Officials with the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), America’s largest wildlife conservation and education organization, reports Brad and Lorrie Rasmussen at Hygge Cottage and Tivoli Gardens in Atlantic (Iowa), have successfully created a Certified Wildlife Habitat through its Garden for Wildlife Program.  In addition, the Rasmussen’s habitat has been co-certified with NWF’s state affiliate, the Iowa Wildlife Federation.

The NWF says its celebrates this effort to create a garden which supports birds, butterflies, bees, frogs, and other local wildlife.  Every Certified Wildlife Habitat Garden provides natural sources of food, water, cover, and places to raise young and is maintained in a sustainable way which incorporates indigenous grasses and forbs, conserves water, and does not rely on pesticides.

NWF Naturalist David Mizejewski says “Anyone, anywhere can restore wildlife habitat right in their own yards and communities. Whether you garden in a suburban yard, an urban yard, or a rural plot of land, you will make a difference for local wildlife.  Creating a Certified Wildlife is fun, easy, and makes a real difference for both humans and wildlife.  It’s the perfect grassroots way to think globally and act locally and help birds, butterflies, bees, and many other types of wildlife.”

For more information on NWF’s Garden for Wildlife movement and how to qualify to have a garden space recognized as a Certified Wildlife Habitat, visit Garden for Wildlife or call 1-800-822-9919.

(Corning, Iowa) – The Adams County Fair concludes its week-long run today (Tuesday), in Corning. Here’s today’s slate of events/activities:

7:00-a.m., 4-H Endowment Breakfast

8:00-a.m., Dairy Show

9:00-a.m., Beef Show

1:00-p.m., 4-H/FFA Dog Show

2:00-p.m, Non-Sale Livestock will be released

4:00-p.m., Tall Corn Contest – sponsored by POET – static exhibits released

4:30-p.m., BBQ sponsored by the Adams County Fair Board

5:00-p.m., Bottle Buckaroo Show; 4-H Youth Council Ice Cream Stand

6:00-p.m., Livestock sale, followed by Premiums Sale, Herdsmanship & Shooting Sports Exhibition results announced.

On Wednesday, has the Swine Carcass results at the Adams County Extension, followed by Corning Meat Locker Walk-Through.

(Radio Iowa) – There’s one positive that may come out of Iowa’s stretch of dry weather. Iowa D-N-R wildlife biologist, Todd Bogenschutz, says it will likely lead to good pheasant numbers.”Of course we always say we like warm dry springs and so we run the dry side about two inches below normal so that’s good temperature wise we’re about average,” he says. Bogenschutz says the good spring weather follows a winter where most of the state saw average snowfall, making it easier for the birds to survive. The spring weather is probably most important as that’s when the new birds hatch.”Which is about June 10th to the 15th statewide average so you know you know a lot of the hens are on the ground nesting in May you know have that hatch in June and some of the early birds into April,” Bogenschutz says, “So that’s why April and May weather seems to figure in the best.”

Bogenschutz says the more birds that survive after the hatch, the more birds there are out there for the fall season. “This was our fourth dry spring in a row — which is unusual for us — and so you know we’ve kind of had decent counts,” he says. “We’re kind of struggling on the habitat side we’re losing C-R-P and continue to lose hay and small grains. So Mother Nature is cooperating, but we’re losing on the habitat side.” A glitch in collecting the survey numbers has delayed the count for last year’s pheasant hunt. Bogenschutz says it will likely be in the same range as recent years.

“A year ago you know we were over 300-thousand approaching 400-thousand, so one of our better harvest numbers in the last decade. And so they’ve been trending kind of that way and that kind of 300 to 400-thousand range,” he says.

The D-N-R will conduct its annual roadside survey of pheasants in August, and Bogenschutz says the weather charts show they are likely to see good numbers once again.

(Radio Iowa) – Former Iowa Congressman Steve King says he’s in talks with three law firms about filing a lawsuit to try to block construction of carbon pipelines. King filed paperwork this (Monday) morning with the Iowa Utilities Board to be on record as an opponent of the projects. “We already know what the (Iowa) Utilities Board is going to do. They have their marching orders. They’re going to carry them out. We need to fight them every step of the way,” King says. “While we’re doing that, we need to build the case to get to the United States Supreme Court.”

