(Radio Iowa) – A comprehensive review of Iowa’s dairy industry details its importance to the state and regional economies. Northwest Iowa Extension dairy specialist Fred Hall says the report, which is done every five years, shows the state’s dairy industry is having a significant impact and it’s continuing to gain momentum. Hall says, “The industry represents about 15,600 jobs and the impact of each single dairy cow in the state to the community is about $25,500 dollars.” It’s not just about the milk, as Hall says the spin-off benefits from all dairy products contribute heavily to each Iowa community where there’s a dairy farm. “They can bottle it for milk, they can make cheese, yogurt, dried powder,” Hall says. “Really, once it leaves the farm, it has a tremendous application.”

The report says the prospects for Iowa’s dairy producers are bright as milk and milk products are in high demand globally. “The export of dairy product into growing countries is tremendous,” Hall says. “As our population grows in this country, we find a bigger market every day for milk.” He notes, that’s not necessarily just fluid milk but all of the other products created with milk. The report shows dairy revenue is expected to continue to rise by more than one-percent to close to $40 billion.

Iowa anglers can buy the Missouri and Big Sioux River paddlefish license and tags starting Dec. 15th and running through Jan. 7th. Buy your special paddlefish license and tags on the Iowa DNR online licenses sales website at https://gooutdoorsiowa.com. A resident license sells for $25.50. You must also have a valid Iowa fishing license. You can buy up to two tags – one from Dec. 15 to Dec. 31 and an additional tag from Jan. 1 to Jan. 7, or two tags if you didn’t buy one in December.

The license, harvest tag(s), and regulations will be mailed to purchasers in mid-January. Purchasers will be asked to complete an electronic survey to help the Iowa DNR evaluate the success of the paddlefish season. Please complete the survey whether you harvested a paddlefish or not.  The Iowa DNR is always working to improve the paddlefish season for anglers; any input provided is considered and is greatly appreciated.

The Missouri and Big Sioux River paddlefish season opens Feb. 1st and runs through April 30th. For more information about Iowa’s special paddlefish season, visit the DNR website at www.iowadnr.gov/paddlefish.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) responded to six incidents related to shotgun deer hunting last weekend  (12/5-6) – five related to property damage and one minor injury. Megan Wisecup, hunter education administrator for the Iowa DNR, says “The incidents all had a common theme of hunters not following safety protocol.”  Wisecup said following safety protocol can reduce the risk of injury and property damage. She said hunters should keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, properly identifying the target and what’s behind it, by not shooting at a running deer, and by making sure of the backstop and not shooting over the horizon and out of sight.

“Safety should be part of every hunting plan and discussed with the group before heading to the timber,” Wisecup said. “That includes discussion on the layout of the property, where everyone will be at all times during the hunt, where the roads and property boundary are and areas where they should not take a shot to avoid damaging private property.” Iowa’s first shotgun season ends Dec. 9. Second shotgun season is Dec. 12-20. An estimated 120,000 hunters are expected to participate in one of the two seasons.

Iowans can buy 2021 resident hunting, fishing and other licenses beginning this Tuesday, Dec. 15.  Licenses purchased for 2020 expire on Jan. 10th, 2021. The Iowa DNR says the menu of license options includes the popular Outdoor Combo annual resident hunting/fishing/habitat combo license for $55; the Angler’s Special three-year fishing license for $62; and the Hunter’s Special three-year hunting license with habitat included for $101. Also available is the Bonus Line option for $14 letting resident and nonresident anglers to fish with one more line in addition to the two lines allowed with the regular fishing license.

You can upgrade your paper license to a durable hard card with custom art from Iowa artists for only $5. Download the GoOutdoorsIowa mobile app for iPhone and Android devices to buy and access your license information, no matter where you are.  Sync your hunting and fishing licenses on the app to show in the field.  You may download multiple customer licenses to offer one secure digital license document location for families, groups, and more.

Licenses are available at 700 locations across the state, and on the DNR website at www.iowadnr.gov/GoOutdoorsIowa. Hunting and fishing are often enjoyed with family and friends. The DNR hints “A fishing or hunting license makes a great stocking stuffer.”

