OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – The Army Corps of Engineers is again reducing its prediction for how much water will flow down the Missouri River this year because of the drought.  The corps now predicts 21 million acre-feet of runoff this year in the 2,341-mile-long river that flows from Montana through North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri. That forecast is about 85 percent of normal, and well below last year’s record amount of 61.2 million acre-feet of runoff. Flooding along the river last year caused massive damage, but this year the amount of snowmelt and rain flowing into the river is below normal.  Some of the extra water stored in reservoirs along the river has been used to provide enough water for navigation, power and other uses of the river.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa State Fair officials are on alert but not overly worried about swine flu cases showing up at the fair as it begins Thursday. Animals have been passing a new swine flu strain on to humans. Officials say more than two dozen human cases of the new strain have been confirmed in the U.S. in the past year. Ten cases confirmed last week were linked to the Butler County Fair in southwest Ohio.

Iowa State Fair manager Gary Slater, says that the state veterinarian has been checking fairground preparations before up to 3,500 pigs start arriving today (Tuesday). Each animal must have papers from its local veterinarian, attesting to the animal’s health. Slater says any pig that appears to be sick will be sent home if necessary.

Officials with the USDA and ISU Extension are inviting livestock producers to attend the 2012 Greenhorn Grazing series of seminars at the Adair County Extension office. The sessions will build on those sessions that were held in May and June, and will especially be of interest to new participants. The sessions take place August 23rd, September 13th and November 15th, beginning at 10-a.m. each day. The cost of $20 per person for each session, includes lunch.

Organizer Joe Sellers, and ISU Extension beef program specialist with the Iowa Beef Center, says the August 23rd session features several presentations on fencing and watering technologies, fence laws, and forage quality, which includes harvesting drought crop silage and green chop. A pasture walk-through will include a display and demonstration of electric fencing and watering options.

The September session will cover such topics as pasture leasing, planning for stockpiled grazing, mineral supplements, winter feed planning and, a weed and brush control demonstration. The final session in November, covers stockpiled grazing, cornstalk grazing, and winter feeding strategies that include drought corn silage.

For more information about the southwest Iowa Greenhorn Grazing sessions, call Joe Sellers at 641-203-1270, or e-mail him at sellers@iastate.edu, or NRCS Grasslands Specialist Rick Sprague at 712-542-8765 (e-mail richard.sprague@ia.usda.gov).

Iowa crop and livestock producers are invited to attend an Iowa State University Extension and Outreach webinar Tuesday, Aug. 21^st, to learn about grain quality issues and marketing options related to drought. The Guthrie County extension office will be hosting the 1-3 p.m. webinar. There is no charge to attend the webinar.

Mark Licht, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Field Agronomist specialist, says “As we near harvest, the attention has shifted to grain quality issues,” said. “ISU Extension and Outreach specialists will talk about the quality issues farmers can expect, their marketing options and how crop insurance will address reduced value. Just as important, livestock producers should be prepared for potential feeding challenges of off-quality grain.”

In addition, ISU Extension and Outreach specialists will look to the future and provide the outlook for crop and livestock prices. They also will discuss planning for the 2013 crop, including land lease considerations and the impact of drought on fall fertility decisions for the 2013 crop, according to Licht. Farm safety considerations during drought also will be discussed.

The Guthrie County extension office and county extension offices around the state are hosting the webinar. The Guthrie County Extension & Outreach office is located at 212 State St., Guthrie Center, Iowa. Time has been allowed for questions and answers following the presentations. The webinar will be recorded and made available on the ISU Extension and Outreach website www.extension.iastate.edu/.

The profitability of crop production has been good these past years. With this profitability, more pasture and woodlands have been tilled. As a result, there is a potential for increased soil erosion. Estimating the cost of soil erosion to the landowner will be one topic at the Farm Leasing Arrangements meeting in Atlantic. Cass County Extension will be sponsoring the Farm Leasing Arrangements meeting on August 16 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at the Cass County Community Center. The Cass County Community Center is at 805 West 10th Street.

Another timely topic is the 2012 Farm Bill. Both the Senate and House Committees of Agriculture have proposed bills that eliminate direct payments. According to Tim Eggers, Iowa State University Extension Field Agricultural Economist, “The elimination will drop farm revenues by about $20 per acre. It is the equivalent of a three-bushel decrease in this year’s crop.” Eggers added, “While not a large decrease, it is still a fundamental change in Farm Bill programs.” Besides the cost of soil erosion and loss of direct payments, Eggers will discuss land values, cash rental rates, and flexible leases. Considerations relevant to current drought impact will also be discussed.

The Farm Leasing Arrangements meeting costs $15 per person, which includes the 100-page Farm Leasing Arrangements booklet. Pre-registration is required by August 14. To pre-register, call the Cass County Extension office at 712-243-1132.

(ISU Extension Press Release)

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The latest U.S. Drought Monitor survey shows an increase in extreme drought conditions in four Plains states but a slight decrease in the overall area of the lower 48 states experiencing some form of drought. The map posted Thursday on the monitor’s website shows that nearly two-thirds of the lower 48 states is experiencing some drought. Recent rainfall pushed the percentage down to 62.91, from last week’s 63.86. The report says one-fifth of the U.S. is experiencing extreme drought. That number ticked up nearly 2 percentage points to 22.3 percent, largely because of worsening conditions in parts of Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.

Atlantic Police Chief Steve Green says anyone interested in bow hunting within the City limits of Atlantic, for the hunting year 2012-2013, can receive the necessary permit applications at the Police Department during normal business hours (8-a.m. to 4-p.m.). The permit will allow you to harvest antlerless deer only.

Green says permit applications need to be picked up and filled out prior to qualification try outs on August 18th at 10-a.m., or on August 22nd, at 6-p.m., at the Sunnyside Park, by the old school house.

Land owners who would like to allow a bow hunter to hunt on their land should call the Police Department at 712-243-3512 during normal business hours, and sign-up. The hunt is allowed under the City’s Urban Deer Control Ordinance.

An overwhelming number of Iowa corn farmers have voted to increase the “check-off” for corn. For every bushel of corn sold in Iowa, farmers have been paying three-quarters of a cent into a fund that’s managed by the Iowa Corn Promotion Board. It’s called a check-off. The money’s used to finance research, promote the corn industry and find new markets for Iowa corn. The corn “check-off” will go up to a full penny per bushel on September 1st. Iowa farmers voted in a referendum on July 10th and state officials who certified the results say nearly 74 percent of the corn farmers who voted favored the check-off increase.

Iowa farmers voted to establish the check-off in 1977, but it was just one-tenth of a cent per bushel. Farmers have voted three times in the past three decades to raise the per bushel check-off. In addition to promoting corn-based ethanol fuel, one of the check-off campaign’s original aims was to promote the use of high-fructose corn syrup, which is cheaper than traditional sugar. In 1984, both Coke and Pepsi switched from using sugar to using corn syrup in their sodas.

(Radio Iowa)