ATLANTIC, IA – This Thursday, October 13, is the last Produce in the Park farmers market of the season. Load up on fall produce and other local foods and fall crafts, and don’t miss trick-or-treating. Vendors and visiting organizations will be handing out treats to both kids and adults. Costumes are optional but encouraged, and musicians, vendors, and representative from visiting organizations are likely to be seen wearing something festive. October sponsor the Atlantic Elks Lodge will be offering free cupcake decorating for kids.

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This week at the market shoppers can expect to find a variety of squashes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, green onions, red onions, beets, watermelon, garlic, parsley, and possibly carrots, bok choi, tomatoes, peppers, and green beans. That’s a lot of local produce and a reminder that the growing season in Iowa extends well into fall. In addition to produce, there will be lots of local meat, honey, granola, and baked goods. A new product this week is popcorn on the cob from Corn 4 a Cause. Popcorn can be popped right off the cob in the microwave.

Expect lots of seasonal crafts at the last market in the park, including fall candles and wax melts, fall bath and body products, and spooky jewelry. This week’s food truck is Zemog’s Cocina.

Details for Produce in the Park October 13: Time: 4:30-6:30 PM
Location: Atlantic City Park (10 W. 7th St. Atlantic, IA 50022)
Trick-or-Treat Night at the Park for both kids and adults, costumes welcome!
Food Truck: Zemog’s Cocina Taco Truck
Produce: Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Watermelon, Aronia Berries, Red Onions, Green Onions, Radishes, Cabbage, Beets, Shallots, Eggplant, Garlic, Potatoes, Kale, and more!
Farm Favorites: Beef, Pork, Chicken, Lamb, farm-fresh eggs, honey, granola, tea made with local herbs, popcorn on the cob
Desserts: Kringle, sweet breads, crisps
Crafts: fall-scented candles, bath and body products, art prints, spooky jewelry, and more
Cupcake Decorating with Atlantic Elks
Visiting organizations including: Cass County Master Gardeners, Atlantic Parks and Recreation
Live Music (expect costumes): Lisa Johnston and Jeremie Faga

Payment methods accepted: All vendors accept cash. Many accept credit cards, Venmo, and Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) Senior and WIC checks. All qualifying food vendors accept SNAP/EBT (also known as food stamps). All fresh produce vendors both accept and distribute Double Up Food Bucks (coupons given for SNAP/EBT purchases of fresh produce).

Produce in the Park October 2022 farmers markets are sponsored by the Atlantic Elks Lodge, the Atlantic Community Promotion Commission, Cass Health, Cass County Tourism, First Whitney Bank and Trust, the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, and Deter Motor Co.

(Radio Iowa) – Some Iowa trees that were stressed by the drought are already starting to drop their leaves, but soon, homeowners across the state will be delving into the chore of leaf raking. Adam Thoms, a horticulture professor at Iowa State University and a turfgrass extension specialist, says there may be a better alternative to raking that doesn’t require you to buy those leaf recycling bags some Iowa cities require. “The only thing is, as the leaves start to fall, you might want to consider mulching those leaves if they get really deep in the yard because they can smother out the grass,” Thoms says. “So, just run your mower over those to mulch those up and that’ll help.”

While some lawn mowers are sold as mulcher mowers, just making a few passes will typically grind up the leaves sufficiently. Thoms says mulching this fall can bring a healthier lawn next spring. “Yeah, absolutely,” Thoms says. “You can return those nutrients that are in those leaves back into your yard and that’ll add organic matter and make a healthier soil as well. So mulching is the way to go if you can do it.” Iowans who have bare patches in their lawns due to drought, construction or something else, might consider buying a bag of grass seed and a bale of straw.

“If you can apply any kind of seed to it, now is the time to do that because you’re not competing against crabgrass, things like that,” Thoms says. “Make sure that you rake a little soil over the top and that’s fine. Straw can be added as well, if you want to. It just kind of holds the moisture longer.” This is also a good time to aerate your lawn, he says, as that process reduces compaction, improves soil health, and produces deeper rooted plants which should stay greener, longer during dry spells.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Enjoy Iowa’s beautiful weather and fall colors this weekend. Fall colors appear more vibrant this year, possibly due to the recent crisp weather. Cottonwood, hackberry, elm, basswood and walnut are turning yellow in northeast Iowa. The hillsides have splashes of color mostly from sugar maples. Yellows and oranges mixed with green dot the landscape in north central and northwest Iowa. Cottonwoods are vibrant. Silver maples are just starting to lighten in color.

