Today marks the last full day of activities at the 2017 Cass County Fair, in Atlantic. The Fair concludes tomorrow at 8-a.m., with the Livestock Sale. Today’s activities include:

• 8:00-a.m.: Beef Show; 4-H Exhibits open.
• 9:00-a.m.: Best of Iowa
• 11:00-a.m.: Rotary watermelon feed.
• 2:00-p.m.: Dairy Cattle Show & Livestock Judging Contest.
• 4:00-p.m.: Style Show/ Building Awards.
• 5:45-p.m.: Parade of Champions; Woodcarving & Bucket of Junk Auction.
• 6:30-p.m.: Grand Champion Beef Selection.
• 7:45-p.m.: Livestock released.
• 8:00-p.m.: Mud Volleyball.

Remember, there’s no parking or admission fee, and lots of great food to purchase (all food purchases support the Fair and 4-H/FFA Clubs), things to see and do!

AMES, Iowa – The cost of farming is extremely high these days, the price of the products produced remarkably low and, as even a novice to agriculture can deduce, that means tough times. But 65-year-old farmer Don Holcomb says there are ways to lessen the pain and prepare for the future. On his farm, he’s found that adding a crop to his usual rotation can be beneficial. “Plant wheat in the fall, we harvest it in June,” he explains. “Plant soybeans, then we harvest the soybeans in October, maybe, and plant corn again the following spring. So we get three crops in two years.”

Holcomb notes that planting three crops has cut down on the number of weed pests that is typical with fewer rotations. Holcomb, who will be a presenter at a gathering of Practical Farmers of Iowa in August, says the current downturn pales in comparison with the 1980s farm crisis when interest rates were more than triple the current rate. Still, he says, pain is pain.

Holcomb maintains it’s necessary to view farming through a lens of adaptability. He says he avoids thinking of himself as a person in the wheat and soybean business. Instead, he thinks of himself as being in the food business. The latter, he says, can open your mind to new possibilities. “If you think of yourself as being in the food business, you not only are growing what’s adaptable to your area, but you got to also keep in the back of your mind what your customer or consumer wants to buy,” he explains.

Holcomb notes that different climates, elevations and soils impact whether a farm can add an additional crop, but the broader mindset he employs is applicable in all environments.

(By Kevin Patrick Allen/Iowa News Service)

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Trees that suck up sunlight and groundwater at the expense of other prairie plant life are creating new headaches throughout the Plains, including Nebraska, western Iowa and the Dakotas.

The eastern red cedar tree spreads so quickly that it catches many landowners off-guard, consuming huge areas of productive ranchland and threatening many of the area’s original prairies.

At one point in Nebraska, the trees expanded at a pace of nearly 40,000 acres a year Some landowners have formed burn associations to clear the trees. John Ortmann, a rangeland ecologist in Ord, Nebraska, says the problem will worsen without proper land management techniques, including controlled burns to keep the trees in check.

The Cass County Fair still has two full days of activities for your family to enjoy. Here’s a look at today’s (Sunday’s) line-up of events:

• 7:30-a.m.: Swine Show
• 10-a.m.: Poultry Show& 4-H Exhibits open; Doyle Chainsaw Artistry (10-am to 1-p.m.)
• Noon until 4-p.m.: Decorator’s Showcase
• 2:30-p.m. Pedal Tractor Pull
• 3-p.m. to 3:30-p.m: Feeder Calf Weigh-in; 3-until 5-p.m.: Doyle Chainsaw Artistry
• 4:30-p.m.: County Fair Church Service
• 5:30-p.m.: Cow/Calf Show
• 6:00-p.m.: Feeder Calf Show
• 6:30-p.m.: Horse Fun Show
• 7:00-p.m.: Dance/Gymnastics & a Comedian

The Fair continues for one more full day, on Monday, and concludes Tuesday morning with the Livestock Sale beginning at 8-a.m.  Take time today to visit your Cass County Fair, where it doesn’t cost you a thing to park, see the exhibits or enjoy the rides and shows.

Iowa now has around two-thirds of the state in some sort of dry pattern running from the northwest to the southeast corner. The Iowa D-N-R’s Tim Hall says the state is in a little better shape than the last time we had widespread drought conditions in 2012. He says we went into that year with very little reserve in groundwater after a dry 2011. “At least in 2016 we crossed over into 2017 after a really wet fall and early winter. So, things are not as dramatically bad this year — primarily because we started the year in much better shape,” Hall explains.

He says that is not a reason to dismiss what’s happening now. “In general, there’s a lot of folks in the state that need to be paying attention to the soil moisture conditions and the groundwater condition, and being aware that things are pretty dry,” Hall says. Hall says we have been well behind normal July rainfall totals in parts of the state and relief isn’t expected anytime soon. “There doesn’t appear to be a real significant chance for broad rains over the next couple of weeks,” Hall says. “So a couple of dry weeks, some really hot temperatures, the vegetation is pretty active and it tends to pull a lot of moisture out of the soil as it grows. So, the pieces are in place for things to get certainly not better over the next couple of weeks — and certainly perhaps deteriorate even more.”

South-central Iowa has been the driest part of the state thus far, but Hall says northwest Iowa has the fewest options for drawing groundwater, and they need to keep an eye on the conditions.

(Radio Iowa)

HULL, Iowa (AP) – Iowa Department of Natural Resources officials say improper disposal of a pesticide and other chemicals led to a fish kill in northwestern Iowa. Officials say in a written release that DNR investigators looking into a fish kill in a small creek in Hull traced the problem upstream to Hull Coop Association. There, officials say, an employee rinsed out chemicals Wednesday morning after spraying corn. The rinse water containing fungicide and insecticide ran into a storm sewer, flowed under Highway 18 and entered the creek.

