September 1:

• No Birthdays Submitted

September 2:

• Kelly Fanton of Griswold (winner)

September 3:

• Callen Waters of Atlantic (winner)
• Michelle Evans of Algona
• Molly Jensen of Atlantic
• Tonia Larsen of Marne
• Ashley Hamilton of Atlantic

September 4:

• Delores Templeman of Atlantic (winner)

September 5:

• Paisley Phippen of Exira (winner)
• Sue Muri of Atlantic

September 6:

• Jenner Richter of Atlantic (winner)
• Chad Landsdown of Atlantic

September 7:

• No Birthdays Submitted

September 8:

• Lynn Stamp of Atlantic (winner)
• Ina Ohnmeiss of Atlantic
• Rachel Johnson of Kimballton

September 9:

• Marcene Arn of Atlantic
• Austin Hillhouse of Atlantic

September 10:

• Sherrill Clausen of Atlantic (winner)
• Uriel Vega of Atlantic
• Sue Marsh of Atlantic

September 11:

• Rayleon Peterson of Cumberland (winner)
• Amber Wilson of Exira
• Shirley Parmley of Exira
• Randy Jespersen of Exira
• LaVon Eblin of Atlantic
• Matt Drogo of Atlantic

September 12:

• Diana Munch of Exira (winner)
• Ranae Schlater of Exira

September 13:

• Randy Maas of Atlantic (winner)
• Dale Davis of Atlantic
• Charlotte Smetana of Exira

September 14:

• Pat Lorenz of Atlantic (winner)
• Echo Faith Hanika of Nebraska City, NE
• Sarah Selders of Atlantic
• Heidi Peterson of Atlantic

September 15:

• Owen Peterson of Cumberland (winner)
• Jeanne Nelson of Kimballton
• Rhonda Harry of Atlantic
• Jennifer McEntaffer of Atlantic

September 16:

• Shandy Schultes of Audubon (winner)
• Krysta Hart of Atlantic

September 17:

• Jodi Kneisel of Griswold (winner)
• Chad Jorgensen of Exira

September 18:

• Kiersten Fanton of Griswold (winner)

September 19:

• Pam Parker of Elk Horn (winner)
• Mary Ray of Atlantic

September 20:

• Jean Boots of Atlantic (winner)
• Carol Schwarte of Atlantic
• Ruth Turk of Lewis

September 21:

• Tim Nelson of Creston (winner)

September 22:

• Betty Hickman of Atlantic (winner)
• Joy Wheeler of Exira

September 23:

• John Paulsen of Exira (winner)
• Jess Barber of Wiota

September 24:

• Jane Houchins of Exira (winner)
• Peter Schwab of Atlantic

September 25:

• Sheila Spencer of Griswold (winner)
• Judy Bintner of Exira
• Ant Anstey of Atlantic

September 26:

• Val Hatcher of Atlantic (winner)
• Nick Knudsen of Atlantic
• Dorothy Christensen of Atlantic
• Charlotte Sorensen of Exira
• Julie Williamson of Wiota
• Mitchell Williamson of Wiota
• Ric Hanson of KJAN

September 27:

• Adalynn Johnson of Exira (winner)
• Helen Runge of Exira
• Cassy Hays of Hamlin
• Greg Schuler of Atlantic

September 28:

• Don Greving of Exira (winner)
• Jeff Munch of Exira
• Shelley Petersen of Exira

September 29:

• Dan Fauble of Exira (winner)

September 30:

• Joan Sorensen of Audubon (winner)

(Radio Iowa) – Harvest season hasn’t even started in Iowa yet and forecasts for bumper crops are driving prices down, as soybean farmers in particular fear the value of their commodity will be well below what it cost to produce it. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says disruptions in international trade may share part of the blame. “Record production, I think has more to do with it,” Grassley says, “but it isn’t just soybeans, it’s corn that’s losing money, too.” Even with a powerful, damaging derecho in July and near-record rains this summer, the U-S-D-A projects Iowa growers are on target for what promises to be the biggest-ever corn crop. That good news is also bad as the rules of supply and demand dictate a record crop will mean free-falling prices.

“It’s just kind of a fact of life that farmers make profits maybe two or three years out of seven or eight,” Grassley says, “and you’ve got to save money to get through the rest of the time. That’s just the way farming is.” Trump administration tariffs prompted many other nations to enact retaliatory tariffs, some of which were later reversed, however, crucial agreements with a few key trading partners have yet to be ironed out. “Since the first of the year, China hasn’t bought anything from us,” Grassley says. “I don’t have a report yet, but the Chinese ambassador was over here a week ago yesterday and today, and I think for three days, and soybeans was going to be one of the negotiations.”

Iowa is the nation’s leading corn producer, and it’s among a dozen states which the U-S-D-A projects will haul in bin-busting crops this fall. Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig says he’s working to find new international markets for Iowa’s top commodities, with trade trips to India, Indonesia and Vietnam all planned in the coming weeks.

