(Des Moines, Iowa/Iowa Capital Dispatch) – A bill advanced from the House Agriculture Committee Wednesday that would establish a pilot program to reduce the average, statewide use of commercial nitrogen fertilizer. House Study Bill 165 was amended in the committee to task the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship with the administration and development of the pilot program. The program would work with farmers to evaluate crop production strategies that “enhance nitrogen management” in the state. Rep. Jon Dunwell, R-Newton, said the amendment calls for a $2 million appropriation from the fiscal year 2026 general fund. This would create a dispersal fund for the program and incentives to participating farmers who would be paid at least $5 per farmed acre that is involved in the program.

Dunwell said the goal of the pilot program is to reduce the statewide average use of commercial nitrogen fertilizers by 15%, or 30 pounds per acre. An earlier version of the bill tasked IDALS to implement a commercial fertilizer study, rather than a pilot program, to “determine innovations that may be practically incorporated as part of crop production practices.” According to a recent study from Iowa State University, the amount of nitrogen fertilizer needed to “maximize the profitability” in corn production has increased by about 1.2%, annually, for the past three decades. The study, which looked at corn production in the Midwest, attributes the increased need to the “nutrient demands of higher yields.”

Researchers said the trend is also likely to continue, and that rising optimum nitrogen rates would be “even higher” if it weren’t for increased use of nutrient efficiency practices like crop rotation, improved drainage, spring fertilizer application and more informed application tools. IDALS recently updated its nutrient reduction strategy, which included several practices aimed specifically at reducing overall nitrogen application. The department also promoted a new, free calculator developed by the Iowa Nitrogen Initiative that helps farmers determine the best rate of nitrogen application for their farm. These efforts from IDALS were part of the department’s participation in a larger, 12-state task force to address the growing size of the hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico by reducing nutrient levels in the Mississippi River Basin.

The efforts also seek to reduce nutrient levels from non-point source polluters in Iowa waters. The bill moves next to the full House for debate.

(Lewis, Iowa) – The Cass County Conservation Board is holding an “Outdoor Mobile Apps Program.” Cass County Naturalist Lora Kanning will give a presentation pertaining to Outdoor Mobile Apps, in the Community Room at the Atlantic Public Library (507 Poplar St.), on Saturday, March 15th, beginning at 11-a.m.

All ages welcome to attend the presentation. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Bring your phones, or tablets to discover how to use outdoor apps you might be interested in, everything from plants, birding, to hunting!

(An example of an outdoor mobile app)

The Cass County Conservation Board says they hope you to see you there!

(Des Moines, Iowa/Iowa Capital Dispatch) – The Senate Natural Resources Committee, Wednesday, advanced a bill that would bar the Iowa Department of Natural Resources from purchasing land at auction.  Senate Study Bill 1198 would prohibit DNR from acquiring land in Iowa unless it is from a willing donor or seller.  The bill would also stop DNR from purchasing land above the appraised value from a nonprofit corporation that had purchased the land from auction.  In his opening remarks on the bill, Republican Senator Tom Shipley from Nodaway, said “We’ve been down this path before.” The bill, he said, resembles bills from past legislative sessions.

Shipley said there are a number of people in his district, in southwestern Iowa, who are “very unhappy” with the state and federal government’s “overstep” of land ownership and control.  “I have yet to get more than one email from my district that’s … opposed to us doing this,” Shipley said.  Sen. Mike Zimmer, D-DeWitt, said his inbox has been “jammed” with comments from constituents opposed to the bill. Zimmer said some of these emails said the bill intruded on individual property rights. “If an owner wants to sell their property to whomever they want to do, they should have that right to do that,” Zimmer said. “On the rare occasion that the DNR might be able to put together a financial package to actually show up to an auction and bid on a piece of ground, they should be able to do that.”

A trail at Jester Park near Saylorville Lake on Nov. 6, 2024. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

Shipley clarified the bill does not restrict a seller from willingly selling to the DNR, and also said the DNR has not bought land at auction for 20 years. Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, D-West Des Moines, opposed the bill and it would take “a lot of years” and “a lot of money” for the DNR to become a “real threat” in terms of land ownership.

According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the State of Iowa owns around 400,000 acres of land, which equates to roughly 1% of Iowa’s nearly 36 million acres of land.

