Officials with Guthrie County/ISU Extension and Outreach report the US Sunbeams 4-H Club was the winner of a “Random Acts of Kindness” drawing. The club won $257.50 from one of the members aunt’s workplace.  The club in-turn used the money to “Pay It Forward” with the 15 Summer Activity Bags.

Meredith Arganbright presenting 15 Summer Activity Bags to Rhonda Huggins of New Opportunities Family Development Center in Guthrie Center. (Photo & information submitted)

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa State University Extension crop specialist, Joel DeJong, says northwest Iowa crops are showing signs of stress from the dry conditions. He says they need around 25 inches of moisture during the crop development stage. “We still need to have about 12 to 15 inches of rainfall during this season. You know, if we have slightly about average we’re probably going to reach that — otherwise, we are going to put some stress on our yield potential through the year,” DeJong says.

DeJong says stress is already showing up in the corn leaves.”If you take a look at the cornfields recently, you’ll see that almost every day we have a lot of cornfields rolling,” according to DeJong. “And it is an indicator that the root systems of those corn plants — even if there is water in that soil — the root systems right now aren’t deep enough to keep up with daily demand with low humidity and high temperature.” He says the rolling has been evident the last week in the afternoons and some mornings during the mid-90 degree days. DeJong says the humidity that we try to avoid is a good thing out in the field.

“It’s kind of unique to have 20 to 25 percent humidity and 90-some degree temperatures. That makes it seem a little more cooler for humans — but that is the opposite of what we want to see for a crop,” Dejong explains. “We want to see high humidity to go with those temperatures if they are going to be that high, because high humidity means less water demand in those plants.” The crops specialist says if the issue continues, farmers may see a drastic yield loss. The corn ear now is starting to fill in rows. “All this stress is probably reducing some of the rows we are going to have in some of those ears — might only be a few rows less, maybe it’s a few more. We still have the potential to continue to form the length of that ear all the way to the length of that corn. We’re still in that process,” he says.

DeJong says the next thirty days will be critical to the corn development as the corn begins to pollinate. He says soybeans are also showing some signs of stress, but soybeans have a way to delay the need for moisture until later in the year.

The Cass County Conservation Board held a youth fishing derby at Cold Springs Park on Saturday, June 12, 2021. Prizes were awarded for the most overall weight:

• 1st – Tobin Juhl
• 2nd – Morrison Sandbothe
• 3rd – Traven Thomas

Derby 21 winners, left to right:
Tobin Juhl; Morrison Sandbothe; Dayton Thomas; Traven Thomas; Christian Bullington.

Awards also given for:

• Heaviest single fish: Dayton Thomas
• Longest single fish: Morrison Sandbothe
• Shortest single fish: Christian Bullington.

The Cass County Conservation Board thanks all those that donated items for the event: Weirich Welding for the trophies, Cappel’s Ace Hardware, Scheels, and Bass Pro Shops, for prizes.

(Radio Iowa) – The World Pork Expo  wrapped up its three-day run at the Iowa State Fairgrounds Friday afternoon, and organizers say there was much political discussion among producers at this year’s event. Jen Sorenson of Ankeny, president of the National Pork Producers Council, says they’re lobbying the Biden Administration to appeal the court ruling that will slow down line speeds at pork processing plants beginning July 1st.

“While overall U.S. pork harvest capacity will drop 2.5% because of this decision, capacity at six plants running NSIS (New Swine Slaughter Inspection System) line speeds will decline by as much as 25%,” Sorenson says. “Hog farmers are expected to lose more than $80-million this year alone because of this decision.”

The council wants the U-S to sign on to become a member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Transpacific Partnership agreement but Sorenson doesn’t expect it to happen this year with the focus on economic and pandemic recovery. Sorenson says expanding international markets is another priority.

“NPPC has been pressing both the U.S. and Philippines government to lower pork import tariffs as African swine fever outbreaks began in the Philippines,” Sorenson says. “NPPC is also encouraging expansion to Vietnam, another major pork-consuming nation dealing with African swine fever.”

