The Montgomery County Extension and Outreach will be starting off the year with their new Ag Coffee’s.  The Ag Coffee’s will be a free monthly gathering to learn about topics in that affect the Ag world and feature conversation with area producers. January’s Ag Coffee will be on Farm Succession Planning, sponsored by Farm Credit Services of America.  By attending, you’ll learn a bit about the importance of transition planning and minimizing legal difficulties and confusion for your family during farm transition.

Join the Montgomery County Extension for their Ag Coffee, on January 23^rd at 9:30-a.m., at the Montgomery County Extension Office. The coffee will be hot and rolls will be ready!  Reservations are appreciated, but not required. For more information or to pre-register, contact the Montgomery County Extension Office, at 712-623-2592.

(Radio Iowa) — Iowa continues to lose meat lockers in the state’s smaller towns. Brandi Janssen, who runs the Iowa Center for Agricultural Safety and Health, says without these processors, small-scale farmers will lose customers.  “Well, if you don’t have access to a market you don’t have much reason to farm,” Janssen says. “It’s just sort of a necessary chain. And then you need to make calculations about…how far is it economically feasible and humane to transport animals?”

Iowa State University researchers estimate Iowa has about a third as many small meat plants today as in 1965. “They’re critical for a healthy local food system,” Janssen says. “A small producer is not going to be able to access a giant, federally-inspected processing facility for products that he or she is going to sell to their local community.”

A long-time meat locker in eastern Iowa closed its doors at the end of December. The Holy Cross Meat Locker was famous for its smoked sausage, before it shut down after 72 years. Market watchers say Iowa is losing a lot of these small meat processors. The shops, sometimes run by just a handful of family members, generally butcher a limited number of cattle and hogs for retail or farmers’ markets.

(Thanks to Kate Payne, Iowa Public Radio)

(Radio Iowa) — Iowa farmers who are interested in growing hemp won’t be able to get the ball rolling until the partial federal government shutdown ends. President Trump signed the Farm Bill into law last month, which included the Hemp Farming Act. It removed the plant from the Controlled Substances Act and made it legal to grow the plant. Stuart Titus, president and C-E-O of Medical Marijuana Inc., says the legalization of industrial hemp for Iowa farmers holds much promise. “I’m very excited about hemp being a rival for corn, wheat, soybeans,” Titus says. “Certainly a hemp futures market should develop very soon on the Chicago Board of Trade.”

Farmers who want to grow hemp have to first fill out some paperwork for the U-S-D-A and pass an F-B-I background check, both of which are on hold due to the government shutdown. Still, Titus predicts the versatile hemp plant will quickly become a popular crop in Iowa. “We believe a lot of farmers are very interested to help fallow lands or use hemp as a rotational crop as it really seems to add nutrients back to the soil,” Titus says. “Certainly, with the number of industrial uses, a farmer can get two or three or even four potential income streams from one crop.”

Hemp can be used in all sorts of products, from clothing to rope and from paper to building materials. The crop may be a favorable option for many farmers who’ve experienced losses in recent months due to poor commodity prices and trade issues. Titus notes it’s very unfortunate potential hemp growers in Iowa can’t immediately pursue the practice as plans need to be made for the planting season. “With the shutdown of the government, this is not exactly helping matters for the farmers,” Titus says. “Hopefully, this will just be a very quick, little, temporary glitch in the road and we’ll be back to standard practices before too long here.”

When the Iowa legislative session opens next week, lawmakers may consider new regulations on hemp production. Hemp does -not- contain T-H-C, the chemical in marijuana that causes a high, however, hemp can be used to make cannabidiol or C-B-D, which is used to treat several medical conditions. Current Iowa law only allows for C-B-D to be made by state-licensed producers and not through industrial hemp.

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — A northern Iowa nature center is getting $386,000 in renovations this year. The Globe Gazette reports that the Lime Creek Nature Center announced plans to replace the center’s original main-level exhibits with “museum-quality,” ”interactive” and “durable” ones that will highlight the area’s natural resources and the unique features and history of the Lime Creek Conservation Area. It’s also designed to provide an engaging educational experience for visitors.

The nature center opened in 1984 and was one of the first in Iowa. It features displays that include mounted animals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and natural resources as well as an auditorium and library. Managers say some of the center’s current displays are outdated and deteriorating.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Friday that it must delay the release of key crop reports due to the partial government shutdown, leaving investors and farmers without vital information during an already tumultuous time for agricultural markets.
The USDA had planned to release the closely watched reports Jan. 11 but said that even if the shutdown ended immediately , the agency’s staff wouldn’t have time to release the reports as scheduled. Congressional leaders met with President Donald Trump on Friday but there were no indications the shutdown would end soon.