Trone Garriott, Zimmer and committee ranking Democrat Sen. Art Staed voted no on the bill, which passed with an amendment striking a section that provided an exemption to auction purchases if it advanced a conservation or recreation plan and was approved by the Natural Resources Commission.

(Des Moines, Iowa/Iowa Capital Dispatch) – Iowa senators advanced a bill Tuesday to implement nutrition guidelines and education in Iowa schools that prioritize the state’s “unique” food sources like corn, pork and dairy.  The bill would also update school health class curriculum to include a section on nutrition and include instruction on food production and the benefits of local sourcing in agriculture, as well as natural resources career and technical education instruction.

Senate Study Bill 1158 would instruct the Iowa Department of Education to apply for a waiver for exemption of certain parts of federal nutrition standards for school meals. The bill asks for exemptions from sodium limits, whole grain requirements and stipulations on fruit and vegetable varieties and general permission to substitute federal nutrition guidelines with those that “align with Iowa’s dietary recommendations or cultural food practices.”

The Iowa Department of Education, if the waiver were approved, would then work with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, nutrition experts, educators and other stakeholders to develop guidelines for a “nutritionally adequate meal” in Iowa. Per SSB 1158, these guidelines must be as stringent as federal guidelines in promoting health and preventing chronic diseases and must prioritize animal-based protein, dairy, vegetables and fruits, in that order.

Sen. Liz Bennett, D-Cedar Rapids, opposed the bill in the Senate Agriculture Committee hearing because of this section. “You’re basically rewriting the food pyramid by writing into law that certain food groups must be prioritized in the order listed,” Bennett said in the committee hearing. Bennett said she’s not against animal proteins but said she does not see “nutritional research evidence” supporting the prioritization outlined in the bill.

(Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture)

Lobbyists from Iowa commodity groups including the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association and Iowa Corn Growers Association spoke in favor of the bill during its subcommittee hearing Feb. 26. Sen. Mike Zimmer of DeWitt, ranking Democrat for the Senate Ag Committee, echoed Bennett’s sentiment and said students should be taught the harms as well as the benefits of animal proteins and should similarly be exposed to other sources of protein.

Zimmer said the bill attempts to “reinvent the wheel” on nutrition education and school meal programming that are already established by the Department of Education. Sen. Kevin Alons, R-Salix, who chaired the subcommittee on the bill last week, said the proposed legislation does not ignore federal nutrition guidelines; it instead asks for a waiver.

The bill was amended in committee to remove references to “sustainable farming” practices from the section on career education. Sen. Dan Zumbach, R-Ryan, said the language was removed to avoid complication in the curriculum since “the word sustainable is not defined.” According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, sustainable agriculture is defined in U.S. Code as “an integrated system of plant and animal production practices” that, among other goals, “make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls.”

The bill passed with the amendment, 11-4 with Democrat Sens. Zimmer, Bennett, Tony Bisignano of Des Moines and Herman Quirmbach of Ames voting no. A similar bill, House Study Bill 173, has advanced from subcommittee in the House.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Democratic Party chair Rita Hart says President Trump’s new import tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico and China will have a negative impact on Iowa’s economy. “It’s already hit the corn and soybean market and we can see what’s happening to the stock market,” Hart says. In a post on his “Truth Social” platform, President Donald Trump said the tariffs were being imposed on “external product” and the great farmers of the United States should get ready to start making a lot of products to be sold INSIDE the U-S. Trump closed the message by writing “Have fun!” Hart says the price for a bushel of corn fell by 22 cents by midday today (Tuesday).

“That doesn’t seem like fun to me,” Hart says. Hart says after Trump imposed tariffs in 2018 and 2019, other countries which had been buying American farm commodities started buying elsewhere. Trump authorized 61 BILLION dollars in tariff relief payments to American farmers during his first term. “Farmers are a proud bunch. We want trade, not aid,” Hart says. “This president got by with it last time. I don’t know why, but if he thinks he’s going to have the taxpayers bail us out again, that’s just poor leadership.”

