(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Conservation Department says one of the best sites to view woodland wildflowers is right here, in Cass County, just outside of Atlantic, and the Cass County Conservation Board is holding a Wildflower Walk this Saturday, April 26th, so you can check them out!

The program will be held at the Pellett Memorial Woods, beginning at 9-a.m. on the 26th. Those interested in partaking in the walk will meet at Pellett Memorial Woods at 63066 Troublesome Creek Road, or about one-half mile north and three-quarters of a mile east, of KJAN.

You’re invited to walk through the early spring wildflowers with Cass County Naturalist Lora Kanning. Along the way you’ll learn the names, uses and history of the Wildflowers on display in their natural setting.

(Iowa DNR News) – Early spring paddling can provide solitude, exercise and an opportunity to see amazing wildlife. Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources say extra precautions are needed to stay safe with unpredictable spring weather and fluctuating temperatures and river levels.

After heavy rains, water levels can rise quickly and produce strong and fast current. Stay away from strainers and sweepers—wood or branch piles—deadly hazards that can pull a paddler under or pin them underwater. These are usually found on outside river bends where currents are strongest. Review these simple safety tips before you head out on the water.

• Check your canoe or kayak for any needed repairs or maintenance after being stored for several months. Look for holes and leaks and make sure all hatch lids fit snug and securely. Check your paddle blades for signs of cracking or splitting.
• Wear a life jacket at all times while on the water, regardless of your swimming ability. Inspect your life jacket to make sure all buckles and zippers work properly. Replace the life jacket if it has damage that cannot be repaired.
• Dress for the water temperature, not the air temperature. Air temperatures may feel warm in early spring, but the water is still dangerously cold. Wear a wetsuit or dry suit, along with layers, to help avoid hypothermia or cold water shock. Do not wear cotton clothing—it fails to insulate when wet. Choose synthetics or wool. Dress in layers so you can peel a layer off if overheated.
  

  Travel Iowa photo

• Always bring along a dry bag with a complete set of extra clothes you can change into if you get wet, a first-aid kit and a protected cell phone or weather radio. Get out of wet, cold clothing as soon as possible. Pack plenty of water to stay hydrated.
• Let a friend or loved one know where you are going and when you are expected to return. It will be easier to find you if you need help.

Get tips for planning a fun and safe paddling trip on the DNR webpage at www.iowadnr.gov/planyourtrip.

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa—April 18, 2025— The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) has awarded 106 scholarships to Iowa high school seniors and college students who are continuing their education in agriculture-related fields. This includes 27 first-time recipients and 76 students who had their IFBF scholarships renewed for 2025.

Scholarships are renewable for up to four years, or $10,000, for students pursuing a two- or four-year degree at an accredited higher education institution, including community colleges and technical schools. Eligibility is based on Farm Bureau membership, academic achievement, financial need, community and extracurricular involvement, letters of recommendation and demonstrated commitment to rural Iowa.

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(Area) First-time scholarship winners (listed alphabetically by hometown), parent names and future or current college are listed below.

Griswold: BrookLynne Peterson, Lea Anne Peterson, University of Iowa

Malvern: Ailey Marburger, Philip & Jenny Marburger, Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture

Missouri Valley: Mason Herman, Brad & Carey Herman, Iowa State University

Panora: Arilyan Steenblock, Ryan & Arianne Steenblock, Creighton University

Red Oak: Kennedy DeVries, David & Tamara DeVries, Iowa State University.

FORT MADISON, Iowa (KCRG) – It was standing room only at Fort Madison’s City Hall with Iowans looking to get answers from Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley on Tuesday. At times, it got heated with people shouting over one another. KCRG-TV   reports one focus was the impact of tariffs and President Trump’s trade war with China that’s left farmers caught in the middle.

Several accused Congress of letting President Trump’s power go unchecked – pointing to the wrongful deportation of a man to a brutal prison in El Salvador and the White House now ignoring an order to bring him back. Several others called on Senator Grassley to “stand up for average Americans,” with a woman from Mt. Pleasant saying (in essence) the rich are getting what they need but the average American is struggling, and no one is paying attention to them.

