as “forever chemicals” in some of Iowa’s remote streams, suggesting the contaminants are spreading far beyond sites typically known to use them. The class of chemicals called PFAS have been used in household and industrial products for decades and are linked to a slate of health issues. Researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Iowa detected PFAS in one-third of the Iowa streams they tested. The U-I’s Dave Cwiertny worked on the study. “I think it indicates that there are likely sources that we’re not probably thinking about correctly,” Cwiertny says. “That there are ways these things can reach parts of the environment that don’t necessarily, aren’t tied to the ones you read about in the news like an airport or a military base.”

Cwiertny says he’s especially worried about Iowans who rely on private wells, which are much more vulnerable to contamination. He says the findings also raise concerns for people who eat fish from the state’s streams. Dana Kolpin, with the U-S-G-S, says finding PFAS, even at low levels, is concerning because they bioaccumulate and don’t break down. “It may not mean something today, but if you keep ingesting it and keep building it up, it may mean something to you five years from now, 30 years from now. That’s the question mark, we don’t know,” Kolpin says. “So if a compound bioaccumulates, at least to me means we should be concerned enough at least to start looking at it.”

The highest levels the researchers found were downstream from a wastewater treatment plant, which they say is valuable data for state regulators.

(reporting by Kate Payne, Iowa Public Radio)

• KJAN, Atlantic  1.43″
• 7 miles NNE of Atlantic  1.18″
• Massena  1.42″
• Anita  2.38″
• Elk Horn  1.22″
• Corning  1.88″
• Oakland  .98″
• Guthrie Center  2.25″
• Underwood 1.03″
• Bedford  3.7″
• Manning  1.31″
• Missouri Valley  1.39″
• Clarinda  1.45″
• Shenandoah  3.21″
• Carroll  .58″

(Radio Iowa) – A disease that quickly kills domestic and wild rabbits is confirmed in two states that border Iowa and state DNR officials are asking Iowans to be vigilant for signs it’s arrived here. State wildlife veterinarian Dr. Rachel Ruden says rabbit hemorrhagic disease is killing the animals in several states, including Minnesota and South Dakota. “What we’re asking for is unusual reports of dead rabbits,” Ruden says, “so, rabbits that might seemingly look in good condition but are dead and in someone’s yard or at someone’s farm.” If you spot one or several dead rabbits, don’t touch them — but instead reach out to Ruden’s office through email or the phone number below.

“Domestic rabbits are also very susceptible to this disease, so contact us and we’ll take care of getting that carcus, limiting exposure beyond that area and taking the precautions necessary,” Ruden says, “and then we’ll screen those animals and figure out if there’s something that elevates the concern of testing for rabbit hemorrhagic disease.” Hunters are out in Iowa’s forests and fields now, looking for rabbits, as the cottontail season runs September through February.

(Photo by Karl Schilling)

This disease shouldn’t be a worry for hunters as it proves fatal to rabbits swiftly. “Following infection, there’s a rapid deterioration and we’d expect death within maybe 24 or 36 hours,” Ruden says. “It’s unlikely that a hunter would encounter an animal that was in the process of dying and happen to harvest that animal, but even if they did, this is not a disease of concern that people could actually get, it’s just the rabbits.”

The initial outbreak was in New Mexico in March of 2020 and the virus has since moved across the Southwest, Mountain and Great Plains states. Ruden says it can be spread from rabbit to rabbit, by predators, insects, and even by vehicle traffic. She says keeping the virus on Iowans’ radar is key to minimizing its impact should it show up here.

Contact Ruden at rachel.ruden@dnr.iowa.gov or 515-294-8205.

ATLANTIC, IA (October 21, 2021) – Produce in the Park’s holiday farmers markets have been scheduled for the 2021-2022 season, and Produce in the Park is now accepting vendor applications for all holiday markets. This year, four holiday markets will be held at the Cass County Community Center: Harvest Market (Nov. 22, the Monday before Thanksgiving), Christmas Market (Dec. 23), Sweetheart Market (Feb. 12), and Spring Celebration Market (April 16, the day before Easter).

These markets are scheduled just before holidays, so customers can pick up local produce, baked goods, and meats to enjoy at their holiday meals. The markets also offer seasonal decorations, candles, soaps, and gifts by local crafters and artisans. Vendor spaces are now available for all holiday markets, and local farmers, bakers, artisans or crafters are invited to apply. Vendors interested in participating in holiday markets can find details and registration forms online at www.produceintheparkatlanticiowa.com, or at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce. Vendors who register for all four holiday markets by November 1, 2021 will receive a discount.

