Kellerton, Iowa – The unique courtship of Iowa’s prairie chickens will be on full display at the Kellerton Grasslands Bird Conservation Area on April 6, during the annual Prairie Chicken Festival, in Ringgold County. The festival will be held at the Kellerton viewing platform, two miles west and one mile south of Kellerton. There is ample parking and the viewing platform is accessible for those with limited mobility.

Viewing will begin before dawn and last until the birds diminish their courtship dancing and booming, around 8 a.m.

Iowa began reintroducing prairie chickens in the 1980s, then released additional wild birds captured in western Nebraska from 2012-17, to supplement the population and add genetic diversity. To date, the population is holding steady, but at fairly low numbers, said Stephanie Shepherd, wildlife biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Wildlife Diversity Program.

“Although stable, our population is around 65-70 birds at the Grand River Grasslands, which is low, and we’re not sure what their future is, so if you want to see them, now is the time,” she said.

During the festival the DNR will be onsite to help put spotting scopes on birds and to answer questions.

“The birds will be a good distance from the viewing platform so we are encouraging attendees to bring either a spotting scope or pair of binoculars,” she said. A limited number of scopes will be on hand for those who need them.

Can’t make it on April 6? The chickens will be displaying likely through the end of the month. Dusk is also a good time to view the birds because the sun is in the west, though the birds may be a little less active.

Kellerton is one of the premier grasslands in the state, for more than prairie chickens, but for other grassland birds as well. “It’s a really neat area for people to get a feel for what an expansive grassland looks like,” she said.

(Radio Iowa) – Keep Iowa Beautiful is looking for more volunteers to join the state’s effort in the national Great American Cleanup. Executive director, Andy Frantz says the idea is to clean up public spaces. “Whether it’s church groups, sports clubs, just volunteers or whatever to make a concerted effort to clean up parks, rivers, riverbeds, roadsides, all of those sorts of things. S every year there’s a big push,” he says. You can go to KeepIowaBeautiful.org to sign up. “The first 35 of those communities this year that sign up will be eligible for a 50-dollar reimbursement to any expenses, it’s pretty loose, any expenses that are related to the pickup efforts,” Frantz says. “It can be anything from bags to pickers to gloves.”

He asks that you sign up so they know how many groups are taking part. “They can do it between now and the end of July, we’d like to hope that they’ll be able to pull it together by then. So it’s really an open window that sits available to any of the communities and whatever works for them, you know weather permitting all of those sorts of things to have their local event,” he says. Frantz says the effort makes a difference. “There have been about 50 events in the last couple of years. Seven-thousand volunteer hours and over three-thousand trash bags of litter and debris have been picked up,” Frantz says. He says there are a lot more clean up efforts that happen each year outside this program.

Frantz says applications are due April 30th for those who want to be considered for the reimbursement money. Awarded communities will receive notification on May 6th.

(Radio Iowa) – A bill headed to the governor would only let local governments have topsoil and storm water regulations that are tougher than state rules if the city covers the extra costs. Senator Mike Webster, a Republican from Bettendorf who works in the construction industry, says building regulations should be based on life, health and safety issues.

“I don’t build retention ponds. I build houses,” Webster says. “Some of the regulations that come from cities currently…put 24 inches of topsoil on ground that didn’t even have that. (It’s) thousands and thousands of dollars in added expense for somebody just trying to build a house.” Critics say the bill would prevent local officials from responding to flooding issues. Senator Janice Weiner, a Democrat from Iowa City, says the state legislature should stay out of it and let county and city officials make these decisions.

“I’m not worried about parking lots. In the end, I care about people’s homes and town homes. I care about the ability of people, of fellow Iowans to have dry basements.” The bill won Senate passage a year ago. Earlier this month the bill failed in the House, but four days later wound up passing 53 to 46. On Monday, Senate Republicans accepted an adjustment the House made in the bill and gave it final legislative approval.

