(Radio Iowa) – Democrat Rob Sand says Iowans are justifiably frustrated about water quality issues and he might call for new regulations if he’s elected governor — but Sand says he’s investigating the issue before releasing a water quality plan.  “I think people would be right to be frustrated with me if we hit fall of next year and I didn’t have a specific plan for what I was going to do on this issue, but that’s not going to happen,” Sand said. “We’re putting together a plan. We’re taking time to learn.” Sand spoke with reporters after visiting the Des Moines Water Works this (Thursday) morning.  “This, to me, is part of the process,” Sand said. “I think that if you are going to be a candidate for governor, but if especially you are going to be a governor, you have got to have a really good understanding of the facts.”

Earlier this week, researchers who worked on a report about water quality and nitrates in the Raccoon and Des Moines Rivers called for regulations to limit run-off from ag land.  “Those are some of the folks that I’ll be talking to and I want to hear what they have to say,” Sand said, “but I want to also make sure that I’m listening to lots of other voices and putting together a plan that is realistic and well-informed and achievable, where we know we can just make a difference instead of just necessarily shouting at each other.”

Republican Kim Reynolds, Iowa’s current governor, says regulation of farming practices is hardly ever the answer to water quality issues in the state. Sand isn’t ruling out regulations, but Sand says he doubts there’s a one-size-fits-all solution.”I think we’ve hit a new high for the magnitude of this problem and the folks in charge in Des Moines are literally moving in the wrong direction,” Sand said. “The legislature just defunded nitrate monitoring systems across the state of Iowa…so people who are frustrated should be frustrated. I’m frustrated. I want to be able to take my kids tubing where we’re home in Decorah in the Upper Iowa River without having to hesitate.”

Sand is the only Democrat currently serving in statewide office. He was elected state auditor in 2018 and reelected in 2022.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa State Fair opens its 11-day run today (Thursday) in Des Moines. Fair spokesperson Mindy Williamson says a big change this year allows you to bring in your own drinks. “You can now bring in your beverages excluding alcohol. You cannot bring in alcohol, but if you want to bring in your water, iced tea, Gatorade. coffee that you purchased on your way in, you can do that this year,” she says. Williamson says you can also bring in a soft-sided cooler with food. “If you have, you know, a special diet that you’re trying to stick to, or if you need snacks and things for your children, we feel like you know the fair is a family friendly place, and we want you to be as comfortable as possible. And so we made that change this year.” Williamson says.

There are parking lots outside the Fair, homeowners who charge you to park in their yards, or you can park at three pickup points and take a bus. “The Capitol and then west of the capitol, and then at Southeast Polk (High School). And you can easily ride those into the fairgrounds. It’ll drop you off at gate. ten which is near the Craft Beer Tent and the little kids rides, and then it’ll pick and then you can walk back there and ride it back to your car easily without the traffic,” she explains.

Williamson says there are several new things at the Fair. “People will not want to miss our new Shivers Plaza, which is the area right to the South of JR’s South Pork Ranch, and right across from our pavilion,” she says. “And it’s an area like a food court where there are vendors, there’s picnic tables and shade. There’s new restrooms.”

The Iowa State Fair gates open at 8 a-m. You can find out more about the schedule and daily events at iowastatefair.org.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa State Fair spokesperson Mindy Williamson says they are working around the rainy weather as they prepare for opening day.  “The fairgrounds are buzzing even though it’s a little bit sprinkly out here today. So we have a last minute setup, our vendors are getting their food stands ready, maybe trying the processing of payments and things like that,” she says.

Williamson says the livestock judging has already been underway for a couple of days. “We have sheep coming in today, we have horses that have already been competing. We have pigs in some of the barns, so the Fair is in full swing,” Williamson says.

The Iowa State Fair opens tomorrow morning for its 11-day run.

