(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department are getting ready for the summer already. Parks Director Bryant Rasmussen says “For anyone interested we have signups for our Summer Swim Team and Youth Summer Tennis.”

Persons interested may sign-up online, or fill-out a paper form in-person, at the Parks & Rec Dept. (1200 Sunnyside Lane).

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – Pottawattamie County Emergency Management officials today (Tuesday), issued a reminder to county residents, that “An open burning ban is in place and continues for all of Pottawattamie County. The ban went into effect February 8, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. The ban prohibits all open and controlled burning in Pottawattamie County, including all incorporated
city limits within the county.” The ban will remain in place until environmental conditions improve.

Yesterday, February 28th, 6 different fires occurred that utilized 12 of our 15 fire departments, units from Pottawattamie County Conservation and the Pottawattamie County Sheriffs Department due to residents failing to observe the burn ban. There were two additional fires out of county that departments also assisted with.

The burn ban is put in place to save lives and property. Violation of a burn ban can subject a person to citation or arrest for reckless use of fire or disobeying a burn ban. There were 4
citations issued yesterday. Emergency Management Specialist Michell Bose says “We understand that the weather has turned nice and land owners have fuels to burn, but with how dry our county is at this time, fires can become out of control quickly, resulting in catastrophic damage.”

As a reminder to citizens during these dry conditions, do not throw cigarettes out from moving vehicles and discontinue burning trash, yard waste, piled tree debris, grass/agricultural ground
and set-asides or other items during the ban. For updated information on burn bans and the law you can find further information on the Pott. County Facebook, and Twitter pages.

Red Oak, Iowa – Officials with ISU Extension and Outreach in Montgomery County said Monday (Today), Sadie Graham has accepted the position of Program Coordinator with the County Extension Office. As Program Coordinator, Graham will provide leadership to the Montgomery County 4-H and Youth program, develop local programming based on county needs, and build community collaborations. Graham will begin her new duties on a part time basis in mid-March, and start full time on May 9.

Graham holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Science from Northwest Missouri State University and will be completing her Master’s in Business Administration from Northwest this Spring. She brings experience with business, agriculture and event coordination to Montgomery County Extension.

Sadie Graham

Of her new position, Graham said “I am inspired by the opportunity to work with a team that promotes agriculture to the youth in the community. ” Mike Thomas, Chairperson of the Montgomery County Agricultural Extension Council, said “In addition to her passion for agriculture, Sadie will bring communication and relationship building skills to the position. We congratulate and welcome her to Montgomery County Extension.”

ISU Extension and Outreach brings research-based programming from Iowa State University directly to local counties in four educational areas:

4-H & Youth Programming
Ag & Natural Resources
Human Sciences
Community & Economic Development

For more information about ISU Extension and Outreach in Montgomery County, visit www.extension.iastate.edu/montgomery.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Get ready to welcome spring, by attending the Cass County Master Gardeners’ 2022 Spring Garden Seminar, in Atlantic. The event is set to take place Saturday, March 19th.  The 2022 Spring Garden Seminar features a theme of “Gardening from the Ground Up” and is a half day seminar designed to provide information and inspiration to gardeners of all skill levels. After a break in 2021, organizers say they are excited to be bringing the seminar back to the Cass County Community center this year.

The event beings with registration and a light continental breakfast at 8:30 AM. The first session beings at 9 AM, and will feature Diana Benzing and Dean Sparr, West Pottawattamie County Master Gardeners, discussing “Vegetable Gardening: Making the Most of What you Have” – a session that is sure to be useful to new and experienced gardeners alike. The second session will feature a panel of local and regional experts discussing Cover Crops for the Home Gardener. Attendees will learn all about methods, challenges, benefits and suggested varieties of cover crops for use in home garden spaces.

Following the guest speakers, the seminar wraps up with 60 minutes of “lightning learning sessions” where attendees will have the opportunity to rotate between short presentations on topics including flower arranging, container gardens, tool care, and air plants.

Spring Garden Seminar 2022- “Gardening from the Ground Up” will be held at the Cass County Community Center in Atlantic. Registration and a light continental breakfast begins at 8:30AM on Saturday, March 19.  The program begins at 9AM and will conclude by 12:30PM. Attendees are encouraged to spend the afternoon lunching and exploring in the Atlantic area; suggestions and coupons will be provided to all who register!

Cost for the seminar, including continental breakfast, materials and refreshments is $20. Master Gardeners are encouraging attendees to register early as space is limited. Early registration deadline is March 15. After this date, a limited number of walk-in spaces will be available at $25/attendee. A full schedule and registration form are available at the Cass County Extension office, or online at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass.  Previous Garden Seminar, attendees with a current address on record will also receive a brochure with registration form in the mail. Questions can be directed to Kate Olson at 712-243-1132, or by email at keolson@iastate.edu.

