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CLICK HERE for the latest market quotes from the Iowa Agribusiness Network!
CLICK HERE for the latest market quotes from the Brownfield Ag News Network!
Due to the rain Tuesday and Tuesday night, and the expected rain this weekend, the Atlantic Parks & Recreation Department is postponing their playground build at Schildberg Recreation Area. The community event was set to take place Friday and Saturday. The Parks Department is working with Miracle Playground to find another date to schedule their expert builder to come back and guide construction of the playground.
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A northwest Iowa company that’s been fined thousands of dollars for the stink coming from its plant has lost its lawsuit targeting the city’s odor ordinance.
The Sioux City Journal reports that Judge Leonard Strand of the U.S. District Court in Sioux City granted the city of Sibley’s motion for a summary judgment. Strand disagreed with Iowa Drying & Processing’s contention that the ordinance was unconstitutionally vague.
Iowa Drying & Processing had said the city’s enforcement unfairly targeted the company and interfered with its efforts to sell the plant, which had drawn residents’ complaints for years.
One resident, Josh Harms, sued Sibley after city officials threatened legal action against him for saying on a website that Sibley smelled like “rancid dog food.” Strand ruled against the city in Harms’ case, barring officials from making more threats and ordering the city to pay him $6,500 in damages and $20,000 in legal fees.
Ag 4 All, the non-profit ag literacy group based in Adair County, shares that their popular Ag Adventure experience will be part of 64th Annual Jesse James Chuckwagon Days at Adair this weekend. The interactive exhibit will be set up in the Adair City Park on Saturday, June 22nd from 1-3 p.m.
The exhibit provides fun and learning for the entire family. There is Ag BINGO for the kids with prizes for everyone and a special Farm Input game for the adults with a chance to win a $25 ethanol certificate. It is a great opportunity to meet farm animals and the people that raise them. For the younger set there is a corn pool and pedal tractors to be fueled up at a renewable fuel station.
There is even free food. Grab an egg-on-a-stick, meat snack sample, and bottle of water while supplies last. Look for the red Ag Adventure tent and the volunteers in blue to find Ag Adventure on Saturday.
Cass County Democratic Party Chair Sherry Toelle reports Iowa Democrat Congresswoman Cindy Axne met with political activists and agricultural community members at Rolling Acres Farm, Monday, Her visit was hosted by Larry Harris and Denise O’Brien. Toelle says Axne talked about the hundred plus bills that have been passed by the House of Representatives, most of which have stalled in the US Senate. One bill that has passed both Houses, is the House Emergency Disaster Fund Bill. Toelle says Axne successfully fought to add $3 billion dollars specifically for “Midwest flooding”. Axne and the attendees talked about issues facing small farms and how they are helping preserve the environment.
Congresswoman Axne with Denise O Brien (Photo submitted)
Axne and a group of invited guests went on a short tour of the hosts’ organic produce farm. The Congresswoman serves on two committees in the House: Financial Services and Agriculture; the Agriculture Committee includes membership on subcommittees on Commodity Exchanges, Energy, & Credit, and Conservation and Forestry.
(Radio Iowa) — Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack — who served eight years as President Obama’s secretary of agriculture — says having congress ratify the “U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement” will provide stability to farmers and momentum for other trade deals. “Having this agreement passed creates optimism, creates a hopefulness about the future,” Vilsack says, “which is incredibly important for agriculture and for the food industry, to have that optimism that things are going to be better.”
Vilsack hosted a forum early Monday morning in central Iowa with representatives from most of the state’s ag commodity groups. “This isn’t about giving President Trump a victory. It’s about giving the farmers in this room a victory,” Vilsack said. “It’s about giving all the people who are connected to the food and agriculture industry a victory. It’s about giving the American economy a victory.”
Vilsack says 28 percent of the American workforce is employed in the food and agricultural sector. Vilsack is now president and C-E-O of the U.S. Dairy Export Council. He says the U-S-M-C-A preserves Mexico as a market for about 30 percent of all U.S. dairy products. The new agreement also opens Canada to more U.S. dairy sales, according to Vilsack.
Drew Mogler of the Iowa Pork Producers Association says the deal is important because one out of every four hams produced in the U.S. ends up in Mexico. “Last year, Iowa exported about $700 million worth of pork to both Canada and Mexico,” he says. “This year our exports have dropped off a little bit, volume-wize, down to Mexico, so getting some certainly back (for) producers is important for us.”
Greta Irwin of the Iowa Turkey Federation says Mexico is the number one foreign market for U.S. turkey and the deal could increase turkey exports to Canada by up to 30 percent. “This type of agreement is huge for our industry,” Irwin says. Kevin Studer of the Iowa Corn Growers says farmers need a break. “This spring has been a mess. We all know it. We’ve got to get this anxiety off the table,” Studer said. “Let’s clear the deck on USMCA. Let’s get our trade people to be able to focus on getting China done.”
The U-S Mexico Canada Agreement is also important for the state’s biofuels industry. Monte Shaw of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association says Mexico is an emerging market for Iowa-produced ethanol. “If that market were to go away because this (USMCA) fell apart and we actually pulled out for some period of time from NAFTA, that’d be like shutting down three and a half plants,” Shaw says.
The Trump Administration has not yet forwarded the new trade agreement for North America to congress. Once that happens, the U.S. House and Senate will have 30 days to ratify it. Vilsack says it would be best to have that vote THIS year, rather than having it happen in 2020 — during a politically-charged election year.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Torrential rain this spring prevented most Midwest farmers from planting their crops but while the federal government provides help to growers of corn and soybeans, those who grow specialty crops are largely on their own.
Although the lack of federal safety net programs for farmers who grow everything from arugula to zucchini isn’t new, one of the wettest springs in U.S. history has focused attention on the special status of commodity crops, primarily corn, soybeans, cotton, rice and wheat.
Iowa organic farmer Andrew Dunham shrugs at the situation, noting “there are no federal bailouts for vegetable farmers.”
Iowa State University economist Chad Hart says crops like corn and soybeans are treated differently because they’re so important to the national economy, and shortages would be painful, particularly to the livestock industry.
Members of the Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department Board will hold their regular, monthly session 5:15-p.m. Monday, in the City Council’s Chambers at City Hall. The meeting will begin with a closed session, to “Evaluate the professional competency of an individual whose appointment, hiring, performance or discharge is being considered,” in accordance with the Iowa Code,
When the Board returns to an open meeting, they’re expected to receive updates on the Schildberg Recreation Area development project, East Ridge washout repair, and Sunnyside Park entry sign.
Interim Parks Director Bryant Rasmussen will also update the Board on the Schildberg docks and dog park that were damaged during the flood. He’s also expected to note that the Sunnyside Pool is open for the season, and remind the Board about the Schildberg Park Community Playground build near the Rotary Shelter, set for June 21st-22nd. Volunteers are needed to help build the playground on June 21st and 22nd. There will be two shifts each day, 8:00AM until Noon and 1:00PM until 5:00PM. Lunch will be provided.
Rasmussen will also report on the 4th Annual Block Party held June 1st at Sunnyside Park, and on Prairie Plants transplanted into the Bull Creek Pathway.
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