Hart farms with her husband in Clinton County, near Wheatland.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig is back from a trade trip to Costa Rica and Guatemala. Naig says both countries present a lot of trade opportunities. “To Guatemala being the largest economy in Central America, both very good markets for us, from a soybean meal, from a corn, from a corn, from a pork, beef and turkey standpoint as well, and we think both have a real upside from an ethanol standpoint,” he says.

“We can help Costa Rica and Guatemala on two fronts. One is, you know, to help supply their livestock industries with feed. And so we do that through exporting soybean meal, dry distillers grains and corn, but also the consumer. You know, their rising incomes, they are looking for more protein,” Naig says. He says representatives of Iowa’s beef industry were on the trip. “Iowa corn fed beef is very, very desirable, competes well, dark turkey meat as well. So these, markets, represent multi faceted opportunities for us,” he says. Naig says the accessibility of the two countries is a positive.

Mike Naig (Iowa PBS photo)

“There’s a tremendous logistic advantage, logistical advantage for us to go down the Mississippi, across the Gulf and into ports in Central America,” Naig says. “So we have a logistical advantage, and then you match that up with the quality and the consistency that we can supply. We’ve got some very, very good customers in those two countries.”

The Iowa Economic Development Authority was on the trip with Ag Department as they worked to connect Iowa companies with markets for their products and service.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency late this (Friday) night, issued a BURN BAN, in effect immediately and until further notice! Emergency Management Coordinator Brian Hamman issued a statement on social media, saying the ban was necessary as a result of “Multiple, large and out of control field fires.”

Hamman said numerous fires were reported Friday (Feb. 28th), “As a direct result of Red Flag Conditions (Temperatures, High Winds & Low Relative Humidity) throughout the entire area. All fires originated from previously burnt brush piles from approximately 1-2 weeks ago, that had rekindled due to the strong sustained winds and eventually spread to dry adjoining grass and fields.”

Hamman said “While conditions two weeks ago were conducive to light and burn brush piles, we have quickly dried out due to the extreme warm up this week. Regardless of issuing an Open Burn Ban yesterday, today or tomorrow, it would not have changed the outcome today due to the extreme weather conditions. This is why we stress the importance of monitoring these piles for several weeks after they have burnt or request that once they are burnt, to please bury them or put soil on top.

“A special thanks,” He said, ” goes out to the US National Weather Service Omaha/Valley Nebraska for monitoring the fire trends today and quickly alerting us of wildfire detections via satellite, they were able to detect (5) fires prior to them being reported to 9-1-1.

“Another special thanks goes out to all the area farmers who quickly responded to all the different fires today with tractors & discs as well as all of our responding fire departments. Most all have fulltime jobs and are volunteers who give up their time to help when called upon.

“Lastly,” Hamman said, “A special thank you to Montgomery County 911 and all the area dispatchers who had a difficult day with all of the fires. At one point, we had (4) active field fires within Montgomery County ongoing. They fielded numerous calls and answered all radio traffic without hesitation and with the upmost professionalism.”

(Images are from the MCEMA Facebook page)

A brief list of each fire is listed below:

(1) At 11:30am, Montgomery Co EMA was notified of a wildfire detection via US National Weather Service Omaha/Valley Nebraska satellite radar in the area of US HWY 71 x US HWY 34. Montgomery County 911 received a 9-1-1 call shortly after reporting a field fire in the area of 220th x T Ave and fire departments were dispatched. The fire quickly grew out of control, jumped the road and was eventually contained with fire suppression units and tractors & discs. Crews were on scene for roughly 2 hours.
1 minor injury reported.
Origin of Cause: Previously lit burn pile. Estimated 45 acres burned.
Responding Agencies:
Villisca FD
Stanton Fire and Rescue Department
Red Oak Fire Department
Corning Iowa Fire Department
Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency
Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office – Red Oak, Iowa
Montgomery County 911
(3) Tractors & Discs

(2) At 1:08pm, Montgomery County 911 received a report of a small field fire in the area of 230th x C Ave southwest of Red Oak. Fire crews from the initial fire were released and responded as well as surrounding county mutual aid partners. The fire was quickly contained by a tractor and disc and with the first arriving fire units.
No injuries reported.
Origin of Cause: Previously lit burn pile.
Responding Agencies:
Red Oak Fire Department
Stanton Fire and Rescue Department
Emerson Volunteer Fire/Rescue Association Inc.
Essex Fire Rescue
Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency
Montgomery County 911