(Guthrie Center, Iowa) – A Burn Ban that had been in-place for Guthrie County since February 24th, was lifted, effective 10-a.m. today (Monday, March 25).  Rescinding the Burn Ban came at the request of Jeremy Cooper, representing each fire department having all or part of their fire districts within Guthrie County, and was approved by Dan Wood with the State Fire Marshal’s Office.

The only burn ban in effect for an area county, was in Harrison County, where the ban (which was implemented Sept. 29, 2023) remains in effect until further notice.

Spring is in the air, and plans are underway for gardening projects in Cass County. Local groups planning community gardening, beautification or education programs will again be eligible for assistance from the Cass County Master Gardeners. The group is offering grant money to be used in the 2024 growing season, to encourage gardening to grow food for donation, for gardening education, and/or for gardening projects to improve local communities. The Cass County Master Gardener Memorial Grants are offered in remembrance of the many years of service to the community provided by long-time Master Gardener volunteers who have passed. Funds are raised by Master Gardeners at events like their spring plant sale, set for May 11, and summer events such as a bus trip and garden walk.

Any Cass County not-for-profit group may apply. Schools, churches, libraries, 4-H clubs, Scouts, or other organizations/individuals working to improving their communities can apply for money to begin or improve gardens or landscaping for community benefit, or to provide education for their members or the public. To ensure the money is helping a wide variety of community organizations, those who were funded by 2023 grants will not be eligible to apply in 2024. Each grant has a maximum value of $300. Applications must include plans for teamwork and sustainability. All grant recipients will be expected to submit a report at the end of the growing season, detailing how the money was spent. Recipients will also be given a sign to place in their garden area for the 2024 growing season.

Applications must be received by 4:30 PM on Monday April 22 for guaranteed consideration. They may be submitted by mail or email. Grant recipients will be informed of their application status no later than Monday, May 8 so they can make plans for the growing season. For more information, or with questions, call the Cass County Extension office at 712-243-1132 or email  keolson@iastate.edu. Application forms can be printed from the Cass County Extension website at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass. You can also call or email the office to request a form be mailed or emailed to you, or stop by 805 West 10^th Street in Atlantic to pick one up.

The Master Gardener program trains volunteers to develop their knowledge and skills in horticulture. These volunteers then give back to their communities through gardening service and education. The program is available in all 50 states and Canada through land grant university Extension programs such as Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. For more information on the program, contact Cass County Extension Director Kate Olson, at 712-243-1132 or keolson@iastate.edu. You can also follow the Cass County Master Gardeners on Facebook (@CassCoMG) for gardening tips and information on upcoming events!

(Radio Iowa) – Studies find 30 to 40-percent of food that’s produced is never eaten, and researchers are looking for possible solutions that could be implemented in Iowa livestock lots to help prevent so much food waste. University of Minnesota Professor Jerry Shurson favors turning leftovers into animal feed. Another option Shurson suggests would be feeding livestock byproducts from bakeries that are safe to eat but don’t meet certain quality standards to get them on our grocery shelves.

“Chips and cookies and cereal could easily go into animal feeds,” Shurson says, “and many of them are, but we need to move more of that type of material into animal feeds, and at a greater rate than what we’re doing.” Shurson is in the university’s College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences. He’s hosting a virtual international conference this week to educate people in feed and feeding industries about the value of food waste for livestock in the backdrop of food, climate, and sustainability challenges.

“Taking leftover parts from animal carcasses after slaughter or after harvesting and recycling it to rendered animal byproducts that can be used as high protein feed ingredients for, not only food-producing animals but for many of our pet foods,” he says. Shurson says nutrients from byproducts produced by grain milling, meat packing, and milk processing industries, can easily be turned into pig feed and more, as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions from food waste rotting in landfills. Iowa producers raise about 50-million hogs a year, most of which are processed at 14 plants across the state.