(A report by the Iowa Capital Dispatch) – Summit Carbon Solutions has a new CEO, Joe Griffin, who authored letters this week to signed and unsigned landowners along the carbon pipeline project route. Two versions of the letter, one dated Aug. 4 and the other dated Aug. 5, noted the company would be announcing “several updates” that would “open new markets and create greater opportunities for the region.” The letters also note Summit has a new senior leadership team.

The version addressed to landowners along the route who have not signed an easement agreement said they should expect a “revised Right of Way proposal in the coming weeks.”  The letter said the revised proposals would reflect Summit’s “commitment to offering terms that better support landowners and their long-term interests.”

The other version was addressed to landowners who had already signed easements and instead thanked them for their trust in the company and its project to build a carbon sequestration line across Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and the Dakotas.  Summit has already signed easement agreements more than 1,320 Iowa landowners along the route, according to the company. Griffin wrote in the letter he wanted to “set the tone” for a “fresh chapter” for Summit. In addition to Griffin’s replacement of former CEO Lee Blank, the letter notes Summit has a “new senior leadership team” that is focused on “partnership and respect.”

“This team has constructed and/or operated more than 4,700 miles of pipelines, but what I’m most proud of is that we did it safely, working closely with landowners, communities, and emergency responders to ensure the safety of all,” Griffin said.  Griffin said he has spent his career in “energy infrastructure” though it is unclear what company the new CEO was with formerly.

“I’m the kind of person who’s not afraid to get out in the fields and help alongside the farmers, someone who understands that this project is about more than pipes and technology — it’s about people, land, and communities,” Griffin wrote in the letters. Former Summit CEO Lee Blank could not be reached for comment.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Officials with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS), Tuesday, announced more than $450,000 in cost share funding was awarded to nine conservation districts for water quality improvement projects, including in Adams and Union Counties. The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports the Iowa Soil and Water Conservation Districts will use the funding to help private landowners implement practices like cover crops, sediment control basins, grassed waterways and other proven practices that will improve water quality in eight publicly owned lakes.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said the water quality improvement efforts go toward “ensuring these lakes remain vibrant and healthy destinations.” “We are fortunate to have some beautiful public lakes in our state that significantly enhance the quality of life for many Iowans and provide valuable recreational opportunities and wildlife habitat,” Naig said in a release.  The announcement is part of the Publicly Owned Lakes program administered by IDALS and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. This round of funding is more than double what was allocated through the program in 2024. The installation of these practices up a watershed can help to keep sediment and nutrients from trickling down into Iowa lakes, which in turn, keeps the lakes cleaner and better protected for Iowans to recreate.

Three Mile Lake is one of several lakes the Iowa Department of Natural Resources has restored through its Lake Restoration Program. (Photo contributed by Iowa DNR)

Three Mile Lake had the highest allocation, of more than $133,000 to be managed by conservation districts in both Union and Adair counties. Three Mile Lake has undergone lake restoration projects for the past several years, though DNR said the restorations are considered near completion. Lake restoration projects at Casey Lake, which was also awarded funding, are also considered nearly completed. The rest of the funding went to conservation districts monitoring the watersheds of Hawthorn Lake, Pleasant Lake, Lake Miami, 12 Mile Lake, Lake Icaria and Lake Geode.

Funding for the program comes from IDALS’s soil conservation cost-share budget, and the watersheds are chosen by the DNR based on priority. Landowners in the selected districts are then eligible for additional cost-share funding for water improvement projects.  Many of the water quality improvement strategies surrounding Iowa lakes are dependent on voluntary participation by private landowners in the watersheds.

(Radio Iowa) – Hundreds of workers at a J-B-S plant in Ottumwa were given 90 days to find new work authorizations after the Trump administration revoked their legal statuses. Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice spokesperson Elena Casillas-Hoffman says workers at other plants across the state are facing the same pressures.  “With the limited options that they have, what you’re going to see is that many individuals are going to be pushed to an undocumented status, potentially. So, you know, J-B-S in Ottumwa is one example of many, as more and more statuses are pulled and individuals are trying to find, what are their next steps?,” she says. Casillas-Hoffman says her organization has also heard of status terminations impacting workers in Marshalltown, Storm Lake and Sioux City.