DNR fisheries staff estimates about 3,600 fish, mostly minnows, chubs and darters, were killed along 4,200 feet of stream. The DNR will seek appropriate enforcement action, including fish restitution.

The Cass County Fair continues today, in Atlantic. Here’s a look at the schedule of activities for today:

• 8-a.m, Sheep Show & 4-H Exhibits open
• 10-a.m. Pet Show
• Doyle Chainsaw Artistry, 10-a.m. until 1-p.m., and 3-until 5-p.m.
• Noon, Working Exhibits, Extemporaneous Speaking, Educational Presentation.
• 2-p.m., Meat Goat/Dairy Goat show
• 4-p.m., Youth Water Fights
• 6-p.m., Tractor Pull

The FREE Cass County Fair continues through the Livestock Sale Tuesday morning.

Leaders of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association are asking supporters to turn out in force and comment on the E-P-A’s renewable fuel standard volume obligations for 2018. Association spokeswoman Cassidy Riley says it’s a simple process for people to submit their opinions and the deadline is next month. “We’ve launched a webpage where people can just go on and click to support corn ethanol or support biodiesel or support both and sign our petition to tell EPA to hold strong with the 15-billion gallon statutory level for conventional corn ethanol,” Riley says. “Really, we’re hoping to see that biodiesel number increased.”

The effort needs as many backers as possible as Riley suspects the deep-pocketed petroleum industry will be calling for reductions. “The 15-billion-gallon level for conventional corn ethanol, we’re pretty happy with that but we’re expecting that big oil is going to be fighting to have that number lowered,” Riley says. “On the biodiesel number, 2.1-billion gallons, flat-lining it there is really not acceptable.”

Riley says the current E-P-A proposal for bio-mass biodiesel at 2.1-billion gallons is too low, given the fact 2.9-billion gallons were produced last year. To submit comments, the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association website is iowaRFA.org. “There’s a link right on that homepage you can click on or you can go directly to IowaRFA.org/rfs,” Riley says. “You’ll be able to find all of the information about how you can comment and Iowa-produced, homegrown ethanol and biodiesel.”

The comment period ends August 31st. Iowa is the nation’s number-one ethanol producer with 43 plants churning out more than four-billion gallons a year, or almost one-third of the nation’s ethanol.

(Radio Iowa)

The Cass County Fair continues its week-long run in Atlantic, today. An opportunity for you to receive a coupon for free ice cream is available today, to persons who purchases a lunch or supper plated meal at the 4-H Food Stand. The coupon is courtesy First Whitney Bank in celebration of their 110th anniversary.

Here’s a look at the schedule of activities for today:

• 8-a.m. to 10-a.m., Beef weigh-in
• 9-a.m., Rabbit and Horse show
• 10-a.m. 4-H Exhibits open
• Doyle Chainsaw Artistry, 10-a.m. until 1-p.m., and 3-until 5-p.m.
• Noon, Dog Show
• 3:30-p.m., Clover Kids Animal Show
• 5:30-p.m., Share-the-fun
• 6:30-p.m., Mutton Busting
• 8-p.m., Bull Ride.

The FREE Cass County Fair continues through the Livestock Sale Tuesday morning

The 2017 Cass County Fair King and Queen Contest was held on Thursday night at the Cass County Fairgrounds. 11 candidates competed for the title of Queen and 8 candidates vied for King.

2017 Cass County Fair Queen Mariah Murphy

Mariah Murphy, daughter of Doug and Kristi Murphy, was crowned the 2017 Cass County Fair Queen. Mariah is a member of the Benton Franklin 4-H club and the CAM FFA. Paige Henderson, Daughter of Mike and Beth Henderson was named Princess. Paige is a member of the Benton Franklin 4-H Club as well. Miss Congeniality was awarded to Sydney Steffen, Daughter of Andy and Jody Steffen.

2017 Cass County Fair King Riley Smith

Riley Smith, son of Don and Amy Smith, was crowned the 2017 Cass County Fair King. Riley is a member of the Griswold Clubsters 4-H Club and the Griswold FFA.  Cody McCreedy, son of Marty and Shelby McCreedy, was named Prince. Cody is a member of the Cass County RAMS and the Atlantic FFA. Mr. Congeniality was awarded to Eric Plagman, son of Mike and Kristy Plagman. Eric is a member of the Benton-Franklin 4-H Club and the CAM FFA.

The night got started with the Little Miss and Little Mister contest which had 16 Miss Contestants and 5 Mister Contestants. After introductions a winner for each title was drawn from a bowl. Leah Ohms was named Little Miss and Cooper Andersen was named Little Mister.

Dennis and Karen Oathoudt were honored as this year’s Cass County 4-H Hall of Fame inductees.  The Benton-Franklin 4-H Club was honored as the banner club of the year and they will receive special seating at the bull ride event on Friday night. Senior recognition awards were also handed out before the crowning of the King and Queen.

All royalty winners received Atlantic Chamber Bucks from Deb Schuler and Lana Westphalen and Gift Certificates from Renew Ag Supply. The Prince received an engraved belt buckle courtesy of Kirchoff Land Improvements. The King received an engraved belt buckle as well courtesy of Marcellus Insurance.  The Princess was given a tiara courtesy of Hanson’s Fine Jewelry and a sash pin from the family of Arlene and Harold Wickey. The Queen received a tiara courtesy of Hanson’s Fine Jewelry, a sash pin in memory of Matthew Rogers by his family, and a trophy from Smith Heating and Plumbing, Inc. Flowers courtesy of Special Occasions were also given to the Princess and Queen.

2017 Cass County Fair Queen Candidates

2017 Cass County Fair King Candidates