Forecasters predict a warm-up with highs in the 40s and 50s tomorrow (Friday) for much of southern and central Iowa, which presents an opportunity for homeowners to get a jump on their spring lawn care duties. Extension educator John Fech says much of the region had very dry weather heading into winter and dormant plants could likely use a drink. Fech says, “If you have a chance, prioritize and pick out the plants that are most important to you, roses or shrubs, and attach a soaker hose temporarily on days when you’re 40 degrees or above.”

Make sure to disconnect and drain the hose when you’re done, he reminds, to prevent plumbing problems when it freezes again. When it’s bitter cold, he says it’s better if you don’t walk on your lawn at all, as that crunching grass underfoot will have a hard time recovering.  “Forget about those little trips out to fill the bird feeder and to dump stuff on the compost pile,” Fech says. “Generally, it’s a good idea to stay off of frosty turf. Sometimes, those things will injure the crown of the plant.” Don’t step on your frozen grass, he says, unless you absolutely can’t avoid it.

“If you have to do it, go ahead and do it, but keep in mind that you may have a strip of turf or some footprints through the turf that aren’t doing so well in the spring,” Fech says. “If that’s the case, those just might take a longer time to recover.” The National Weather Service is calling for high temperatures in many parts of Iowa to rise Friday and Saturday to unseasonable highs in the 40s and 50s, while highs are predicted to slip back into the 30s next week, with lows back in the teens.

(Radio Iowa)

Cass County: Corn $3.50, Beans $9.69
Adair County: Corn $3.47, Beans $9.72
Adams County: Corn $3.47, Beans $9.68
Audubon County: Corn $3.49 Beans $9.71
East Pottawattamie County: Corn $3.53, Beans $9.69
Guthrie County: Corn $3.52, Beans $9.73
Montgomery County: Corn $3.52, Beans $9.71
Shelby County: Corn $3.53, Beans $9.69
Oats $2.64 (always the same in all counties)

An official with the USDA’s office in Greenfield says Iowa producers and landowners who sign up for voluntary conservation planning assistance at the Greenfield Field office by Feb. 2nd will receive priority planning service from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) field staff.  District Conservationist Alan Lange says “Developing a conservation plan is the first step towards realizing the economic and stewardship benefits of managing the natural resources on your farm.

Lange said “The extent of the plan is guided by the producer’s individual goals and objectives. Our role is to assist farmers learn more about their land’s potential, and how conservation management and stewardship practices can improve their sustainable bottom line. Conservation plans are tailored to each individual situation. It truly is your farm and your plan.”

Producers can call or visit the Greenfield NRCS office to participate in the signup. Staff will schedule a time to make farm visits and start the planning process. State Conservationist Jay Mar says “The signup is part of Iowa NRCS’ multi-faceted effort to emphasize the benefits and importance of conservation planning.”  Mar says the idea “Is to help landowners accelerate good conservation management through quality conservation planning. This signup is an excellent way to begin working relationships between conservation planners and Iowa producers.”

The conservation planning process often helps producers and planners discover different, more effective solutions to previously identified problems. Mar said “Our conservation planners offer to work together with producers to provide another set of eyes. Sometimes a different perspective is needed to make sure a producer’s goals and objectives are met with the best tools available.”

The completed individualized conservation plan guides future land management decisions and helps streamline conservation implementation. For more information about NRCS conservation planning assistance please go to www.ia.nrcs.usda.gov or visit your local NRCS field office.

w/ Kate Olson

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Cass County: Corn $3.53, Beans $9.77
Adair County: Corn $3.50, Beans $9.80
Adams County: Corn $3.50, Beans $9.74
Audubon County: Corn $3.52, Beans $9.79
East Pottawattamie County: Corn $3.56, Beans $9.77
Guthrie County: Corn $3.55, Beans $9.81
Montgomery County: Corn $3.55, Beans $9.79
Shelby County: Corn $3.56, Beans $9.77
Oats $2.68 (always the same in all counties)

The Iowa Transportation Commission today (Tuesday) approved slightly more than 1.3-million in total funding for six federal Recreational Trails Program projects. In this area, the Raccoon River Valley Trail to High Trestle Trail Connector Phase 1 Acquisition/Construction – Perry to Bouton (Dallas County Conservation Board) received $119,575.