“They’re now potentially going to face the idea that they and their families could become undocumented,” Casillas-Hoffman says. She says they’re trying to find new ways to legally remain in the country. “The increasing terror, the increasing surveillance and the increasing possibilities that come with being an undocumented person in the United States is a very real threat to many,” she says. The move affects Haitian, Venezuelan, Cuban and Nicaraguan immigrants who lived and worked in the United States under a special humanitarian parole program.

Individuals under humanitarian parole work in a variety of different fields, but Casillas-Hoffman says a large number work in meatpacking.

Farm tenants and landowners are invited to attend the August 13 meeting in Atlantic

Atlantic, Iowa – Iowa State University Extension and Outreach in Cass County is hosting a farmland leasing meeting on Wednesday, August 13 at 2 PM. The meeting will be presented by Tim Christensen, Farm Management Specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach at the Cass County Community Center, 805 West 10^th Street in Atlantic. The annual meeting is offered to address questions that landowners, tenants or other interested individuals have about leasing farmland. The 2025 annual survey of cash rental rates for Iowa farmland shows that rates decreased, on average, by 2.9% in 2025 to $271 per acre. This is the first decline in cash rents since 2019, after a peak of $279 per acre the previous two years of the survey.

Topics will include land values, market outlook, and cash rent trends, cost of production, methods for determining a fair rental rate, legal updates regarding leases and communicating with tenants or landowners. Farm Management Field Specialists will also address common questions when a lease is impacted by a farm estate or succession plan.

“More than half of Iowa’s farmland is rented, and strong landlord/tenant relationships are important for the long-term viability of Iowa’s valuable farmland,” said Ann Johanns, program specialist at Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. “While the trend in rental rates is fairly steady, individual agreements vary and attending a workshop is a great way to learn more or ask questions on specific aspects of farm lease arrangements.”

Tim Christensen, ISU Farm Management Specialist, speaks with an attendee at a previous meeting in Atlantic. (Photo credit: Lisa Scarbrough)

The two-and-a-half-hour workshop is designed to assist landowners, farm tenants and other agri-business professionals with current issues related to farmland ownership, management and leasing arrangements. Attendees will gain a better understanding of current cash rental rate surveys and factors driving next year’s rents such as market trends and input costs.

Each registrant will receive a 100-page workbook with resources regarding land leasing agreements such as surveys, sample written lease agreements and termination forms, along with many other publications. The workbook may be included in the registration fee in some county meetings and available for purchase in others.

Attend a local meeting

Registration is $25 per individual and includes materials. Pre-registration is encouraged as an additional $5 fee may be added if registering less than two calendar days before the meeting date. To register contact the Cass County Extension office at 712-243-1132 or email keolson@iastate.edu.

The leasing meetings being held across Iowa are facilitated by farm management specialists with ISU Extension and Outreach, for other locations, visit the Ag Decision Maker events page at https://go.iastate.edu/AGDMEVENTS.

The Ag Decision Maker website provides useful materials for negotiating leases, information on various types of leases, lease forms and newly updated Decision Tools.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The 2025 Cass County Fair wrapped up on Tuesday, July 29^th with the annual livestock auction. A total of 333 head of livestock were auctioned off, capping many months of work for Cass County 4-H and FFA livestock project members. Market beef, sheep, goat, swine, rabbit and poultry exhibitors participated in the sale, gaining a little extra reward from local community supporters for their hard work.

Including the Bucket of Junk participants who took part in the Monday night auction, 99 total youth will be receiving proceeds from the sale to help support their future project and educational activities. The Monday night fundraising auction also featured a sale of pies baked by local celebrities and fair supporters. Over 90 local community supporters chipped in to help support the youth members, with proceeds from both sales totaling $288,303 according to officials with Rolling Hills Bank & Trust, who volunteer their services to clerk the sale each year.

For more information about the Cass County Fair or the Cass County 4-H program, call the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132 or visit www.extension.iastate.edu/cass.