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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!
Farmland owners and tenants have an opportunity to get valuable information at a series of Farmland Leasing Meetings hosted by Iowa State University Extension. The workshops are 2 and a half hours in length and will cover topics that include current land value and cash rental rates, types of farm lease arrangements, determining a fair cash rent, strategies for writing and terminating a farm lease, economic outlook, and other resources. Iowa State University Extension Regional Education Director Alan Ladd said the meetings are very timely with deadlines coming up.
Meetings in our area are coming up on August 23rd in Carson and Shenandoah and August 24th in Mount Ayr and Humeston. One meeting has already been held in Greenfield. Ladd said the same information will be covered at each site.
Ladd wanted to stress that these meetings are not just for current land owners.
Attendees are asked to register at least 2 days prior to the meeting they plan to attend and there is a registration fee.
The meeting in Carson is August 23rd at 9:00am at the Carson Community Center, 316 S. Commercial Street. The Shenandoah meeting is August 23rd at 1:30pm at the Shenandoah Public Library, 201 S. Elm Street. The Mount Ayr meeting will take place August 24th at 9:00am at the Ringgold County Extension Office, 101 North Polk. A meeting in Humeston will be held on August 24th at 2:00pm in the Humeston Community Center on Broad Street. Register by calling the County Extension Office hosting the workshop or 641-673-5841.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — People attending the Iowa State Fair have selected the Apple Egg Roll as the best new concession food for 2018.
A panel of celebrity judges named three finalists from which to choose: the Apple Egg Roll from Applishus, the All Iowa Belly Up Burger from The Rib Shack and the Brown Sugar Pork Belly on a Stick from Iowa Pork Producers.
Fairgoers tried the three and voted from Aug. 9 through Tuesday, and the winner was the Apple Egg Roll.
Apple Egg Rolls are two crispy egg roll wrappers filled with apples and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and served with caramel sauce for dipping.
DES MOINES – Alliant Energy residential customers can purchase landscaping trees for their homes at a deep discount this fall. Customers may reserve up to two trees per address and pick them up at Operation ReLeaf events in Cerro Gordo, Decatur, Hamilton, Linn, Poweshiek, and Winneshiek counties in October.
Operation ReLeaf is an energy-efficiency program from Alliant Energy that helps customers save energy by using trees to shade their homes from the summer sun and winter winds. For maximum energy efficiency, trees should be planted within 30 feet of the east and west sides of the house. Evergreens should be planted as a windbreak on the north and west sides.
“We enjoy trees for their beauty and environmental benefits, and they can become a family legacy,” said Doug Kopp, President of Alliant Energy’s Iowa utility. “When you plant a tree as a family and get the kids involved, it can be fun and meaningful. Ten, 15 years later, you can look back and see how it’s grown and changed with you.”
Operation ReLeaf makes high-quality landscaping trees affordable. The trees retail for $65 to $125 each, but are available for just $25 through Operation ReLeaf on a first-come, first-served basis.
“This is a great way for homeowners to get a quality tree at an affordable price,” said Jeff Goerndt, state forester with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
For best results from your planting projects, the DNR recommends variety. “Planting a diverse mix of trees on your property and in your neighborhood will reduce the likelihood of losing a large number of trees to forest health threats,” said Goerndt.
Operation ReLeaf is an Alliant Energy program administered by the Iowa DNR with assistance from local partners. Order forms and tree species are available at alliantenergy.com/releaf.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 15, 2018 — Agricultural producers in Missouri who suffered losses and damages due to recent drought on two separate occasions may be eligible for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans. The loans are made available under the authority of the Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue.
Drought: 19 counties
For the recent drought, the Secretary has designated Andrew, Caldwell, Carroll, Chariton, Clinton, Daviess, DeKalb, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Linn, Livingston, Macon, Mercer, Nodaway, Randolph, Ray, Saline and Sullivan counties in Missouri as primary natural disaster areas.
Producers in the contiguous counties of Adair, Atchison, Audrain, Boone, Buchanan, Clay, Cooper, Holt, Howard, Jackson, Knox, Lafayette, Monroe, Pettis, Platte, Putnam, Shelby and Worth in Missouri, along with Decatur, Page, Ringgold, Taylor and Wayne counties in Iowa, and Doniphan County in Kansas, are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.
Drought: Six counties
For the recent drought, the Secretary has designated Adair, Buchanan, Howard, Putnam, Schuyler and Scotland counties in Missouri as primary natural disaster areas.
Producers in the contiguous counties of Andrew, Boone, Chariton, Clark, Clinton, Cooper, DeKalb, Knox, Linn, Macon, Mercer, Platte, Randolph, Saline and Sullivan in Missouri, along with Appanoose, Davis, Van Buren and Wayne counties in Iowa, and Atchison and Doniphan counties in Kansas, are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.
Producers in all designated primary and contiguous counties will have until April 1, 2019, to apply for emergency loans to help cover part of their actual losses.
FSA will consider each loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. FSA has a variety of programs, in addition to the emergency loan program, to help eligible farmers recover from the impacts of this disaster.
Other FSA programs that can provide assistance, but do not require a disaster declaration, include: Operating and Farm Ownership Loans; the Emergency Conservation Program; Livestock Forage Disaster Program; Livestock Indemnity Program; Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program; and the Tree Assistance Program. Interested farmers may contact their local USDA service centers for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs. Additional information is also available online at https://www.farmers.gov/recover.