Grassley defended Republican platforms as helping the economy and taxpayers – pointing to Iowa as an example. KCRG reports he said “It’s very clear that the policies of the last 15 years of Republican governors is much better for the taxpayer, getting taxes lowered, having balanced budgets, not having across-the-board tax cuts like we did when we had 12 years of democratic governors.”

Some expressed their doubts about whether things would change, and less confidence in Senator Grassley’s ability to affect change.

(Iowa News Service) – The pollen count in Iowa is approaching high levels over the next few weeks. Unusually warm spring weather means allergy triggers like pollen and grasses are in full bloom. Allergens trigger chemicals in your brain called histamines. People who suffer from seasonal allergies typically take antihistamines to control the runny nose, itching and watery eyes that the histamines create.

With all its trees, grasses and farm fields, Iowa is a hotbed of allergens. Dr. Gregory Carnevale, chief medical officer for UnitedHealthcare, said at least 100 million Americans suffer from seasonal allergies, many of whom are children and have not built up immunity to these allergens. “Three to 6 years old, more seasonal allergies, again, that repeated exposure that’s needed over time,” Carnevale explained. “Then finally, if you’re predisposed to developing pulmonary symptoms associated with allergies, it would be asthma.”

He pointed out UnitedHealthcare has an online tip sheet for how to handle seasonal allergies, which affect nearly a quarter of adults and one in five children in the United States.  Allergy symptoms can usually be controlled with over-the-counter medications like antihistamines but Carnevale noted, especially in children, allergy-induced asthma can turn into a far more life-altering condition.

Tree pollen is among the biggest triggers for Iowans who suffer from seasonal allergies.

“A lot of these children and teenagers, they’re more active in sports, and if you see them struggling, you might have cause for concern,” Carnevale advised. “They’ll be oftentimes coughing, short of breath. They might even have an audible wheeze. So, any of those symptoms certainly warrant evaluation by a health care professional.”

He also recommended limiting time outdoors to avoid seasonal allergy triggers and paying attention to the times of day when pollen counts are the highest.

(Atlantic, Iowa)  – Over 30 food and craft vendors are registered for Produce in the Park’s EGG-cellent Spring Celebration Market this Saturday, April 19, from noon to 3:00 PM at the Nishna Valley Family YMCA (1100 Maple St. Atlantic, IA 50022). The market is scheduled the day before Easter so shoppers can buy fresh baked goods and desserts and other local food and treats to enjoy at Easter celebrations. This year’s Spring Celebration Market is all about eggs, to highlight the farm-fresh eggs sold by multiple market vendors.

Spring Celebration Market attendees will get to see a live Easter bunny, enjoy a free bounce house and playland thanks to the YMCA, and hear tunes from the Squeezy Pease Accordion Duo. Additionally, Pim’s Thai Food Truck and Lucky Wife Wine Slushies will be parked outside the YMCA during the market.

Vendors at the spring farmers market will offer local vegetables including fresh greens and carrots, as well as local beef, pork, lamb, chicken, honey, and farm-fresh eggs. Shoppers will also find lots of baked goods and desserts including gourmet cupcakes, cookies, kringle, pies, soft pretzels, and other sweet breads. Craft vendors will be selling candles, wax melts, soaps
and other bath and body products, and more. Lastly, plant vendors will be selling both potted plants and plant starts.

