w/ Bob Beebensee and District DNR Supervisor Brian Smith

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Some common August threats are showing up in Iowa soybean fields. That’s according to agronomist Randy Kool, with Syngenta, in Adel, who says spraying for insects is coming to an end for most growers. “Usually R5.5 to R6 (development stage) is about the end of any application treatments for insects. We’ve had some spraying for soybean aphids and we’re starting to hear about the second generation of bean leaf beetles,” Kool said. Kool’s territory includes parts of western Iowa where excessive rainfall has disease pressure mounting.

“I would say (we’re starting to see pockets of) SDS in the western half of Iowa, but it’s not as prevalent as on the eastern side of the state.” Kool says variety selection and seed treatments are ways to manage Sudden Death Syndrome and other diseases moving forward. And late emerging weeds like water hemp are causing problems again. “That’s a little bit more of an issue this year since beans were a little slower to canopy. We’ve got good bean height now, but its been a challenge to take care of some of those weeds earlier,” Kool said.

Kool recommends cleaning harvest equipment before switching fields to limit the spread of weed seeds. The most recent report from the USDA placed 82-percent of Iowa’s soybean crop in good or excellent condition.

(Radio Iowa/Brownfield Ag News)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Utilities Board has approved a wind turbine operation it says will be the nation’s largest wind energy project. Des Moines-based MidAmerican Energy is behind the planned $3.6 billion wind turbine operation that will generate up to 2,000 megawatts of electricity. The utilities board says that’s enough to power 520,000 homes and that the project will see 85 percent of Iowa’s electricity needs met through wind energy by 2020.

Bill Fehrman, the utility’s CEO and president, announced the project in April. MidAmerican Energy said Friday in a news release that the location of the 1,000 turbines for the project is still being determined. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2019.

The Cass County Conservation Board and Friends of Lake Anita said Friday, that “Due to unforeseen circumstances… the “Dutch Oven Cooking” Campground Program” has been cancelled for Saturday.  The free public program was to be held at the Primitive Campground at Lake Anita State Park in Anita, on August 27th at 11-a.m.

The CCCB thanks you for your understanding.

A celebration of local foods and farms will take place in the KJAN listening area, Saturday. Organizers of a “Farm Crawl” say you’ll have a chance to meet three area farmers who are growing and selling local, seasonal produce, learn about what each grows and how they do it. Each of the farms will offer guided tours at 1-p.m., 2-p.m., 3- and 4-p.m., but you’re welcome to visit the farms anytime between 1-and 5-p.m., Saturday.

Produce and/or other goods may be available for you to purchase, and there’ll be displays, along with food-related activities. The farms are located on or within a mile of Highway 173, between Atlantic and Elk Horn. Look for signs along the highway, or find them on Facebook by searching for Local Food & Farms Celebration (www.facebook.com/events/1803307203239320/)

The Farms include:

• The Harrisdale Farmstead (60182 Dallas Road), north of Atlantic
• Rolling Acres Farms (59624 Chicago Road),  north of Atlantic
• Brun Ko Farm (532 Highway 173), near Elk Horn.

For more information, call Emily Paulsen at 712-249-3187.

• KJAN, Atlantic  .02″
• Massena  .51″
• Clarinda  .05″
• Audubon  trace
• Logan  trace
• Glenwood  .03″
• Shenandoah  .04″

Dairy producers in Iowa and across the country are getting some help from the USDA. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says revenues for dairy producers have dropped 35 percent over the past two years and that’s led to a surplus of cheese which is at its highest level in 30 years. “So, in an effort to try to provide help and assistance and to complement the work that we’ve done with the Margin Protection Program, we’re announcing a purchase of about 11 million pounds of cheese that will be used for food banks and pantries to help families who are struggling financially with their food assistance and food help,” Vilsack said.

photo courtesy of traveliowa.com

The purchase is valued at $20 million and should help the market “a bit,” according to Vilsack. The 11 million pound purchase is far less than the amounts recommended by the National Milk Producers Federation and the American Farm Bureau. “This is at the end of the fiscal year. We don’t have as much flexibility in the program, obviously, because we’ve already made commitments to purchase various other products throughout the year that are faced with a similar set of challenges and circumstances as our dairy producers are,” Vilsack explained.

In addition to the cheese purchase, Vilsack has extended the deadline for signup for the Margin Protection Program. Instead of having until September 30, dairy producers now have until December 16. Iowa ranks 7th in the country for cheese production. Wisconsin and California are by far the top two cheese producing states in the U.S.

(Radio IA/Brownfield Ag News)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Utilities Board has ordered a Texas company to refrain from building a pipeline on 15 landowners’ properties until Monday to give the board time to review legal issues involving a lawsuit. The board issued an order Wednesday requiring Dakota Access to provide detailed information about the progress of construction in Iowa and the cost the company will incur if it is required to work around the parcels.

The landowners’ lawsuit challenges the board’s authority to allow eminent domain for a privately owned pipeline project. That suit has not come before a court yet, and the board will hear arguments Thursday on the landowners’ motion to halt construction until that happens.  The $3.8 billion pipeline will pass through Iowa, Illinois, North Dakota and South Dakota, and has been met with weeks of protests in North Dakota.

A proposed 150-million gallon per year ethanol plant in Atlantic is still millions of dollars away from becoming a reality. Mark Wedemyer, with the Cass County Board of Supervisors said today Wednesday, that a meeting was held Monday night in Oakland for potential investors in the Ohio-based Farmers Energy Cardinal plant. Wedemeyer said the needs to raise about $15-million more dollars before construction can begin. He said there is a meeting next Monday night at the Atlantic Airport to try and generate more investor interest.

In January, the Iowa Economic Development Authority approved tax benefits in the form of $4.25-million in sales tax refunds for the project that promises to create 49 jobs.

Wedemyer said they’re making pretty good progress on plans for the plant, but there are some sticking points as far as the railroad is concerned, with regard to the rate the company will pay for transportation of Dried Distillers Grain (DDG) and Ethanol the plant will produce. Snyder and Associates Engineer Tim Teig told the Board of Supervisor’s negotiations are underway to resolve the transportation issue.

Wedemeyer said Atlantic is in a good position geographically, to make transportation of those products to both coasts. The proposed ethanol plant will be designed and built by Minnesota-based Fagen, Incorporated. Once constructed, it will be one of the State’s largest. Snyder’s Tim Teig said even with their investment goal still out of reach, officials are anxious to get some work done, because they are confident the plant will become a reality.

He says there’s some early activity with regard to getting side tracks for storage of numerous railcars Fagan purchased. The land has been purchased the needed land and have a contractor lined-up to start grading. The project will require additional crossings of the railroad tracks, north of the existing crossing.

The plans have been submitted to the County Engineer and Snyder and Associates for review, to make sure there are no conflicts with the road design for future paving of the road by the County. To that end, the Board approved giving the firm authorization to assist in the coordination, planning and review of various improvements necessary for the plant, that may impact the Glacier and Echo Road paving projects.

w/Kate Olson.

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