• KJAN, Atlantic  1.22″
• 7 miles NNE of Atlantic  1.2″
• Massena  1.15″
• Elk Horn  1.38″
• Avoca  1.45″
• Neola  1″
• Bridgewater  1.2″
• Red Oak  .8″
• Missouri Valley  .74″
• Clarinda  .52″
• Shenandoah  .85″

ATLANTIC, IA (March 24, 2024) – Produce in the Park is now accepting vendor applications for summer markets and seeking sponsorships for the 2024-2025 market season. Vendor applications and sponsorship information can be found online at www.ProduceintheParkAtlanticiowa.com. Printed copies are available at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce (102 Chestnut St. Atlantic, IA 50022).

Produce in the Park is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote local food and build a community that supports the health and well being of its residents. Produce in the Park’s summer farmers markets are held weekly on Thursday evenings (4:30-6:30 PM) in the Atlantic City Park from June through mid-October. Produce in the Park also holds holiday farmers markets just before Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Easter.

Produce in the Park seeks vendors who sell handmade or homegrown foods and crafts. The 2024 summer market full-season vendor fee is $100. Vendors who register by May 1 will receive a $20 discount, and food vendors who participate in the Farmers Market Nutrition Program receive an additional $10 discount. Vendors can also join four summer markets for $50 or a single summer market for $25.

Produce in the Park seeks sponsors who support community and well being. Sponsorships offer various levels of recognition, including mention in radio ads, booth space at markets, and the organization’s logo on tote bags. 2024-2025 season sponsorships range from $250 to $2,000.

In addition to vendors and sponsors, Produce in the Park is always looking for volunteers interested in providing entertainment, serving as Guest Chef, or leading activities for kids.

Produce in the Park’s next farmers market is being held this Saturday, March 30 from noon – 3 PM at the Nishna Valley Family YMCA. Spring Celebration Market will offer produce, meats, farm-fresh eggs, baked goods, desserts, crafts, and more. Customers can expect to find goodies for Easter baskets and food for Easter dinner. There is no cost to enter the market, and the YMCA will offer free bounce houses for kids. Food truck Amos Fabulous Foods will be parked outside the YMCA for the duration of the market.

Spring Celebration Market is sponsored by Cass Health, Gregg Young of Atlantic, First Whitney Bank & Trust, Nishna Valley Family YMCA, Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Atlantic

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa House has voted to extend a state tax break for SOME Iowans who own livestock and get at least half of their annual income from farming. It’s a capital gains tax break for the sale of dairy cattle, work horses and racing horses as well as livestock — like cows and bulls and sows and b boars — used for breeding.

The tax break expired at the end of 2022. If it isn’t revived, officials estimate the state will collect two-and-half MILLION dollars in capital gains this year from cattle and horse sales. Representative Derek Wulf and his wife have a cow-calf operation on a third generation family farm near Hudson. Wulf says the capital gains tax break for livestock was established in the late 1990s.

“Our tax code should promote livestock production, which we know is often how beginning farmers get their start in agriculture. We know that livestock production supports rural communities and drives our rural economic activity,” Wulf said. “…We want to make sure that we don’t increase taxes on our livestock producers and farmers here in the state.”

The repeal of this capital gains cut for some livestock sales was part of a wide ranging tax bill that became law in 2018. The House bill that would restore the tax break is now under consideration in the Senate.

Glenwood, Iowa – – Officials with Mills County Emergency Management report, “With the precipitation received this [Friday] morning, along with the expected precipitation forecast by the National Weather Service this weekend, Emergency Management has requested the State Fire Marshall lift the open burning ban that has been in place for all of Mills County, Iowa effective at 12:00 P.M. on Friday, March 22, 2024.”

Officials says while the ban is being lifted the Mills County Emergency Management Agency strongly urges landowners that have a requirement to conduct controlled burns of a larger scale, to contact their local Fire Chief to discuss methods and weather considerations as an item of preparation prior to conducting burn. Of note, Mills County does have a Controlled Burn Ordinance (2008) for un-incorporated areas of the County that requires a property owner to contact the Mills County Communications Center at 712.527.4871 prior to conducting a prescribed burn.

For property owners that live within the City limits of the seven jurisdictions within Mills County, please become familiar with ordinances dealing with burning before you light fires of any type.

For additional information on local preparedness activities, go to www.millscountyiowa.gov.