(Atlantic, Iowa) – Cass County Master Gardeners (CCMG) are again offering a $1,000 scholarship to local students, with applications due April 1, 2024.  The purpose of this scholarship is to provide post-secondary funds to individuals who are studying and intend to pursue a career in a horticulture-related field. This scholarship is available to students who are graduating seniors in any of the following Iowa school districts, in which currently reside members of CCMG: Atlantic, AHSTW, CAM, Griswold, or Red Oak. This scholarship is also available to previous graduates, of any age, of any of these school districts.  Scholarship committee members want to emphasize that students of any age studying in a horticulture-related field are encouraged to apply, regardless of the type of program they are studying, as long as they intend to obtain some degree or certificate in a horticultural-related field.

The goal of the Master Gardener program is to support horticulture education and community service.  CCMG members provide many hours of volunteer service and gardening education within their local communities. This scholarship is designed to further that focus on education and community service. Enrollment in a horticulture-related program of study is required for consideration. Examples of horticultural-related fields are included on the application to give applicants an idea of degree fields that may be eligible to apply. The scholarship winner will be selected based upon horticulture-related career goals, history of community service, academic success, and quality and completeness of application. (Financial need is NOT a criterion.)

The scholarship is for any student pursuing post-secondary education during the 2024-2025 school year. A scholarship check will be issued in January 2025, in the student’s name directly to the academic institution, upon receipt of an official grade transcript for the completed Fall 2024 semester, demonstrating a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5. A previous scholarship recipient may re-apply, but an individual may only receive a total of two scholarships from this program.

The application form is available through the high school guidance departments of any eligible school district, or on the Cass County Extension website at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass/.  Applications should be submitted to the Cass County Extension Office, 805 W 10^th St, Atlantic, Iowa 50022, or emailed to keolson@iastate.edu on or before the April 1 deadline for consideration. Questions can be directed to the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132.

(Sidney, Iowa) – The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports a man has died in a grain bin accident. Authorities received a call about the incident in rural Tabor, Monday (March 4, 2024). The caller said the accident happened at the site located 2922 120th Street. Officials say it appears 94-year-old Robert Wayne Smith was helping in a bin unloading soybeans while running a grain vacuum. Smith’s son was out moving the semi that they we loading. When the son came back to the bin Robert was found under the beans.

Smith was pronounced dead at the scene. His body was being sent to the State Medical Examiners Office in Ankeny to determine the cause of death.

Tabor Fire and Rescue was assisted at the scene by Randolph Fire and Sidney Fire and Rescue.

Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig says he noticed two surprises in the latest Census of Agriculture, as he says it’s always interesting to see where Iowa bucks the national trends. Naig says Iowa was among few states that saw an increase in the number of farms, and Iowa also saw an upturn in the number of farmers, including farmers under 35. He gives part of the credit to the launch of Choose Iowa, a branded program for Iowa-grown, Iowa-made, Iowa-raised products. Naig says some younger farmers are also getting into diversified agriculture, selling things direct to consumers.

LEWIS, Iowa – The Wallace Foundation will hold an educational event for the public, followed by its annual business meeting, March 13 at the Armstrong Memorial Research and
Demonstration Farm, just west of Lewis. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by a welcome address from Mark Bentley, president of the Wallace Foundation.

From 10 a.m. to noon, attendees will hear updates from two Iowa State University Extension and Outreach specialists: Richard Roth, nitrogen science education specialist; and Doug Houser,
digital ag extension specialist. Roth will discuss nitrogen impacts with the use of cover crops, and address other nitrogen concerns heading into the 2024 growing season. Houser will discuss the many uses of drones for agricultural applications and will touch on other trends within digital agriculture.

Aaron Saeugling, Field Agronomist in southwest Iowa, says “As we head into the spring season, new technology and the efficient use of nitrogen is going to be critical for success this year. Both speakers are new to extension and outreach and bring many years of experience in their respective fields.”

The annual business meeting of the Wallace Foundation will be held at 1 p.m. The event is free to attend and includes lunch by Downtowner Cafe and Catering. Attendees are asked to pre-register in order to help with facility and meal planning. To register, email Farm Superintendent Matt Groves at mjgroves@iastate.edu or call him at 712-769-2402. The meeting will be held inside the Wallace Foundation Learning and Outreach Center, 53020 Hitchcock Ave. Lewis, Iowa 51544.