(Radio Iowa) – It’s official, former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack is being named by President-elect Joe Biden as the U-S Secretary of Agriculture, a post Vilsack held during all eight years of the Obama administration. Jeff Jorgenson, president of the Iowa Soybean Association, says Vilsack represents Midwestern agriculture well and he looks forward to working with him again. “As an Iowa farmer and even as a U.S. farmer, with Vilsack being in the system before, we kind of know where he stands on some issues and what we have in agriculture,” Jorgenson says. “We’re going to understand where we’re at in a lot of regards and sometimes that has some bonuses along with that.”

Vilsack was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate eight years ago and is expected to easily win confirmation again in 2021, but Biden’s decision is drawing criticism from some quarters. Some environmental groups charge Vilsack is too closely tied to large-scale, corporate agriculture. A coalition representing black farmers says Vilsack did not do enough as ag secretary to address racial inequities in access to loans for farmland. Jorgenson says one of Vilsack’s main strengths is his knowledge and support of the ethanol and biodiesel industries.  “His understanding of regulations and biofuels and what we deal with as farmers and what we’re trying to get to as a country, I think he has a very good understanding of it,” Jorgenson says. “Really, he’s a very moderating voice. He knows how to get people to the table and work together and try to get through some differences and really move forward.”

Jorgenson says Vilsack knows the importance of trade and our key trading partners. “Vilsack has an understanding of China and he’s dealt with them a lot of years,” Jorgenson says. “He was CEO of the Dairy Council and he understands these exports and where we need to be internationally with trade. This opens him up for every product in agriculture and I think it’s a positive.” Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) President Carl Jardon released a statement saying “ICGA congratulates Tom Vilsack on his nomination to serve as the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Being an Iowa native, Vilsack understands the significance of rural America and the importance of corn and biofuels. We had great success when Vilsack served as Secretary for eight years under the Obama Administration, and we welcome the opportunity to work with him again in this key role.”

Iowa Farm Bureau president Craig Hill says his organization is very pleased Vilsack has been chosen to once again lead the U-S-D-A. Hill says Vilsack has remained engaged in agriculture since his eight-year stint as U-S ag secretary four years ago and has a deep understanding of the struggles farmers face. Vilsack is a Democrat and he’s getting support from Iowa U-S Senator Chuck Grassley, a Republican. In a statement on Tuesday, Grassley said: “I liked what Vilsack did as the secretary of agriculture for eight years and if he was in for another four years, it would be okay with me.”

The Cass County Extension office will again host continuing instructional courses (CICs) for local private pesticide applicators this year, but applicators are strongly encouraged to pre-register to ensure admittance on the day of a scheduled show. To accommodate schedules and reduce class sizes, multiple methods and formats to attend the training will be offered from December-March. Any registered applicator in Cass County should have received a brochure in the mail in early December outlining upcoming training dates and options. Two types of trainings are currently scheduled in Cass County. A “Live Zoom” option will be offered monthly from December to March, with applicators attending the training in person at the office, and the instructor teaching the program remotely. A Face to Face option, with both the instructor and participants in the meeting room, will be offered in January and March. Individual or small group DVD showings are also available on a limited basis, as scheduling allows. All trainings, regardless of method, will be offered for the usual $20 fee to cover materials.

To follow social distancing recommendations, the Cass County Extension Office will be limiting attendance at CIC trainings. Individuals registering in advance will be guaranteed a seat, or informed if the showing is full and offered another date. Applicators showing up without registering on the scheduled date may be turned away if the meeting room is already at capacity for the day. Pre-registration can be done by calling, emailing or stopping by the office. Cass County Extension will be following all mandates as outlined by the Iowa Governor’s office, which currently means that attendees at indoor programs will be required to wear masks when unable to distance. Applicators needing additional options for no-contact re-shows are asked to call the Extension Office for information on available formats.