While Harvest Market has been a long-standing tradition, Christmas Market, Sweetheart Market, and Spring Celebration Market were just introduced last year. Strong sales and positive customer feedback about the markets and the opportunity to pre-order products led Produce in the Park to seek sponsorships for the additional holiday markets, and the online ordering system. Produce in the Park is committed to offering online pre-ordering at all four holiday markets this season.

Holiday farmers markets are sponsored by the Atlantic Community Promotion Commission, First Whitney Bank and Trust, Camblin Mechanical, Cass County Tourism, and Cass County Farm
Bureau. Harvest Market is also being sponsored by Lindeman Tractor, and Christmas Market is being sponsored by Meyer & Gross. Christmas Market online shopping is being sponsored by
Smith Land Service. Produce in the Park is seeking additional sponsors for Sweetheart and Spring Celebration Markets, as well as online shopping sponsors for all markets except
Christmas. Businesses and organizations interested in sponsorship should contact Market Manager Brigham Hoegh at produceintheparkatlanticiowa@gmail.com or 712-249-5870.
A full list of holiday market event details, vendors, and information on pre-ordering will be available online at the Produce in the Park website www.produceintheparkatlanticiowa.com
closer to the market dates. Follow Produce in the Park on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ProduceInThePark) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/produceintheparkatlanticia/) for the latest information.

(Radio Iowa) – Two pro-ethanol groups are asking the Biden Administration to take immediate steps to expand market opportunities for E-15. Officials from the Iowa Corn Growers Association and the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association are leading the effort to promote the blend. Grant Menke, with the Corn Growers, says they met with cabinet members last week over high gas prices and forwarded a letter to President Biden. “It would be appropriate to showcase some of the benefits that biofuels could play in combating those high fuel prices,” Menke says. “We urged the administration to finalize the E-15 labeling rule and also allowing E-15 to be sold through E-10-approved underground storage tanks and dispensers.”

Menke says another important step the president must take involves restrictions on when the fuel is made available to the public. Menke says, “EPA should propose and finalize a rule to limit the volatility of gasoline blend stocks which would allow E-15 to be sold year-round.” A recent court ruling pushed E-15 sales back three years to where it can only be sold eight-and-a-half months out of the year. Menke says the climate solution the Biden administration is searching for is available through corn-based ethanol. “It reduces greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 50% compared to gasoline,” Menke says. “If we are serious about climate change, carbon reduction, cleaner air, now is the time to unleash the power of high-octane, low-cost E-15.”

He says there are more than three-billion gallons of ethanol production capacity that could be used to fight inflationary pressures.

w/Brandon Schuering.

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(Radio Iowa) – U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has visited the picket line outside the John Deere plant in Ankeny. Vilsack told the U-A-W members he’s there for them because they were there for him 23 years ago. The union endorsed Vilsack’s successful 1998 campaign for governor when he was trailing in the polls and Vilsack says that’s something he won’t forget. Vilsack later told reporters he hopes the strike is resolved quickly and fairly. Current Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds says she’s confident the union and the company will come to some resolution.  “John Deere is a great company with a phenomenal workforce,” Reynolds says, “and this is part of the collective bargaining process.”

More than 10-thousand John Deere workers went on strike last Thursday after rejecting the company’s first contract offer. Negotiations resumed Monday. “I’m just hopeful that we can find resolution sooner rather than later,” Reynolds says. Reynolds, who grew up in the St. Charles area, has family members who worked at John Deere during previous strikes.

“My dad worked for John Deere for 40 years. My dad’s dad — my grandpa — worked for John Deere for many years. My dad’s brothers, my grandpa’s brothers all worked for John Deere. It was a stressful time when they would go on strike,” Reynolds says. “I had family members on both sides of the issue, but eventually at every point they were able to reach a resolution that really benefits both sides.”

Reynolds made her comments inside a manufacturing facility in Adel. Deere and Company operates plants in Ankeny, Davenport, Dubuque, Ottumwa and Waterloo. The union is seeking better pay and health care benefits as well as an end to a two-tiered system that pays workers hired in the past 24 years less than those hired BEFORE October, 1997.