(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Senate Ag Committee has approved a bill that gives some liability protection to farm chemical companies, including Bayer, which makes the widely used weed killer Roundup. Senator Jeff Edler, a Republican from State Center, who’s a farmer, says in 2020 the E-P-A determined the main ingredient in Roundup is not a carcinogen.

“This isn’t about emotion. It’s not about who said what. This is about true science and either you believe the EPA does true science or not,” Edler said. “All this does it take away one little loophole in the way someone was able to construe whether they felt Roundup caused cancer.” Senator Dan Zumbach, a Republican from Ryan who’s a farmer, says companies like Bayer will stop developing and improving farm chemicals if their legal exposure grows.

“If we constantly put them in a position where the risk is so high that they say, ‘The heck with it. We’re not going to do it anymore,’ not just farmers but every person in this room will suffer,” Zumbach says. “There will be starving children for the lack of the availability of these products.” Democrats on the committee opposed the bill. Senator William Dotzler is a Democrat from Waterloo.

“What this thing does is it stops people who’ve been exposed to this and die and their farmer families to get compensation,” Dotzler said. Senator Nate Boulton, a Democrat from Des Moines, says he’s siding with farmers who contend they’ve contracted cancer from exposure to farm chemicals rather than a company concerned about profit margins. “When I look at the wealthiest corporations on the planet, I have a hard time feeling like there’s a tug at my heart strings to make sure they’re going to be ok,” Boulton says.

A similar bill was introduced in the Iowa House, but failed to pass a key committee by today’s (Friday’s) deadline.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – As part of his annual visits to each of Iowa’s 99 counties, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig will be in Southwest Iowa on Friday for four different stops.

In Shelby County, Secretary Naig will tour a brand new, Farm Service Cooperative Warehouse. He was unable to attend their open house last summer and so he will tour the warehouse and meet with employees and leadership to hear about current issues and how preparations for the spring planting season are going.

In Harrison County, Secretary Naig will tour and learn about the IGNITE Pathways Land and Cattle Program, in Woodbine. IGNITE was founded by a group of enterprising students in 2022. The program aims to provide practical learning opportunities in agriculture by renting a farm and raising chickens, goats, sheep, and cattle. The students have demonstrated their commitment to the welfare of the animals by taking on the responsibility of sourcing resources, building and maintaining farm infrastructure, and installing fences. Under the guidance of Justin Mills, Agriculture Instructor at IGNITE Pathways, the program has grown in scale and scope. The students gain invaluable hands-on experience in various aspects of agriculture, including caring for animals, crop cultivation, and farm management.

And, the Secretary will speak at a regional Iowa Corn Growers meeting in Missouri Valley, about current topics in agriculture, provide an update on some of his priorities and initiatives, and take questions from the audience.

In Pottawattamie County, Secretary Naig will meet with FFA members and ag students from the Tri-Center FFA in Neola, and learn about their school’s efforts to partner on pollinator habitat and conservation and water quality projects with area partners, including the local Soil and Water Conservation District. Ahead of FFA Week, which is the following week,  Secretary Naig will also tour their livestock facility.

(Iowa DNR News) – Coyote hunting moves to center stage for an estimated 10,000 hunters, after most of Iowa’s other hunting seasons have now closed. Although its season never closes, coyotes, the state’s top predator, are hunted most often during the winter. The coyote population is distributed fairly well across the state with the highest numbers in western Iowa. Coyotes are habitat generalists and can be found near large brush piles, timber and grass fields, and in particular, fields with switchgrass.  Coyote hunters need to be aware of the possibility – however remote – that the animal they see through their scope is not a coyote but a wolf passing through the state.

“We’ve had a slight increase in the number of reported wolf sightings over the past few years, so there is a chance, even if it’s small, that a coyote hunter may see a wolf while hunting coyotes, especially at night. Whenever we’ve been able to get DNA samples, these dispersing wolves were members of the Great Lakes population from Wisconsin or Minnesota that were wandering through,” said Vince Evelsizer, state furbearer biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Wolves are protected in Iowa and there is no open season. Shooting a wolf has the potential to bring state and or federal fines. “Hunters want to do the right thing. One of the first rules in safe hunting practices is to positively identify your target and what is behind your target before taking a shot. Wolves are two to three times the size of a coyote. If what you see is larger than the average coyote, it is definitely worth not pulling the trigger,” said Colonel Craig Cutts, chief of the Iowa DNR’s Law Enforcement Bureau.