(3) At 2:01pm, Montgomery Co EMA was notified of another wildfire detection via US National Weather Service Omaha/Valley Nebraska satellite radar in the area of US HWY 48 x H Ave. Fire crews from the second fire were released and dispatched to the scene as well as additional mutual aid partners. Once initial crews arrived on scene, a fast-moving field fire was ongoing and additional out of county mutual aid resources were requested along with several area farmers with tractors & discs. Fire crews remained on scene for roughly 6 hours at this incident scene due to numerous piles of debris smoldering.
1 minor injury reported.
Origin of Cause: Previously lit burn piles. Estimated 150 acres burned.
Responding Agencies:
Red Oak Fire Department
Elliott FD
Stanton Fire and Rescue Department
Grant FD
Griswold Fire & Rescue
Carson Fire and Rescue
Macedonia FD
Clarinda FD
Numerous Tractor & Discs

(4) At 2:48pm, Montgomery Co EMA was notified of an additional wildfire detection via US National Weather Service Omaha/Valley Nebraska satellite radar in the area 110th x O Ave. Mutual aid crews responding to the HWY 48 x 110th fire were diverted and found an ongoing field fire in the area of 155th x Pine Ave. A tractor and disc was already deployed in the field assisting to create a fire break and out of county mutual aid partners were requested due to the large ongoing fire west of Elliott. Crews remained on scene for roughly 90 minutes.
No injuries reported.
Origin of Cause: Previously lit burn pile.
Responding Agencies:
Grant FD
Stanton Fire and Rescue Department
Villisca FD
Essex Fire Rescue
Clarinda FD
(1) Tractor and Disc

(5) At 3:18pm, Montgomery Co EMA was notified of an additional wildfire detection via US National Weather Service Omaha/Valley Nebraska satellite radar in the area of 270th and O Ave. Montgomery County 911 also took a call reporting this field fire and fire crews that were enroute to the previous fire were redirected and quickly contained the field fire with additional assistance from tractor & discs that were on scene or arrived shortly after. Crews were on scene for 1 hour.
No injuries reported.
Origin of Cause: Previously lit burn pile.
Responding Agencies:
Stanton Fire and Rescue Department
Villisca FD
Clarinda FD
(3) Tractor and Discs

(6) At 3:38pm, Montgomery Co EMA was notified of an additional wildfire detection via US National Weather Service Omaha/Valley Nebraska via satellite radar in the area of 110th x C Ave. Smoke was quickly visible at the HWY 48 x 110th fire and out of county mutual aid was requested as there were no available fire units within Montgomery County due to numerous ongoing field fires. Some units were able to be released from the HWY 48 x 110th fire to aid the out of county mutual aid resources and additional tractor & discs were called or responded directly to the scene. Crews were on scene for 2 hours.
No injuries reported.
Origin of Cause: Previously lit burn pile.
Responding Agencies:
Red Oak Fire Department
Griswold Fire & Rescue
Carson Fire and Rescue
Macedonia FD
Oakland Fire and Rescue
Henderson FD
Clarinda FD
Numerous Tractor & Discs

Other agencies providing assistance during those incidents:
Mills County Emergency Management Agency
Pottawattamie County Emergency Management
Page County Iowa Emergency Management \ E 911
Cass County Iowa Emergency Management Agency
Cass County 911 Center

AVON LAKE, Iowa [KCCI] — A man and a dog were rescued after falling through the ice on a lake in southeastern Polk County, Thursday. According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, deputies and animal control were dispatched to Avon Lake around 4:45 p.m. on Thursday for a report of a dog that had fallen through the ice. While en route, a second 911 call was made, indicating that a man had gone onto the ice to rescue the dog and had also fallen through the ice. Authorities say a nearby neighbor saw the incident and used a small boat from the shoreline to slide across the ice to the man in the water. The man was unable to get into the boat, but was able to hold on until deputies arrived on scene.

With the help of local citizens and a Carlisle police officer, a Polk County Sheriff’s Deputy was able to throw a rope to the man and pull him to the shore. The man was taken to a nearby hospital as a precaution, the PCSO said. The dog that had fallen into the water was also found and is OK. Authorities warned residents against walking onto ice in ponds and lakes as the weather warms up, and encourages precautions for pets for those who live near open water.