King says he’s aware law firms are already representing landowners and county officials opposed to the pipelines in state court, but King says the focus should be overturning a 2005 U-S Supreme Court decision. That ruling said private property can be claimed for a private economic development project through the government’s eminent domain process.

“It’s a 78% issue by The Des Moines Register (Iowa Poll) and another poll across every demographics of politics and age and gender opposed to using eminent domain to condemn private property for private gain,” King says. “Why? Because leadership is all on the other side of this.” One of the carbon pipeline developers is Bruce Rastetter who contributed to Republican Randy Feenstra’s successful 2020 bid to unseat King after King was rebuked by G-O-P leaders for published remarks about white supremacy.

Rastetter’s Summit Carbon Capture Pipeline, along with two other developers, may qualify for up to 100 billion in federal tax credits over the next decade. “The federal government writes a check to Bruce Rastetter or Larry Fink, the CEO of Black Rock (a partner in the proposed Navigator pipeline), or the head of the Wolfe Pipeline project over in eastern Iowa and Illinois,” King says. “It’s outrageous and there’s no possible way the taxpayers will ever see a return on their investment.”

On Saturday, King met in Fort Dodge with over 150 people from Iowa, Nebraska and the Dakotas who are opposed to the carbon pipelines and he says some of them indicated they would be willing to join a class action lawsuit against the carbon pipeline developers. In 2005, King successfully sued in state court to require Iowa officials print election materials in the English language only. That ruling was recently overturned, but may be appealed by the secretary of state. In 2012, King threatened a lawsuit over an Obama Administration policy for undocumented immigrants, but never filed one.

(Harlan, Iowa) – Events leading up to Wednesday’s opening of the Shelby County Fair in Harlan have been underway since Saturday, including animal weigh-ins and inspections, along with some showing of livestock and pets. The Fair runs from July 12th through the 16th. View the full schedule HERE. Here’s a partial look at the schedule:

TUESDAY, JULY 11 (Pre-Fair Events)
9:00 a.m……………………Enter & Judge 4-H Static Exhibits – 4-H & Morgan Hall. Buildings close at 5:00 p.m.
9:00 a.m……………………FFA Static Entry Judging starts at 9:00 with 4-H Clubs scheduled in Green Book
10:00 a.m………………….4-H Baked Goods & Garden Sale

WEDNESDAY, JULY 12
6:30 – 8:30 a.m………….Enter & Weigh 4-H/FFA Swine – Unload at dock and be inspected by veterinarian.
8:00 a.m…………………..Opening Flag Raising Ceremony – Front Gate
8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m…..Bottle/Bucket Calf followed by Bottle/Bucket Calf Plus One Interviews-
Extension Office, 906 6 th Street
9:00 -10:00 a.m…………Enter & Weigh 4-H/FFA Sheep and Goats –
Unload at dock and be inspected by veterinarian
9:00 -11:00 a.m…………4-H Cake Decorating entries – 4-H Exhibit Building
8:45 a.m…………………..4-H Table Setting Exhibitor’s Meeting
9:00 -11:00 a.m…………4-H Table Setting – 4-H Exhibit Building
11:00 a.m…………………Willard Olson Swine Contest – 4-H Exhibit Building
11:15 a.m…………………Best of Iowa Contest Exhibitor’s Meeting
11:30 a.m…………………Best of Iowa Contest – Immanuel Lutheran Church
1:00 p.m…………………..4-H Booths to be finished
12:00 – 6:00 p.m………..Enter Open Class Non-Livestock Exhibits
6:30 p.m…………………..Judge Open Class Non-Livestock Departments (if not judging Thurs.)
5:30 – 6:30 p.m………….Enter 4-H/FFA Rabbits – All livestock must be inspected by the vet before
going to their cage
4:30 – 7:00 p.m………….Enter & Weigh 4-H/FFA Market Beef, Breeding Beef, & Dairy –
Unload at dock and be inspected by a veterinarian.
4:30 – 5:30 p.m………….4-H/FFA Horses will be checked in – All livestock must be inspected
by the vet before going to stall.
6:00 p.m…………………Tractor Pull – Grandstand
6:30 – 7:30 p.m………….Enter 4-H/FFA Poultry and Rabbits

(Corning, Iowa) – The next to last full-day of activities at the Adams County Fair today, is “Senior Day,” at the fair. Events this morning include:

7:00-a.m., Swine Show

8:30-9:30-a.m., Senior Day Cookie Entries.

