Des Moines, Iowa (April 29, 2024) – Atlantic High School students attended the 13th annual World Food Prize Iowa Youth Institute (IYI), where 277 students representing 89 Iowa high schools gathered with 85 educators at Iowa State University to explore pressing global food security challenges and professional opportunities in STEM fields. ISU President Wendy Wintersteen said “Iowa State University is proud of its longtime partnership with the World Food Prize to provide this premier educational program. The Iowa Youth Institute is an opportunity for high school students to connect with Iowa State expertise, resources and scholarships. We are pleased to see how this program ignites students’ passion to help address one of society’s most complex challenges – global food security.

The IYI, a cornerstone of the Foundation’s esteemed youth programs, is dedicated to inspiring the next group of global leaders to pursue influential careers in STEM fields—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It attains this goal by fostering connections among students, faculty from Iowa State University, and industry professionals with a focus on addressing critical issues in global food security.

“We live in a world where some days it’s easy to be hopeless,” said Amy Akers, teacher at Southview Middle School. “But this event is so hopeful. I feel the energy of these young changemakers. I hope they walk away feeling empowered by the experts and peers that truly listened to them.”

Before the event, students conducted research on food insecurity within a chosen country, crafted a research essay, and provided a personal recommendation for solving the identified problem. During the event, students presented their findings to leading experts and faculty members from Iowa State University.

Attending Atlantic High School Students:

Lauren Comes | Animal Agriculture in the Central African Republic (CAR)

Lily Johnson | Malnutrition in Somalia

Each participating student is eligible for a $1,000 scholarship towards Iowa State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, with the opportunity to apply for the esteemed Wallace-Carver Fellowship program in collaboration with the USDA. Exceptional participants from Iowa will also secure a spot working with scientists and policy experts from around the world at the three-day World Food Prize Global Youth Institute in October. The Iowa Youth Institute strives to reach every school in Iowa to encourage students to pursue career paths in science, technology, and policy to help fight world hunger.

World Food Prize Foundation logo

World Food Prize Foundation President/Ambassador Terry Branstad said “It’s empowering to see the future champions of food security in action. Through events like the Iowa Youth Institute, they are demonstrating their ability to rise to the challenges of the past, the present, and the future.”

About the World Food Prize: The World Food Prize is an international award that honors individuals who have improved the quality, quantity or availability of food worldwide. The Prize was founded by Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, recipient of the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize, for his work that contributed to increases in agricultural outputs which was termed the Green Revolution. Since then, the Prize has been awarded to 53 distinguished individuals during the Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue. The Dialogue, also known as the Borlaug Dialogue, is a week of events dedicated to an issue surrounding food insecurity or hunger each year.

Jim Field visits with Kate Olson about the Cass County Master Gardeners Plant Sale on May 11 and the Bus Trip on May 22.

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Cass County: Corn $4.27 Beans $11.20
Adair County: Corn $4.24 Beans $11.230
Audubon County: Corn $4.26 Beans $11.22
East Pottawattamie County: Corn $4.30 Beans $11.20
Guthrie County: Corn $4.29 Beans $11.24
Montgomery County: Corn $4.29 Beans $11.22
Shelby County: Corn $4.30 Beans $11.20

Oats: $3.59 (same in all counties)

(Des Moines, Iowa; via the Iowa Capital Dispatch) – Drought conditions in the state continue to retreat amid abundant rainfall, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. A Thursday report shows the biggest moisture gains in western and southern Iowa. Less than half of the state now has drought for the first time since June 2023. That’s down from about 96% of the state in October.

Last week’s statewide precipitation averaged 1.32 inches, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That’s about 45% more than is normally expected. The highest reported rainfall was 4.72 inches in Little Sioux in far western Iowa, whereas the least was one-tenth of an inch near Guttenberg in far northeast Iowa.

A wide area of severe drought remains in eastern Iowa, although it has been shrinking. Much of that area had previously suffered from extreme drought — the second-to-worst classification issued by the Drought Monitor — but its presence has greatly diminished. About 2% of the state has extreme drought, down from 35% at the start of the year.

Drought conditions might lift from about a quarter of the state in the coming months, according to a recent report by the U.S. Climate Prediction Center. Drought is expected to remain, but improve, in the worst-affected areas. A USDA report on Monday said about 78% of cropland has adequate or surplus soil moisture, which is slightly better than a year ago.

Crop planting has been several days ahead of the five-year average. As of Sunday, about 39% of corn and 25% of soybeans had been planted.

(Ames, Iowa/via Iowa Capital Dispatch) – Dairy cattle infected by avian influenza in recent months have surprisingly large amounts of the virus in their milk but little in other bodily fluids, according to tests by the Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. That makes it easy to confirm whether a lactating cow is infected but makes testing more difficult for other cattle as federal agriculture officials attempt to learn the extent of bovine infections across the nation.

In nasal secretions, blood, feces and urine, “we can find an occasional positive, but those positives are at levels that are almost undetectable,” said Dr. Drew Magstadt, a cattle disease researcher at the Ames lab. His comments were part of an online ISU Extension and Outreach discussion about the virus on Wednesday.

Magstadt discovered about six weeks ago that highly pathogenic avian influenza was the source of a mystery illness among dairy cattle in Texas. It had never been known to infect cattle in the United States before. Since then, the virus has been detected in herds in eight other states, most recently in Colorado. That spread has been caused by the movement of dairy cows from infected herds to previously unaffected herds.

