(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds says the state and federal government should stick with the voluntary approach to reducing farm chemical runoff into Iowa waterways. A report commissioned by Iowa’s largest county has found nitrate levels in the rivers used to provide drinking water in the Des Moines metro are among the highest in the United States. “You know regulation is hardly ever the answer. That’s a killer in most instances,” Reynolds said. “It takes out innovation. It takes out you know just the ability to be nimble.” Reynolds says since she took over as governor eight years ago, the state has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to help farmers install conservation practices that improve water quality.

Gov. Reynolds spoke with reporters after an event in Des Moines on July 10, 2025. (governor’s office photo)

“That’s, I think, where we need to continue to put our efforts,” Reynolds says. “I can’t control Mother Nature. They can’t control Mother Nature, so that’s just a component that they have to work with, but mark my word, they are working every single day to implement conservation practices because they know it benefits everybody.” Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack served 12 years as the nation’s secretary of agriculture. He says there is a definitely a role for the federal government in cleaning up waterways, but Vilsack suggests it’s supporting new ways to use manure from Iowa livestock operations.

“One of the reasons we have the nitrate problem is because there is an over application of manure on ground around the state…There’s only so much nutrients that land needs. It gets rid of the excess. It goes into the rivers and streams. We’ve got the problems,” Vilsack said. “What if you diverted that manure? What if you created opportunities to basically take that manure and create something more valuable from it?” Vilsack says manure is generating energy and fuel in other parts of the country and the federal government should support research and projects that turn manure into a commodity that’s sold like corn and beans. “You’ve reduced the level that’s applied to land, which reduces nitrates — which deals with the water issue, you’ve created an opportunity for that farmer to have additional income…and you also create jobs in rural places,” Vilsack said. “What’s not to like about that opportunity?”

Vilsack says there are other creative solutions like sensor technology that determines how much farm chemicals are needed on crop land. “In some cases it’s been suggested by folks at Iowa State that maybe 30% of our corn acres don’t necessarily need fertilizer at all,” Vilsack said. “Well, if that’s the case, that’s a savings for farmers.” Vilsack made his comments during taping of the “Iowa Press” program which airs tonight (Friday) on Iowa P-B-S.

(Atlantic, Iowa) –  The downtown Atlantic City Park is a magical place to celebrate Christmas…in July! Event organizers invite your join them at the farmers market for Christmas in July, featuring festive fun for all ages: Christmas face painting, holiday-themed art with Your Forte, a special visit from Santa, and a performance of Christmas carols by the Cass County Choral Society. Don’t miss this jolly good time at the park!

25+ vendors with fresh produce like tomatoes, cucumbers, and fresh onions, local meats (chicken, beef, and lamb), farm-fresh eggs, honey, and  freeze-dried snack. Baked goods such as breads, cupcakes, brownies, and gluten-free desserts, as well as Christmas Cookies including sugar, ginger bread, peanut butter kiss, and hot chocolate cookies. Craft and art products including wood items such as charcuterie boards and cutting boards, upcycled clothing, rocks and crystals, paintings, leatherwork, soaps and other bath and body products, garden decorations, and compost.

Food Trucks: Noble Provisions Grilling Burgers, Zemog’s Mexican Kitchen, Louie’s Shaved Ice, Squeezing Lemons fresh-squeezed lemonade.

Details:

Event: Christmas in July Produce in the Park
Date: Thursday, July 17, 2025
Time: 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Location: Atlantic City Park, 10 W 7th St, Atlantic, IA 50022
Cost to enter: Free

Facebook event link: https://www.facebook.com/share/1VZGKY5Nip/

(Radio Iowa) – The executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association is thrilled over the Trump Administration’s plans for increased renewable fuel blending levels. Monte Shaw says the EPA released its proposed changes on Tuesday for the Renewable Fuel Standard for the coming years, and he says they’re very robust compared to previous years.

“The last rule was definitely below what it should have been,” said Shaw. “It’s kind of left the industry a little stagnant. And, these would be very robust levels — the largest we’ve seen. Fifteen billion gallons for conventional biofuels like ethanol, 24 billion gallons overall, so, a significant step up for the levels that biodiesel operates in, and things like that.”