MAQUOKETA, Iowa (AP) — Officials say Maquoketa (muh-KOH’-keh-tuh) Caves State Park will reopen Aug. 24.
The eastern Iowa park’s been closed for more than three months while undergoing extensive renovations.
The renovations include resurfacing the road through the park, new trail boardwalks and upgraded electric service at campsites.
The Iowa Department of Transportation is accepting applications for the annual Federal Recreational Trails program funding cycle. Applications are due by October 1. This year, additional funding is available for trail maintenance and paving projects that will be able to be let by October 30, 2019. Such projects would include but are not limited to overlays, paving of granular trails, and minor rehabilitation to non-historic bridges. These projects should not include significant grading, installation of new culverts, or other significant ground disturbance. Ongoing trail maintenance such as mowing, sweeping, and general repair are considered trail operating costs and are not eligible projects for this program.
All applications received will be reviewed according to the standard program criteria:
• The degree of innovative trail sharing to accommodate motorized and non-motorized use.
• The number of compatible user groups allowed on the facility.
• The facilitation of access for use by persons with disabilities, older citizens, economically disadvantaged and other special groups.
• The development of trail linkages.
• The creation of opportunities for new partnerships.
• The furtherance of goals of Iowa’s SCORP, Iowa Trails 2000, or a regional/county/municipal plan.
• The usage of grant funds to leverage other investments (in services and materials, as well as dollars).
• The level of citizen involvement in the project’s concept and implementation.
• The degree to which the project ties in to other trails, natural, cultural, or recreational areas.
• The level of public/private partnerships for the ongoing operation and maintenance of the project.
• The degree the project will result in the cleanup of an area.
Applications totaling the $1.3 million annual appropriation for the program will be selected for award based on these criteria. Up to $2.0 million in additional program funds will be available for award to trail maintenance and paving project applications submitted in this funding cycle. This additional funding will be awarded according to the following priorities:
• Likelihood of the project to meet federal requirements without excessive delay, and
• Construction contract let by October 30, 2019.
All applications must meet the eligibility requirements for the Federal Recreational Trail program, be submitted by an eligible applicant, and, if awarded, meet all other federal program requirements through the development of the project including compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Buy America requirements for iron or steel incorporated into the project, etc. The maximum federal share for any project is up to 80 percent of total eligible project costs. This is a cost reimbursement program.
For more information, please review the program guidance on the Iowa DOT website at https://iowadot.gov/systems_planning/grant-programs/federal-and-state-recreational-trails or email or call Yvonne Diller at yvonne.diller@iowadot.us or 515-239-1252.
(Radio Iowa) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s acting administrator met privately with Iowa commodity group leaders at the Iowa State Fair Monday — but Andrew Wheeler told reporters afterwards there is no decision yet on regulations that would allow a higher blend of ethanol to be sold year-round. “I can’t tell you the timeline,” Wheeler said. “We are mindful of needing to have a decision on that before the growing season next year.”
Wheeler seemed to indicate E-P-A guidelines that would approve the sale of E-15 year-round would be coupled with some sort of accommodation for the oil industry.
“We’re certainly looking to see what we can do overall as a part of a larger effort to bring more certainty around the RFS and we’re open to that and I’ve been meeting with different groups around the country — different associations that represent the ethanol people, the refiners — trying to figure out what we can do ,” Wheeler said. “The important thing is the Trump Administration wants to move forward with implementing the RFS (in) both the spirit and the letter of the law.”
The Renewable Fuels Standard was established by congress and requires the E-P-A to annually set a mandatory production level for ethanol and other biofuels. Republican Governor Kim Reynolds criticized the previous E-P-A administrator for granting waivers that let some oil refiners get around the federal ethanol mandate. Reynolds made the same point yesterday (Monday) as she stood next to the E-P-A’s new acting director at a brief news conference.
“Fifteen million gallons needs to mean 15 million gallons and I think that’s the message that was delivered today in a very constructive manner,” Reynolds said “And that is something that the Administration and EPA could weigh in on that would have an immediate impact on the price of corn and infuse some optimism and certainty into the market.” Iowa Farm Bureau president Craig Hill was among the few dozen ag-industry leaders who had a private discussion with Wheeler. Hill says the meeting was “constructive,” but the Iowans didn’t get the answers they were hoping for.
“It’s been Christmas for the oil industry on every one of these deals. Where’s our deal?” he said. “…We’ve not gotten a thing.” Hill says farmers and the ethanol industry appreciate that the E-P-A has met the deadline for setting the federal production mandate for ethanol, but they’re frustrated the waivers granted to oil refineries has effectively reduced the mandated level of ethanol production. Congressman David Young, a Republican from Van Meter, thanked Wheeler for being “accessible” and listening to Iowa farm groups who’ve been worried about E-P-A foot-dragging on ethanol-related issues.
“Because of what President Trump said in promising E15, thinking it was a fabulous idea, there’s an expectation that’s going to happen,” Young says. Young says if the E-P-A doesn’t figure out how to authorize the sale of E-15 year-round, a bipartisan coalition in congress is working on legislation to make it happen.
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