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Republican Congressman David Young has developed a new plan for distributing a block of federal dollars reserved for water quality improvement projects. Young hopes to tack his idea onto the next Farm Bill and change the way money in the U-S-D-A’s already-existing “Environmental Quality Incentive Program” is distributed. “You’ve heard of precision agriculture. I see this as precision conservation,” Young says. “What it does is it targets funds in a new way, a new approach from this EQIP account, to watersheds.”

Young got input from a variety of groups that are often at odds — including the Iowa Farm Bureau and the Iowa Farmers Union as well as the Des Moines Water Works and the Iowa Department of Agriculture. “We’ve had the debate in Iowa about water quality and so I thought to myself: ‘What is there that maybe I could do or congress could do at the federal level to help with this issue?'” Young said. “…There’s a way to target existing federal funds.”

Young envisions communities, farmers, researchers and other stakeholders developing a “precision conservation plan” for watersheds in order to qualify for any federal EQIP grants in that area. Young says states should provide matching funds and the projects should be monitored to find out which conservation methods are most effective.

(Radio Iowa)

Officials with the Iowa DNR report today (Wednesday), one of the main water pumps at the Riverton Wildlife Area, in Fremont County, experienced a mechanical failure and stopped pumping over Labor Day Weekend. The pump, on the West Nishnabotna River, pumps water at 32,000 gallons per minute to the more than 1,500 acres that provides a waterfowl refuge and duck hunting opportunities to hundreds of hunters. The water level is about 10 inches below full pool, making it difficult for boat hunters.

Matt Dollison, wildlife biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources covering the Riverton Wildlife Area, said he has been in contact with a crane operator to remove the pump from the housing, and a specialist to diagnose and hopefully fix the problem. The work could begin as early as this week.

Dollison said “It takes a while to fill the marsh. Every day it’s down means it will be that much longer before we get to full pool. While it’s not great news for boat hunters, this area will still offer some good walk in duck hunting opportunities.”

The Jensen Tract, south of the town of Riverton, is not affected by this pump and is available for boat hunters. The Riverton Wildlife Area is in the south duck and goose zone. The special September teal season is open through Sept. 10. Regular duck season opens Sept. 30.

The Iowa DNR has resources on its website for hunters looking for options to pursue ducks at www.iowadnr.gov/hunting then click on Migratory Game Birds in the left column.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A $625,000 settlement has been reached in a pay dispute at a meat plant in northwest Iowa. The Sioux City Journal reports that a federal judge approved the settlement of lawsuit filed in 2016 by five women. Their lawsuit said Curly’s Foods violated federal law by not paying plant workers for time they spent putting on and taking off required gear before and after their shifts and during their unpaid 30-minute meal breaks.

Each of the women will receive $5,000. The remaining $600,000 will be divided among 460 current and former workers who joined the class-action lawsuit. Curly’s, a division of Smithfield Foods, which was also named in the lawsuit, admits no wrongdoing as part of the settlement agreement. Ribs and other precooked meats are processed at the plant.

Shelby County ISU Extension officials invite you to part 2 of a New and Beginning Farmer Peer Group “Commodity Marketing Night,” Thursday, Sept. 7th, from 6-until-8-p.m., at the Shelby County Extension Office (906 6th St., Harlan). The workshop will focus on helping new and beginning crop producers create successful corn and soybean marketing strategies. Part 1 of the workshop was held July 25th. Persons who attended Part one don’t need to attend the second part.

Topics of discussion, Thursday, include:

A corn and soybean market outlook.
Calculating the cost of production.
Commodity marketing strategies.
Developing a marketing plan.
And, resources from ISU Extension and Outreach.

Guest speaker for the session is Shane Ellis, ISU Extension Farm Management Specialist. A light meal will be provided, so you’re asked to RSVP by no later than Wednesday, Sept. 6th, by calling (712)-755-3104.

If you have any questions, call Amanda Oloff, Associate Extension Educator at (712)- 755-3104, or Shane Ellis at (712)-520-0601.

The president of the North Carolina based company that’s building a pork processing plant in north-central Iowa is providing an update on the $240 million project. Ron Prestage says a lot of work this summer was done “below ground” on the site in southern Wright County. “We’ve already dug one of the two wells,” Prestage said. “That well is almost 2,000 feet deep and will produce 2,000 gallons of water a minute. So, it’s a big well. We’re going to do another one this winter, primarily as a backup.”

Just over a year ago, the Prestage Foods project near Eagle Grove was awarded $11.5 million in state tax credits. Construction of the actual buildings on the site is now underway. Prestage expects the buildings will be done and equipment installed by NEXT fall, but the processing of animals won’t happen right away. “As you can imagine, having to train a new workforce, get all the equipment fine tuned – there’s a lot of computerization that’s going to be in this plant,” Prestage said. “It’s going to take a lot of work and coordination to get all of those things operating smoothly.”

The first hogs to be killed in the plant will likely come in November of 2018, according to Prestage. The facility will be one of the larger employers in the area. “There are going to be 1,000 employees working directly for us, but that doesn’t include a lot of other supportive roles that’ll be played by truck drivers and a lot of other people,” Prestage said.

Prestage chose to locate the pork plant near Eagle Grove after Mason City officials rejected plans for the plant in their city.

(Radio Iowa)

A John Deere executive says expanding U.S. trade is not just important for manufacturers, it’s important for consumers around the globe. “Today, about 15 or 16 percent of the world population relies on trade to solve their food needs. By 2050, that’s estimated to be north of 50 percent.”

Jim Field is president of John Deere’s Agriculture and Turf Division. He says it’s “vital” to enhance trade relationships. “If you look at the U.S. and you say there’s about 325 million acres of stable cropland and you project forward what is going to be the productivity enhancements and improvements that we would suggest we should see over the next 40 years and then you project forward what’s going to happen with domestic consumption here in the U.S., export has got to be part of the game,” Field says, “because we’re going to overproduce.”

Field says expanding exports of U.S. ag commodities is a security issue as well, since hunger and famine spawn instability. The U.S. currently has “free trade” agreements with 20 of the world’s 195 counties.

(Radio Iowa)

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Equipment manufacturer John Deere has hired about 250 workers in Dubuque since last fall thanks to surging demand for new products. The Telegraph Herald reports the John Deere Dubuque Works facility now employs 1,300 production workers, its highest total since 2000. There are another 1,300 employees at the plant who work in other capacities such as engineering, sales and marketing.

General Manager Mark Dickson says he predicts adding another 50 workers by October. Dickson says the increasing orders and additional hires have boosted morale at the facility. The increases come a year after the company experienced layoffs and lagging sales.

The company laid off nearly 100 people in 2016. Its construction and forest division had an operating loss of $17 million at the end of fiscal year 2016.

LE MARS, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says a fish kill in a northwestern Iowa stream has been traced to a Le Mars ice cream making plant. The department says ammonia from the Wells Enterprises plant, which makes Blue Bunny ice cream, found its way into the Plymouth County stream, killing a large number of minnow and chubs.

Officials say the ammonia was in cooling water discharge from the plant. The department said Friday it will continue to look for and verify the spill source and send water samples for laboratory analysis. DNR fisheries staff also planned to do a fish kill count Friday.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey has been nominated for an administrative role in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The White House announced President Donald Trump’s nomination of Northey on Friday. The 57-year-old Northey has been picked to serve as the Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation. A news release says the position was created in May as part of a re-organization at USDA.

Northey, a Republican, is in the midst of his third term as Iowa’s ag secretary. Northey graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Agricultural Business and received his master’s in business from Southwest Minnesota State University.

He must first be confirmed by the U.S. Senate before he can take over the USDA post.