Jan Renander of Renander Farms will be at Spring Celebration Market with farm-fresh eggs and a variety of baked goods including soft pretzels

EGG-cellent Spring Celebration Market Vendor Lineup:
● Food Trucks (outside YMCA): Pim’s Thai Food Truck, Lucky Wife Wine Slushies
● A Witch Crafts- artwork, crafts
● Barn N Back – reclaimed barnwood shelves
● Bridgewater Farm – EGGS, spinach, spring greens, bok chop, carrots, beets
● Brun Ko Farm- EGGS, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, spinach,
spring mix
● Creekside Crystal & Crafts – Crystals, crystal jewelry, custom pens, and wristlets
● Denton Farms Soapery, – handmade soap, lotion, sugar scrubs, body butter, lip
butter, wax melts
● Dragonfly Creations – candles, wax melts, soaps, crafts, artwork
● Fancy Faces Facepainting – Easter and egg-themed face painting
● Frosting, Inc.- gourmet cupcakes, cookies, and a few pies
● Hall House Freeze Dried- freeze dried candy
● Heavens Hands Crochet – crocheted toys, home decor, household items, and
clothing
● Hoopy Hallow Ranch – lamb and beef
● Imagine at Zellmer Century Farm – houseplants, fairy gardens, gifts, and garden
decor
● It Makes Total Scents – artwork, crafts, holiday decorations, car freshies
● Juj’n Juj’n and Mike Souder Original Art – art and leatherwork
● Mystic Dawn Creations- greeting cards and 3D printed items
● Noble Provisions – all the beef
● Oak Hill Honey – honey
● Paige’s Pieces – keychains, earrings, car hangers, signs, and more
● Pat’s Bats Birds and Squirrels – bird houses and feeders, squirrel feeders, bat
houses
● Renander Farms – EGGS, chicken calendars, baked goods including Swedish Rye
Bread, cinnamon rolls, soft pretzels, sweet breads, cookies, and peach cobbler
● Resin for Reason – resin art, keychains, magnets, jewelry, trays
● Robin’s Unique Boutique – up-cycled denim jackets, tops, and more
● Rolling Acres Greenhouse – cool-weather garden plants including lettuce, broccoli,
cauliflower, cabbage; perennials like grasses and clematis, and sage; plants for
hanging baskets, and more
● Soyer Designs – embroidered apparel, cups, hair accessories, etc.
● Studio Samantha – prints, art, laptop/iPad cases, baby/toddler clothing, greeting
cards, drinking glasses, and sticker sheets
● Sweet Vale Creations – soy candles, wax melts, car diffusers, and more
● Ter-Bear Honey – honey
● The Bee & The Butterfly – candles and bath and body products
● The Kringleman Pastries – Danish Kringle, pastries, eclairs, krispies, letters, cream
horns
● Your Forte – specialty candles

Additional Activities
There is no cost to enter the farmers market, and local organizations–including Cass County Tourism and Healthy Cass County–will be at the market sharing information on various community happenings and resources. As the theme of the market is eggs, visitors will find a 4-H poultry exhibitor sharing information and offering a free egg art craft, and Cass Health Dietitian Sarah Andersen sharing information on the benefits and nutrients of eggs. Cass County Extension will be sharing information on raising chickens, and artist Sarah Selders will be offering Easter-themed face painting featuring
Easter eggs.

All Produce in the Park farmers markets accept SNAP EBT, otherwise known as food stamps, for all qualifying food items. Spring Celebration Market Market 2025 is sponsored by Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, Cass County Tourism, Cass Health, City of Atlantic, First Whitney Bank & Trust and Nishna Valley Family YMCA.

For the latest information on all Produce in the Park markets, follow Produce in the Park on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ProduceInThePark) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/produceintheparkatlanticia/)

(Radio Iowa) – It’s already morel hunting season in several Iowa counties, as foodies who crave the taste of the elusive mushrooms — battered in bread crumbs, butter and garlic — hike to their closely guarded locations in the woods in hopes of finding a coveted crop. Dr. Benjamin Orozco, an emergency physician with Gundersen Health, says there are also “false morels” starting to sprout across Iowa, and they can be dangerous.

“With just a little bit of knowledge, you can avoid mistaking the two. The morel mushroom that is enjoyed by many is delicious, very safe, should be cooked and eaten,” Orozco says. “The false morel, on the other hand, is actually poisonous, and if you consume enough of it, it can cause seizures and even death.” Morel hunting can be a thrilling challenge that gets you out exercising in the sunshine, but Orozco says you absolutely need to know what you’re looking for — and what to pass by.

