(Ottumwa, Iowa) – Officials with John Deere say they are moving more of their manufacturing operations out of Iowa. The company says over the next 18 months, it will shift its current production at its Ottumwa facility to Monterrey, Mexico, and revitalize the location for the future. The company announced a similar move at its Waterloo plant last month. Company officials could not specify how many employees at the Ottumwa plant will be affected by the move.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig says the last quarantine associated with a bird flu outbreak at a commercial flock has been lifted.  “This is good news,” Naig says. “It’s a milestone day.” Quarantines were issued to bar poultry and eggs from being shipped from 15 commercial sites where avian influenza had been confirmed. The last restriction — on a turkey operation in Bremer County — has been lifted after it met all cleaning, disinfection and testing testing requirements. Naig says it doesn’t mean the risk is gone.

“But what is does do is allow all of those affected sites to get back into normal production,” Naig says, “and it also allows us, with the response, to start to now look back and say: ‘What went well and what are some lessons we need to apply to a future response?'” Iowa’s first case of bird flu was confirmed in February in a backyard flock of chickens and ducks in Council Bluffs. That site and three others where Iowans were raising birds in their backyards that were sickened with bird flu are to remain empty for the rest of the summer.

“You really can’t clean those kind of sites,” Naig says, “but you can go in and disinfection and test commercial sites and that’s why this is an important day and we make a distinction between a commercial site and a backyard flock.” Two commercial facilities each had five million birds that were killed to prevent the virus from spreading. A total of 13-point-three million birds were euthanized in Iowa due to this year’s outbreak.

“And that represented 40% or so of the total number of birds that were impacted nationwide,” Naig says. The 2015 bird flu outbreak impacted 77 commercial poultry and egg laying sites in Iowa — compared to 15 this year. Naig says it does not appear there was farm-to-farm movement of the virus due to better biosecurity measures. “Our producers have learned a lot about how to keep the virus out their buildings and off of their farms and really track the movement of people and equipment,” Naig says. “…I think the second component of that was just a more effective, faster response on the part of the Iowa Department of Agriculture and the USDA. Those two things together made this a different outbreak.”

The executive director of the North Central Poultry Association says the lifting of the final quarantine is cause to celebrate the collective efforts from all involved. Avian influenza is highly contagious and while wild birds carry the virus without appearing to be ill, it is nearly always fatal to domesticated birds.

w/Kate Olson.

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Here are some of the results from shows at the 2022 Adams County Fair!

The 2022 Adams County Tall Corn Contest was sponsored by POET, Corning and judged by Tim Christensen, ISU Extension and Outreach Farm Management Specialist. The results were:

• 1st Place – Justyce Bradley, 114.25” (growing success: rabbit manure)
• 2nd Place – Braxston Bradley, 110.5” (growing success: rabbit manure)
• 3rd Place – Tyler James, 108.25” (growing success: undetermined)
• 4th Place – Margaret Haley, 57” (growing success: mom and dad)
• 5th Place – Sebastian Haley, 55” (growing success: water)
• Swine Results
• Static Results
• Sheep Results
• SESS 2022 Results
• Poultry Results
• Horse – Performance
• Goat Results
• Dairy
• Communications
• Clover Kids Showcase Participation
• Beef
• Awardrobe Results
• Alpaca Results
• 2022 Adams Co Horse Halter Results

(Radio Iowa) – The latest Iowa crop and weather report from the U-S-D-A suggests drought conditions will expand in northwest Iowa this week. The U.S. Drought Monitor’s measurements last Tuesday indicated parts of Plymouth, Cherokee and Woodbury Counties were in extreme drought and much of northwest Iowa were classified as in severe or moderate drought. The state climatologist says while there were heavy rains in northeast Iowa last week, the remainder of the state was drier than normal and the rainfall deficit is approaching an inch in many areas.

Weekly rainfall was just a hundredth of an inch at several reporting stations in northwest and southwest Iowa. The U-S-D-A rates 81 percent of Iowa’s corn crop in good or excellent condition, while just over three quarters of Iowa soybeans have a condition rating of good or excellent.

(Harlan, Iowa) – The Shelby County Fair concludes its week-long run this evening, with the 4-H/FFA Livestock auction. The auction begins at 5:30-p.m. And, while that Fair wraps-up, three more county fairs are set to get-underway this week. Preparation for the Montgomery County Fair in Red Oak began in earnest last Saturday. And, while there are some judging events scheduled for today, the Fair officially begins Tuesday, and runs through Sunday. Find a pdf link to the full schedule, HERE.