(A report by the Iowa Capital Dispatch) – Iowa farmers are gearing up for harvest season, as the latest crop progress and condition report notes 9% of corn acres across the state have reached maturity and farmers have scattered reports of soybeans dropping leaves. The crops continue to develop, with 63% of corn acres across the state now dented and 19% of soybeans coloring, for the reporting period of Aug. 25 through Aug. 31.  Corn condition was rated at 84% good to excellent, the same as last week, while soybean condition at 77% good to excellent declined slightly from the week prior. The report, written by U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, reported that the oat harvest in Iowa was “virtually complete” and farmers were nearly complete with their third cutting of alfalfa hay, with just 13% remaining.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said farmers will be busy this month bailing hay, chopping silage and “beginning to gear up for harvest.” “Now is also a great time to plan for seeding cover crops and adding other conservation practices to fields after harvest,” Naig said in a statement.  Naig also noted the cool, dry conditions across the state that led to a “gorgeous holiday weekend.”  According to State Climatologist Justin Glisan, the state average temperature for the reporting period was 65 degrees Fahrenheit, which was more than 6 degrees below normal temperatures for the period.  Several areas reported temperatures as low as 40 degrees during the period.

Corn is beginning to reach maturity in Iowa. (Photo by Jared Strong/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

While some eastern areas of the state had a couple inches of rain, the state average for the week was less than two-tenths of an inch, while the normal is 0.88 inch.  Despite the less-than-an-inch of rain the past several reporting periods, soil moisture conditions remain adequate to surplus. Across the state, topsoil moisture conditions were 78% adequate and 12% surplus. Subsoil moisture conditions were similar with 79% adequate and 13% surplus.  Soil conditions were driest in the southwest and southeast regions of the state. In those regions, around 30% of topsoil moisture was short, according to the report.

According to the seven-day precipitation forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the majority of the state is forecast to receive less than half an inch of rain this week.

(Iowa DNR News) – Iowa’s statewide pheasant population is at a 20-year high, and state wildlife experts are forecasting a banner year for hunters. “The mild winter really put us over the top this year,” said Todd Bogenschutz, upland wildlife research biologist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). “Our adult hen survival was excellent; our adult rooster survival was excellent. That really drove the population increase.”

Bogenschutz coordinates the annual August roadside survey of small game populations, covering 225 30-mile routes. The 2025 survey counted more pheasants, quail, cottontail rabbits and partridge than last year. The survey results are available online by clicking the 100 Years of Pheasant Hunting graphic at www.iowadnr.gov/pheasantsurvey. “Chick survival wasn’t as good as last year, but we had so many more nests that it offset the drop in the number of chicks per hen,” he said. Statewide, staff reported 1,038 pheasant broods, which is 338 more than last year.

“We had an early hatch which is good because the nesting season got wet later and that may have impacted chick survival or re-nesting efforts,” Bogenschutz said. The statewide average of 28 birds per route is the highest since 2005. Regionally, the northwest region was the highest since 2005; northeast region was the highest since 1998; west central similar to last year; east central highest sense 2007; south central highest since 2017; and southeast, highest since 2020.

Bogenschutz said if hunter participation is similar to 2023, the pheasant harvest could be in the 600,000-700,000 range. “Last year was a decent year for pheasant hunting. 2023 was a good year for pheasant hunting. This year could be excellent,” he said.

The Iowa DNR and Pheasants Forever are celebrating 100 years of pheasant hunting in the Hawkeye State. The first season was held Oct. 20-22, 1925, when 13 counties in north central Iowa were opened to pheasant hunting. Hunters were allowed a three-rooster limit, for a half-day of hunting. An estimated 75,000 hunters participated.

Hunters can commemorate the 100^th anniversary by purchasing a hard card featuring Iowa Pheasants Forever Print of the Year. Pheasants Forever is offering commemorative apparel featuring both the 100 Years of Pheasant Hunting graphic and PF logo through an online, pop-up store. The store will be accepting apparel orders as the pheasant season approaches.

Pheasant season

Oct. 25 – Jan. 10, 2026

Youth only pheasant season – Iowa residents only, age 15 or younger

Oct. 18-19

(Radio Iowa) – University of Iowa researchers are recruiting farmers with dementia and their caregivers to participate in an educational series tailored to their specific needs. U-I associate professor of public health, Kanika Arora says most dementia safety programs are focused on residential settings.  “If you look at the standard dementia safety recommendations that are used in residential settings, like removing power tools or removing tractors or seizing work completely, that can be impractical, at least in sort of the early stages of dementia, which can feel — this can feel intrusive, and this might not even work,” she says.

The Farm Families Coping with Dementia series consists of four weekly sessions that covers the entire scope of agricultural hazards.  “Like livestock or heavy equipment, firearms, even residing in an agricultural sort of like a farmstead or being farm adjacent, like you know, you still have concerns related to wandering in a cornfield, for instance, which can be extremely dangerous,” Arora says.

The next training starts in October. State data shows more than 66 thousand Iowans who are 65 and older have Alzheimer’s Disease.