Mark your calendars, get registered, and plan to join the Cass County Master Gardeners for the 2022 Spring Garden Seminar, “Gardening from the Ground Up!” on Saturday, March 19th!

(Radio Iowa) – Fertilizer prices have skyrocketed over the last year and Iowa’s Attorney General says he is looking into the reasons behind the 200 and 300 percent increases. Fertilizer companies blame natural gas cost spikes and production shutdowns because of Hurricane Ida. But Attorney General Tom Miller says he wants to know if these justify the jump in prices. “We’re taking a look at why this increase, what happened? What’s the relationship to supply and demand? And ask them for their side of the story,” Miller says.

Miller has written letters to the C-E-O’s of the top fertilizer companies — but he emphasizes that it’s not an investigation. “It’s sort of the initial look to see why this happened. And afterward we can make decisions,” he says.

Miller says he’s talked with attorneys general in eight other states — primarily in the Midwest — about fertilizer prices. But he wouldn’t share which states have shown interest. Miller says he’s also asked economists to study the issue — and he hopes to have some findings in a few months.

(Radio Iowa) – Backers of a proposed beef processing plant near Council Bluffs are holding investor meetings in Iowa and around the region. Cattlemen’s Heritage is planning to construct a 450-million-dollar plant that would slaughter about 15-hundred head of cattle per day. Frank Maher, with Jennings Kallen Advisors, says they’ll be taking in cattle from across a wide area. “The cattle is coming from a 180-mile radius of Council Bluffs,” Maher says, “so that includes southeast South Dakota, north Missouri, and then as far west as Grand Island (Nebraska) and as far east as Fort Dodge.”

Maher says it’s a chance for livestock producers in the region to invest in themselves and get a fair return.  “It’s an opportunity for the producers to get back control,” Maher says. “We’re in a marketplace where packer pricing is increasing and the amount of money that the producers are getting is falling and that’s been happening since the beginning of 2014 and there’s no end in sight because the packers are getting more and the producers are getting less.”

Cattle producers are being asked for a minimum investment of 100-thousand dollars which would get them priority for shackle space at the plant. Maher says they want to make physical progress soon at the site near the Mills/Pottawattamie county line. “The timeline is, we’re looking at putting the first shovels in the ground in May of 2022 and wrapping it up in December 2023,” he says.

The plant will employ about 750 people in a single shift and will offer onsite childcare and health services. Nearby subsidized housing will also be an option. Cattlemen’s Heritage officials claim the plant will have a $1.1 billion annual impact on the state of Iowa with the goal of not being bought up by one of the nation’s four major meatpackers.

(Radio Iowa) – Drought conditions are expected to expand across the region in 2022 and with — on average — mostly mild temperatures this winter, there is concern of another year ahead like 2012. That was a year of drought and extreme summer heat. Meteorologist Dennis Todey, director of the U-S-D-A’s Midwest Climate Hub in Ames, says there are similarities. “We are coming off La Ninas in two consecutive years. We did the same thing back in 2012. So, there’s that similarity,” Todey says. “There are other sea surface temperature differences that we note.”

Farmers shouldn’t start to worry too much, Todey says, as there are some contrasts as well between this year and a decade ago. “We had a very dry fall throughout parts of the Plains back in 2011 going into 2012, not quite as much in this time frame,” Todey says. “2012 really cranked up quickly by getting very warm and dry in the spring and right now we’re not necessarily seeing that same kind of crank-up yet.”

The Climate Prediction Center is forecasting above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation for the Northern Plains into early summer.

w/Kate Olson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.3MB)

Subscribe: RSS

(Radio Iowa) – The isolation of the pandemic torpedoed many types of gatherings and clubs, but F-F-A is bucking the trend. The organization dedicated to first-hand learning about the world of agriculture is seeing membership rise in Iowa. Scott Johnson, executive director of the Iowa F-F-A Association, says Iowa was recently recognized as one of only six states that saw member numbers go up during 2021. Johnson says, “I’ve extended compliments to our past state officers over the past couple of years, and others, for doing what they can to keep FFA and ag education and those opportunities relevant to students and keeping them connected to what we think is a valuable experience for them.”

He says F-F-A’s leaders in Iowa are striving to bring visibility to the program and to recruit new students to the ranks. “I think that’s paid off,” Johnson says. “This year, we’re trending towards a 10% increase in growth over last year, and like I said, last year wasn’t a decline in membership either, so to be on that track of growth of membership and growth of programs across the state is tremendous.”

There’s been keen interest in F-F-A since it was founded in 1928 and Johnson says it’s not just a big deal in rural schools. “Des Moines has had a program for years,” Johnson says. “Sioux City recently started a program. Ames has been on board with us now for a few years. Cedar Rapids Prairie is another newer program that would be from one of those larger school systems that are out there.”

This is F-F-A Week. There are more than 17-thousand members in 252 Iowa chapters.