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CLICK HERE for the latest market quotes from the Brownfield Ag News Network!
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) – (The City Council in Atlantic won’t allow a pot bellied pig in the City limits, but…) The City Council in Cedar Falls has taken a step toward allowing backyard chickens. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that the council voted 4-3 Tuesday to revisit a 10-year-old ban on the domestic birds. The council ordered staffers to prepare an ordinance for a future council vote.
A staff review showed many Iowa cities, including Waterloo, Cedar Rapids and Des Moines, allow a limited number of chickens. Cities that don’t include Ankeny, Coralville and Davenport. David Sturch of the city planning staff wrote in a memo to the mayor and council members that city staffers recognize that urban chickens “are a growing trend for people to have them as pets and for egg production.”
Iowa State University Extension will be holding an informational meeting in Shelby County Sept. 19th, on the current issues surrounding the weed Palmer Amaranth. Officials say the weed has been located in Iowa in the past but has had many more discoveries, within the last year, in first year seeded conservation plantings. The weed has the potential to be detrimental to field crops in the future.
The meeting will discuss plant identification and biology, management tactics and the current infestations in Iowa. You’re invited to join Iowa State Field Agronomist Mike Witt on Monday, Sept. 19th at 9:30-a.m., at the Shelby County Extension office in Harlan.
Some Iowa corn growers are finding a new type of disease on the leaves of their crops. Plant pathologist Doug Jardine says the disease streaks the leaves and somewhat resembles “gray leaf spot” but it’s different. Jardine says with corn maturing and drying, it likely won’t spread any further this season. “We’ve probably, for the most part, wrapped up what we’re going to find this year but we’re already making plans to do a more extensive survey next summer,” Jardine says.
The new disease is being called X-V-V and researchers don’t know how it got here, how to control it or even whether it needs to be controlled. The big question is — will it reduce yields? “That we do not know yet,” he says. “Those studies are being planned for next summer.” Jardine says anytime you get something new that has the potential to impact the corn crop, it’s a big deal in the heartland, especially in Iowa where corn is king.
“Most diseases in the corn crop that we deal with on a regular basis are fungal diseases and many of them can be treated with a fungicide for management,” Jardine says. “This is a bacterial disease and we have another bacterial disease in corn called Goss’s Blight which is also fairly widespread across the corn belt. We’ve been living with that for a few decades but this one is new.”
X-V-V has been found in nine states so far, in Iowa, as well as Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Minnesota, Illinois and Colorado.
(Radio Iowa)
SHELDON, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Department of Natural Resources investigators are investigating a fish kill along the Little Floyd River near Sheldon in northwest Iowa. The kill was reported Wednesday afternoon and initially appeared to involve a small number of fish. But a news release Thursday from the department says further investigation indicates the kill stretched at least three miles and involved hundreds of fish — mostly small chubs, minnows and suckers.
Several water samples taken Wednesday showed no signs of elevated ammonia, and there were no obvious signs or smell of manure. However, investigators said the water was cloudy due to recent rains. Environmental and fisheries officials are currently assessing the extent of the fish kill. The investigation continued Thursday.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources reports three central Iowa men were charged with theft for allegedly harvesting ginseng roots on state managed lands along the Des Moines River valley over the Labor Day Weekend. Officials say it is illegal to harvest ginseng from all state-owned and state-managed land, and most county conservation board owned land.
53-year old Bart Bollie, of Madrid, 55-year old Kyle Jones, of Slater and 28-year old Brent Jones, also of Slater, were each charged with fifth degree theft, unlawful possession of wild ginseng root from state-managed lands, and unlawful possession of young wild ginseng. The DNR is asking for restitution and liquidated damages equal to 150 percent of the value of the ginseng, which is $292.50 from each individual. Bollie, Jones and Jones are set to appear in Dallas County court on September 12th.
