w/ Kate Olson

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa ethanol industry trade group says the state’s refineries produced more than 4 billion gallons of the corn-based fuel additive this year, a new record. The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association says Iowa provided about 27 percent of the nation’s ethanol. Plants increased production enough to surpass last year’s 3.9 billion gallons by increasing efficiency. Several refineries that make ethanol from corn leaves, stalks and other plant parts also began making the fuel additive.

The group’s executive director Monte Shaw says a U.S. Department of Agriculture program that’s helping to install fuel pumps to further distribute higher blends of ethanol than the typical 10 percent is expected to push consumption higher next year.

Iowa, the nation’s leader in renewable fuel production, has 43 ethanol refineries and 12 biodiesel plants.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship today (Tuesday) announced that the order cancelling all live bird exhibitions at county fairs, the Iowa State Fair, livestock auction markets, swap meets, exotic sales and other gatherings of birds due to avian influenza will be lifted on January 1st, 2016.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey said “This is very good news and another sign that we continue to recover from this devastating animal health emergency. We know the ban on exhibitions caused some real challenges for those anticipating showing or selling birds, but we appreciate everyone cooperating as we worked to stop the disease and then allow the industry to recover.”

The Department issued the order prohibiting poultry exhibitions on May 21 in the midst of the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The ban was put into place to minimize spread of HPAI and protect the state’s domestic bird population. Lifting the poultry exhibition ban comes as a result of no new cases of HPAI in Iowa since June and the lifting of the final quarantine on December 1. Iowa is now considered free of HPAI.

Total of 77 premises and 31.5 million birds were affected with the disease in Iowa. There are 35 commercial turkey flocks, 22 commercial egg production flocks, 13 pullet flocks, 1 chicken breeding flock, 1 mail order hatchery, and 5 backyard flocks.

More information about the avian influenza situation in Iowa can be found at www.iowaagriculture.gov/avianinfluenza.asp.

In an effort to provide continuing education to Iowa’s beef producers, the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association (ICA) will hold 3 educational forums in January, 2016, two of which will be held in western Iowa.

On January 19th, ICA will partner with the Iowa Beef Center and ISU Extension to offer a Feedlot Forum in Sioux Center,  at the Terrace View Event Center from 8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. The event will focus on defending agriculture, sustainability, competitiveness, antimicrobial usage and profitability. The cost to attend is $25 and $10 for students. Registrations are due Jan. 12 to the ISU Extension and Outreach office in Sioux County. 

The third event, another feedlot forum, held in Carroll at the Carrollton Inn on January 20th, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., will offer a market outlook and discussion on the quickly approaching Veterinary Feed Directive. Attendees will have the opportunity to listen to area producers share their environmental compliance stories and learn from state officials the state’s response plan during a Foreign Animal Disease outbreak. The event is free and includes lunch. Contact ICA at 515-296-2266 to RSVP.

ICA will also hold pasture walks and other educational events around the state later this year in order to provide each segment of the cattle industry information on critical topics to them.

Sheriff’s officials in Guthrie County are continuing to investigate the death and butchering of a cow, the remains of which were left in a ditch in the southern part of the County. Deputies were investigating a rural farm site burglary in Southern Guthrie County Christmas Day, and while checking neighboring farms North of Menlo, they came across blood on the snowy roadway and noticed raw cow flesh and hide in the ditch next to a cattle corral.

A gate to the corral was ajar. After walking into the adjoining pasture, deputies discovered a cow had been butchered behind the corral. A person or persons unknown had killed the cow and gutted it. The cows head had been removed and the cow had been cut into two pieces dividing the front and rear quarters of the animal. The rear quarters of the animal were missing.The loss was estimated at about $2,000.

Authorities say the act was committed by a human, and was executed very precisely. Those involved in the crime could face possible misdemeanor charges of trespassing and livestock abuse, as well as felony theft and felony criminal mischief charges.

Pesticide Applicators with a private license can choose to re-certify by attending a continuing instruction course (CIC) each of the three years during their renewal cycle.

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach—Montgomery County will be hosting two CICs on Wednesday, January 6th. They will be held at the Stanton Community Room; participants can choose to attend the two hour session at either 1:30 or 6:30 p.m. There is a $20 registration fee. Pre-registration is not necessary. Questions? Call 712-623-2592

If this date doesn’t work for you, applicators can attend in another county. In addition, certification can be renewed via testing every three years. Please check the IDALS Pesticide Bureau website for testing dates and locations at www.iowaagriculture.gov/pesticide/pesticidetesting.asp

Iowa State University Extension officials plan to host a series of meetings around the state in January for farmers trying to figure out how to deal with sliding commodity prices and rising production costs.  “With margins being as low or as negative as they are, we’re going to focus on that.” That’s I-S-U Extension agronomist Joel DeJong. The “Crop Advantage” meetings will offer advice on managing farm chemical applications.

“What are the odds of applying fertilizer based on different soil test levels?” DeJong asks rhetorically. “You know, it’s a biological system, so we’re all trying to figure the odds and the environment changes.” Farm income in 2015 is projected to fall to its lowest level in nine years and the U-S-D-A predicts farm income will fall even lower in 2016.

There is a 50 dollar registration fee for farmers who want to attend the “Crop Advantage” meetings next month and get advice from I-S-U economists, agronomists, entomologists and grain market analysts. I-S-U Extension will hold 14 meetings around the state during January. Locally, meetings will be held Jan. 19th, in Atlantic, and Jan. 28th, in Carroll. For other dates and sites, go to http://www.aep.iastate.edu/cas/

(Radio Iowa)

The gates to Sunnyside Park in Atlantic have closed for the season. Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department Director Roger Herring said the gates were closed as of 4-p.m. today (Thursday), and will remain closed through the Winter, due to slippery and snow-packed roads. Herring advises you to plan an alternate route around the park if you are traveling in the area.

w/ Max Dirks

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The final stretch for hunters to pursue Iowa’s world class deer began Dec. 21st, with the start of the late muzzleloader season and the re-opening of the popular archery season. Both seasons close Jan. 10th. Hunters with a late muzzleloader license may use a bow, muzzleloader, handgun and Iowa residents may also use a crossbow. Hunters may not use a shotgun or centerfire rifles during late muzzleloader season and party hunting is not allowed.

Hunters have reported harvesting nearly 92,000 deer so far this year, which is similar to the harvest last year. Hunters who harvest a deer are reminded to report the harvest to the DNR by midnight on the day after it is tagged or before taking it to a locker or taxidermist, or before transporting it out-of-state, whichever comes first.

For hunters with internet access, reporting online is the easiest and fastest way to report. Hunters may also report their harvest by phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week at the toll-free phone number printed on the harvest tag or through a license vendor during regular business hours.

Nonresident Holiday Season

Nonresidents may participate in the antlerless-deer only holiday season Dec. 24-Jan. 2, in counties where the nonresident antlerless deer quota has not been filled.
Hunters who do not have a nonresident deer license may purchase an optional antlerless-only license for the holiday season. Licenses may be purchased over the counter through any license agent beginning Dec. 15. Holiday deer licenses will not be sold online or through the telephone ordering system.
Nonresident hunters purchased 110 holiday antlerless licenses last year.