Major river valleys in central Iowa like the Des Moines, Boone, and Iowa rivers are at 20-25 percent color change. More maples are turning red and yellow. White ash and dogwood are showing a little bit of purple in southeast Iowa. Some urban maples are starting to show a little red and orange. Most shrubs will be at peak color, which provide most of our reds in west central and southwest Iowa. Fall prairie flowers are still showy this week to bring vivid colors to your prairie hikes. 

Enjoy a fall drive and take in all the beautiful colors!

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Utilities Board has denied a request for an environmental impact study for the Summit Carbon Solutions proposed pipeline. The survey request came from the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska — but I-U-B order says it will consider specific environmental issues it has and those raised by those involved in the Summit Carbon request for the hazardous liquid pipeline permit.

The I-U-B statement says a separate environmental impact survey is not required by federal regulations for it to fulfill its statutory requirements in considering the permit. The I-U-B’s order says this was similar to a request made for to the Dakota Access Pipeline, which the board also rejected.

(Radio Iowa) – Tyson foods has announced plans to move all of its corporate employees from Dakota Dunes, South Dakota, Chicago and Downers Grove, Illinois to its world headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas. That could impact as many as 550 Tyson employees in the Sioux City area. Those employees have been given until November 15th to decide on moving to Springdale or leave the company. The president of the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce, Chris McGowan had this response to the announcement.

“I want to state emphatically that the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce will do everything in our power to minimize the adverse impact on our Siouxland Community. We will work tirelessly with those employees who have been affected and want to find employment, so that they in their families can remain in our community,” McGowan says. He says the area will rally around the Tyson employees.

“This is one of those times where we see Siouxland come together. It is in the most challenging of circumstances throughout our history that we’ve come together as a community — and I will expect that that will be the case in this instance as well,” he says. A Tyson statement says the company will expand their world headquarters, which will include indoor and outdoor spaces designed to foster collaboration, connection and creativity. Tyson’s statement says team members will begin the phased relocation in early 2023.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Bulbs bring spring color! The shorter days and more moderate temperatures make this fall a great time for gardening projects, including planting spring flowering bulbs.  The Cass County Master Gardeners are again selling bulbs for fall planting!  Preorders are open for the annual bulb sale, featuring tulip and daffodil bulbs in 2022. You can place your pre-order now to reserve your bulbs before they run out. Pay just $5 for a variety assortment of 5 colorful bulbs for your garden, with delivery by the end of October, in plenty of time for fall planting. Order forms with additional details are available at the Cass County Extension office, or online at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass.

The bulbs will be freshly dug from the gardens of Van Engelen, Inc., in Connecticut, and shipped in bulk to the Cass County Master Gardeners.  The Master Gardeners have ordered 500 tulip and daffodil bulbs, which they hope to pre-sell by mid-October.  The bulbs are expected to arrive by the end of October, for packaging five bulbs to a bag, and each bag of tulip mixture or daffodil mixture will sell for only $5. Pre-payment is requested at the time of order to guarantee your bulbs.

The Master Gardeners carefully select mixtures each year that are unique to those sold in previous years.  The tulip mixture offered this year, A Rainbow of Triumph Tulips, will produce plant heights from 16 to 20 inches, flowering in late April, and includes:  Bastogne (blood-red), Don Quixote (deep rose), Michael (reddish-orange), Negrita (deep purple), Pays Bas (Meringue-white), and Strong Gold (Primrose-yellow).

The daffodil bulbs include a mixture of multi-flowering Fragrant Naturalizing Jonquilla Narcissi and Miniature Narcissus bulbs:  Baby Moon (canary yellow), Hillstar (lemon-yellow), Golden Echo (white with golden halo and cup), Sweet Love (ivory-white), Kokopelli (greenish-yellow), Minnow (white-to-ivory-to pale yellow), Sun Disc (ivory and yellow), Jetfire (golden-yellow), Tete-a-Tete (buttercup-yellow with dark yellow trumpet) and N. canaliculatus (white with yellow cup).  The daffodils should bloom from April to May, ranging from 6 to 16 inches in height.