Other than the obvious size difference – coyotes typically weigh 25-40 pounds, while wolves typically weigh 70-110 pounds – Evelsizer said there are other characteristics to help determine the identity of the canine. Coyotes have a pointed snout and their ears are larger proportionally to their body. Wolves are taller than coyotes, have long front legs and a heavier, squarer frame.  There is more detailed information on coyote and wolf characteristics at www.iowadnr.gov/hunting and scroll to the bottom then click on Iowa’s Occasional Wildlife Visitors.

Hunters prefer a fresh layer of snow for tracking and the white background makes coyotes easier to see from a long distance. Wind is critical to coyote hunters because it impacts where and how they set up for calling and pursuing coyotes as coyotes have a keen nose and are naturally wary. Wearing snow colored camo is often effective to avoid detection. The demand for coyote fur for use as trim for hood and coats in foreign markets was strong just a few years ago, but that has changed. Iowa coyote pelts in 2020 averaged $20.53 per pelt depending on the quality and Iowa’s pelts are considered average. Last year’s average price was $8.70. “The top pelts come from the Dakotas, Montana, and Saskatchewan and Alberta, Canada,” Evelsizer said.

“We receive complaints from the public about coyotes’ impact on young deer, turkeys and rabbits; harass pets, and farmers’ loss of livestock. So, in that respect, hunters provide an important service by hunting coyotes,” Cutts said. “That being said, they’re a very wary game animal worthy of respect. We don’t allow the use of artificial light for night hunting on purpose because we encourage fair chase and it could increase the incentive to misuse the technology to poach deer and other wildlife.”

Coyote trapping is allowed, but it must be done during the trapping season.

Coyote hunting dos & don’ts

Hunters are reminded that the way they hunt reflects on all hunters. “With our coyote hunters, we especially want to emphasize respect for landowners and their property lines. Take the extra time to close their gates, obey the laws for safe shots, and thank the landowner – keep your interaction with folks while out hunting positive,” Cutts said. Most coyote hunting takes place on private land, and occasionally hunters will cross property boundaries which lead to trespassing complaints. Hunters cannot pursue coyotes using a snowmobile, aircraft or with the aid of artificial light, regardless of light color.

• Be sure to close all gates that were opened, not trespass where permission was not given and to follow fair chase principles
• Don’t shoot over any road right-of-way, gravel or paved
• If running dogs, be sure to have permission from all landowners in the area where the hunt will take place
• Be sure of the target – make sure it’s a coyote and not a dog.

DES MOINES, Iowa [KCCI] — A bull that got loose during the Iowa Beef Expo at the Iowa State Fairgrounds Tuesday morning has been euthanized. The Des Moines Police Department first notified the public through a post on X at 7:52 a.m. that the bull had been discovered missing, but they weren’t sure whether it had left the Fairgrounds’ property. They offered a warning not to approach the bull and instead call 911 if you see it. At 9:49 a.m., DMPD posted that the bull had been captured.

A statement provided later in the morning by the Iowa Beef Expo revealed the bull had been euthanized for safety reasons.

“We regret to inform you that, despite our best efforts, the loose bull during the Iowa Beef Expo has been euthanized for safety. We understand the concern this may cause, and we share in that sadness. Our primary focus remains the safety and well-being of the people and animals at the show. We appreciate the swift and diligent response of staff and the cooperation of attendees and exhibitors. Our thoughts are with all those affected, and we are committed to learning from this experience to prevent similar occurrences in the future.”

Iowa Beef Expo

A representative for the Iowa Beef Expo declined to provide information about how the animal was euthanized and said they had no further comment or information on the matter at this time. The Iowa Beef Expo runs through February 18.