(Radio Iowa) – Local officials in about a third of Iowa counties have issued outdoor burning bans. National Weather Service meteorologist Rod Donovan says over the past week and a half the satellite data for Iowa shown lots of hot spots and radar has picked up smoke plumes from a lot of field fires.

“We actually had a pretty big fire just west of Colfax going across some grassland yesterday,” Donovan says.

It doesn’t take much to spark a fire in current conditions according to Donovan. “Part of the issue we’ve had across Iowa is really our abnormally short winter, at least abnormally dry and warm across the area,” Donovan says, “…not having a prolonged period of snow cover, a lack of precipitation.”

These conditions have extended the drought. Donovan says pastures, cropland and grassy areas enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program are “extremely combustible” right now.

Counties in western/southwest Iowa with a Burn Place in effect (as of March 3, 2024)

“It doesn’t take much for an ignition source to create hazardous fire weather conditions,” Donovan says, “warm, very dry, low humidities in addition to these very strong springtime winds that we get across the state.”

The forecast for Iowa indicates March temperatures are likely to be above normal. Donovan says to expect more red flag warnings from the National Weather Service until plants spring to life and fields start turning green.

(Radio Iowa) – For the earliest date on record, the ice has been declared officially out on Clear Lake.  Clear Lake Water Department Superintendent Adam Theiss made the “ice out” declaration on Sunday. It marks the earliest “ice out” date in history, beating the previous record of March 5th in 1931. There had been patches of ice observed on the lake in the last week, holding the ice out declaration back from being declared on an even earlier date.

Last year, the ice was declared officially out on April 5th. The latest Clear Lake has ever been declared “ice out” was April 28th in 1951. Clear Lake was officially declared iced in for the winter season on November 28th.

An early spring it could make things difficult for some of the state’s trees. D-N-R Forestor Tivon Feeley says conifer trees in particular may have some problems. He says wind and the ground that still a little bit frozen so roots can’t take up water leads to something called winter desiccation. Feeley says the symptoms may not appear until well into spring and then they are going to brown up. You will notice that the greenery turns brown and Feeley says the winter desiccation often kills the trees.

(Radio Iowa) – Forecasters predict Iowa will have another unseasonably warm weekend ahead, and one downside to the spring-like temperatures in the 60s and 70s is that creepy-crawly ticks will be on the move. Entomologist Tom Klubertanz says if you’ll be spending any time outdoors, especially hiking in the woods, wear insect repellent, and be sure to check yourself for ticks after you come back inside.

“It doesn’t even have to be that warm,” Klubertanz says. “Even in typical winters, if we get a warm spot into the 40s, it’s enough to get tick activity, but this is kind of extreme and the longer ticks are moving around, the more chance we’ve got of attracting them.” Ticks aren’t something Iowans would typically worry about in early March, but a warm winter means otherwise. Klubertanz says a longer tick season brings the threat of southern tick species migrating north.

Asian longhorn tick (ISU Extension photo)

“The two that come to my attention are the Lone Star tick and the Gulf Coast tick,” he says. “Both can transmit diseases, not Lyme disease, but other diseases.” There’s another tick to be watchful for, especially if you raise cattle or horses in Iowa. The Asian long-horned tick has been found in at least 19 states, including Missouri.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson says there is a deal in the works to fund the federal government. Hinson talked about the deal during her weekly conference call with supporters. “An agreement in principle has been reached to fund the government and so I will keep you updated on that legislation we’re hopeful we’ll see it sometime this weekend,” Hinson says. The federal government’s fiscal year started October 1st, but Congress has not agreed on a budget for the year. The Farm Bill has been put off, but Hinson says it is not forgotten.

“I think it’s also important that we still prioritize the farm bill it’s why…. I think it was in December we sent a letter to Speaker Johnson urging him to still move forward and work on a farm bill our priority this week does need to be getting these bills done so we can complete the appropriations process and move on to the next one,” she says. Hinson also talked about the need to keep the pressure on the E-P-A to approve the year-round sale of E-15 gasoline.

“There are so many different elements of our economy that are dependent on this decision and delaying it is frankly unacceptable and irresponsible, so I will continue pushing for not only the waiver for this summer but going forward prompt responses from the E-P-A,” Hinson says. The E-P-A announced it would make E-15 available year-round for eight Midwest states starting in 2025. Hinson and the rest of the Iowa Congressional delegation sent a letter to the Biden administration calling for the ethanol-blended fuel to be allowed for this summer’s driving season.