DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — As ethanol producers see some of their most profitable months ever, the federal government is considering whether to lower the amount of the corn-based fuel that must be blended into gasoline.

If the EPA approves a proposal reducing the required amount of ethanol that must be used nationally from about 14 billion gallons to 13 billion gallons, it would hurt a biofuels industry that built plants and spent billions on research based on the standard Congress approved in 2007.

University of Illinois professor Scott Irwin estimates a model Iowa ethanol plant would have hit a record profit of $4.50 per bushel of corn processed at the end of March. The average profit was 20 cents per bushel from 2007 to 2013.

The EPA’s decision is expected in June.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa farmers have planted a higher percentage of the corn crop than last year but remain behind the five-year average. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported Monday that 84 percent of the corn crop had been planted as of Sunday. That’s more than the 63 percent of the crop planted at this time last year but a little behind the five-year average of 88 percent.

The USDA says 40 percent of the soybean crop has been planted. That’s 10 percentage points behind average. The report showed that 78 percent of topsoil moisture was adequate and 12 percent had surplus water. Of the remaining, 9 percent was short of moisture and 1 percent was very short. The USDA says 62 percent of subsoil moisture was adequate.

The City of Elliott will host a ribbon cutting ceremony this Thursday afternoon (May 22nd), for the City’s Source Water Protection and Wetland Project, Outdoor Classroom/Shelter and Trails. According to former Mayor Steve Howell, the City of Elliott has, in the past recorded increasing levels of nitrates in its well water. Plans were developed to change reverse that trend after the Iowa DNR conducted a study of the City’s Well water.

Howell, Becky Ohrtman and Dan Cook with the IDNR, put together a Source Water Protection (SWP) Team, and held several meetings to discuss three options aimed at decreasing nitrates in thew water. The team presented its findings to the Elliott City Council, and recommended a shallow wetland and native grass buffer, which was the least expensive option.

The City Council approved the project and the SWP team applied for grants for: A outdoor classroom and teaching materials; a human sundial; and, walking trails. After receiving 10 grants, donations and in-kind services, the project, which cost $325,000, came at NO cost to the City of Elliott.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held in Oct. 2012. The ribbing cutting ceremony taking place this Thursday, will begin at 1-pm., north of the Elliott Elementary School.

Officials with the Governor’s office say Iowa Governor Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds this coming week, will travel to Coon Rapids, to sign Senate File 2344 into law. The bill will protect Iowa’s renewable fuels industry by extending the state’s biodiesel production tax credit and enhancing the state’s E15 retailer tax credit.

The event takes place at the POET ethanol facility at 1015 Grant Avenue in Coon Rapids, from 12:30-1:15-pm, Wed., May 21st.

Joining the Governor and Lt. Governor, will be Monte Shaw, Executive Director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA), and several renewable fuels and agriculture industry leaders.

A coalition of state soybean associations is working with the Iowa D-O-T and Iowa State University on a project to improve technology used to inspect bridges. Mike Steenhoek, executive director of the Soy Transportation Coalition, says bridges are now visually inspected by trained engineers, but their decisions can sometimes be too conservative, leading to expensive repairs, or bridges being closed or load restricted. “The taxpayers, who actually paid for the roads and the bridges in their vicinity, no longer have full access to a system that they paid for,” Steenhoek says. “For a farmer, it can be a real cost. What would normally be a five-mile journey from the farm to the local elevator can easily become a 10- or 20- or 30-mile journey.”

Steenhoek says another problem with visual inspections is they can lead to wasting money for repairs and upkeep. “If you don’t have a clear understanding of the condition of your various bridges in your inventory, that can result in misallocation of scarce taxpayer dollars,” Steenhoek says. “This is a time when the federal government, the state government and the local government are really cash-strapped.” Steenhoek says that’s why the coalition, the Iowa Department of Transportation and Iowa State University are embarking on this project to find ways to do more detailed analysis of bridges using advanced science.