The federal Recreational Trails Program was created in 1991 for the purpose of developing and maintaining recreational trails and trail-related facilities for both motorized and non-motorized trail users. This funding is available to cities, counties, state, and federal agencies and private organizations through an annual application-based program.

Other projects and approved funding amounts include:

• Gypsum City OHV Park – Phase 3 Trail Construction (Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Webster County Improvement Corporation) – $195,559
• Iowa DNR AmeriCorps Trail Crew (Iowa Department of Natural Resources) – $280,000 Mitchellville to Prairie City Rails to Trails Corridor Acquisition (Jasper County Conservation) – $450,599
• Snowmobile Trail Grooming Equipment Purchase (Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Iowa State Snowmobile Association) – $240,000
• Support for Program and Bicycle/Trails Summits (Iowa Department of Transportation) – $18,400.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s final tally of the 2014 crop year is showing farmers brought in record corn and soybean crops. The agency says in reports released Monday that farmers harvested a record 14.2 billion bushels of corn. That is 3 percent more than the 2013 crop, which had set the previous record. The average bushel-per-acre yield is 171, significantly better than the 158 bushels per acre in 2013.

The record crop came even though farmers harvested about 5 percent fewer acres than in 2013. Record yields are estimated in 21 states, including Illinois and Nebraska. Soybean production also is a record at 3.97 billion bushels, up 18 percent from 2013. Farmers harvested a record 83.1 million acres in 2014.

SERGEANT BLUFF, Iowa (AP) – Production is expected to resume in a few days at a northwest Iowa fertilizer plant that was damaged by a fire and subsequent explosion. The fire began around 6 p.m. Saturday at the Nulex plant in the Port Neal industrial area south of Sioux City. No injuries have been reported.

Nulex spokesman Jason Glover told the Sioux City Journal on Sunday that the fire was in a storage building and not in the main production facility. Glover says that means employees likely will be able to resume work in a few days.  The company produces liquid zinc micronutrients that are mixed with liquid fertilizers.

The Iowa State Fire Marshal Division and Iowa Department of Natural Resources are investigating the fire and blast.

Iowa farmers are considering some difficult options as they try to determine what crops they’ll plant in the spring, given how 2014 wrapped up poorly for so many growers. Joe Glauber, the chief economist for the U-S Department of Agriculture, says plenty of farmers took a big hit last year after commodity prices dropped. “Large corn crop, large soybean crop, and that came on top of big crops last year and because of that, prices did fall,” Glauber says. “We’ve seen crop receipts off over $20-billion, down from last year.” Glauber says producers need to decide soon what crops will be most profitable to plant this spring. He says many growers were hurt financially by the drop in commodity prices this past year, especially when compared to 2013.

“If you’re a crop producer and you locked in for some high cash rents, you had a tough year and 2015 could be a tough year,” he says. “You’re looking around at what to plant. Unfortunately, corn prices have come down and so have soybean prices.” Glauber says some producers may find themselves between that proverbial rock and hard place as they decide what to plant this spring. He notes, they also need to decide which new Farm Bill Risk Management Program to select for the upcoming year.

(Radio Iowa)

SHENANDOAH, Iowa (AP) — Ethanol producers will likely have to endure leaner profits this year because of the collapse of oil prices, but demand for the fuel additive will remain strong. The cheap oil will likely cut into ethanol profits because oil refiners will want to pay less for the corn-based additive. But the industry is somewhat shielded by a federal biofuel mandate and the need to boost octane in gasoline.

Plus, University of Illinois agricultural economist Scott Irwin says, ethanol producers might thrive if exports or gas consumption surge higher than expected. At Green Plains’ ethanol plant near Shenandoah, Iowa, roughly 100 grain trucks a day continue to deliver corn to be converted into ethanol. CEO Todd Becker says ethanol has a permanent place in the fuel supply.