“The longer it goes on, the more distorted our reference points get,” said grain market analyst Todd Hultman, of Omaha, Nebraska-based agriculture market data provider DTN. “It’s a lot of guesswork.”
The reports detail the size of the 2018 harvests of corn, soybean, wheat and other crops and give an early estimate for what farmers will plant in the upcoming season. Depending on the estimates, the price of the commodities can rise or fall as they show the current supply and forecast how many acres will be devoted to different crops in the coming months.

The government shutdown has now forced the delay of such reports for two weeks, and uncertainty about the commodity supply will only grow as more time elapses, Hultman said. USDA reports provide the foundation for understanding the U.S. agricultural industry, and because they also estimate farm production in other countries, they are essential for understanding global crop markets.

Although the government is still releasing some information, such as the Labor Department’s monthly jobs report , the USDA hasn’t released key reports since Dec. 22. This includes the closely watched World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report and information about specific crops, such as winter wheat and canola seedings.

The lack of information comes amid the uncertainty of trade with China, where tariffs led to an abrupt drop in U.S. agricultural exports to the country. There were indications that China was beginning to resume at least limited purchases of U.S. crops, but because of the government shutdown it’s unclear what’s happening.

University of Illinois professor Todd Hubbs, who studies agricultural commodity markets, said he finds the report delays especially frustrating because he thinks they could confirm a belief that the U.S. soybean crop was smaller than earlier forecast. If true, that information would mean a smaller supply and could raise soybean prices, helping farmers who have struggled with low prices worsened by the trade dispute with China. Until the USDA releases its information, investors and farmers can’t be certain about where they stand, he said.

LYONS, NEBRASKA – Farmers and ranchers are invited to attend three webinars on crop insurance in January. The webinars are free to attend, hosted by the Center for Rural Affairs. “These sessions are for beginning and any other farmers and ranchers who may be unfamiliar with how crop insurance works and whether it is applicable for their operations,” said Anna Johnson, policy manager with the Center for Rural Affairs. Each webinar is from noon to 1:30 p.m. central. Topics include:

• Jan. 8, Crop insurance for beginners;
• Jan. 10, Flexible crop insurance option: Whole Farm Revenue Protection; and
• Jan. 11, Revenue insurance options for livestock.

“Many farmers and ranchers grow or raise crops and livestock that are not covered by traditional policies,” Johnson said. “This webinar series is designed to provide information on insurance options that are not as well known.” The webinar on Jan. 10 will address the insurance product Whole Farm Revenue Protection, which covers an operation’s revenue. “If you grow or raise organic, value-added, specialty crop, or are interested in new markets, Whole Farm Revenue Protection might be right for you,” Johnson said. “Sign up for our webinar on Jan. 10 to learn more.”

Visit cfra.org/events to register.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A federal judge ordered settlement talks Thursday in a lawsuit filed by black farmers from Mississippi and Tennessee who claim a company sold them faulty, low-yield soybean seeds because of their race.

During a court hearing in Memphis, U.S. District Judge John T. Fowlkes told the farmers and Stine Seed Co. to begin mediation in a lawsuit alleging the company conspired with a seed salesman to sell thousands of dollars’ worth of defective seeds to the farmers because they are black. Fowlkes also questioned whether the farmers have enough proof of a conspiracy and facts that support claims of discrimination, or if they were just making “speculative comments” in their lawsuit.

The farmers allege the seeds were much less productive than expected and salesman Kevin Cooper misled them with claims of good yields from soybean plants grown in fertile Mississippi Delta fields. The suit filed in April alleges the good seeds the farmers thought they had bought from Stine were replaced by inferior seeds before delivery. The farmers claim they were given the bad seeds as part of a larger pattern of discrimination and “racial animus” against them.

Stine and Cooper have denied accusations of false advertisement, fraud, racketeering and discrimination, calling them baseless, irresponsible and inflammatory. They have filed motions to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that it doesn’t cite a single racist comment or instance where the black farmers were treated differently from white farmers. “It seems to me that the parties need to sit down and talk about this,” the judge said.

