Farmers in parts of the state were able to get into the fields last week. The latest U-S-D-A crop report shows 28 percent of the corn has now been planted, despite soggy weather in a lot of areas of the state. That’s a big increase compared to last week’s report when only eight percent of the corn was in the ground.

Farmers in southeastern Iowa made the most progress with more than half their corn acreage planted — while farmers in the northern third of Iowa have planted less than one-fifth of their corn. Overall planting is one week behind last year, but only two days behind the five-year average. Soybean planting got underway in some areas, with two percent of the soybeans planted, That’s two days behind average.

(Radio Iowa)

(AMES, Iowa) May 2, 2017—Landus Cooperative announces four area high school students who will each receive an Excellence in Agriculture $1,000 scholarship towards post-secondary education in an ag-related field.

“Landus Cooperative is proud to support scholarships and learning experiences to help prepare students for the future challenges the agriculture industry will present,” said chief executive officer, Milan Kucerak as he expressed his encouragement for these students. “These young men and women are the future of the agriculture industry,” Kucerak added.

The Excellence in Agriculture winners:

· Emily Campbell, daughter of Paul and Deb Campbell of Hamlin; senior at Audubon High School. Field of study: Agricultural Studies at Iowa State University.

· Maggie Steinkamp, daughter of Doug and Julie Steinkamp of Wall Lake; senior at Kuemper Catholic High School. Field of study: Ag Communications at South Dakota State University.

· Blaine Lees, son of Paul and Suzanne Lees of Walnut; senior at AHSTW High School. Field of study: Agricultural Science at Northwest Missouri State University.

· Brandon Langbein, son of Gary and Melissa Langbein of Sac City; senior at East Sac County High School. Field of study: Applied Agriculture and Food Studies at Morningside College

About the scholarship:

· Applicant and/or parent must be a voting member (Class A) in good standing of Landus Cooperative.

· Applicant must be a high school senior graduating in the spring of the 2017 school year.

· Applicant must have a cumulative high school grade point average of 2.5 or better on a 4.0 scale.

· Applicant must pursue a career in an agriculture or life sciences field of study attending the accredited post-secondary school of his or her choice.

· Dependents of directors and officers of Landus Cooperative are not eligible to apply for these scholarships.

• KJAN, Atlantic  1.2″
• Massena  .82″
• Avoca  .6″
• Oakland  1.25″
• Clarinda  .7″
• Red Oak  1.07″
• Glenwood  1.07″
• Carroll  .83″
• Shenandoah  1.42″
• Missouri Valley  1.18″
• Woodbine  1.05″

w/Denny Heflin.

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With all the fuss about musician Paul McCartney making his first concert stop in Iowa in a dozen years, there’s news of looming trouble with another beetle, the creepy-crawly kind. Entomologist Robert Wright says conditions appear favorable this year for a wider infestation of the Japanese beetle in Iowa and across the region. It can be a threat to Iowa’s top two crops and our gardens.

“It has just one generation a year. Right now, they’re in the soil as immature white grubs feeding on grass roots and plant roots,” Wright says. “The adults will emerge in late June and into July and that’s when we’ll start seeing the adults.” Iowans have likely seen the bug but may not know it’s a Japanese beetle. They’re easy to identify.

“They’re about a half-inch long with a bright metallic green head and shoulders and then the wing covers of the back are a coppery-brown color,” he says. The pests have been in the U-S for nearly a century and here in the Midwest for perhaps 30 years. Not only are they a threat to corn and soybean crops, but they can gobble up our gardens and landscaping.

“Oftentimes when you’re gardening, you may see it attacking roses,” Wright says. “It likes things in the apple family. It’ll feed on crab apples. Linden trees are a favorite plant in terms of feeding on the leaves.” Iowa’s farmers need to be on particular guard for the insect.

“In agricultural settings, it can feed on both corn and soybeans,” Wright says. “It’ll defoliate the leaves in soybeans. It also will feed on the leaves in corn but it really prefers to feed on the silk.” He says the same insecticide used to control white grubs also works well on the beetles.

(Radio Iowa)

Iowa’s Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst have joined 14 of their colleagues in the Senate to co-sponsor legislation that would boost U.S. producers of biodiesel. Republican Senator Chuck Grassley and a senator from Washington state who is a Democrat are the lead sponsors of the legislation. It would extend the tax credit for biodiesel for three more years. More significantly, though, the credit would go to the PRODUCERS of biodiesel.

Today, the credit goes to the companies that BLEND the soybean-based fuel into diesel made from petroleum. Grassley, Ernst and the other 14 senators say the move is important, because foreign imports of biodiesel are rising dramatically — and the current biodiesel CREDITS are supporting those imports. In many cases, the biodiesel shipped into the U.S. gets foreign subsidies, too. Grassley calls that “double-dipping.”

In the past quarter alone, biodiesel imports were 10 percent above levels during the first three months of 2016. Iowa is the nation’s leading biodiesel producers. According to the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, biodiesel accounts for nearly half a BILLION dollars of Iowa’s Gross Domestic Product,with nearly four-thousand Iowans employed in the biodiesel industry.

(Radio Iowa)

w/Kate Olson.

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The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reports they will be releasing swans at four locations in southern Iowa in May, as part of its statewide trumpeter swan restoration effort. Swans will be released on May 6 at Pin Oak Marsh at 1:30 p.m.; on May 11 at Viking Lake State Park near the restaurant beach area at 1:30 p.m.; on May 12 at Lake Icaria Recreation Area on the north side of lake at the east boat ramp at 9:30 a.m.; and on May 12 at Lake Anita State Park, at 1:30 p.m. Each location will receive two swans except Lake Icaria, which will receive four swans.

Directions to each release site are available on the calendar of events listing on the Iowa DNR’s website at http://www.iowadnr.gov/Conservation.

Filmmaker Steve Harryman plans to collect video footage and conduct interviews at Viking Lake State Park, Lake Icaria, Lake Anita State Park and at a restored wetland with nesting swans, for his upcoming documentary “Return of the Trumpeter Swans.” Harryman is working in conjunction with the Trumpeter Swan Society.

Each release will feature a program on trumpeter swans and an opportunity for attendees to see, touch and get photos with the largest waterfowl in North America. The all-white birds can weigh up to 32 pounds and have a wingspan reaching up to eight feet.

Trumpeter swans were once common in Iowa, but were gone from the state by the late 1880s. By the early 1930s, only 69 trumpeter swans remained in the lower 48 states.

Bob Beebensee and DNR Conservation Officer Grant Gelle talk about all things outdoors as the spring season ramps up.

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Raw milk advocates’ efforts to expand availability across the U.S. have not slowed despite health officials’ assertions that it’s dangerous to drink milk that hasn’t been heated to kill bacteria.

Efforts to legalize raw milk sales in some form have succeeded in 42 states, and expansion pushes are ongoing this year in states including Illinois, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, Rhode Island, North Dakota and Texas.

All raw milk sales are banned in eight states. Dr. Megin Nichols with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says health officials worry that as access to raw milk increases, so will illnesses. Despite those concerns, people in states like Iowa that outlaw raw milk sales frequently travel to states such as Missouri where they can buy milk they believe is healthier.