Officials with Connections Area Agency on Aging, in Council Bluffs, have announced that the state is continuing the Farmers Market voucher program for older Iowans. With this program, seniors meeting income requirements can obtain vouchers that they can use at participating area Farmers Markets to buy $30.00 worth of fresh, locally grown produce. This year since Connections’ senior centers and offices are currently closed to the public, officials will be asking individuals to call in and request an application. Requested applications will be mailed out beginning 06/01/20 in an addressed postage paid return envelope. Once they have received the completed application, vouchers will be mailed out to the applicant. Please note applications not completed will not receive vouchers until all information is provided. Please call our office at 1-800-432-9209 to obtain your application.

 Program Criteria:

· Must be at least 60 years of age or older

· Annual income must be less than $23,606 Single; $31,894 Married .

· Only one original application allowed per individual. No photocopies or duplicate applications allowed. Married couples can jointly apply on one application.

Outline of Process:

· Applications available by phone starting 06/01/20.

· Applications will be mailed with a postage paid return envelope.

· Applications must be complete before vouchers will be mailed out.

· Applications are on a first come first serve basis.

· Walk-ins will not be accept at Connections’ senior centers or office locations.

(Radio Iowa) — The coronavirus pandemic may’ve led to a surge in the number of wild turkey hunters this year and a record harvest of the birds. Iowa D-N-R wildlife research biologist Jim Coffey says the season ended Sunday and hunters reported taking 14-thousand-600 birds. “This will be our highest number recorded from our modern records since 2007 when mandatory reporting came into effect,” Coffey says.  The total is well about the previous high for the turkey take of 12-thousand-173 back in 2016. Coffey says one thing stands out as the reason for the increase.”Most likely more hunters. We haven’t got all the data in yet and we will look at success rates — which typically range around 22 to 25 percent — but we are looking at almost a 25 to 30 percent increase in turkey hunters this spring,” according to Coffey.

The wild turkey hunt came as everyone was forced by the pandemic to stay at home and Coffey says that’s likely why more turkey licenses were sold. “That’s kind of the speculation — that you could social distance yourself outside with nature,” Coffey says.  Hunters bagged a bird in all 99 Iowa counties. Coffey says the increase in harvest comes as there’s been a decline in the wild turkey population. He says recent years of wet weather could be part of the reason for the population decline. “Timing of rains can be impactful to wild turkeys and then, of course, cold conditions as well. That might impact the production of insects, which are the primary food resource for the young growing poults,” Coffey explains “So, weather and habitat are always the main factors that are considered with any bird population. But we are always looking at other factors such as predators or disease that might be impacting the populations as well.”

He says the main habitat for wild turkeys is forest land. “Which is mostly found in the eastern third or the southern third of our state — that’s where most of our turkeys are harvested. But we do know that wild turkeys will live in those north-central, northwest areas along river corridor systems,” he says. Coffey says turkeys are smart and they make it very hard to have a successful hunt. He says the way the birds are hunted also makes it tough. “Males stay in one place and call the females to come to them. And as hunters, we act like a female and try to get the male to come to us. So, we are kind of putting ourselves at a disadvantage right off the bat in trying to mess with Mother Nature,” Coffey says. “So that makes success very difficult. And when we look at 20 to 25 percent success rates — that’s actually pretty good in most years for most hunters.”

Coffey says the decline in the turkey population is something that is also happening in other states and they are studying various issues to try and find a pattern to the population losses.

w/Kate Olson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.3MB)

Subscribe: RSS

(Radio Iowa) — Congresswoman Cindy Axne is asking for an investigation of how the IOWA Occupational Safety and Health Administration handled a complaint about working conditions at the pork processing plant in Perry. Axne, a Democrat from West Des Moines, says it’s clear the agency’s review was “severely lacking” since the plant later was the site of a COVID-19 outbreak. Republican Governor Kim Reynolds says her staff has reviewed Iowa OSHA’s actions.

“It appears that they followed a normal and their appropriate process,” Reynolds says. According to documents obtained by the Associated Press, no state inspectors were sent to the Tyson plant in Perry and the case was closed nine days later following an email response from the company. Governor Reynolds says the complaint was made on a weekend, on a federal website, and state officials handled it within five business days after getting it — as they were visiting with Tyson about outbreaks at other plants in the state.

“And actually, at the time they were talking to them, they had already proactively made the decision to shut down the facility, do some extensive cleaning and start to implement different practices,” Reynolds says. Congresswoman Axne has written a letter to the state Labor Commissioner, asking for answers to several questions, including what conditions in a plant would trigger an on-site inspection. The governor discussed the agency’s check list during her daily news conference on Tuesday.

“They do have a process that they go through that determines the seriousness of the complaint and therefore how they respond to the complaint,” Reynolds says. “…They do this on a case-by-case basis.” Congresswoman Axne says Iowans need to be assured that issues of workplace safety will be taken seriously by state officials. On May 5th, the Iowa Department of Public Health announced more than 700 workers at Tyson’s Perry plant tested positive for COVID-19. The complaint about conditions inside the plant was made about three weeks earlier, on April 11th.