Cass County: Corn $3.76 Beans $9.76
Adair County: Corn $3.73 Beans $9.79
Adams County: Corn $3.73 Beans $9.75
Audubon County: Corn $3.75 Beans $9.78
East Pottawattamie County: Corn $3.79 Beans $9.76
Guthrie County: Corn $3.78 Beans $9.80
Montgomery County: Corn $3.78 Beans $9.78
Shelby County: Corn $3.79 Beans $9.76

Oats: $2.66 (same in all counties)

(Prices are per bushel; information is from the area Farm Service Agency [FSA] offices)

(By Suzanne Potter – Iowa News Service) =  Iowa has the highest number of hog farms and the sixth-highest number of cattle feedlots in the country, according to a new study from the University of Michigan. Researchers mapped large cattle and pig farms, finding Iowa hosts almost more than 2,100 pig animal feeding operations, known as AFOs. The state also hosts 604 cattle AFOs.

Sanaz Chamanara, now a researcher at the University of California-Santa Barbara, who led the study while at Michigan, said air pollution measures 11% worse in areas near pig AFOs and 28% higher near cattle AFOs, specifically particles measuring 2.5 micrometers. “2.5 is a concern because it lingers in the air,” Chamanara explained. “And its association with asthma, lung cancer, cardiovascular diseases and leukemia.”

The pollution comes from dust kicked up by the animals’ hooves and from massive lagoons of waste found near AFOs. Industry trade groups criticized the study, claiming it does not take pollution from transportation and human sources into account, something the authors deny. Plymouth, Kossuth, Hardin, and Franklin counties have the highest number of hog farms but the number is high because local size limits means Iowa AFOs are smaller than the national average.

A farm with more than 1,000 animals is called a concentrated animal feeding operation, or CAFO. Chamanara noted communities near CAFOs tend to have a lot in common, with many of them hosting a high percentage of vulnerable, low-income Latino residents. “The poverty is higher, the uninsured people are higher,” Chamanara reported. “But we should mention that actually the unemployment rate is lower, because these CAFOs also offer job opportunities.”

The study is the first national database of its kind and counters the argument from AFO owners no evidence links feedlots to air pollution. The authors suggested states limit the number of AFOs and encourage farmers to reduce air pollution with windbreaks and covers on waste lagoons.

(Radio Iowa) – The mourning dove season in Iowa opens today (Monday). D-N-R wildlife biologist Todd Bogenschutz says the participation by hunters and number of birds have been steady. “Basically 14 to 15-thousand hunters, pretty stable there, and our harvest has bounced around between, 150 and 200-thousand doves over the last couple of years,” Bogenschutz says.
Bogenschutz says there are no changes in regulations for doves, and the D-N-R has plenty of information about where to find them.

“If you go to our website and and just search for morning doves, a lot of folks are asking about, you know we do do some managed food plots for doves and we have that listing on our website,” he says. Bogenschutz says dove are found across the state, but cooler weather recently may make the hunting better in southern Iowa. “Part of that might just be due to migrations probably already started. And so we’ve got those that probably left northern Iowa. But I mean we, you know, our hunters have good hunts from north to south. So definitely, I think southern Iowa does carry a little bit higher densities than northern Iowa at this time of the year,” he says.

Bogenschutz says dove hunting has a lot of positives that make it good for beginning hunters. “Obviously a very early season here, starting one of our earliest in September, so it’s relatively warm. Doves are very abundant, you don’t need a lot of gear to to dove hunt, basically a bucket to sit on and a shotgun and some shells and an area the doves are using, and you’re good to go,” be says. “So from that perspective it’s a it’s a great way for beginning folks into the the hunting realm.”

Bogenschutz says there’s a lot of opportunities to hunt on private land if you get permission, and there are also the public wildlife areas.

(Radio Iowa) – Labor Day marks what many Iowans consider the end of summer, but it’s not the end of our problems associated with ticks. The region has seen a rise in cases of Lyme disease and other ailments ticks carry, which one expert blames on warmer winters which allow millions of the tiny insects to survive and thrive.

“Tick season essentially now is moving year-round,” according to Megan Meller, an infection preventionist at Emplify Health by Gundersen. She says Iowans should do tick checks during every month of the year. There are more than a dozen species of ticks in Iowa. The three most common are deer ticks, dog ticks and lone star ticks. Meller says some are easier to spot than others.

“If we’re lucky, they’re large and we can find them right away but some of them are really tiny, the size of a dot at the end of a sentence, and if you overlook those, they can also cause an infection,” Meller says. “It’s really important to not just do a thorough tick check on yourself and on your pets and children, but to also take additional preventative measures.” Those measures include wearing long pants and long sleeves.

“Wearing bug spray when you’re outside that repels ticks. It’s closing up your sock line. That’s an easy way for ticks to get up, too. It’s wearing long socks over your pants,” she says. “It’s just being really mindful that there are also hidden dangers lurking out there.”

There’s another tick to be watchful for, especially if you raise livestock. The Asian longhorned tick was found in southeast Iowa in June. It apparently doesn’t have a taste for human blood, but can be quite harmful for animals, including cattle, horses, sheep and deer.

Emplify Health by Gundersen has clinics in Calmar, Decorah, Fayette, Lansing, Postville and Waukon, and a hospital in West Union.