(Radio Iowa) – The latest edition of the “Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll” from Iowa State University Extension finds a few shifts in thoughts about climate change. J. Arbuckle oversees the poll and says they first asked the climate question in 2011, and added it again this past year. “That climate change is due to human activities that was increased from ten percent to 15 percent over that time period. And then let’s see, the climate change is occurring, and equally due to natural human causes went from 35 to 40 percent,” Arbuckle says. The climate change question has been asked two other times and he says the number of people who believe it is an issue dropped in the recent poll.

“In 2013 and 2020, there are actually a greater proportion of farmers expressing belief that climate change is occurring, then did the same in 2023,” he says. ” So there’s been a kind of decline between 2020 and 2023, in that, in that metric, whether or not climate change is happening.” Arbuckle says no matter what they think, farmers are trying to react. “It doesn’t really matter, necessarily what they attributed to, they know what’s happening and they’ll tell you , extreme weather is happening more frequently, whether it’s drought, or extreme rains, and so forth,” Arbuckle says. “And many of them are making changes in their, in their operations in response to changing weather.” Arbuckle says complementary research to survey finds the same reaction from farmers.

“Most farmers are concerned about increasingly extreme weather, and the other potential impacts that come along with that, like, you know, disease, and pests, and so forth, and then making decisions to try to adapt,” he says. You can see the complete 2023 poll and past polls on the Iowa State University Extension website.

DES MOINES – Today (Monday), Governor Kim Reynolds signed an extension of the proclamation relating to the weight limits and transportation of grain, fertilizer, and manure.   

The proclamation is effective immediately and continues through February 23, 2024. The proclamation allows vehicles transporting corn, soybeans, hay, straw, silage, stover, fertilizer (dry, liquid, and gas), and manure (dry and liquid) to be overweight (not exceeding 90,000 pounds gross weight) without a permit for the duration of this proclamation.  

This proclamation applies to loads transported on all highways within Iowa (excluding the interstate system) and those which do not exceed a maximum of 90,000 pounds gross weight, do not exceed the maximum axle weight limit determined under the non-primary highway maximum gross weight table in Iowa Code § 321.463 (6) (a) and (b), by more than 12.5 percent, do not exceed the legal maximum axle weight limit of 20,000 pounds, and comply with posted limits on roads and bridges.  

See the proclamation here. 

(Radio Iowa) – A state senator from southeast Iowa says the Iowa Fertilizer Company near  Wever has been a massive economic success for the region and is poised for possible expansion. The Dutch company that owns the facility is selling it to Koch Industries for three-point-six BILLION dollars, if federal regulators approve the deal. Senator Jeff Reichman is a Republican from Montrose, which is about 20 miles northeast of the plant.

“I am personally excited about the sale and I share the excitement with Southeast Iowa Regional Planning, Greater Burlington Partnership and Lee County Economic Development about the possibilities of expansion and investment,” Reichman says. Democrats in the Iowa House say the sale will make consolidation in the fertilizer industry worse and will likely lead to higher fertilizer prices for Iowa farmers. They also say the tens of millions in state and local tax breaks awarded more than a decade ago to the company that built the plant were intended to spur competition with Koch Industries, which is the country’s largest privately-held company.

Reichman says liberals are obsessed with Koch Industries because Charles and the late David Koch have been influential donors to Republican candidates. “They are a leader in this fertilizer market and do want to continue to grow,” Reichman says. The fertilizer plant was first proposed in 2012 as a project of Orascom, a construction company based in Egypt. Orascom was purchased the following year by O-C-I, which is headquartered in the Netherlands.

(Radio Iowa) – A bill to set new standards for future pipelines and electric transmission lines as well as wind farms and solar arrays is among the many bills that face a deadline. Bills have to clear a committee in the Iowa House or Senate by the end of this week or they’re set aside for the year. Republican Senator Dennis Guth of Klemme says one goal of his bill is to ensure companies that install pipelines and electric generating facilities on farmland are responsible when problems — like sink holes — crop up long into the future. “It’s pretty scary when you’re going through a field with combine and suddenly there’s a hole right in front of me,” Guth says. “I stopped one time with my corn head hanging over the hole going, ‘Oh! I need to back up here.’”

