DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Hunting mourning doves has been legal in Iowa for nearly a year, but the issue still isn’t settled at the Capitol.  A Senate subcommittee on Thursday discussed using lead shot ammunition in hunting the birds.  The state’s Natural Resources Commission last year unanimously voted to ban the practice, but a legislative committee put the ban on hold.
 
Sen. Dick Dearden, D-Des Moines, says the commission overstepped its bounds in banning lead shot. A resolution he backs to overturn that ban advanced out of the meeting.  Environmental advocates told committee members Thursday that lead shot is toxic and can harm animals when eaten. Hunting advocates say the harm is minor and no good alternatives to lead shot exists. The measure now goes to the full Senate Natural Resources Committee.

w/ Denny Heflin

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (3.6MB)

Subscribe: RSS

(Des Moines, Iowa)  January 18, 2012:  John R. Whitaker, State Executive Director for the Iowa Farm Service Agency, reminds producers sign up for the 2011 livestock, honeybees, and farm-raised fish losses ends on January 30, 2012, under the Farm Service Agency’s Emergency Livestock Assistance Program (ELAP).  In addition to submitting a notice of loss, producers must file an application for payment by this date. “With the number and variety of adverse weather conditions in Iowa this year, we want all eligible producers to be aware of this deadline,’ added Whitaker.  

ELAP provides compensation to eligible producers of livestock, honey bees and farm-raised fish for losses due to disease, adverse weather, or other loss conditions, including losses caused by blizzards and wildfires.  ELAP is for losses that are not covered by Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP), or Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program (SURE). Eligible producers under ELAP may receive assistance for losses that occur on or after Jan. 1, 2008, and before Oct. 1, 2011, during the calendar year in which the loss occurs.  Eligible losses include feed losses, physical losses and additional costs incurred in providing feed to eligible livestock.

There are two parts to the ELAP application process:

• A notice of loss
• Application for payment

An application for payment cannot be filed without a notice of loss. There are no late filed provisions for ELAP.  Producers with eligible losses must timely file an acreage report on grazing land acres, honey bee colonies and farm-raised fish pond acres. Eligible physical losses of honey bees and honey bee hives due to adverse weather or loss conditions are eligible under ELAP. Producers will be required to provide documentation of beginning and ending inventory of honey bee colonies when claiming a physical loss of honey bees or honey bee hives.

Kate Olsen talk about sprouting house plants out of fruit seeds.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (4.0MB)

Subscribe: RSS

 KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack is expected to announce that 33 states and Puerto Rico will receive a share of more than $300 million in emergency funds to help them recover from an unusually intense year of natural disasters.  Missouri and Utah will receive more than one-third of that total after record flooding in both states. Missouri suffered through months of flooding after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released unprecedented amounts of water from northern Missouri River basin reservoirs, while Utah saw record snow melt that caused heavy flooding.  Of the $308 million in aid to be announced Wednesday, roughly $109 million goes to the two states.  Vilsack noted that 2011 was unusual because almost every part of the country was hit by some type of disaster.

Iowa has more than 80 custom meat lockers that process farm-raised pork and beef, but at this time of year, they’re busy with another type of meat — venison. John Lawrence, a livestock specialist at the Iowa State University extension, says many consumers are turning to venison as the costs of more traditional meat products rise. He says as venison grows in popularity, it’s keeping many small town facilities busy. Lawrence says, “Particularly at this time of year, we think about deer season and the number of deer that are processed through these small plants to the point that if I wanted to have a hog butchered to put in my freezer, I might have to wait until February to get it in because they’re processing the deer from hunting season.” Although there’s nearly one of these processing facilities per county, many struggle to pay a competitive wage while at the same time being large enough to support any family members who may eventually take over. Lawrence says while these facilities have plenty of work for the next few weeks, it’s sometimes a struggle the rest of the year.

He says, “Many of those same business challenges we see in agriculture and up and down Main Street, and if we aren’t able to bridge those gaps and solve those problems, we see a lot of those smaller, family-owned businesses go by the wayside.” Lawrence says in some cases, the custom processor brings more business into town when people come to pick up their meat. According to the Iowa Department of Agriculture’s website, the state has 83 custom meat lockers, with another 38 state-inspected facilities.

(Matt Kelley/Radio Iowa)

After lengthy discussion regarding concerns over the amount of time it would take to file land survey information with the various county departments, the Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Monday), approved a Resolution for the Division of Land Process, with regard to the recording of documents which are either a plat, or division of land. The Resolution says the Division of Land Process will need to be approved by the County Assessor, Auditor, Engineer – for rural division-, Treasurer, County Zoning and/or City Zoning – as applicable -, and the Cass County Recorder, prior to filing any transfer document. The resolution is designed so as not to clutter up the County’s Geographic Information System – GIS – and to streamline the recording system and related processes. The Board agreed that those offices should work to assure the survey’s and related paperwork is processed within two business days.

A Danish hog farmer toured several Iowa operations and attended the Practical Farmers of Iowa conference this past weekend as part of a campaign to cut the use of antibiotics in the raising of livestock. The tour was sponsored by the Pew Charitable Trusts. Pew spokesperson Gail Hansen, says 29-million pounds of antibiotics are given to food animals, while seven million pounds are given to people who’re sick. “So about 80-percent of the antibiotics are given to food animals, and a lot of that is just for growth promotion, or to prevent diseases but not to treat diseases. So we’re trying to look at other ways to be better stewards of our antibiotics,” Hansen says. That’s where Kaj Munck  comes in. Munck stopped using antibiotics to promote growth and prevent diseases in his hog operation in 1992. Munck says there were a few adjustments at first, but now his operation runs with few problems. He says producers will have to get used to some adjustments.

Munck says on paper it will cost you more, but he says that is offset by results as the hogs produce bigger piglets and there are more live-born pigs. “Instead of 12 per liter, now we get 16 per liter, because the sow is better prepared to be pregnant again,” Munck says. Hansen says the F-D-A has recently taken action to restrict some of the antibiotic use in animals. She says they are hoping Munck’s example will allow producers to see it can be successfully done.

(Dar Danielson/Radio Iowa)