(Atlantic, Iowa) –  Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department Director Bryant Rasmussen says, “This July, “We Rise Up for Parks and Recreation.” Be sure and join the Atlantic Parks and Rec Department in July, for Parks and Recreation Month, as “we celebrate how Atlantic, Iowa is stronger, more vibrant, and more resilient because of parks and recreation.” Rasmussen says a variety of activities are planned for people of all ages and abilities. The big highlight is July 9^th for the block party which takes place from 12 until 4-p.m., with a band to follow at 6pm.

Atlantic Parks and Rec is celebrating Park and Recreation Month, an initiative of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), by inviting our community to share their experiences, memories and stories about what parks and recreation means to them. There are plenty of ways to celebrate with us as well. All month long they will be having either suggestions of what you can do for that day, or having something for you to participate in.

The NRPA and Atlantic Parks and Rec encourages everyone who supports parks and recreation to share how it has improved their quality of life, as well as why local parks and recreation is important to them on social media using the hashtag #RISEUPJULY. To learn more information about Parks and Recreation Month, visit Atlantic Parks and Recreation Facebook page and www.nrpa.org/July.

There is a calendar of events on the Atlantic Parks and Rec Facebook page, but check back daily to learn more about the programs happening over the course of July.

LEWIS, Iowa – The Armstrong Memorial Research and Demonstration Farm will hold a field day this Wednesday, June 29th, with crop management and soil health demonstrations hosted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, the Wallace Foundation and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. The event is being offered in collaboration with a group of soil health driven producers and professionals in southwest Iowa known as the SWISH team.

The day begins at 10 a.m. and concludes with a presentation at 2 p.m. The field day will be held at the Wallace Learning Center and Iowa State University Armstrong Research and Development Farm, 53020 Hitchcock Ave., Lewis. 

Agenda

9:30 a.m. Registration and welcome at the Wallace Learning Center.

10 a.m. Corn rootworm management demonstration with Erin Hodgson, professor in entomology and extension specialist in entomology at Iowa State; Ashely Dean, education extension specialist in entomology with ISU Extension and Outreach; and Aaron Saeugling, field agronomist with ISU Extension and Outreach.

11 a.m. STRIPS demonstration (Science-based Trials of Row Crops Integrated with Prairie Strips), featuring a soil pit, with Tim Youngquist, agricultural specialist in agronomy at Iowa State, and graduate student Cole Dutter.

Noon. Lunch and NRCS presentation. Using the soil health principles to build stress tolerance in cropping systems: Rainfall Simulator Demonstration with NRCS soil health specialists Hillary Olson and Ruth Blomquist.

1 p.m. Maximizing cover crop benefits: using diverse species mixes to build soil resiliency and interseeding demonstration with soil health expert and Shenandoah, Iowa, farmer Chris Teachout.

2 p.m. Maximizing cover crop benefits: cereal rye termination timing and options with Nate Quam, BASF, and Terry Gleaves, NRCS.

Sponsors include the Iowa Soybean Association; No-Till on the Plains; Benson Hill; Nutrien Ag Solutions – Hancock, Iowa; TFS AG Solutions, Aaron Sick, Carson, Iowa; and Iowa Cover Crop.

The field day is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is requested. Please register with Ruth Blomquist at 712-254-4346 (office), 319-541-2969 (cell) or ruth.blomquist@usda.gov

(Atlantic, Iowa) – This week’s Produce in the Park is packed full of family friendly activities, a new food truck vendor, and honoring the “Founding Mother” of the annual event. Pim’s Thai mobile restaurant is the featured vendor for the event in the down Atlantic City Park (10 W. 7th Street). Produce in the Park is held each Thursday through September, from 4:30-to 6:30-p.m.

Other info.: 

Activities: Bounce Houses from the Nishna Valley Family YMCA, Yard Games and more fun from Atlantic Parks and Rec, and more
Live Music: Sarah Selders
Herbs week: Fresh herbs taste tests, Guest Chef recipe featuring herbs, buy fresh herbs and herb plants from various vendors. Visit the Grow Another Row Cass County table to learn about donating herbs.

