Cass County: Corn $6.62 Beans $14.57
Adair County: Corn $6.59 Beans $14.60
Adams County: Corn $6.59 Beans $14.56
Audubon County: Corn $6.61 Beans $14.59
East Pottawattamie County: Corn $6.65 Beans $14.57
Guthrie County: Corn $6.64 Beans $14.61
Montgomery County: Corn $6.64 Beans $14.59
Shelby County: Corn $6.65 Beans $14.57

Oats $3.62 (Same in all counties)

(Radio Iowa) – Black bears would become a protected species under legislation working its way through the Iowa House. Representative Dave Jacoby of Coralville says the goal is to let state officials regulate hunting if the black bear population grows. “I think it’s important for Iowans if we do see a shift or a reintroduction naturally of black bear in Iowa that we have a system,” Jacoby says, “that we don’t want to shoot them on site, but going through the Department (of Natural Resources) and the legislature decide on how we want to handle possible open hunting seasons.”

Jacoby says he sponsored the bill after hearing from a number of people in Winneshiek County. “A couple of years ago a couple of some black bear were seen in Winneshiek (County),” Jacoby says, “and I think there’s also some black bear that venture into Iowa more than we know.” The bill directs the Department of Natural Resources to monitor the population of black bear in Iowa and set up a hunting season if the population needs to be controlled or reduced at any point. “I happen to be experience in Superior National Forest up north,” Jacoby says. “I’ve been around bears for the last 40 years and frankly I’m more scared of getting trampled by a moose than a bear.”

Todd Coffelt of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources says if the population increases, a so-called “season” for black bear should be included in the part of state law about “fur harvesting.” “Even though we may use the word hunt for black bears,” Coffelt says. For example, there’s currently a coyote season in Iowa, alongside seasons for trapping smaller animals like mink and muskrats. That season started November 5th and ends January 31st.

(Radio Iowa) –  For the first time about nine decades, the leader of the Iowa Pork Producers Association is a woman. Trish Cook, of Buchanan County, was elected Tuesday at the organization’s annual meeting. Cook and her family run a farm near Winthrop that produces 32-thousand hogs a year as well as corn and soybeans. Cook says one of her goals for 2023 is to build on the vigilance Iowa pork producers have developed in recent years to guard against biohazards, like foreign animal diseases.

As for being the first woman in the post, Cook says the things that are important to her are important to all pork producers, which she says starts with working as a team.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Agriculture has confirmed the first case of avian influenza in the state in more than one month. The case is reported at a commercial turkey flock in Buena Vista County with some 28,000 birds.

The last case of bird flu was reported in an Ida County commercial turkey flock on December 12th. Seven of the 31 outbreaks confirmed since last March have been in Buena Vista County.

Turkeys. (IPR photo)

Sixteen of the outbreaks have involved commercial turkey operations.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) says it is seeking people who enjoy the outdoors, camping and meeting new people, to consider becoming volunteer campground hosts for the upcoming recreation season. Volunteer campground hosts live in state parks from one to five months assisting DNR staff with light maintenance duties, checking in campers, and being a resource for visitors enjoying state parks and forests. Campground hosts are provided a free campsite while they are actively hosting during the camping season. Hosts volunteer 20 – 40 hours per week, including weekends and holidays, while living on site in their own camper.

Host positions in the KJAN listening area are available at the Springbrook State Park.

Information about campgrounds and state parks is available online at https://www.iowadnr.gov/about-dnr/volunteer-opportunities To discuss the host position, contact the state park directly, or call 515-443-2533.

w/Kate Olson.

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(Radio Iowa) – Former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad is the new leader of the Des Moines based foundation that awards the annual “World Food Prize.”  “I don’t intend to do this for a long time,” Branstad says, “but I intend to do it, say, at least for a year.” In October of each year the foundation presents the World Food Prize and it’s 250-thousand dollar award to people at the forefront of efforts to improve the quality, quantity and availability of food.