All three men had valid Iowa ginseng harvester permits. Officers seized 406 illegally harvested ginseng roots, including 41 roots that did not meet legal harvest age, and the digging tools. The DNR says Ginseng plants must have three or more prongs and a flowering or fruiting stalk with red fruits in order to be dug up. Once dug up, the roots must have at least five stem scars to be harvested. Roots with less than five stem scars must be carefully replanted in the same location.
Most of the ginseng collected in Iowa is exported to countries in Asia, with a small portion going to cities along the west coast, like San Francisco. The price of ginseng fluctuates based on the strength of the Asian economy and lately that price has been down. Last year, average quality ginseng roots would bring $500-$600 per pound, and high quality roots up to $750 per pound.
Ginseng may be harvested from September 1 to October 31 from private land with permission from the landowner, and harvesters must have a valid ginseng harvester permit. Permits are available for $37 anywhere hunting and fishing licenses are sold.
There are currently 154 permitted Iowa ginseng harvesters.
(12-p.m. News)
By a vote of 6-to-1, the Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, moved to enforce the City’s Animal Protection and Control Ordinance, and will require the owners of a pot bellied pig to remove the animal from their home at 805 Chestnut Street. Councilman Chris Jimerson was the only vote in favor of leaving the animal where it is.
Prior to their vote, the Council heard from the owners of “Pumba,” Chris and Darci Coatney. Darci Coatney said “The only reason we even got a pig was because of a childhood dream to have one. They are very smart, he is completely potty trained,” and (acts like a dog when given a command).
Chris (Left) and Darci Coatney make their case for “Pumba”
She said if she would have been told they would have to get rid of Pumba last year, when the Police first showed up and he was just a piglet, “He would have been a lot easier to get rid of, I would have done it with no problem…we could have made different arrangements so he’s not in the back yard.”
Chris Coatney said the issue of flies a neighbor complained about, is because they (the neighbor) has fly traps designed to attract insects that would normally be found on a farm. He said also “We haven’t had one person sit here (at his home) and say that there’s any smell.” He said his family is very attached to the pig, and “it’s part of the family now.”
Rebecca Sponsler, the neighbor who complained to the Community Protection Commission about the flies, smell and the effect on her property value, said she has no problem with family or the pig, but the smell is intolerable.
“Pumba,” the pot bellied pig.
Councilman Dana Halder said allowing the pig to live within the City would “Open up a whole ‘nother can of worms,” and its unfortunate that it’s gone on this long. Newly appointed Councilman Gerald Brink said “It’s hard to lose a pet…but since there is an ordinance in-place, I agree with Dana, that at this point in time we have no choice.”
Councilman Chris Jimerson said pot bellied pigs are not mean and are pretty intelligent, but he understands the issue with the odor. He says it’s all about being a good neighbor, with regard to pig droppings in the yard and cleaning up after it, and “I think people can do that.”
It’s not clear where “Pumba” will end-up, but in all likelihood, he will be relocated to a farm setting.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Small businesses in 35 states are getting research grants from a federal government program designed to help develop products related to food security, natural resources and agricultural issues. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Wednesday that 76 businesses will receive $7.4 million.
Bugeater Labs in Lincoln, Nebraska, is getting help developing rice and pasta products from protein-rich bugs and Windcall Manufacturing in Venango, Nebraska, is developing a small handheld grain combine designed to gather grain samples for moisture level testing.
In Iowa, Accelerated Ag Technologies of Urbandale is developing methods for storing plant pollen to help in the development of new hybrids and Gross-Wen Technologies in Ames hopes to develop algae that removes nitrogen and phosphorous from wastewater and is then turned into a slow-release fertilizer. Most grants are around $100,000.
Waterfowl hunters who plan to hunt in southwest Iowa are reminded that the Missouri River zone has not changed for the 2016-17 hunting season. The current Missouri River zone includes all lands and waters in Iowa west of I-29 and north of Hwy. 175. The zone map is on p. 3 of the 2016 Iowa Migratory Game Bird Hunting Regulations. The expanded Missouri River zone will be available to hunters in the fall of 2017.
(Iowa DNR)
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