Products: Fresh produce, local meats, farm-fresh eggs, honey, popcorn, fresh lemonade, pastries, kringle, soaps, candles, freshies, art, jewelry, and more!
Celebrate LaVon Eblen of KJAN’s Backyard and Beyond. After 25 years on the air, LaVon is retiring. Backyard and Beyond has been a great program that has covered Produce in the Park many times. LaVon was also a founding mother of Produce in the Park. Come thank her for all she’s done for the community!

Self-Care Summer:  The VA Nebraska Western Iowa’s suicide prevention oordinator will be at the park with info.
Free drawing for a dozen eggs sponsored by the Cass County Local Food Policy Council. (Anyone age 18+ can enter for free. Winner will be drawn after the market and receive eggs the following week.

Payment methods accepted: All vendors accept cash. Many accept credit card and Venmo. 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). Follow PiP at https://www.facebook.com/ProduceInThePark

An Iowa State University study finds there’s not enough evidence to show fertilizer companies are taking advantage of inflation to raise prices. The study was requested by Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller earlier this year because of fertilizer price spikes. I-S-U ag economist Chad Hart, one of the study’s authors, says several factors caused fertilizer prices to rise, including supply chain problems, energy market fluctuations and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The price of ammonia is up 126-percent compared to a year ago. Farmers use nitrogen, phosphate and potassium-based fertilizers to help their plants grow. Hart says there was a “perfect storm” of factors but there’s not enough evidence to say whether fertilizer companies are using their market power to hike prices.

The I-S-U study predicts fertilizer prices will decline in the second half of this year but they won’t return to where they were in mid-2020 because farmer demand is high and supply chain problems still exist.

• KJAN, Atlantic  .08″
• Massena  .71″
• Elk Horn  .07″
• Oakland  .41″
• Corning  .18″
• Manning  .06″
• Underwood  .16″
• Creston  .19″

Applications are now being accepted for anyone interested in the Iowa Master Gardener training, which will be offered in many locations across the state, including Cass County, beginning in mid-August. Applicants have from June 3 to July 8 to apply for the fall session. Online training begins August 22, with a local orientation session scheduled for Monday evening, August 15^th.  The program will be delivered in a hybrid format this fall, with many lessons taking place online, but several face-to-face learning opportunities also offered for trainees to connect and participate in hands-on learning activities as a group.

“Throughout the pandemic, many of our programs have been forced into virtual formats and participants have missed out on peer-to-peer interactions,” said Alicia Herzog, Master Gardener Statewide Coordinator with ISU Extension and Outreach. “We find immense value in the learning that happens when our participants interact with each other, their county Extension and Outreach staff, and experts in their local communities. We’re happy to be able to offer the best of both worlds with this hybrid format.”

Iowans wishing to complete Master Gardener training should complete the initial registration online by July 8, and then will be contacted by their local extension office to complete a background screening and finalize payment and registration. Once accepted into the program, trainees will participate in online learning modules at their own pace through their home computer, and should also plan to attend at least 4 in-person training sessions organized by their county office to complete the training.

A total of 17 educational modules will be offered online by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, on topics that include houseplants, pollinators, vegetables, and perennial flowers. Each course module includes a book chapter, lecture video, online discussion board for trainees to connect and discuss the topic and a follow up quiz. Participants will also take an online pre-test and post-test to gauge knowledge gained through the course.

Applicants for the 2022 training must apply online by Friday July 8. The online class begins on Monday, August 22. An in-person orientation class will be held at the Cass County Extension Office on Monday August 15^th to distribute materials and discuss the hands-on training schedule. Apply and learn more about the program online at www.extension.iastate.edu/mastergardener.

The fee for the training is $150 and covers all class materials. The fee will be payable to the Cass County Extension Office upon acceptance into the program. Because Master Gardener volunteers work with many community partners, applicants will also be required to successfully pass a background screen before being accepted into the program. At the end of the course, there is an open-book test that participants will need to pass to complete the course and receive their certificate.

The Master Gardener program is open to anyone who is passionate about volunteering and gardening. No previous garden knowledge is required. The program equips participants to grow in knowledge about gardening best practices. After the training, Master Gardeners volunteer in their community, making contributions such as donating vegetables to food pantries, leading community beautification projects and maintaining demonstration gardens at local parks and county fairgrounds.