9:30-11:45-a.m., Senior Day Entertainment

10:00-a.m., Senior Day Cookie Judging

11:00-a.m., Rabbit & Small Pet Show

There’s no shortage of things to see and do this afternoon, at the Adams County Fair. The activities include:

1:00-p.m., Livestock Judging Contest Bingo

4:30-p.m., Pedal Pull registration.

5:00-p.m., Adams County Extension Council Pedal Pull; Rural Development BBQ.

6:00-p.m., 4-H Awardrobe Fashion Show, 4-H Foundation Award, & State Fair Awards.

7:00-p.m., Iowa Draft Horse Pullers Pull.

Tuesday, activities at the Adams County Fair kick-off with a 4-H Endowment Breakfast. Find the full fair schedule on Facebook, at Adams County Fair, Corning Iowa.

(Corning, Iowa) – The five-day run of the Adams County Fair continues this weekend, in Corning. Today’s activities include:

7:30-to 8:30-a.m., Beef Weigh-In

8:30-to 9:30-a.m., Sheep & Goat Weigh-In

9:00-a.m., Open Dog Show

9-to 9:30-a.m., Small Animal Check-In

10-to 11-a.m., Beef Pen of 3 Weigh-in

11:30-a.m., Cornhole Tournament Registration Opens

Noon, Cornhole Tournament

3:00-p.m., Bil Riley Talent Show

5:00-p.m., Iowa Corn Salute to Farmers Night at the Adams County Speedway/Races

Sunday, July 9th, is Family Day at the Adams County Fair. Events include the Poultry & Broiler Show, 5K Color Run, Sheep and Market Goat Show, Fair Fundraiser Breakfast, the Open Pet Show, a Baby Contest, Quilts of Valor, 4-H & Youth Committee Hot Beef Sundae Feed, and Dairyland Donkey Ball. See the full schedule on Facebook, at Adams County Fair, Corning Iowa.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is offering a program to teach skills needed to trap furbearers to anyone who has little to no trapping experience. The eight workshops will feature several knowledge and skill building sessions with instructors that will teach the basics of trapping in Iowa. Courses will be offered beginning in August in Dixon, Forest City, Otho, Hazelton, Knoxville, Mt. Pleasant, Spencer and St. Charles.

Iowa DNR Program Coordinator Jamie Cook says “For those interested in the tradition of trapping as a means of sourcing fur, this program provides the opportunity to learn the skills and the knowledge it takes to do it all yourself.”

Participants will learn basic strategies for trapping such as proper equipment, trap placement, trapping regulations and steps for preparing hides for trade. The courses take place in various locations statewide with times and details varying for each event. Each course is designed for participants of all ages. Space is limited so early registration is encouraged. For more information and to begin the registration process, go to https://license.gooutdoorsiowa.com/Event/EventsHome.aspx

The program is provided through a partnership with the Iowa DNR and Iowa Trapper Association. It is part of a national effort to recruit, retain and reactivate hunters, anglers and trappers due to the overall decline in hunting and outdoor recreation.

(Radio Iowa)  – Dry conditions are lessening — ever so slightly — in Iowa, according to the latest report from the U-S Drought Monitor. The new map shows roughly 87 of Iowa’s 99 counties are in some level of drought, that’s down from 89 counties last week. More than 80 counties are in either moderate or severe drought, while portions of 14 counties in western and southeastern Iowa are in extreme drought. Almost all of the remainder are considered abnormally dry, while moisture levels are only considered normal in parts of Osceola and Dickinson counties in northwest Iowa.

During June, which is typically Iowa’s wettest month, Iowa got less than three inches of rainfall statewide. About five-and-a-half inches would’ve been normal. (Click on the map to enlarge)

(Radio Iowa) – Summer’s here and Iowans are hitting the beaches. Dan Kendall, senior environmental specialist with the Iowa D-N-R, says there’s a whole crew of people who are spending the season testing the water quality in our many lakes, some 246 of them. “No swimming” advisories have already been issued for a few locations in the state, but Kendall says that’s not unusual for this time of year. He says it’s a snap to find the latest beach and lake condition reports on the agency’s website, Iowa-D-N-R-dot-gov (Iowadnr.gov).

Just type in “beach” in the window and it will take you to an alphabetized list of all beaches statewide and a wealth of data about the water quality of each one. Those reports are issued every Friday throughout the summer.