“I’ve seen all the international leaders who have received this award,” Branstad says. Branstad, who served as U-S Ambassador to China, was governor when Des Moines businessman John Ruan donated the seed money for the World Food Prize and its headquarters in Des Moines. Norman Borlaug, the Cresco native who won the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize for his research that developed high-yielding wheat, took the lead in creating the World Food Prize in 1986.

“I knew both John Ruan and Norman Borlaug very well. I have the greatest respect for what they did and I want to maintain that legacy,” Branstad says. “Also, I’m a farm kid, from Iowa, and I want Iowa to be recognized as the local for this Nobel like prize for food and agriculture.”

Branstad, who is 76, is America’s longest serving governor. He was U.S. Ambassador to China from mid-2017 to the fall of 2020. As president of the World Food Prize, Branstad will be a lead fundraiser and host of the annual World Food Prize symposium. The event attracts global leaders in research, government and commerce to Des Moines for discussions about advances in food production and food security.

Barbara Stinson, who had 30 years of experience in environmental policy and business management, stepped down last week after three years as president of the World Food Prize.

On Friday, January 20, Governor Kim Reynolds signed an extension of the proclamation relating to the weight limits and transportation of grain, fertilizer, and manure.

The Harvest Proclamation is effective immediately and expires February 19, 2023. The proclamation allows vehicles transporting corn, soybeans, hay, straw, silage, stover, fertilizer (dry, liquid, and gas), and manure (dry and liquid) to be overweight (not exceeding 90,000 pounds gross weight) without a permit for the duration of this proclamation.

The proclamation applies to loads transported on all highways within Iowa (excluding the interstate system) and those which do not exceed a maximum of 90,000 pounds gross weight, do not exceed the maximum axle weight limit determined under the non-primary highway maximum gross weight table in Iowa Code § 321.463 (6) (b), by more than 12.5 percent, do not exceed the legal maximum axle weight limit of 20,000 pounds, and comply with posted limits on roads and bridges.

See the proclamation here.

(Red Oak, Iowa) –  The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Pesticide Safety Education Program will be hosting live-streamed Private and Commercial Continuing Instruction Courses (P-CIC & C-CIC) online training this spring as an additional opportunity for private and commercial pesticide applicators to be trained. Attendees will need a computer and a good internet connection to participate in the programs. Applicators can register by going to the Extension Store (https://store.extension.iastate.edu) and searching for “Live Streamed”.

Here is the schedule for the statewide CIC reshow dates and times:

Private Continuing Instruction Courses

• January 31, 6-8:30 p.m.
• February 28, 1-3:30 p.m.
• April 4, 6-9-11:30 a.m.

Commercial Continuing Instruction Courses

• Commercial Ag Weed, Insect, and Plant Disease Management (CCA CEU’s Available), Categories 1A, 1B, and 1C
  • February 28, 9-11:30 a.m.
  • March 30, 6-8:30 p.m.
• Ornamental and Turfgrass Applicators, Categories 3O, 3T, and 3OT
  • March 9, 9-11:30 a.m.
  • March 30, 1-3:30 p.m.
  • April 18, 9-11:30 a.m.

Contacts:
Kathleen Wilson, Pesticide Safety Education Program, 515-294-1122, kmwilson@iastate.edu

(Radio Iowa) – Two long-running strikes at eastern Iowa factories ended over the weekend. Some 11-hundred U-A-W workers at Case New Holland plants in Burlington and Racine, Wisconsin ratified a new contract on Saturday, ending a strike against the ag equipment maker that started last May. On Sunday, nearly 120 workers at Ingredion in Cedar Rapids agreed to a new four-year deal with the grain processing plant.

Those workers are represented by the Bakery Confectionary, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union Local 100G, and they’ve been striking since August. Statements from both groups say the strikes ended with wins on wages and insurance premiums.