Sorenson says the pork producers are joining the American Farm Bureau in legal action to get California to remove its Proposition 12, which dictates housing measures to pork and poultry producers.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congressman Randy Feenstra says it’s time for a federal law that ensures any product labeled as “milk” came from dairy cows or other livestock, NOT from plants.  “I think we have to have labeling. Milk is milk,” Feenstra says. “Everything else is something different, right? You have to call it something different You should not be down the path of calling it milk.” U.S. milk consumption dropped 15 percent between 2012 and 2017 — while sales of alternatives made with almonds, oats, coconuts and rice grew by 60 percent over that five year period.

Feenstra says using the word “milk” for those plant-based products blurs the line for consumers.  “That’s why it’s so important that we have the educational process,” Feenstra says, “and that people understand where milk is coming from and what is can do for nutrition and for schools and for everybody that is involved.” The federal School Milk Program was established in 1955. It reimburses schools, child care institutions and eligible summer camps for the milk served to children and teenagers.

Feenstra, a Republican from Hull who represents Iowa’s fourth congressional district, visited an open house at the Perry Creek Dairy Farm near Le Mars earlier this week.

(Radio Iowa) – The new U-S Drought Monitor map shows 90 percent of Iowa is experiencing some type of dryness or drought. The Iowa D-N-R’s Tim Hall says only one section of the state has not water worries. “Southeastern Iowa way down in the corner — they’re not showing any dryness or drought — but virtually the rest of the state is,” Hall says. The area of concern in northwest Iowa has grown a little bit. So, certainly the conditions are not trending in the direction we’d like to see them.

The map shows 32 percent of the state rated as abnormally dry, 47 percent rated as in moderate drought and 10 percent rated as severe drought. Hall says streamflow conditions across approximately half of the state are now classified as “below normal.” He says the dry conditions in the north are now impacting things downstream. “As that lack of runoff works its way down through the system, we are seeing that reflected in the watersheds that run through central Iowa,” according to Hall. “So even though we may not be a dry here as in some parts of the state. The parts that feed those river systems have been exceptionally dry, so we are starting to see very low stream levels in parts of the state.”

Hall says the dry weather is worse this year because there wasn’t much moisture in the reserve. “Last year we entered 2000, we entered the growing season with a significant supply of groundwater and soil moisture leftover from 2018 and ’19, which were really wet years. He says. “This year — 2021 — we came into the year with almost no excess soil moisture and groundwater. So, it’s as if we started with an empty tank.” Hall says the weather data for June, July and August show there is a chance to run things around. “Over that three-month period statewide we average right at about an inch per week of rainfall. And that’s a pretty hefty chunk of moisture,” Hall says. “If we were able to get normal rainfall for the next three months — I think we would be in pretty good shape. The challenge is, every week that goes by without rain puts us another inch behind.”

He says you always have to wait and see with the weather. “We’re not panicking yet. But we’d really like to see some rain here in the month of June to start to replenish some of the soil moisture and start to get us back on track,” Hall says.  Some cities are asking residents to be smart about their water use as the dry conditions continue. Hall says those measures may be ramped up more if the lack of rainfall continues.

(Radio Iowa) – Republican Congressman Randy Feenstra says a tax change President Biden has proposed is effectively the death tax with a new coat of paint. The proposal would treat the transfer of inherited property like a sale, so capital gains taxes would be collected.  “This dramatically affects our farming community,” he says. Feenstra, who represents Iowa’s fourth congressional district, says Biden’s proposed million dollar exemption for individuals and two million dollar exemption for couples who inherit property isn’t enough.

“When you start selling land or you start selling a small business, that’s not very much,” Feenstra says, “especially when you’re into agriculture and all the equipment and all this other stuff that you’re trying to pass on to the next generation.” Feenstra says with inflation rising, Biden’s proposed budget – and the proposed taxes to finance it – should be scaled back.

“Each year we take in about $3.25 trillion of revenue,” Feenstra says, “so when you create a budget of $6 trillion, that should raise everybody’s eyebrows.” Feenstra says if Biden’s budget is adopted, it will devalue the dollar and make consumer goods more expensive.