CLICK HERE for the latest market quotes from the Iowa Agribusiness Network!
CLICK HERE for the latest market quotes from the Brownfield Ag News Network!
CLICK HERE for the latest market quotes from the Iowa Agribusiness Network!
CLICK HERE for the latest market quotes from the Brownfield Ag News Network!
(Atlantic, Iowa) – Cass County Wellness Coordinator Grace McAfee reports Grow Another Row produce donations sites are open in Cass County for the 2024 season. Growers with rhubarb, asparagus, radishes, greens, herbs and other early-season produce are now invited to share their harvests.
Grow Another Row is a Healthy Cass County campaign started in 2020 by a group of local growers to encourage residents to grow and share more fresh produce. Anyone is welcome to donate or take produce. Many individuals drop off extra produce and pick up something they need during the same trip. There is no requirement to sign up to either donate or take produce. Donations of any size are appreciated. No donation is too big or too small for this program. Donations and pick-ups are encouraged to take place from dawn to dusk. As the program continues to grow… so do the stands! There are now ten produce stands located in Cass County this year!
Participants are reminded not to wash produce before donating if they can’t dry it and to take only what they need. Be sure to wash the produce before eating it. Produce bagged or packaged in family-sized containers is requested if possible. Contact Kate Olson at the Cass County Extension Office by calling (712) 243-1132 or email keolson@iastate.edu if you need produce bags or containers to package donations.
If produce is shared to the stands, you’re welcome to email Grace McAfee (mcage@casshealth.org) or share a photo on the Facebook Page (@CassCountyLocalFood). This will let the public know fresh produce is available for pick up! Please include the time, date dropped off and stand location to help us get the word out.
A Grow Another Row stand
For more information on Grow Another Row visit https://www.extension.iastate.edu/cass/family-food.
Subscribe to our newsletter delivered via email multiple times per month during the growing season, featuring growing tips, volunteer opportunities, and current information on where to drop off and pick up available fresh produce. Email mcage@casshealth.org to be added to our mailing list for the 2024 growing season! For information on Cass County food pantries, farmers markets and other locally-driven food initiatives, follow the Cass County Local Food Policy Council on Facebook @CassCountyLocalFood.
Healthy Cass County is a community-focused volunteer network formed to promote the health and well-being of Cass County residents. Follow Healthy Cass County on Facebook @HealthyCassCounty (https://www.facebook.com/HealthyCassCounty/).
Grow Another Row 2024 Stand Locations (May-October, dawn to dusk)
(Des Moines, Iowa) – Iowa state parks and forest staff are busy preparing for the summer camping season, turning on water, sprucing up campgrounds and freshening up bathroom, cabin, lodge and shelter facilities. With more than 864,000 campers and almost 14 million visitor days last year, state parks are anticipating another busy season. For park visitors, there will be some new things to see.
Recently renovated and 100 percent reservable sites
Pikes Peak and Lake Ahquabi state parks, two of Iowa’s most popular campgrounds, reopened in July 2023 after undergoing extensive renovations. Both campgrounds feature electrical upgrades, pull-through driveways and a reduction in the number of campsites to create more space for large vehicles.
Both the Pikes Peak (Dickinson County) and Lake Ahquabi (Warren County) campgrounds also switched to 100 percent reservable sites, allowing for campers to see availability in real time. The change has been popular with campers who enjoy the increased convenience and peace of mind for trip planning. Additional campgrounds switching to 100 percent reservable in 2024 include Ambrose A. Call (Kossuth County), Ledges (Boone County), Lewis and Clark (Monona County), Pleasant Creek (Linn County), Wilson Island (Pottawattamie County) and Clear Lake (Cerro Gordo County). 
Other new or renovated amenities in the state park system:
Current construction and renovation projects
State parks are also busy with several new construction projects. Some of these projects will temporarily close parts or all of the listed parks in the 2024 season. Park visitors can go to www.iowadnr.gov/parkclosures for latest information on any closures.
2024 projects include:
To learn more about Iowa state parks, go to iowadnr.gov/stateparks or make a reservation at https://iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com/
(Radio Iowa) – Farmers made a lot of progress planting corn and beans last week. The U-S-D-A report says the amount of corn planted reached 39 percent complete — up from 13 percent the week before. That is four days ahead of last year and three days ahead of the five-year average.
Two percent of the expected corn crop has emerged. Twenty-five percent of the expected soybean crop has been planted — up from just eight percent last week. The bean planting is now four days ahead of last year and five days ahead of the average.
(Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic FFA Reporter Maddy Anderson says Mia Kloewer with the Atlantic FFA Chapter, was the first place winner in the area of Specialty Animal Production, sponsored through the Iowa FFA Foundation Gold Standard Partners, Mia Kloewer is part of the Atlantic FFA chapter. Mia worked in the school’s greenhouse caring for the fish and plants. Upon graduation, Mia would like to open her own greenhouse.
Mia began her Supervised Agricultural Experience project while participating in Horticulture at AHS. “During a class field trip, my interest peaked in plant science and greenhouses because once I walked into the greenhouse that we went to I knew that is what I wanted to do with my life outside high school”, said Kloewer. As part of Mia’s SAE program she began her project in the horticulture class and one of her responsibilities was to take care of the fish in the high school greenhouse. As the semester ended, Mia would also take responsibility to begin taking care of the fish on weekends. That duty transitioned to being part of the team of students that took care of the fish during the summer.
While Mia, responsibility in the greenhouse increased as the summer continued. She began with just feeding the fish to learning how to cleaning the tank and filters. While Mia was taking care of the fish, she also would help water the plants in the greenhouse. Mia said, “I always knew I wanted a career in Agriculture, taking care of fish has helped me explore this career choice because ever since I took horticulture class. This experience has taught me that I wanted to be more involved in the plants and agronomy side of things and less involved in the livestock side of things.”
Anderson says 100% of FFA members have proficiencies as part of the agricultural program and the FFA. These proficiencies range in the areas of Agricultural Communications to Service Learning and from Diversified Agricultural Production to Swine Production. Proficiency Award winners have excelled in their Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) Programs. These awards encourage members to develop specialized skills that will apply toward a future career. State winners will advance to the National FFA competition where they will compete against winners from the other State FFA Associations.
The four national finalists that are selected from each area will be recognized at the National FFA Convention and Expo in October. The Iowa FFA Proficiency Awards program is possible with support from the many partners of the Iowa FFA Foundation. The specific partner for each area is identified in our summary of results. Listed below are the results from the 2024 Iowa Proficiency Awards program.
Wyatt Simons began his SAE project working for Van Wall John Deere in Adair. Simons works side-by-side with current agriculture technicians, helping them with their projects to get them done in a more timely fashion. “This is to build my own experiences and ensure that I understand the basics of being a technician before furthering my education with the company. I work on everything agricultural-wise”, said Simons. This includes but is not limited to tractors, combines, forage harvesters, lawn mowers, lawn tractors, planters, sprayers, manure spreaders, skid loaders, etc. Simons will attend school next fall in the John Deere Tech program. Van Wall will continue to employ Simons and pay for most of his education. In the next two years, Simons will attend school for a few months and then return to Adair to receive hands-on educational experience. “In essence, my role is a hands-on contribution to the agricultural economy, ensuring farmers have the tools for continued production, and my skills support prosperity and the economic system,” said Simons.
Left to Right
Parker Brock, Colton Rudy, Callee Pellett, Claire Pellett, Charli Goff, Colton Becker, Wyatt Simon. Missing Roth Den Beste.
(Radio Iowa) – We’re more than a month into spring and the experts say Iowans who are itching to get on the open water with their kayaks and canoes may want to wait a little longer for safety’s sake. Iowa D-N-R conservation officer Nate Carr says with rain expected today (Friday) and through much of the weekend, water levels will likely rise. “It does help with having to get out and push or pull your boat from time to time, but it also creates more hazards,” Carr says. “The quicker that water is moving, as you encounter different deadfalls and trees that have fallen in the water — creating strainers, that can be a hazard and something you have to be cognizant of.” While we’ve had some warm days in recent weeks, there were also many chilly nights and this spring weather pattern is keeping our lakes and streams on the frigid side.
“Water temperatures are still fairly cold,” Carr says, “which can make someone who’s a very confident swimmer into someone who does struggle in the water.” The D-N-R says when the temperature of the water is 60 degrees or below, you are automatically at risk for hypothermia if you become wet. Folks in kayaks and canoes need to wear the right gear, know how to read a river, and be fully prepared for immersion. “We certainly encourage people to wear life jackets anytime you’re in a boat, including canoeing, kayaking,” Carr says. “It may be ankle- or knee-deep throughout large stretches of the river, but there are holes throughout the river that can be over your head.” 
Large bodies of water take time to warm up, so it may be a few more weeks before it’s safe for lesser experienced paddlers to load up their boats. In addition to life jackets, the D-N-R says let a friend or loved one know where you’re going and when you’ll be back, and bring a dry bag with extra clothing to change into should you get wet.
