CLICK HERE for the latest market quotes from the Iowa Agribusiness Network!
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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!
(Radio Iowa) — Some Iowa farmers won’t have any crops to harvest this fall as they won’t be able to plant anything this spring due to the flood-soaked soil. Meteorologist Dennis Todey, director of the U-S-D-A’s Midwest Climate Hub, based in Ames, says some areas of the state are still underwater and the farmland in those areas has been inundated. “Things will probably be delayed for sure in those locations,” Todey says. “There probably will be some areas that will not be able to be planted this year, period. Delayed planting is an issue over the whole region because we have soil moisture, we have wet soils over the whole region, so any additional rainfall is going to be problematic.”
Many fields are littered with debris left by the flooding, including trees, metal fuel tanks, pieces of structures, and all sorts of trash, but it’s the smaller stuff that will be harder to remove. “The areas that are heavily inundated, the soils there will be degraded because of depositing of sand,” Todey says. “Silt is not so bad because that’s a bit better, but the additional deposits of sand will degrade the soils and cause some problems.”
Millennia ago, giant glaciers helped to form the land now known as Iowa, but this spring, we saw a much smaller, much faster example. “We had large movement of large blocks of ice so there’s a lot of damage done to things like bridges because of the ice,” Todey says, “and then other structural areas and other loss of soil because of large movements of ice over the regions.”
Todey says all of that is beyond the damages to roads, bridges and culverts that will take time to repair. Spring flood damage in Iowa is estimated to exceed two-billion dollars.
(Radio Iowa) — Iowa Senator Joni Ernst says she is working with fellow Republican Senator Chuck Grassley to address one specific issue facing farmers hit hard by flooding. “One of the major concerns I am hearing from farmers across the state is the stored grain that has gone to ruin,” Ernst explains. She says their proposal is to give farmers some compensation for that damaged grain. Ernst says they are moving forward on an amendment that would cover stored grain in the U-S-D-A disaster coverage. She says right now the coverage is only for crops that have been planted and are flooded.
Ernst says she is also working on some tax help for Iowa and Nebraskans in the counties declared major federal disaster areas. Ernst says some of the benefits include waiving penalties so people could withdraw from their I-R-A, and providing incentives for employers to keep employees on the payroll during tough times. Ernst talked about the issues during her weekly conference call with reporters.
The Shelby County Board of Supervisors Chair and County Engineer Brandon Burmeister have re-activated a 10-ton secondary granular road embargo. This means all granular surfaced roads within Shelby County are embargoed to 10-ton vehicles/loads until further notice. Shelby County Engineer Brandon Burmeister says the uncharacteristicly wet weather pattern has prompted the embargo.
(Radio Iowa) — Congresswoman Cindy Axne has introduced a bill that would make a federal tax credit for cellulosic or “advanced” biofuels permanent. “It was a $1.01 per gallon tax credit for producers that expired (at the end of 2017),” Axne said. “I am re-establishing that tax credit so that our farmers can be supported, we can create more jobs and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.”
Axne, a Democrat from West Des Moines, represents Iowa’s third congressional district. She says reviving the tax credit will support more innovation in developing so-called “advanced biofuels” made from things like corn stalks and husks. “Really using that waste of plant material, and animal waste as well, to create energy from it,” Axne said. The biofuel industry has been hit by E-P-A waivers that have reduced the amount of biofuel production required under the Renewable Fuels Standard and Axne says this tax credit would help advanced biofuels producers recover. “Anything that helps our farmers and our ag community, as we all know in Iowa, helps all of us in this country,” Axne said. “I’m hoping that we’ll be able to get this through. I’m feeling pretty good about it.”
Republican Chuck Grassley is sponsoring a bill in the U.S. Senate that would extend the 39 federal tax credits, including this per gallon tax credit for advanced biofuel producers.
Officials with the Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency report shortly before 4-p.m. Monday, the Red Oak Fire Department and other first responders were paged to United Farmers Cooperative in Red Oak for a man that was trapped up to his waist in grain.
Photo via MCEMA Facebook page
EMA Coordinator Brian Hamman said without the specialized equipment that had been purchased and donated by many donors, the rescue would have been challenging and difficult to say the least. The subject was extricated and able to walk out under his own will and was taken to MCMH for further evaluation.
Hamman added that “While we all train for the worst and hope we never have to use certain equipment and our training, it’s a blessing when we have a positive outcome.”
Spring is in the air, and plans are underway for gardening projects in Cass County. Local groups planning community gardening, beautification or education programs will again be eligible for assistance from the Cass County Master Gardeners. The group is offering grant money to be used in the 2019 growing season, to encourage gardening to grow food for education or donation, and/or improve local communities.
The money may also be used for gardening education purposes. The Cass County Master Gardener Memorial Grants are offered in remembrance of the many years of service to the community provided by long-time Master Gardener volunteers who have passed.
Any Cass County not-for-profit group may apply. Schools, churches, libraries, 4-H clubs, Scouts, or other organizations/individuals working to improving their communities can apply for money to begin or improve gardens or landscaping for community benefit, or to provide education for their members or the public.
To ensure the money is helping a wide variety of community organizations, those who were funded by 2018 grants will not be eligible to apply in 2018. Each grant has a maximum value of $300. Applications must include plans for teamwork and sustainability. Consideration for the environment is also an important factor in selection.
Applications must be received by Wednesday, April 24 for consideration. They may be submitted by mail or email. Grant recipients will be informed of their selection by May 6. For more information, or with questions, call the Cass County Extension office at 712-243-1132, email keolson@iastate.edu, or stop by the Extension Office at 805 W. 10th St in Atlantic. You may also contact Master Gardener Donna Reimers. Application forms can be picked up at the Extension Office, or printed from the Cass County Extension website- www.extension.iastate.edu/cass.
The Master Gardener program trains volunteers to develop their knowledge and skills in horticulture. These volunteers then give back to their communities through gardening service and education. The program is available in all 50 states and Canada through land grant university Extension programs such as Iowa State University Extension. Education courses are available throughout Iowa on a regular basis. For more information on the program, contact Cass County Extension Program Coordinator Kate Olson, at 712-243-1132 or keolson@iastate.edu.
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