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CLICK HERE for the latest market quotes from the Brownfield Ag News Network!
The Cass County Conservation Board is holding their 6th Biennial Lighted Halloween Campground on Oct. 24th. The until then, the Board is looking for people, groups, or organizations to sign-up for a site in the campground to decorate (non-Scary) with Halloween decorations.
Prizes will be for the top three voted sites, and for some special categories. Deadline for decorating a site sign up is October 16th, and the groups will have Saturday (Oct. 24th) from Noon-on, to decorate. You do get Saturday night camping for FREE. (if you choose to camp- not required) You DO NOT have to have a camper (Naturalist Lora Kanning says they’ve seen some great sites done with tents and easy-ups, etc.) Message, call, or email CCCB with your Name, email and Phone number.
The event will take place from 7-until 9-p.m. Oct. 24th, at Cold Springs State Park, in Lewis. It’ll be a great non-scary, Family Friendly, FREE drive into the night! Call the Cass County Conservation Office to get involved @712-769-2372! The event will be cancelled if there is inclement weather.
For more information, follow Lighted Halloween Campground on Facebook.
(Radio Iowa) – The harvest is underway this year weeks ahead of last year and a safety expert says that’s important. Iowa State University professor Charles Schwab says rushing to get crops out of the fields creates more dangerous situations for farmers. He says we have a better window this year to get things done, but there could be some issues with downed corn this year. Millions of acres of corn were knocked down or bent over by the August 10th derecho.
Schwab says the earlier harvest gives more time to deal with that and other situation that arises. Schwab says not rushing to get the crops in before the first snow is good — although he says you never know with the weather. Schwab says worrying about the timing of the harvest can take a toll. “I don’t think a lot of them realize the amount of stress that comes from that and how that stress impacts your body and how that impacting your body does things that put you at risk. It’s a key element,” Schwab says.
He says farmers need to eat right and get enough rest to stay healthy and not having such a tight window to get the crops in should allow them to do that.
Cass County: Corn $3.33 Beans $9.65
Adair County: Corn $3.30 Beans $9.68
Adams County: Corn $3.30 Beans $9.64
Audubon County: Corn $3.32 Beans $9.67
East Pottawattamie County: Corn $3.36 Beans $9.65
Guthrie County: Corn $3.35 Beans $9.69
Montgomery County: Corn $3.35 Beans $9.67
Shelby County: Corn $3.36 Beans $9.65
Oats $2.60 (always the same in all counties)
(Information from the area FSA Offices)
The Cass County Conservation Board will begin a paving project at Cold Springs Park on Monday September 28, 2020. The Board asks all campers, camping the weekend of September 26-27 to please vacate the park by 5:00pm on Sunday September 27. The park will be closed to traffic/use for a couple days, pending weather, to complete the project.
The CCCB says “We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause, but are excited to have the project completed to offer a better experience in the park. If you have any questions please call our office at 712-769-2372.”
(Radio Iowa) – The health of the ethanol industry has been a staple of Iowa campaigns for years and 2020 is no different. This month, the Trump Administration denied 54 waivers that would have exempted oil refineries from blending ethanol into gasoline. In addition, Trump himself announced the E-P-A will let states decide new pumps aren’t necessary and gasoline that’s 15 percent ethanol can be dispensed from existing E-10 pumps. “That saves tremendous amounts of money for the people in the ethanol industry,” Trump says.
During a recent conference call organized by Joe Biden’s campaign, former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack questioning the election year timing of these announcements. “I think farmers are justified in being suspicious and concerned about what may happen after an election,” Vilsack said. So, what’s the economic impact of these recent ethanol pronouncements? Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says 40 percent of U.S. ethanol plants were temporarily shut down this spring.
The pandemic was the main driver of that, but Goss says the administration’s dithering over ethanol waivers for the oil industry didn’t help. “I won’t say it’s too late, but it certainly should have been earlier,” Goss says of the waiver announcement for 2011 through 2018 waivers. Iowa State University ag economist Chad Hart says getting retailers to sell a higher blend of ethanol seems to be the industry’s aim. “Originally it was E85, but a lot of the concentration now has been on E15 and getting that expanded nationwide,” Hart says.
President Trump announced a year ago that E-15 could be sold year-round. During a trip to Iowa last month, Trump’s ag secretary, Sonny Perdue, promised any future oil industry waivers would not reduce the federal ethanol production mandate of a net 15 billion gallons. “That’s an important consideration,” Perdue said. Iowa plants produce nearly a third of the U.S. ethanol supply.
