(Audubon, Iowa) – Activities at the 2025 Audubon County Fair got underway Tuesday, and continue through Sunday. Here is a list of events for the next few days:

WEDNESDAY, JULY 16
7:00-8:00 AM 4-H/FFA Swine check in
8:00- 9:00 AM 4-H/FFA Sheep & Goat check in
8:00-9:30 AM Farm Bureau Exhibitor Breakfast-Hoop
9:00-10:00 AM 4-H/FFA Beef check in
9:00 AM-3:00 PM Commercial Exhibit set-up
9:30AM-11:00 AM 4-H/FFA/Open Class Rabbit/Poultry check in
11:00 AM 4-H/FFA Horses must be stalled
12:00 PM Open Class static must be entered
1:30 PM 4-H/FFA Exhibitor Meeting
3:00 PM Open Class exhibits must be in place
5:30 PM Sponsorship Dinner-Tent by Agrihall
4-H Pie Auction
4-H Hall of Fame
Little Miss Audubon County
Queen Coronation

THURSDAY, JULY 17
9:00 AM Judging Open Class Entries
10:00 AM 4-H/FFA Horse Show
12:30 PM Clover Kids Stuffed Animal Show-Hoop
2:30 PM – 4:30 PM Touch-a-Truck – Infield Pitts- Sponsored by OSLC
3:00 PM Cornhole Tournament-Livestock Pavilion
4:00 PM-9:00 PM Inflatables-Sponsored by Fair Sponsors
5:00 PM Survivor Game Show – Bob Bohm
5:00 PM Clover Kids Rabbit Show
4-H/FFA & Open Rabbit Show
5:30 PM Mini Motor Madness – Race Track
7:00 PM FARMily Feud Ag Show – Bob Bohm
8:30 PM Magic Show – Bob Bohm
9:15 PM Fireworks

FRIDAY, JULY 18
8:00 AM 4-H/FFA Swine Show
10:00 AM Rondini’s Magic & Family Fun Show
11:00 AM – 9:00 PM Inflatables-Sponsored by Fair Sponsors
11:00 AM Magic Show – Bob Bohm
Noon – 1 PM Rondini’s Bombastic Bubble Fun
Noon Clover Kids Sheep Show
4-H/FFA Sheep Show
Clover Kids Goat Show 4-H/FFA Goat Show
PeeWee Goat Show
1:00 PM Survivor Game Show – Bob Bohm
2:30 PM Rondini’s Magic & Family Fun Show
3:00 PM Hay Throwing Contest

(Radio Iowa) – Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, a Democrat, suggests he and Republican Governor Kim Reynolds have something in common when it comes to rejecting bills to restrict the use of eminent domain. Reynolds vetoed a bill last month, saying it would impose new regulations on more than just a proposed carbon pipeline.

“The decision she made, if I understand it properly, is that there were deep concerns about the way in which the legislation was crafted and the unintended consequences of such legislation,” Vilsack said, “which is precisely the same reason I vetoed the legislation I vetoed.” In 2006, during his last year as governor, Vilsack vetoed a bill designed to make it harder for cities and counties to use eminent domain authority to acquire land for economic development projects.

Vilsack discussed his veto during a recent appearance on Iowa Press on Iowa P-B-S. “I think there’s a balance between individual property rights, which are really important to protect, and the need for a community to have economic opportunity and the kind of infrastructure that’s necessary for folks to have a quality of life in all parts of the country,” Vilsack said. Vilsack suggests the lack of growth in Iowa’s rural areas is factor in the push back against the carbon pipeline.

“I think if we had a healthier economy for small and mid-sized farming operations, we might not have quite the angst that we have in the countryside today,” Vilsack said, “which reflects itself in the push back on eminent domain.” And Vilsack, who served a dozen years as the U-S Secretary of Agriculture, says the pipeline is about ensuring a future for the ethanol industry.

“Our aviation industry is absolutely intent on having sustainable aviation fuel,” Vilack said. “You cannot make that fuel…cost-competitively unless you basically incent…the ability to basically capture the carbon that’s produced from developing that fuel and redirecting it someplace else.”