After completion of the MG Training, participants have 13 months to complete 40 volunteer hours to finish their “internship” and become a full Master Gardener. Annually, Master Gardener status can be maintained with 20 volunteer hours per year and ten hours of continuing education. Cass County has an active Master Gardener group that participates in many projects throughout the year, so opportunities to learn and volunteer are plentiful! Examples of local Master Gardener volunteer projects include educational workshops and seminars, maintaining community parks and demonstration gardens, and donating fresh produce to food pantries. Iowa State has offered Master Gardener training since 1977, engaging more than 15,000 people in learning about gardening best practices.

Iowans who want professional development training for their job and who do not plan to volunteer can participate in the ProHort option, for a fee of $550. No background check is required for this option.

Local extension staff can help anyone with questions about joining Master Gardener training this year, including details of when and where in-person meetings will take place locally.

For more information on the class, or the Master Gardener program in general, contact the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132, or email Cass County Extension Director and Master Gardner Coordinator Kate Olson at keolson@iastate.edu. Online program registration can be completed at www.extension.iastate.edu/mastergardener.

Survey numbers from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources show hunters bagged around 375-thousand pheasants this year. Wildlife biologist, Todd Bogenschutz, says that’s around a 25 percent increase over last year.

He says the information from hunters confirmed their August roadside survey — which show bird numbers up in the northern third of the state and across the central portion — while tough winter conditions dropped bird numbers in south.

Bogenschutz says he was shocked to see an increase in the number of hunters.

While bird numbers have trended up the last couple of years — Bogenschutz says habitat and weather remain the key factors that determine the trend will continue.

The D-N-R will conduct its roadside pheasant survey again in August. Bogenschutz says the weather conditions this spring have been good for nesting and he expects the numbers will stay strong.

w/Kate Olson.

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ATLANTIC, IA – Produce in the Park continues to be a popular spot this summer. According to Market Manager Brigham Hoegh, weekly food trucks are believed to be playing a role in increased attendance. On June 23, A-Town SmokeShack will be at the park. A-Town SmokeShack is expanding their menu this week to include pulled pork nachos, hot dogs,
and kids meals, in addition to their traditional brisket and pulled pork barbeque sandwiches and meals, sides including cheesy potatoes and baked beans, chips, and ice-cold drinks.

In addition to food trucks, an increased number of visiting organizations and vendors is also drawing more people to the park. The Nishna Valley Family YMCA is the June sponsor of Produce in the Park and continues to bring bounce houses and activities to the park every week this month. The bounce houses are a kid favorite, and parents and guardians are reminded there are just two weeks left in the month of June to enjoy the fun. 

Other activities at the park on June 23 include coloring with Cass County PROSPER as part of Self-Care Summer, yard games with Atlantic Parks & Recreation, and gardening information from Cass County Master Gardeners. Zion Integrated Behavioral Health Services and the Cass County chapter of the American Cancer Society will also be at the park, the Guest Chef will be sharing free samples of kale chips, and Sarah Selders will be performing live. Lastly, nearly 20 vendors will be at the park on June 23, including popular dessert vendor Frosting Inc.

On June 16 Produce in the Park introduced a new market layout to help with traffic flow. Additional sidewalks and shady spaces are now being utilized. Produce in the Park thanks Atlantic Parks and Recreation for maintaining a beautiful city park and encourages shoppers to bring blankets or lawn chairs to relax, hang out, and picnic in the park.
Event: Produce in the Park Bounce Houses & BBQ
Date: June 23, 2022
Time: 4:30-6:30 PM
Location: Atlantic City Park (10 W. 7th Street, Atlantic, IA 50022)
For updates on Produce in the Park, follow Produce in the Park on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ProduceInThePark) or Instagram (www.instagram.com/produceintheparkatlanticia/), or visit the Produce in the Park website to sign up for the e-newsletter at www.produceintheparkatlanticiowa.com.

CARROLL, Iowa — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources reports untreated wastewater overflowed from a manhole near St. Anthony Regional Hospital on the southeast side of Carroll Monday morning.

An unknown amount of untreated wastewater reached the Middle Raccoon River before hospital and city staff stopped the spill about 11 a.m. City staff helped identify the likely cause of the discharge, a collapsed sewer pipe owned by the hospital.

DNR staff were onsite Monday afternoon to take water samples and look at the river. Residents should keep children and pets out of the river for the next 24 to 48 hours. DNR will monitor cleanup and consider appropriate enforcement action.