The City of Atlantic’s Parks and Recreation Department Board will meet 5:15-p.m. Monday, in the Council’s Chambers at City Hall. During their session, the Board will hear from Parks & Rec Director Bryant Rasmussen, with regard to:
Mollet Park paved walking path (Atlantic Parks & Rec photos)
In his regular report, Ramussen will update the Board on:
One of the many pieces of playground equipment has received a fresh coat of paint.
Sunnyside Park Bandshell painted
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has relaxed the fishing regulations at Upper Decatur/Tieville Bend and Louisville Bend in Monona County. Low water levels in the Missouri River have trapped fish in these areas and water levels are continuing to drop.
Anglers with a valid sport fishing license may harvest all sizes and unlimited quantities of any species of fish from Upper Decatur/Tieville Bend and Louisville Bend, with the exception of Threatened or Endangered Species. Any number of fishing poles or jug fishing is allowed. Anglers must remain in sight of these lines at all times, and follow all other fishing regulations and area rules. Trot lines will be allowed (name and address must be attached), however lines may not be set across the entire water body.
Liberalized fishing regulations for Upper Decatur/Tieville Bend and Louisville Bend will be in effect through Oct. 31. Note: Blue Lake is not included in these liberalized regulations.
Dynamite, poison, electric shocking devices, or any stupefying substances are not allowed. It is illegal to sell fish or stock captured fish into public waters.
(Radio Iowa) – President Trump has announced another round of federal assistance to farmers who continue to see prices for commodities dip due to the pandemic. Iowa State University ag economist Chad Hart says the spending was authorized by the so-called CARES Act that passed congress this spring. “This has been telegraphed for some time,” Hart says. “It’s about $13-14 billion dollars of support here…to help producers that are still suffering from price losses from earlier.” Producers of livestock, dairy and eggs as well as so-called fish farms are eligible to apply for these new payments. Farmers who raise corn, cotton, beans, wheat and specialty crops like fruits and nuts are eligible, too.
In August, the U-S-D-A estimated federal payments would account for 36 percent of farm income this year and these payments will push that share even higher. A recent report shows that in general, southern farmers are getting bigger checks from the U-S-D-A than Midwestern farmers. Hart says that’s because the payments are based on the Farm Bill. “When you look back at previous Farm Bill packages, they tended to be more tilted to southern crops as well,” Hart says, “and so when we piggyback on previous programs, they tend to line up the same way.”
Hart made his comments this (Friday) morning during taping of “Iowa Press” which airs tonight (Friday) on Iowa P-B-S.
With the derecho, drought, and other negative impacts on Iowa farming in 2020, many farmers will have standing corn left in their fields. The Iowa Department of Transportation is looking to partner with farmers who have fields along state or U.S. highways for our Standing Corn Snow Fence Program.
Over the last 20+ years, the program has helped improve wintertime mobility and highway safety using partnerships with dozens of farmers statewide. The program used corn that can be left in fields during the winter to serve as snow fences that slow down or stop snow from blowing and drifting across the road. More recently, this cooperative effort has included using round hay bales as snow fences, as well.
In exchange for leaving the corn in the field or moving round bales into place, we are contracting with farmers to pay $5.50 per bushel for leaving six to 24 rows standing. The typical payment amount is $2 above the statewide average corn price on Aug. 1. For round bales, we pay landowners $1 per linear foot. The landowner agrees to leave the bales intact in the field throughout the winter.
Craig Bargfrede, the Iowa DOT’s winter operations administrator, said, “Research from the Strategic Highway Safety Program shows that it costs 100 times more to plow snow than to trap it with a fence, so the return on investment with these partnerships is significant.” While the financial benefits are good, the program also provides a connection between our area garage staff and local landowners. Our field forces and these local landowners know their areas well. They share ideas and collaborate on road locations where standing corn fences or round bales would be the most beneficial to help reduce the amount of blowing and drifting snow on Iowa’s roadways.
While we try to work with farmers in advance of planting to come to an agreement, we’re also willing to look at a contract prior to harvest. Bargfrede said, “This year especially we’re aware that there may be some corn that is left in the field, we’d like to partner with those farmers to utilize the corn as snow fence and reimburse them for that.”
In addition to the financial benefits to farmers, leaving standing corn in the fields can:
Once the corn has served its purpose all winter, the farmer can remove the corn how they see fit. While that may cause a little extra work in the spring, the farmers who participate see the benefits of a clearer, safer roadway all winter long.
In addition to standing corn or round bales, we work with farmers to install permanent and temporary snow fence or living snow fence in the form of trees, bushes, or other plants in some areas.
If you live in an area that you think might benefit from the standing corn or round bale program, please contact your local maintenance garage. Locations and contact information is available online at https://iowadot.gov/districts/district-contacts.
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