(Des Moines, Iowa; Iowa Capital Dispatch) – In a split vote, the Iowa Utilities Board has declined to solicit more evidence before it decides whether to issue a pipeline permit to Summit Carbon Solutions, according to a Thursday board order.
In recent months, the company has more than doubled the number of ethanol producers to which its system would connect and added 340 miles of pipe — a roughly 50% increase. It indicated in March it would file 14 new permit requests for that expansion with the IUB while its initial permit application was still pending.
The IUB is poised to make a decision for the first permit, and pipeline opponents seized on the expansion to make an 11th-hour bid to delay the decision. The Sierra Club of Iowa argued that the evidentiary record should be reopened and the permit applications consolidated, which would potentially elongate the process for many months.
The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation did not ask for a consolidation but sought to reopen the record to determine how the expansion will affect the initial proposal. Board member Joshua Byrnes agreed with the Farm Bureau: “The board should demand that the route for a project of this size and magnitude be the product of comprehensive planning to ensure the final route is the most efficient to accomplish the project’s objectives and to minimize the impact on Iowa landowners.”
Some have suggested that the initial route and expansion plans could be revamped to reduce the total miles of pipeline. Sweeping changes could significantly delay the project’s approval. “Because the company voluntarily chose to open the door to the expanded ethanol plant partners, I believe it is fair to at least ask about the potential impact the additional trunk and lateral pipelines may have on the proposed pipeline,” Byrnes wrote in his dissent Thursday.
Summit objected to the requests, in part, because of the potential delays to its initial permit process that has been ongoing for more than two years. The company said its requests for separate permits for the extensions fit with board procedure despite the fact the board has yet to rule on the initial permit, and that it could seek to amend the conditions of the initial permit if needed to accommodate the extensions.
The two other IUB members — Erik Helland and Sarah Martz — overruled Byrnes and agreed with Summit about reopening the record. Their decision about the initial permit request “will be based upon the evidence already presented,” Helland and Martz wrote. All three board members denied the request to consolidate the permit applications.
Summit’s initial proposal includes about 690 miles of pipe that would connect to a dozen ethanol plants and transport their captured carbon dioxide to North Dakota for underground storage. The project has been delayed by setbacks in the Dakotas, where Summit’s first proposals were rejected by state regulators.
(Atlantic, Iowa) – Celebrate Trails Day, this Saturday, April 27th, in Cass County. Spring is a great time of year to get outside and enjoy trails–biking, walking, or running. The
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is hosting Celebrate Trails Day, an annual celebration that encourages people to enjoy the nation’s trails. Cass County is home to multiple walking and biking trails. Some of the most popular trails in Cass County include: the four-mile paved trail circling Lake Anita State Park, paved and grass trails at Cold Spring Park near Lewis, and the paved and gravel trail system north of Atlantic connecting the Schildberg Recreation Area and the Little League ball diamonds and AMU wellfields.
A map of Cass County trails, including information on trail type, ADA accessibility, and restrooms, can be found at https://www.atlanticiowa.com/experience/cass-county-trails-map-2/.
Printed copies of the Cass County Trails Map can be picked up at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce (102 Chestnut St., Atlantic, IA 50022).
The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is a nonprofit organization founded in 1986 whose mission is to build a nation connected by trails. One of the organization’s flagship initiatives is the Great
American Rail Trail. The Great American Rail Trail is designed to be the nation’s first cross-country multi-use trail for biking, hiking, and more. While the trail is still under construction, the preferred route of the Great American Rail Trail goes through Cass County and Atlantic.
Atlantic is the only town on this year’s RAGBRAI route that is also on the preferred Great American Rail Trail route. The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy will have a team of cyclists participating in RAGBRAI who will recognize Atlantic’s part in this cross-country trail. For more information on the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, Celebrate Trails Day, and the Great American Rail Trail, visit www.railstotrails.org or contact Nishna Valley Trails President Dave Chase at 712-249-3059.
Nishna Valley Trails is a tax-exempt local nonprofit that promotes the development of recreational trails and cycling. People who support these causes are welcome to join the group. For more information on Nishna Valley Trails or to join the organization, contact President Dave Chase at barbdavechase@gmail.com or 712-249-3059. Nishna Valley Trails is partnering with Cass County Conservation and other area organizations to host a local trails celebration event on June 1. The event will include organized bike rides, food, and entertainment. Details to come.
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
RSS