Shaw says the standards set during President Biden’s administration hurt the renewable fuel industry. “The last rules under the Biden Administration woefully missed — I mean, they just missed,” he said. “It set the levels way too low for what was going on in the biodiesel and renewable diesel industries by billions of gallons. So, it really hurt the industry. Quite frankly, what the industry said was going to happen, happened. They (the Biden Administration) said, ‘Nah, you guys are too optimistic’ and low-balled it, and it hurt. We had biodiesel plants shut down.”

Radio Iowa file photo

Shaw hopes the improved RFS levels ease any discomfort President Trump’s proposed trade tariffs caused farmers. “We know farmers have faced a pretty rough two years,” said Shaw. “We know there’s going to be some disruptions to the markets based on how Trump wants to pursue his trade and tariff agenda. So, I think they looked at the RFS as something they could do for agriculture to provide some growth and stability while they pursue some other policies that can be a little tricky for agriculture.”

While calling the proposed levels “a great first step,” he urged the EPA to provide greater access to E-15 fuels by eliminating outdated regulations.

(Radio Iowa) – Drought conditions continue to improve in the state. The latest U-S Drought Monitor shows most of the middle of the state has no drought conditions, which is about 64 percent — and is up from 57 percent last week. Less than four percent of the state has areas of moderate drought, including one county in northwest Iowa, six in the southeast, four in south-central, and two in eastern Iowa.

Around 36 percent of the state is abnormally dry, in sections along the eastern and western edges. Just 20 percent of the state had no drought conditions at the start of the year.

(Greenfield, Iowa)…

THURSDAY, JULY 10 (Harlan, Iowa) 
6:30 – 8:00 a.m………….Enter & Weigh 4-H/FFA Beef Cows/Calves, Feeder Calves, Dairy Cows in Production, & Bottle/Bucket Calves – All livestock is to unload at dock and be inspected by a                                        Veterinarian.
8:00 a.m…………………..Poultry Exhibitors’ Meeting
8:30 a.m…………………..Judge 4-H/FFA Poultry (tent)
8:30 a.m…………………..Judge Open Class Non-Livestock Departments (if not judging Weds.)
8:30 a.m…………………..Enter 4-H/FFA Cats & Small Pets (cement pad North of Morgan Hall)
8:45 a.m…………………..Cat and Small Pet Exhibitors’ Meeting
9:00 a.m…………………..Judge 4-H/FFA Cats & Small Pets
9:00-9:30 a.m……………Enter Bottle Animals – Unload at dock and be inspected by a Veterinarian.
9:30 a.m…………………..Judge 4-H/FFA Feeder Calves, Beef Cow/Calves, Breeding Beef, and Dairy Cattle
10:00 a.m…………………Pie & Muffin Baking (check Green Book for your scheduled time.)
10:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m….Little Hands on the Farm & Livestock Babies Barn Exhibits Open
12:30 p.m…………………Bottle/Bucket Calf and Bottle/Bucket Calf Plus One Exhibitors’ Meeting
1:00 p.m…………………..Judge 4-H/FFA/Clover Kids Bottle Bucket Calf Show
2:30 p.m…………………..Open Class Bottle Show
3:00-5:00 p.m……………Little Hands on the Farm & Livestock Babies Barn Exhibits Open
4:00 p.m…………………..Carnival Opens
6:00 p.m…………………..Shelby County Fair Parade – ‘”Shelby County Fair, How Sweet It Is!’
7:00-7:30 p.m……………Strolling Act – ‘Farmer Phil’
7:30-9:00 p.m……………Little Hands on the Farm & Livestock Babies Barn Exhibits Open
8:00-8:30 p.m……………Strolling Act – ‘Farmer Phil’
8:00 p.m…………………..Show Ring: Crowning of 2025 Shelby County Fair Queen and Hall of Fame Awards
9:00-9:30 p.m…………..Strolling Act – ‘Farmer Phil’

4-H & Open Class Buildings open following judging to 10:00 p.m.
Nishna Valley Model Railroad Building open from 4:00 – 9:00 p.m.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter has released a report that summarizes habitat loss in the state and calls for urgent action to expand corridors that connect wild areas. Drake University ecology and botany professor Thomas Rosburg says Iowa has lost more than 90 percent of its wetlands and prairies and around three-quarters of its forests and woodlands in the last 200 years. “And this means of course that millions and millions of individual plants and animals that once were here are now simply gone,” he says. He says what’s left of Iowa’s native ecosystems is largely fragmented, which makes it harder for species to move for food, mates and shelter.