The Master Gardeners will package your bulbs 5 bulbs to a bag, along with planting instructions. Please keep in mind we are unable to guarantee any specific color mix. Tulips and daffodils will be packaged separately. You will be notified when your bulbs are available for pickup at the Cass County Extension Office in mid-late October.

The goal of the Master Gardener program is to provide community service and education in horticulture.  The Cass County Master Gardeners utilize the funds raised from the bulb sale, along with their spring garden seminar, and annual spring and fall plant sales (held the second Saturdays of May and September) for local community horticultural projects. These projects include maintaining community garden spaces around the county, providing education programs to youth and adults, providing an annual scholarship, and making horticulture grants available to non-profit groups.

To order bulbs, or for more information about Master Gardener activities in Cass County, please call the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132, email Cass County Extension Director and Master Gardener Coordinator Kate Olson at keolson@iastate.edu or visit www.extension.iastate.edu/cass.  You are also invited to follow the Cass County Master Gardeners Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CassCoMG to keep up with local events and tips for gardening!

(Radio Iowa) – Nearly two-thousand meatpacking plant and farm workers in Columbus Junction, West Liberty and Washington will get 600-dollar pandemic relief checks from Catholic Charities U-S-A. The organization is giving one-point-two million dollars in federal relief dollars to Escucha Mi Voz to aid those workers in rural eastern Iowa. Father Guillermo Trevino says he witnessed a miracle Tuesday on the feast day of Saint Francis when the funding was announced.

“In a sense the meat plant workers were the heart and soul of the nation because they kept the nation going like so many. And I think people ought to appreciate them more, as well as the farmworkers because again we all have to eat. So a much deserved reward for them,” he says. The U-S. Department Agriculture’s Farm and Food Workers Relief Grants aim to help workers who incurred expenses during the pandemic. They hope to begin distributing the money to the Iowa workers in the new year.

(reporting by Zachary Oren Smith, Iowa Public Radio)

(Radio Iowa) – A group of scientists and researchers from 33 Iowa colleges and universities says trees can help Iowans deal with the higher temperatures and intense rainfall expected in the decades to come. University of Iowa professor Heather Sander says trees and woodlands absorb a huge volume of water. “That will reduce flooding,” she says. “Their roots will also hold soil in place, keeping it from washing away.” Sander’s research focuses on urban ecosystems and she says the cooling effect of trees helps reduce electric costs. “We mustn’t forget also that trees provide wildlife habitat, clean air, they enhance the beauty of our cities and landscapes,” Sander says. “They provide many benefits beyond climate adaptation and mitigation.”

Iowa State University professor Jan Thompson says the derecho storms of August of 2020 and December of last year destroyed many mature trees in Iowa — the trees she describes as the hardest workers at addressing climate issues like heat and flooding. “It is going to take time to replace especially the function of those large, older trees for sure,” Thompson says.

Thompson says Iowans need to pick up the pace of planting new trees. “An extreme event…gets everybody’s attention and gets, you know, a lot of excitement and enthusiasm around planting trees, so we definitely have stepped it up,” Thompson says, “but our rate of planting in general has not kept up with just, you know, typical mortality.”

This is the 12th year the group of professors from around the state has issued a Climate Statement. Before planting a tree, the group recommends searching a website called I-tree that the U-S-D-A’s Forest Service launched in 2005 to find out which species of trees are best to plant in Iowa.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – It’s another excellent week for local produce at the farmers market, and Produce in the Park will have all sorts of squash this Thursday, October 6. PiP Market Manager Brigham Hoegh says you can “Expect familiar favorites such as Acorn Squash and Spaghetti Squash, as well as lesser-known varieties such as Delicata Squash and ‘Crème Brulee’ Butternut Squash. The ‘Crème Brulee’ Butternut Squash is a smaller variety than traditional butternut squash, which makes it an appealing option for many. Visitors to the park this week will also get to sample squash chips made from dehydrated squash by Cass County Master Gardener Todd Turner. In addition to squash, produce at the market this week will include sweet potatoes, green beans, peppers, tomatoes, radishes, cabbages, a variety of onions, beets, potatoes, and more.”