To ensure a spot on the training schedule, applicators needing to complete CIC for the year are asked to call as soon as possible to register for scheduled dates, or to reserve a DVD show time. Training dates can be scheduled locally by calling the Cass County Extension office at 712-243-1132 or by emailing Office Manager Lori Anderson at lander@iastate.edu. Individuals wishing to complete the training in another county should call that county for information, as training dates, availability and procedures vary by office. For more information on the Private Pesticide Applicator CIC classes statewide, please visit www.extension.iastate.edu/psep/. Applicators have until April 15, 2021, to attend a P-CIC program and maintain a current license.

w/Max Dirks.

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(Radio Iowa) – Wright County authorities are investigating the death of a bald eagle that was found last weekend. The eagle was found under a bridge along the Iowa River between Rowan and Dows adjacent to the Groom Wildlife Area. X-rays showed two holes in the head of the eagle. It was reported that the eagle was shot by someone. The Wright County Conservation Board’s Facebook is reporting a reward of $2,000 will be offered to anyone who has information into the shooting of the eagle.

Those with information are asked to call the Iowa DNR Tip hotline at 1-800-532-2020 or to the nearest law enforcement agency.

ARMSTRONG, Iowa (AP) — An administrative judge has approved a $76,000 penalty against an Iowa cattle feedlot for violating the Clean Water Act. The judge ruled that Tony and Joshua Brown, who operate Riverview Cattle in Armstrong, discharged pollutants from their cattle feedlot on 41 days into the East Fork of the Des Moines River. The Environmental Protection Agency said the business did not obtain a federally required permit for the discharges.

The cattle company contended the pollutants never reached the river. Administrative Judge Christine Donelian Coughlin agreed with the EPA and found the feedlot liable for Clean Water Act violations.

(Radio Iowa) – Fifty years ago this week, the groundbreaking work of a northeast Iowa farmer was recognized on the global stage as Norman Borlaug was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Barbara Stinson, president of World Food Prize Foundation — which Borlaug founded, says his research in plant genetics mobilized agricultural innovations in Mexico, India and Pakistan over several decades, saving vast populations from starvation.  “He’s actually credited with having saved over a billion lives, more than anyone else in human history,” Stinson says. “They didn’t have an agricultural prize so they awarded him the Peace Prize for his work in agriculture and reducing hunger, which brought much greater peace to the world, particularly in those areas.”

Dr. Norman Borlaug was presented the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his accomplishments in India and Pakistan and for his role as “Father of the Green Revolution.” (photo via worldfoodprize.org)

Borlaug developed a variety of wheat that was high-yield and disease-resistant, while devoting himself to agricultural development projects and the mobilization of food around the world. It earned him the nickname, the father of the Green Revolution. Stinson says, “The elements of this included bringing technology and improving water availability and getting technologies to farmers and advocating farming practices that really created what’s called the Green Revolution.”

Once facing widespread starvation, Mexico became a net exporter of wheat by 1963 thanks to Borlaug’s work. Also, between 1965 and 1970, wheat yields nearly doubled in Pakistan and India, greatly improving the food security of those countries. In the mid-1980s, Borlaug pushed forward with an effort to establish a major prize for agriculture. “Dr. Borlaug founded the World Food Prize Foundation to honor those that are improving the world’s food supply,” Stinson says, “but he was particularly interested in elevating these innovations to inspire other professionals and the younger generation.”

The Des Moines-based foundation awards an annual prize which emphasizes the importance of a nutritious, sustainable food supply for everyone. The award ceremony coincides each year with an international symposium addressing issues related to hunger and food security. Borlaug received degrees in forestry, plant pathology and genetics from the University of Minnesota, where an event is being held Thursday to mark the 50th anniversary of his winning the Nobel Prize. The event is called, “Nobel and Beyond: Building on the Legacy of a Hunger Fighter.” “They are convening a very special gathering of alums and students and professors and many dignitaries to talk about the accomplishments of Dr. Norman Borlaug, his inspiration to the rest of the world and in particular, his dedication to education and working with youth.”

In addition to winning the Nobel Peace Prize, Borlaug was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. He died in 2009 at age 95. Borlaug’s farm near Cresco is now a protected preserve that’s open for tours.