Common morel mushroom (Photo by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach)

While newbies may be fooled, he says a seasoned hunter can easily identify a false morel. “The cap is kind of misshapen. Sometimes it can be saddle-shaped or kind of brain-like in its appearance. And if you cut that false morel in half, the stalk is filled with kind of a fibrous material like the rest of the mushroom. So if that stalk is solid, or if there’s material within the mushroom, then that’s not a morel,” he says. “A morel should have a continuous stalk that goes right into the cap, and that interior should be hollow.”

Every spring, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach offers classes for anyone interested in being certified to sell wild-harvested mushrooms within Iowa. The extension also offers Wild-Harvested Mushroom Certification Workshops during the wintertime. The dates for next year will be posted in January 2026.  “I recommend anyone who wants to get into mushroom foraging to look at your local clubs and consult a reference guide,” Orozco says, “and the most useful thing is to be out in the woods with someone knowledgeable who has experience and expertise with the identification of wild mushrooms.”

Gundersen Health System has clinics in Calmar, Decorah, Fayette, Lansing, Postville and Waukon, and a hospital in West Union.

DES MOINES, Iowa [KCCI]  — Morel mushroom hunting is underway in Iowa. The Iowa Morel Report posted an update Friday on social media, showing where morels have already been found.

Iowa Morel Report on Facebook

As of Friday, they’ve been reported in 10 counties, including Pottawattamie, Mills and Page Counties in southwest Iowa.

FORT DODGE – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is investigating a fish kill at the South Branch of Lizard Creek in Fort Dodge.

On Monday, April 14th, the DNR Field Office in Mason City received a call from CJ Bio America in Fort Dodge regarding a leak at their facility. A fertilizer byproduct created in the process of making lysine had emptied into a stormwater channel on the east side of the plant.

Plant staff believed the byproduct was contained, but later discovered a breach in the berm of the storm water channel. An unknown amount of the byproduct flowed from the breach into surface intakes in an adjacent field, which outlets to the South Branch of Lizard Creek.

Brown, murky water flowing at the South Branch of Lizard Creek in Fort Dodge

DNR field staff responded to the incident, and upon arrival observed the byproduct in the South Branch of Lizard Creek several miles downstream from the plant. Dead fish were also observed in the creek for several miles.

The leak has been stopped, however due to flow and access restrictions, placing berms in the creek is not an option at this time. Water samples have been collected, and the investigation is ongoing. Downstream users are advised to stay out of the creek at this time.

To report a release after hours, please call the DNR’s emergency spill line at (515) 725-8694. Quick reporting can help DNR staff identify the cause of an incident. The DNR website has more information about spill reporting requirements.

(Harlan, Iowa) – The AgSafety4U certificate course replaces the tractor and farm machinery safety course which has been held for many years. Federal law restricts youth under 16 from using certain farm equipment unless their parents or guardians own the farm. This online certificate course provides an overview of the hazards common to farms and rural agricultural businesses. The course is offered locally through the ISU Extension and Outreach Shelby County office.

This program can be used for the classroom portion of the Hazardous Occupations Order for Agriculture (HOOA) safety certification program for youth 14 and 15 years of age who are seeking employment and must be certified to drive or operate tractors and machinery for hire. Additional hands-on training is required for issuing a US DOL certificate. Visit the registration site ag-safety.extension.org/agsafety4u-certificate-course. There is $10 fee for the course. 

This course is designed for youth, new and beginning farmers, and for employers and employees of agricultural operations looking to enhance their knowledge and/or to provide professional development with a heavy emphasis on tractor and machinery. Individuals who take this course and pass the online quizzes will be able to print a certificate of completion. There are two components to this certification, the online course work and a tractor driving test. A driving test will be given on Saturday, May 17 in Harlan. The online coursework must be completed prior to the tractor driving test. Participants will need to bring their course certificate to the driving test.

Contact the Shelby County Extension office to sign up for a testing time or for questions, 712-755-3104.