A bill President Biden signed in 2022 included 12 BILLION dollars for projects to capture, transport and store carbon. The tax and policy bill President Trump signed this month changed some clean energy tax credits, but the carbon sequestration credits from the Biden era were preserved.

OMAHA, NEB. — Despite ongoing challenges in commodity markets and uncertain farm profitability, agricultural land values have remained remarkably stable through mid-2025, according to Farmers National Company. This resilience is mainly driven by the basic economic principle of supply and demand; there are simply more motivated buyers than willing sellers.

While producers remain the main buyers of ag land, interest from individual and institutional investors cannot be ignored, Farmers National Company noted. As land values stabilize after reaching peaks within the past five years, investors are increasingly attracted by both annual returns and long-term appreciation. According to Farm Credit Services of America, benchmark Midwest farmland values have increased 56.9% over the past five years and 38.3% over the past decade, reinforcing land’s appeal as a long-term asset.

Inventory remains limited, with listings down 20–25 percent from the peak in 2020–2021. Many long-term landowners are choosing to hold onto their properties, recognizing the stability and value appreciation land offers compared to more volatile investments.

According to Paul Schadegg, Senior Vice President of Real Estate at Farmers National Company, farm profitability will be a key factor affecting land values in the future.

“The USDA forecasts 2025 net farm income to be the lowest since 2020. This will likely influence producer purchasing power and investor returns, especially as input costs, commodity prices, and interest rates fluctuate,” says Schadegg. “While balance sheets generally remain strong, any negative movements in the ag economy could quickly impact the land market.”

Geopolitical developments also influence the market. Trade policies, tariffs, and global unrest create uncertainty, impacting both domestic and international markets. While renegotiated trade agreements may present future opportunities, current tariffs could decrease demand for U.S. agricultural exports as other countries expand their production and infrastructure.

Looking into the second half of 2025, those with solid financial positions—both producers and investors—will be best equipped to pursue land purchase opportunities. During periods of volatility, Farmers National Company sees strong demand for real estate and management services as landowners seek answers in today’s market.

Farmers National Company has successfully marketed more than $450 million in land value in the first half of 2025.

“We have had a strong start to the year and will continue to adapt to the global elements that impact the land value market,” Schadegg says.

Des Moines – On Thursday, July 24, former Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack will host a forum with farmers and Iowans at the Ericson Public Library at 702 Greene St. in Boone. The event will begin at 11:00 a.m.

This event is part of a series that is focused on how Democrats plan to help “Grow Iowa” through building a stronger economy and attracting more people to our state. More events featuring agricultural speakers and ideas will take place this summer.

Former Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack

Secretary Vilsack will speak about his forward vision concerning the many issues that Iowa farmers face and that affect the economy of rural communities. Everyone is welcome to attend and ask questions.

Farmers Forum with Tom Vilsack

When: Thursday, July 24 at 11:00 a.m.

Where: Ericson Public Library, 702 Greene St., Boone

(Radio Iowa) – D-N-R wildlife biologist Todd Bogenschutz says pheasants weren’t the only game bird that saw a drop in harvest numbers last year.  “Twenty-seven-thousand-500 quail reported harvested, which is about three-thousand less than the year before, so down a little bit,” Bogenschutz says. The drop in pheasants was attributed to a wet spring, but Bogenschutz says other weather impacted quail. “The quail are native to Iowa, so not an introduced species like pheasants, so they’re a little bit more tolerant to the rain and than pheasants are,” he says. “And so probably the bigger thing for quail would be the winter.”

Bogenschutz says this was a mild winter and that will help the quail population.”So I’m expecting to see our growth counts go up just because I think we probably had better survival of the birds we had this past winter because it was so mild. It’s not the rainfall can’t impact quail too, but we’ve got to get into that like nine and ten inch rain,” he says. Bogenschutz says the morning dove harvest was down a little bit too.

He says the counts were up for cottontail rabbits and that led to their harvest being up, with some 77-thousand cottontails taken statewide. The squirrel harvest was up 124-thousand squirrels statewide last year.