Cooler fall temperatures call for warm beverages. This week at the market, look for recipes and ingredients to make your own local teas. Just a few herbs and some honey make a delicious tea. Talk with Lany of Bridgewater Farm or Emily of Brun Ko Farm about their favorite herbal teas. A simple one-part sage and one-part lemon balm with honey to taste is a go-to for Emily.
Some folks enjoy baked goods with tea, and this Thursday will not disappoint in that category. Frosting Inc. is back with cupcakes and other seasonal sweet treats, and the Kringleman will offer a variety of Danish and American pastries.

Squash at Produce in the Park this week includes Spaghetti Squash, Acorn Squash, Delicata Squash, and ‘Creme Brulee’ Butternut Squash

Hoege says “As usual, there’s a lot happening at the park this week. This week’s food trucks are Pomodoro Italian Food and Pim’s Thai. New vendor Painting Grace Creations will be selling artwork, crafts, and holiday decorations. October sponsor Atlantic Elks Lodge will have free ring toss (with prizes!). And, a number of other organizations will be at the park with information and activities, including the Atlantic Public Library, Atlantic Parks & Rec, and the Cass County Master Gardeners. Sarah Selders will be singing live.”

DETAILS for Produce in the Park October 6, 2022:

• Time: 4:30-6:30 PM
• Location: Atlantic City Park (10 W. 7th St. Atlantic, IA 50022)
• Food Trucks: Pomodoro Italian and Pim’s Thai
• Seasonal Highlight: Homemade tea with local herbs and honey
• Produce: Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans, Watermelon, Peppers, Tomatoes, Aronia Berries, Red Onions, Green Onions, Radishes, Cabbage, Beets, Shallots, Eggplant, Garlic, Potatoes, Kale, and more!
• Farm Favorites: Beef, Pork, Chicken, Lamb, farm-fresh eggs, honey, granola
• Desserts: Cupcakes and other sweet treats from Frosting Inc., Danish pastries, kringle, Fruit Crisps, Sweet Breads (banana and banana nut bread, chocolate chip bread), and more.
• Crafts: fall-scented candles, bath and body products, art, prints, jewelry, and more.
• Live Music: Sarah Selders!
• Ring Toss with Prizes with Atlantic Elks Lodge
• Yard Games and More with Atlantic Parks & Rec
• Visiting organizations including Atlantic Public Library, Cass County Master Gardeners
• Free drawing for a dozen eggs! Anyone age 18+ can enter for free. Winner will be drawn after the market ends and pick up at the market the following week.

Payment methods accepted: All vendors accept cash. Many accept credit cards, Venmo, and Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) Senior and WIC checks. All qualifying food vendors accept SNAP/EBT (also known as food stamps). All fresh produce vendors both accept and distribute Double Up Food Bucks (coupons given for SNAP/EBT purchases of fresh produce).

Produce in the Park October 2022 farmers markets are sponsored by the Atlantic Elks Lodge, the Atlantic Community Promotion Commission, Cass Health, Cass County Tourism, First Whitney Bank and Trust, the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, and Deter Motor Co. For updates on Produce in the Park, follow Produce in the Park on Facebook or an Instagram.

(Radio Iowa) – The La Nina weather system often brings Iowa and the Midwest an above-normal helping of precipitation, but even though the pattern is expected to stick around for yet another winter, we’re still suffering with drought. Doug Kluck, the climate services director for the Central Region of the National Weather Service, says there would normally be a lot more rainfall, especially in the Missouri River basin. Kluck says, “It is possible that La Nina can contribute in a positive manner more usable precipitation for the basin.” The expected amount of precip simply hasn’t been materializing, he says, and it’s unclear whether that will change with the snowpack in the winter season ahead.

“The last two years have been La Nina and those last two years have been something like 88 and 90% of normal snowpack, where we would hope that La Nina would give us over 100%,” Kluck says, “but that didn’t happen.” Kluck says this situation is what adds to so much climate prediction uncertainty. “It tells you the fickleness, to be honest, of using La Nina only as a forecast tool for that neck of the woods,” he says.

The National Climate Prediction Center is forecasting this La Nina will fade away by early spring. The latest report from the U-S Drought Monitor shows 80 percent of Iowa is either abnormally dry or in some level of drought.