DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — More farmers are filing lawsuits against agrochemicals giant Syngenta in a legal battle tied to the sale of a genetically modified corn seed. Agrisure Viptera is genetically altered to kill corn-eating bugs and is approved by the United States. It was marketed to farmers in 2011.

But China, a major corn market that refuses to buy genetically modified crops it hasn’t tested, had not agreed to import it. It began rejecting U.S. corn last year when Viptera was detected. More than 50 lawsuits have been filed and hundreds more are being prepared. The lawsuits say losing China as a buyer has cost corn farmers more than $1 billion.

Syngenta says the lawsuits are without merit and upholds the right of farmers to use approved new technologies.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A judge has scheduled a February sentencing for the father and son whose Iowa egg farms were linked to a huge 2010 salmonella outbreak. U.S. District Judge Mark W. Bennett ruled Thursday that Quality Egg owners Austin “Jack” DeCoster and Peter DeCoster will be sentenced during hearings that begin Feb. 9 in Sioux City and could last five days.

The DeCosters pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of introducing adulterated food into interstate commerce. They face up to one year in jail, but their attorney is arguing for a fine and probation. Quality Egg also faces a fine after pleading guilty to bribing a federal inspector, selling misbranded food and introducing adulterated food into interstate commerce.

The outbreak sickened thousands of people nationwide and shook public confidence in the egg industry.

More snow is in the weekend forecast as colder-than-normal temperatures persist for much of Iowa in the teens, 20s and low 30s. Many of us still have leaf raking and other yard work to do before winter arrives, but midwest educator John Fech says the best thing you can do for your lawn is to keep off the grass.  “When you’ve got that layer of ice out there, it’s really best to just lay off of it,” Fech says. “If you’ve got a big pile of leaves, you’ve got a big pile of leaves and you can get to it when we get some warmer days. You can get some crunching on that ice and break off a lot of crowns of the grass. To be on the safe side, wait until it warms up a bit.”

Many Iowans’ evergreen trees emerged with brown needles after a tough winter last year, so he says preventative care may be called for if you have those trees. “Our broadleaf evergreens really took it on the chin last year,” Fech says. “On days when we get above freezing, say when we get above 35 or 40 degrees, there is a material called an anti-dessicant, an anti-drying agent that you can apply to them. Typically, three times over the winter. Pick out a day when we do perk back up into the high 30s and go from there.”

If you’ve planted trees on your property in the past year, you’ll likely want to protect those, too, for the winter ahead.  “Put some sort of tree protector on the trunk, a stiff piece of PVC that you split down the middle,” he says. “That would work real well to protect it against rabbit damage, squirrel damage, mouse damage.”

Parts of Iowa may see one or two more inches of snow fall on Saturday though forecasters say we should see more seasonable, warmer temperatures -perhaps- by late next week.

(Radio Iowa)

The sponsors of the Cass County Conservation Board’s Trumpeter Swan arrival date contest have announced there is a winner of the contest. The official arrival of the swans was November 11th There was on that day 5 Trumpeter Swans were there and stayed more than twenty-four hours. The winner is Pansie Hoffman.

She will receive a Trumpeter Swan 8×10 print from the Cass County Conservation Board. Cass County Conservation thanks to all who participated in the contest, which was open to Cass County residents only.

w/ Max Dirks

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CARROLL, Iowa (AP) – Some residents of Carroll are annoyed when they look into a neighbor’s backyard and see a corncrib that’s been turned into a gazebo. Allen Nieland lives near the property, and he told Des Moines television station KCCI that the corncrib would look nice on an acreage or a farm, but it just doesn’t fit the character of his subdivision. The corncrib is the see-through type with a metal roof.

Nieland says he’s started a petition to have the corncrib removed. But city officials say the corncrib meets zoning and building codes and is legal because it’s being used for outdoor entertainment, not to store or dry corn.

Another neighbor, Brad Kirsch, says the corncrib is better to look at “than junk cars or an old boat.”

DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today (Wednesday) highlighted the Farm
to Food Donation Tax Credit and encouraged eligible farmers to consider applying.  Iowa farmers who donate self-produced food commodities to food banks and food pantries can now qualify for the credit on state taxes, which is equal to 15% of the value of the commodities donated during the tax year or $5,000 whichever is less.

“Iowa farmers care deeply about their communities and this new tax credit program may provide some additional tax benefit to farmers who donate food to a food bank or food pantry,” Northey said. “As we see more farmers raising fresh produce, this new tax credit program is something they should be aware of as they consider food donations.”

The program was created by the Iowa Legislature in 2013 and is effective for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2014. To qualify for the tax credit, producers:

* must produce the donated food commodity
* must transfer title to the donated food commodity to an Iowa food bank or Iowa
emergency feeding organization registered with the Iowa Department of Revenue
(https://tax.iowa.gov/sites/files/idr/documents/FarmToFoodOrganizations.pdf)
* shall not receive compensation for the transfer
* shall not donate a food commodity that is damaged or unfit for human consumption
* shall donate a food commodity that meets the requirements of the federal Emergency Food Assistance Program.

Producers will receive an authorized receipt from the Registered Iowa Food Bank or Iowa emergency feeding organization for the donation. All authorized receipts for a calendar year should be sent together to the Iowa Department of Revenue by January 15th. The Department will issue the producer a tax credit certificate which must be included with the producer’s tax return.

Tax credits are not refundable, but can be credited ahead to the tax liability for the following five years. The value of the food commodity is self-assessed but must be determined in the same manner as a charitable contribution of food for federal tax purposes. Donation evaluation worksheets are available on at https://tax.iowa.gov/farm-food-donation-tax-credit.

(RALSTON, Iowa) Nov. 12, 2014 —High school seniors pursuing a career in agriculture or an ag-related field are invited to apply for the West Central® Cooperative’s 2014 Excellence in Agriculture scholarship. The Excellence In Agriculture scholarship program awards four $1,500 scholarships for any accredited post-secondary program. Applications are available at any West Central location, from area high school guidance counselors, or online at west-central.com

Scholarship Requirements:

1. Applicant and/or parent must be a voting member, in good standing, of West Central.

2. Applicant must be a high school senior and graduate in the spring of the 2013-2014 school year.

3. Applicant must have a cumulative high school GPA of 2.5 or better on a 4.0 scale through his/her junior year.

4. Applicant must pursue a career in agriculture or enter an ag-related field of study at any accredited post-secondary school of his or her choice.

5. Dependents of directors and officers of West Central are not eligible to apply for these scholarships.

Applications must be returned by Jan. 30, 2015. If you have questions regarding West Central’s Excellence In Agriculture scholarship program, please contact Alicia Clancy, Director of Communications, at (712) 667-3334.

About West Central

West Central is a farmer-owned cooperative connecting producers of agricultural products to a global network of processors and end-users. Headquartered in Ralston, Iowa, West Central’s agronomy, animal nutrition and grain businesses span 12 Iowa counties with 27 locations. In 2013, the company was ranked #41 on the USDA’s list for largest farmer-owned cooperatives nationwide based on revenues and assets.

w/ Kate Olson

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