“And that’s of course a tremendous conversion from what once was a tremendously diverse and bountiful and productive landscape to again, a now landscape where biodiversity is threatened,” Rosburg says. He says expanding and improving habitat corridors along streams and rivers could help connect the state’s remaining prairies, wetlands and forests. “The other type of corridor that’s sort of ready to use is our roadways,” he says. He says we could add more native grasses and wildflowers alongside roadways to make a difference.

Sixty-two counties and 25 cities in Iowa do this, according to the Tallgrass Prairie Center

(Iowa Capital Dispatch) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has announced proposed rules that remove the category of “special concern” species from its rule on threatened and endangered species.  Species on the “special concern” list include bald eagles, peregrine falcons, southern flying squirrels, smooth green snakes and a number of butterflies. The move came as part of DNR’s adherence to the governor’s executive order to simplify administrative rules across agencies.

Tammie Krausman, the department’s public information officer, said the decision to remove the category allows the department’s administrative rules to follow the relevant chapter of Iowa statute.  Krausman said in an email this will make the administrative rules “consistent with” the statute that “explicitly addresses that DNR responsibilities are to identify those species that are endangered or threatened in the state.”

“The ‘special concern’ classification is not identified in that law,” Krausman said. This is not the first notice DNR has put out about its efforts to refine its administrative code. In fact, all state agencies have been completing the same work following an executive order, known as Executive Order 10, signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds in 2023.

A bald eagle soars above the Des Moines River in late January 2025. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

The executive order created a moratorium on administrative rulemaking and ordered agencies to complete a “comprehensive review” of all existing administrative rules. Reynolds, in the release about the order, said it was a “commonsense approach that gets government out of the way and leads to a more robust economy in every community.”

The order also called for an evaluation and “rigorous cost benefit analysis” of existing rules to determine if the public benefits justified the cost.  A press release from DNR about the proposed rule change regarding special concern species said “there is no change in policy or enforcement in the new rule.” Many of the special concern species have small populations in the state, like peregrine falcons, which were reintroduced in Iowa and are regularly monitored by DNR staff and Iowa volunteers.

Some species from the “special concern” category were moved to the threatened or endangered category in the proposed rules. Species moved to the “threatened” list include: black tern, pirate perch, bullsnake, two spotted skipper, and regal fritillary. Species moved to the “endangered” list include: pugnose shiner, dusted skipper and ottoe skipper.

Wally Taylor, legal and conservation chair with the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter, said it was “a problem” to remove the special concern category from the administrative rules. Taylor has opposed several changes DNR has made in its efforts to follow Reynolds’ order, and is involved in a lawsuit against the state that alleges the governor does not have the authority to make agencies adopt less-restrictive standards.

Krausman said the list of special concern species will continue to be part of the Iowa Wildlife Action Plan, and she said the department will “actively monitor the status of these species.” DNR is accepting informal comments from the public on the proposed rule changes through July 15. Those interested can submit their written comments via email to John Pearson and Kelly Poole at the department : john.pearson@dnr.iowa.gov and kelly.poole@dnr.iowa.gov.

(Radio Iowa) – U-S Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says there will be no amnesty for workers on farms and in food production plants who’re facing deportation because they entered the U-S illegally.  “The promise to America to ensure that we have a 100% American workforce stands, but we must be strategic in how we are implementing the mass deportations so as not to compromise our food supply,” Rollins says. “Ultimately the answer on this is automation, also some reform on the governing structure.” Rollins says it’s up to congress to come up with a permanent fix to the immigration system — and she says now is not the time to compromise on the president’s promise of mass deportations.

“Then also when you think about there are 34 million able-bodied adults in our Medicaid program,” Rollins said. “There are plenty of workers in America.” The ag secretary’s comments follow President Trump hints during a speech in Iowa last Thursday that his administration was working on legislation so that farmers would be able to vouch for their migrant workers.) “Brooke Rollins brought it up and she said: ‘We have a little problem. The farmers are losing a lot of people,'” Trump said. “We figured it out and we have some great stuff being written and let the farmers be responsible.” Trump suggested farmers would be able to vouch for undocumented employees who’ve worked for them years.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins (official USDA photo)

“And I think that’s going to make a lot of people happy,” Trump said. “Now, serious radical right people who I also happen to like a lot, they may not be quite as happy, but they’ll understand — won’t they?” During a news conference in Washington, D.C. yesterday (Tuesday), Rollins said the president has been unequivocal that there will be no amnesty and mass deportations will continue in a strategic and intentional way.