(Radio Iowa) — Some Iowa farmers could get checks in June as the U-S-D-A implements the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. President Trump says 16 BILLION dollars is set aside for direct payments to farmers.  “These payments will compensate farmers for losses related to the global pandemic,” Trump says. Marty Smith, president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, attended today’s (Tuesday’s) White House event to highlight the program.

Smith thanked Trump and Congress for the assistance, which he says will help some farmers stay in business. “America’s farmers and ranchers continue to work around the clock to feed the public, to feed all of our nation,” Smith said, “to feed a large part of the world.”Farmers can start signing up for the assistance on May 26th. Most payments will be based on 2019 production. Livestock producers who raise cattle, sheep and hogs are eligible. Farmers who raise crops like corn, soybeans and oats are eligible to apply, too.

(Reporting by Brownfield’s Ken Anderson)

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Kim Reynolds says Iowa regulators acted appropriately when they declined to inspect a Tyson Foods pork plant in Perry before hundreds of workers tested positive for the coronavirus. Iowa Occupational Safety and Health records show the agency received an April 11 complaint alleging the virus was spreading on the production floor and in the cafeteria. The agency didn’t contact Tyson until April 20 and closed the inquiry April 28 after determining Tyson’s safety efforts at the plant were satisfactory. Iowa OSHA declined to inspect the plant, citing federal guidance at the time that said most coronavirus complaints don’t require on-site visits.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A safety regulator praised Tyson Foods for providing a quick written response after learning about a complaint alleging the coronavirus was spreading at its plant in Perry, Iowa before an outbreak was confirmed there.Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Records obtained by The Associated Press show the agency received the complaint April 11, did not contact Tyson until April 20 and gave the company one week to respond. Tyson released records Tuesday showing that it responded two days after learning of the complaint and a state official praised its “diligence.”

The agency closed the inquiry April 28 after determining that Tyson’s response outlining its safety efforts at the plant was satisfactory. Later, 730 workers at the plant tested positive for coronavirus.

(Radio Iowa) – May is recognized is “Beef Month,” and with Memorial Day approaching — it’s also considered the start of the summer grilling season — but the coronavirus pandemic has put a damper on things. Cattle feeder Craig Anderson of rural Merrill, in northwest Iowa, says the slowdown in production at plants has led to a glut of supply and lower prices. “Last week there were cattle trading at a dollar 12 to a dollar 15 a pound. But it was down to about 95 cents,” Anderson says. “..I’m gonna guess that most people have a break-even of about a dollar 25 a pound.” He says the drop in the prices paid for cattle comes at a time when demand is up among consumers. “There were a lot of cattle that were sold at a loss and probably continue to be sold at a loss. Because of the rush at the meat counter, the retail price has really skyrocketed,” Anderson says.

Anderson says the sale of the prime cuts is really hurt by the slow down in processing and the cut back in the operation of restaurants. “The cattlemen always say — you know people eat hamburger and roast at home — but they go out for a steak,” Anderson says. He says those the prime cuts are now probably ended up in homes in a different form. “A lot of those prime cuts are being ground up into hamburger right now trying to meet the demand for people trying to maybe feed people at home — and do it on a cheaper basis,” Anderson says.

Anderson estimates the cattle industry is running between 30 and 40 days behind in having cattle marketed on a current basis. He says during that time, cattle may gain around three to four pounds a day, which will add around another 100 to 150 pounds to their market weight.

(Radio Iowa) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a mixed forecast for crops. The monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates predicts farmers will have a good year for corn and soybean harvests, but prices are likely to drop as much as ten-percent for corn compared to last year. Iowa State University ag economist Chad Hart says that could attract some new uses for the grain and oilseed crops. “As prices drop, suddenly you’re like, ‘Okay I didn’t used to use corn before in this, but I can, and corn is now inexpensive enough that it makes sense for me to do that,'” Hart says, “so you would see other uses pop up.”

Farmers will more likely use some of their quieter time in June and July to figure out whether it’s time to shake up what they grow in 2021. Hart says the report also looks for the global market to rebound following slowdowns due to COVID-19. Higher yields will offset lower prices, but Hart says the recovery should bring about some of the relief from trade tensions that economists anticipated. “They’re looking for that strength to still be there, to return, as we reopen the economy,” Hart says, “as we get the global economy moving along.”

He says farmers may be looking at some alternative crops for 2021, especially if this year brings them more unwelcome hurdles in corn and soybeans.

(By Amy Mayer, Iowa Public Radio)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Thanks to favorable weather, Iowa farmers have planted most of the corn crop and are nearing completion of soybean planting. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported Monday that in the week ending Sunday, farmers had planted 96% of the expected corn crop, putting them nearly a month ahead of last year and almost three weeks ahead of the five-year average. Farmers had planted 86% of the soybean crop, also nearly a month ahead of last year and three weeks earlier than the average. They were helped by good weather that made for 4.3 days suitable for field work.