Guth’s bill would require that all pipelines and any underground transmission lines be buried at least eight feet deep to ensure proper drainage through tile lines. “It also makes sure that landowners that are resistant are not harassed by the companies. It allows for initial contact and, after initial contact, the landowner has to sign off on a letter to say: ‘Yeah, it’s OK. I want to continue negotiating,’” Guth says. “I know there have been some landowners, especially older landowners, that finally gave in just because they just wanted these people to go away and that’s really not the way to win a contract.”

Governor Reynolds has said she’s open to changing state regulations for pipeline permits in the future, but she says it would be unfair to change the rules for carbon pipeline developers Summit and Wolf. Guth’s bill is not retroactive. “It does not actually affect the current pipelines,” he says. “Kind of wish it did, but I know that anything that’s doing that is not getting anyplace in the senate.”

Earlier this month, the GOP leader in the senate said there’s no consensus among the 34 Republican senators on a pipeline-related bill.

(Radio Iowa) – The idea of naming the tiny Iowa Darter as the official state fish has sailed through a House subcommittee. Representative Elinor Levin of Iowa City said it’s a great way to raise awareness about the only fish that has “Iowa” in its name. “It’s a pretty fish,” Levin said during a brief subcommittee meeting on the idea. “I think it’s going to be a nice symbol for our state.”

Representative Shannon Latham of Sheffield agreed. “I was surprised to find out we didn’t already have a state fish,” Latham said.

Darter Fish (IA DNR photo)

Every state that surrounds Iowa has a state fish. The walleye is the state fish of both Minnesota and South Dakota. Wisconsin’s state fish is the musky. The bluegill was named the state fish of Illinois in 1986. And, in 1997, the channel catfish became the state fish of both Nebraska and Missouri.

(Radio Iowa) – A bill that’s cleared initial review in the Iowa House could make it harder for Iowans diagnosed with cancer to argue in a lawsuit that the disease is linked to the weed killer known by the brand name Roundup. Craig Mischo is director of government affairs for Bayer, the company that makes Roundup. He testified at the Iowa Capitol yesterday (Wednesday).

“Roundup and its active ingredient glyphosate have been subject to litigation and significant media attention over the past several years,” Mischo told lawmakers. Brad Epperly, a lobbyist for Bayer, says the bill provides some liability protection to Bayer by saying the company has fulfilled its duty to warn consumers about Roundup if the warning label meets federal guidelines.

“We’ve got a product. We spent millions of dollars developing it. It spent probably, you know, a decade going through regulatory trials before it was approved. We’ve complied with the requirements for what we’re supposed to label on it, advise, etc. (regarding) the usage of the product,” Epperly said. “We should be able to rely upon that.” Other lawyers told legislators the bill would also provide liability protection to a Chinese-owned company that makes Paraquat, a farm chemical that’s been linked to Parkinson’s disease.

Brian Marty, a West Des Moines lawyer, represents clients who’ve been exposed to Paraquat and to Roundup, which Marty says has been linked to non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.  “These are primarily farmers and ag workers who used these products consistent with their labeling and consistent with custom usage of these products that they thought were safe,” Marty said, “and, especially in the Parkinson’s context with Paraquat, are now faced with essentially a death sentence.”

One of the Republicans who voted to clear the bill through a House subcommittee says it needs significant changes. Representative Megan Jones, a lawyer from Sioux Rapids, says she has zero interest in protecting the Chinese government. “I am going to very hesitantly and very begrudingly sign off on the bill today, but it is going to have to be amended…because it is too big of a beast,” Jones said. Representative Megan Srinivas, a Democrat from Des Moines who’s a doctor, voted against the bill. She says there are medical studies showing a correlation between certain ingredients in farm chemicals and some ailments.

“I’m very concerned that we are ignoring the evidence in front of us just because of word games and are going to be putting Iowa’s farmers at risk with passing such a broad bill,” Srinivas said.

Another member of the subcommittee who is a farmer said the bill has some merit and the conversation about it will continue in the legislature.