“To actually use technology that is available to evaluate bridges, that provides real data and allows engineers to make accurate decisions about their bridges,” Sheenhoek says. “We’re wanting to see this project replicated in other states like Minnesota and South Dakota and Nebraska.” Steenhoek says a recent bridge collapse in Guthrie County highlights the need for a new inspection system. A farmer driving a tractor pulling two tanks of anhydrous ammonia was on a bridge when it collapsed. He had only minor injuries.

The Soy Transportation Coalition is comprised of the American Soybean Association, the United Soybean Board and 12 state soybean boards, including the Iowa Soybean Association. The 12 states account for 80% of all soybean production in the U-S.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Recent heavy rainfall has washed away or at least lessened drought conditions in swaths of Nebraska and Iowa. A report released Thursday by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln says drenching rains led to significant improvements for areas of the two states considered to be in drought. Brian Fuchs, a climatologist at the center, says overall drought reduced last week by nearly 12 percent in Iowa and about 17 percent in Nebraska.

The report says western Iowa saw the greatest improvement in the state. Nebraska saw a substantial reduction in the east-central region, with a pocket now considered drought-free. Fuchs says the improvements seen within the past week are noteworthy, as changes in drought status typically occur slowly.

The Atlantic FFA Chapter is excited to tell you about a great way to help our FFA Chapter receive free money. It’s called The Red Brand Home Grown Program. Now through December 31st, up to $1.00 for every roll of qualifying Red Brand fence orders will be donated directly to the Atlantic FFA Chapter.

This year the Atlantic FFA has 2 sponsoring retailers, Cappel’s Ace Hardware and Orscheln Farm & Home both from Atlantic.

Last year, individual FFA chapters throughout the country received hundreds of dollars directly through Home Grown. Some even received thousands!
The Atlantic FFA Chapter could really use this kind of support. If you, or anyone you know, needs fence, we’d appreciate you buying Red Brand. Just make sure you purchase it at Cappel’s Ace Hardware or Orscheln Farm & Home – so the Home Grown dollars go to our chapter. You can get all the details about Home Grown at redbrand.com/homegrown. Or, ask a local FFA member and they can tell you all about it.

w/ Kate Olson

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Officials with the U-S Fish and Wildlife Service say the DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge along the Missouri River near Missouri Valley, will be closed to mushroom hunting this weekend (May 17th and 18th), because of a turkey hunt.

A Morel mushroom (ISU Extension photo)

The refuge roads, trails and visitor center will be open as normal, though.

DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge is a destination for people who want to explore the habitats and wildlife of the Missouri River and get a glimpse of what pre-settlement Iowa and Nebraska may have looked like. It’s located 25 miles north of Omaha on U.S. Highway 30, between Missouri Valley and Blair, Neb. The visitor center is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily, except federal holidays.

Iowa has more than 200 farms that are raising over 32,000 dairy goats. The primary product produced from goats raised in Iowa is cheese, but in many parts of the world where hunger is a major problem, goats are the primary livestock. Tad Sonstegard is a research geneticist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “Ninety percent of the world’s goats are actually in nations with developing economies where people usually don’t have enough food. So it’s a very critical meat and milk source in these nations,” Sonstegard says.

USDA scientists say one of the problems is that in many rapidly developing and undeveloped countries the best goat is eaten during celebrations or sold quickly to make money. “Thus, that opportunity to improve the genetics is lost because the animal goes into food immediately,” Sonstegard says. Sonstegard and his colleagues are studying the genetics of goats in Africa to figure out which ones to keep in the herd.

“And how they stack up against goats in countries, typically Europe, where they have done a lot of advanced breeding for dairy production,” Sonstegard explains. USDA officials believe research like that of Sonstegard is important to solving global food challenges. The world’s population is expected to grow from about 6.6 billion today to almost 9 billion by 2050.

(Radio Iowa)