The Adair County Fair in Greenfield is set to begin its full slate of activities on Wednesday. For the complete schedule, click HERE. And, The Pottawattamie County Fair in Avoca begins its complete schedule, on Thursday. Here’s the schedule (Click to enlarge):

DES MOINES – As part of an effort to develop a statewide drought preparedness plan, the Iowa DNR and partners will host three of four public stakeholder meetings this week, and a virtual meeting in August to gather ideas and input. DNR’s coordinator of hydrology resources Tim Hall says  “Iowa has been through significant droughts in 1988, 2012 and 2021. While the state responded well to those events, a statewide drought plan would allow for better coordination between agencies, better communication, and improved response.”

A number of state agencies have come together to develop such a drought plan for Iowa, including the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. An important part of drought planning efforts is the collection of ideas and experiences from Iowans. To gather information, the agencies will host a series of public stakeholder meetings. A meeting was held July 6th, in Iowa Falls, and another is set for July 21st, in Cedar Rapids.

An Online-only meeting will be held 9-a.m. Aug. 3rd. Details on the virtual session will be released closer to the meeting date. In western Iowa, the drought plan meetings will be held in:

• Sioux City:
  July 20, 9 a.m.
  Siouxland Chamber of Commerce, 101 Pierce St.
  Register for Sioux City Drought Planning Meeting

• Creston:
  July 22, 9 a.m.
  Southwestern Community College, 1501 West Townline St.
  Register for Creston Drought Planning Meeting

Monthly reports on drought conditions in Iowa can be found in the Water Summary Update.

(Harlan, Iowa) – The bulk of the activities during the Shelby County Fair in Harlan take place today, with the big Livestock Sale set for Monday evening. Here’s today’s schedule and & peek at Monday’s short slate…

SUNDAY, JULY 17
7:30 am……………….Market Beef Exhibitors Meeting
8:00 am……………….Pen of Three Judging by Pens  4-H/FFA Market Beef  to follow in Show Ring
9:00 am……………….Church Service – Tent
9:00 am-4:00 pm……Antique Tractor/Machinery Show
10:00 am-2:00 pm…Little Hands on the Farm Exhibit
11:45 am…………….4-H Style Show Exhibitor Meeting 12:00 Noon-Style Show Begins in the tent
12:45 pm…………….Share the Fun, Public Speaking and Extemporaneous Exhibitor Meeting –
Tent Contest at 1:00 pm
3:00 pm……………….Pedal Tractor Pull
4:00-5:00 pm………..Release 4-H/FFA Static Exhibits NOTHING REMOVED BEFORE 4
(must be removed by 5:30 pm.)
Release Open Class Exhibits NOTHING REMOVED BEFORE 4 (must be removed by 5:30 pm.)
Release 4-H/FFA Horses and all Livestock not being sold
4-H & Open Class Buildings open 10:00 noon-4:00 pm
Nishna Valley Model Railroad open 1:00-4:00 pm

MONDAY, JULY 18
5:30 pm………………..4-H/FFA Livestock Auction

(Audubon, Iowa) – The last day of the 2022 Audubon County Fair is today, in Audubon. Here’s a rundown of the schedule for today:

SUNDAY, JULY 17
8:00 AM Clover Kids Goat Show
4-H/FFA Goat Show
Pee Wee Goat Show
8:00 AM Open Class Horse Entries at Announcer’s Stand North of Horse Arena
8:00 AM Tractor Drive Check in
9:00 AM Open Class Horse Show
9:30 AM Tractor Drive
12:00 PM Antique Tractor Pull – Grandstand
12:00 PM Beef Feed – Audubon T-Bone
12:30 PM Bingo-Exira Lions – Agrihall
1:30 PM Pie Contest – Agrihall
2:30 PM Open Class Exhibits and Commercial Booths released
3:00 PM 4-H Recognition – Show Barn
4:00 PM Livestock Support Sale-poultry, rabbits, sheep, goats, swine, beef
4:00 PM 4-H exhibits released
4:45 PM 4-H Building Clean Up

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Members of the City of Atlantic’s Parks and Recreation Board of Directors will meet 5:15-p.m. Monday, July 18th, in the City Council’s Chambers at City Hall. Here’s a look at their agenda:

Action Items/New Business
1. Bull Creek Update
2. Sunnyside Splash Pad
3. Schildberg Bank
4. Harl Holt Park
5. Soccer Complex Expansion
6. Sunnyside Pool Staffing
Discussion Items/Old Business
1.
Director’s Report–
1. Sunnyside Block Party
2. Kids Art in the Park
3. Adult Art in the Park
4. National Parks and Recreation Month

Next Regular Meeting Date: August 15, 2022 at 5:15 pm at City Hall Council Chambers