(Iowa Capital Dispatch) – Eighteen percent of soybeans are setting pods across the state, which is several days ahead of the 5-year average. Other crops across Iowa continue to progress close to the normal schedule amid another week of above-average precipitation, according to the crop progress and condition report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Corn and soybeans both rated well for the July 7-13 reporting period, respectively at 85% and 79% good to excellent.  Corn silking reached 36% on average across the state, and 5% of corn entered the dough stage. The central regions of the state and southeastern Iowa continue to lead the state in terms of acres reaching various development stages.

On average, more than half of soybean acres across the state are blooming, according to the report. The second cutting of alfalfa hay is 66% complete across the state and 7% of hay acres have undergone their third cutting already. Hay rated 83% good to excellent for the week. Oats rated 86% good to excellent and nearly all, 96%, of the crop has headed and 71% has colored.

Farmers had fewer than four days suitable for field work during the reporting period due to what State Climatologist Justin Glisan referred to as an “anomalously wet and active” weather week.  On average, the state received 2.37 inches of precipitation during the period, which is more than an inch above the normal. Precipitation accumulation maps for the period show a band of heavy rain from river to river across the central portion of the state. These areas received 2-4 inches more than the normal for the reporting period. Asbury in Dubuque County clocked the most precipitation for the period with 6.77 inches. Several towns in eastern Iowa had flash flooding warnings and there were tornadoes in Canton, Clarinda and in Scott County.

Accumulated precipitation from July 7-13. (Map courtesy of Midwestern Regional Climate Center)

Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a disaster proclamation Monday for Scott County, due to damages from the storm. The disaster proclamation opens up state funds to help with repairs to an area and allows affected residents to apply for grants to help pay for repairs and other expenses caused by the storm. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said it was a “wild weather week” for the state.  “Though the rainfall is improving drought conditions and helping the corn during tasseling and pollination, there are now parts of the state that could use a break from the rain,” Naig said in a statement.

According to the report, north central Iowa has the wettest soil, with 37% of topsoil and 38% of subsoil moisture conditions rated as surplus for the period. On average, topsoil moisture conditions for the state rated 71% adequate and 23% surplus. Subsoil moisture conditions for the state were 74% adequate and 16% surplus. Southwestern Iowa continued to have the driest soil conditions as 31% of topsoil and 35% of subsoil rated short.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The start of the Cass County (Iowa) Fair is just a little more than a week and a-half away, and the static building will be bustling with activity throughout the fair. Along with being open to see all the great static exhibits members have been working on throughout the year, the building is also host to many competitions. During the week static exhibits will be on display along with Bucket of Junk exhibits.

The building will open for the first time from 5:00pm to 7:00pm on Thursday, July 24th. When the building opens you will be able to see the static exhibits for the first time including which exhibits were chosen for State Fair. Also during this time is the 4-H Food Sale, which will be taking place in the lobby of the Community Center and is free will donation for food made by 4-Hers that will be judged Wednesday, July 23rd. Building hours can be found below along with a schedule of events that are being held each day.

You’re invited to come out and support the fair exhibitors as they showcase the skills and exhibits they have been practicing and building all year. Static Exhibits are projects youth have created this past year as an active growth of their areas of interest. These are a sample of learning youth have achieved. They talk to a judge about what their goal was before they started, the process they went through, and what they learned working towards their goals.

The exhibits may include food, photos, creative signs, posters, or displays and much more. Come see the variety of learning 4-H can offer for young people.

For more information on how to enroll in 4-H, contact Katie at 712-243-1132 or https://www.extension.iastate.edu/cass/join-4-h.

DES MOINES, Iowa — Swimming is not recommended at over a dozen Iowa beaches. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources report suggests avoiding these 14 beaches, all of which have E. coli levels that are too high and indicate other bacteria. They are as follows:

• Backbone Beach
• Beeds Lake Beach
• Blue Lake Beach
• Bobwhite State Park
• Denison Beach
• Lake Ahquabi Beach
• Lake Darling Beach
• Lake Manawa Beach
• Lake of Three Fires Beach
• McIntosh Woods Beach
• Nine Eagles Beach
• Pleasant Creek Beach
• Prairie Rose Beach
• Union Grove Beach

Last week, swimming was not recommended at 12 Iowa beaches. The DNR conducts weekly tests at more than three dozen public swimming beaches between the week before Memorial Day through Labor Day.