In March 2017, farmer Tyrone Grayer met Cooper at the Mid-South Farm and Gin Show in Memphis, the lawsuit states. Cooper said he had soybean seeds that were suitable for Mississippi’s growing conditions. The farmers ordered 12,000 pounds of Stine seeds. The farmers say they planted the seeds correctly and under optimal farming conditions in Sunflower and Quitman counties in May 2017. They soon observed that the plants were germinating slowly, did not stand uniformly, and were too short.
The farmers had expected 48 bushels or more of plump soybeans per acre, based on prior performance from other seeds. Instead, they got about 25 bushels per acre, and sometimes less — as little as five bushels per acre, the lawsuit claims. The farmers allege Cooper and another man, Greg Crigler, swapped out the good seeds for the bad ones at a warehouse in Sledge, Mississippi. The black farmers were given the inferior seeds, and white farmers got the good ones, the lawsuit claims.
Daniel Van Horn, an attorney for Crigler, has denied Crigler switched out the seeds. Van Horn said accusations of racism are bad, but “falsely accusing someone of racism is equally as bad.”

Maria Calaf, a lawyer for Adel, Iowa-based Stine, said the racism accusations were “rank speculation.”
And, Fowlkes asked the farmers’ lawyers if they had any facts supporting their racism claims.
“How do we make the leap?” Fowlkes said. One of the farmers’ attorneys, J. Gerard Stranch, said that while he only joined the case late last year, he could file an amended complaint with more facts. The defense opposed that. Stranch did accuse Stine of engaging in a “continuous pattern of racketeering conspiracy.”

Fowlkes set a March 15 mediation deadline. David Hall, one of the farmers, said he would rather go to trial than discuss a settlement. “I’m not happy with it,” Hall said of the mediation order. Defense attorneys declined comment after the hearing.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa legislators must create rules to regulate hemp production in the state now that Congress has legalized the crop and farmers are eager to start planting. Hemp comes from the same plant as marijuana but doesn’t contain THC, the compound that causes a high. Hemp is used in clothing, textiles, building materials, paper and food. Congress approved hemp production in the 2018 farm bill. The Des Moines Register reports that the Iowa attorney general and state agriculture officials will meet this month to discuss state regulations for hemp.

One issue lawmakers may consider is if hemp should be allowed to make cannabidiol. Advocates say CBD can treat anxiety, epilepsy and depression. While hemp-derived CBD is allowed federally, Iowa’s medical marijuana law doesn’t allow CBD to be processed from industrial hemp.

(Radio Iowa) — The company that bought the former Tyson Foods plant in northwest Iowa will open for business later this month. Iowa Food Group will purchase, further process, and package beef, pork, and chicken at the plant in Cherokee. The products will be sold to grocery store and restaurants. Bill Anderson, with Cherokee Area Economic Development, says the company received around 400 job applications. “We have a number of folks, hundreds of people, who leave Cherokee County every day to go to work outside of the county, so I think for citizens of Cherokee County this is an opportunity to find employment closer to home,” Anderson said.

Tyson Foods shut down the Cherokee facility in 2014. Mack Zimmerman, with Iowa Food Group, says his company will maintain a relationship with Tyson. “We’ll be a customer of theirs, which is a win-win,” Zimmerman said. Tyson employed around 450 people in Cherokee before it closed. Zimmerman said he was confident there would be plenty of interest in the jobs offered by Iowa Food Group. “Especially those who had experience at the plant before and what-not…in that regard, we didn’t have a lot of concern that we’d have good employees,” Zimmerman said.

Iowa Food Group has already hired staff for its front office and sales. The company aims to start off with 100 employees and eventually grow to over 400.

(Thanks to Katie Peikes, Iowa Public Radio)

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will release trout in seven locations this winter in areas that would not support them during warmer months. The winter stockings are a great place to take kids to catch their first fish. A family friendly event is paired with most of the stockings to help anglers have success and fun while fishing. The popular program is supported by the sales of the trout fee. Anglers need a valid fishing license and pay the trout fee to fish for or possess trout. The daily limit is five trout per licensed angler with a possession limit of 10.

Children age 15 or younger can fish for trout with a properly licensed adult, but they must limit their catch to one daily limit. The child can purchase a trout fee which will allow them to catch their own limit. Winter stocking events are dependent on favorable weather and ice conditions. Check the DNR Trout Fishing website at www.iowadnr.gov/trout for possible changes.

The 2019 Winter Community Trout Stocking Schedule includes:

Jan. 12, Bacon Creek, Sioux City, at 1:30 p.m.

Jan. 19, Big Lake, Council Bluffs, at 2:30 p.m.