Firefighters practice ice rescue techniques in southwest Iowa (File photo – Courtesy of the Red Oak Fire Department)

In a separate incident, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office has identified the man who died after falling through ice in Linn County Thursday afternoon. KCRG reports 46-year-old Brian Thomas of Marion died after he was taken by ambulance to Mercy Hospital. The Linn County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were called to the 8100 block of Chain Lakes Road, near Palo, at about 2:40 p.m. Thursday. First responders found three men on the bank of the lake near. The sheriff’s office said all three had fallen in, two had pulled the third man to the shoreline, but he was unconscious. First responders initiated CPR on Thomas who was unconscious. He was then taken to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

The other two men were taken to the hospital to be treated for hypothermia.Thomas’ remains were taken to the State Laboratory for an official autopsy.

March 1:

• John Bricker of Atlantic (winner)
• Jim Casson of Atlantic

March 2:

• Lyric Thomas Hanika of Nebraska City

March 3:

• Sandra Griffen of Atlantic (winner)
• Taylor Good of Nebraska City

March 4:

• Jennifer Nichols of Atlantic (winner)
• Jean Stamp of Atlantic
• Carrie Albert Winston of Atlantic
• Bub Sorensen of Exira
• Silvy Schmidt of Exira

March 5:

• Sharon Witt of Atlantic (winner)
• Jeff Oakley of Audubon

March 6:

• Joey Bateman of Atlantic (winner)
• Bernice Muhr of Audubon

March 7:

• Tom Hill of Exira (winner)
• Janice Brown of Atlantic

March 8:

• Judy Wheeler of Exira (winner)
• Dorothy Kerkhoff of Audubon
• Mary Ellen Yarger of Massena

March 9:

• Makelti Thomas of Atlantic (winner)

March 10:

• Ruth Shutters of Hancock (winner)
• Doug Kelly of Griswold
• Cookie Smith of Atlantic
• Chuck Fancher of Audubon

March 11:

• Lloyd Munson of Atlantic (winner)

March 12:

• KJAN’s Becky Christensen of Atlantic

March 13:

• Julie Brown of Cumberland (winner)
• Noah Hill of Exira
• Julia McNees of Atlantic

March 14:

• No Birthdays Submitted

March 15:

• Roger Petersen of Exira (winner)

March 16:

• Mia Heuss of Norwalk (winner)
• Bernie Johnson of Exira
• Cathy Meyers of Exira
• Greta Parks of Atlantic

March 17:

• Madison Johnson of Kimballton (winner)
• Gabby Wahlert of Anita
• Julie Earnhardt of Exira

March 18:

• Zoey Thompson of Exira (winner)

March 19:

• Tom Godwin of Exira (winner)
• Misty Winston of Walnut

March 20:

• Lynda Martens of Anita (winner)
• Delbert Christensen of Audubon
• Mike Conley of Atlantic

March 21:

• Mike Barnes of Atlantic (winner)
• Dell Martin of Audubon
• Robert Essington of Atlantic
• Robert Bornholdt of Elk Horn
• Anna Evans of Atlantic

March 22:

• Heather Toft of Audubon (winner)
• Goldie Sue Asberry of Exira
• Katie Kelly of Griswold
• Grady Sager of Atlantic

March 23:

• Dave Campbell of Audubon (winner)
• Theo Sager of Atlantic

March 24:

• Karen Guyer of Hancock (winner)
• Janice Madsen of Audubon

March 25:

• Teresa Murray of Audubon (winner)
• Max Bateman of Atlantic
• Dani Bateman of Atlantic

March 26:

• Phyllis Jensen of Atlantic (winner)
• Scott Schlater of Exira
• George Schultes of Stuart

March 27:

• Wanda Sampson of Exira (winner)
• Wendy Tuey of Exira

March 28:

• Alexia Noelck of Atlantic (winner)
• Don Patchin of Adair
• Karen Blum of Harlan
• Emily Jobe of Lewis

March 29:

• Jake Myers of Adair (winner)
• Keagen “Chachi” Garcia of Maryville, MO

March 30:

• No Birthdays Submitted

March 31:

• Todd Madsen of Harlan (winner)