Genetic testing revealed that wild birds initially infected cattle with the virus, but the USDA has found evidence that it has since spread from cow to cow and from cattle to poultry. At least one infected dairy cow had no symptoms of illness. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced last week that fragments of the virus have been detected in the nation’s commercial milk supply even though milk from sick cows is barred from distribution. On Wednesday, it said testing has confirmed that pasteurization — a process of heating milk to kill pathogens — inactivates the virus.

Tests of milk, cottage cheese and sour cream “did not detect any live, infectious virus,” the FDA said. FDA strongly warned against drinking raw milk. Some states, including Iowa, have sought in recent years to expand the unpasteurized milk’s availability for purchase. Also on Wednesday, the USDA said tests of ground beef in states where the virus has been detected showed no evidence of the virus. Dairy cattle are often slaughtered for their meat when their milk production drops.

The ISU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory tests samples from animals for viruses such as avian influenza. (Photo courtesy of Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory)

Starting this week, the department requires most lactating dairy cattle to test negative for the virus before they can be transported to different states. Iowa will require labs to report all confirmations of the virus regardless of the animal species, said Dr. Jeff Kaisand, the state veterinarian and a bureau chief for the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. For now, IDALS will not quarantine dairy farms if their cattle are infected, Kaisand said. Most states have taken a similar approach.

Dr. Yuko Sato, an ISU professor who has researched the virus in poultry, said dairy farmers should take more precautions than what might be required by government officials. She said a bird flu outbreak in 2015 was largely driven by farm-to-farm spread that was the result of insufficient biosecurity measures. About 33 million poultry were culled in Iowa that year. “We waited for the federal government to give us guidance, so we kind of sat on our hands a little bit,” she said. “I encourage the dairy industry to take a proactive stance and try to look at creative solutions, because we’re learning as we speak.”

Highly pathogenic avian influenza is often lethal to poultry — especially chickens — but infected cows usually recover in 10 to 14 days.

(Radio Iowa) – State records show about 30 percent of farm-related crashes on Iowa roads occur during April, May and June. Steven Freeman, a professor in agricultural and biosystems engineering at Iowa State University, says farmers need to make sure all lights on their equipment are working and the “slow moving vehicle” signs and reflective markers are in the right position. “That maintenance is something that will help the motorists see them,” Freeman says. Freeman says in rural areas, drivers need to exercise patience and keep their distance from farm equipment.

“Even if they have to follow farm equipment for a couple of miles, that’s just a couple of minutes out of their day,” Freeman says. “They should not try to pass because sometimes that’s not going to be safe and they should not be impatient and honking and expecting the farmer to pull over and let them by because sometimes that’s not safe.”

Freeman says the side of the road, especially a gravel road, may not support the weight of the farm equipment and pulling over to let a vehicle pass endangers the safety of the farmer. From 2017 to 2022, there were 114 vehicle accidents in Iowa involving farm equipment that caused serious injury or death. Widespread rain has likely paused planting in much of the state. The U-S-D-A estimates 39 percent of Iowa’s corn crop and about a quarter of Iowa’s soybean fields were planted by last Sunday.

May 1:

• Bill Paulsen of Exira (winner)
• Knox Paulsen of Anita

May 2:

• Don “Mr. Frog” Ozbun of Atlantic (winner)
• Jason Ploen of Minden

May 3:

• Gavin Leighton of Atlantic (winner)

May 4:

• Isabell Wheatley of Avoca (winner)

May 5:

• Donna Phillips of Anita (winner)

Jim Field visits with 2024 Griswold High School seniors Grant Rogers, Karly Millikan and Dakota Reynolds.

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(Atlantic, Iowa) – Cass County Conservation Interpretive Naturalist Lora Kanning say the Conservation Department’s 30th Pioneer Skills Festival takes place this Saturday afternoon (May 4th). Kanning says they still need help in the barn, so if you’re interested in volunteering by leading a pioneer station, email Lora Kanning at lkanning@casscoia.us. They would love to have help from 12:30-until 4 pm, as the festival runs from 1-4pm.

Kanning said also, the Cass County portion of the T-bone trail is CLOSED. DO NOT go around any barriers, please turn around. The Construction contractor is repairing bridge approaches in Cass county. The project is taking longer due to the weather. This weekend there may be sections of the trail open and others may have barriers. Kanning says they hope to be finished with the project next week!

On Thursday May 9th , the Cass County Conservation Department will host a 5th grade field trip and conservation day. They are asking for volunteers to help the 5th graders fish at Cold Springs park from 9am-2pm. If you are available that day to help, email Lora Kanning. That email again is lkanning@casscoia.us .

Lastly, Kanning reports summer camps still have a couple open spots. Fliers went out in the Department’s last newsletter! It can also be found on the Conservation Department’s website https://www.casscountyia.gov/county-departments/conservation-office/

Details on upcoming events and projects happening from May into June will be released in the next few weeks.

• KJAN, Atlantic  .78″
• 7 miles NNE of Atlantic  .53″
• Massena  .63″
• Audubon  .54″
• Corning  .79″
• Avoca  .8″
• Red Oak  65″
• Earling  .65
• Kirkman  .81″
• Missouri Valley  .56″
• Carroll  .75″
• Clarinda  .17″
• Creston  .85″