State Ag Secretary Bill Northey has been touring the state to survey crop conditions and on Tuesday he made stops in the southwest Iowa communities of Council Bluffs, Hamburg, Shenandoah and Nodaway. “It’s easier to see the good stuff between the wet spots now, whereas two weeks ago we were just seeing the wet spots,” Northey says.

Northey reports corn in southwest Iowa is waist- to shoulder-high. That’s in contrast to fields in northeastern and north central Iowa where corn was planted very late and it’s still quite short. Northey notes the weather has taken a turn for the better.

“It’s great to be getting to real summer weather and seeing those crops grow,” Northey says. “We’ve got a long ways to go, but all the farmers I’ve talked to are optimistic that even with the struggles they’ve had, the rest of the year is going to be good and we’re going to have big crops and hopefully prices as well are comfortable for livestock producers.”

Congressman Tom Latham, who represents the southwest quadrant of the state, joined Northey on the two-day southwest Iowa tour. The latest Iowa crop and weather report from the U-S-D-A indicates the 2013 Iowa corn crop is about three weeks behind normal; soybeans are about two weeks behind. Warmer, drier weather has improved the condition of both crops. About 72 percent of the pastures in Iowa are rated good or excellent and the first cutting of alfalfa is about 89 percent complete.

(Julie Harker/The Brownfield Network)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – An environmental group is hoping to pressure lawmakers into considering legislation that would limit runoff of fertilizer from farm fields by setting state standards.   Environment Iowa is rallying at the Capitol Tuesday to deliver a petition with 5,000 signatures to Sen. Dick Dearden, a Des Moines Democrat who chairs the Senate Natural Resources Committee.   The group says city water treatment plants can’t keep up with the record levels of nitrate flowing into rivers from farm fields.
 
Farm groups oppose standards or strict enforcement saying managing runoff on each farm is different.  The state recently rolled out a new nutrient management policy supported by state agriculture and natural resources officials and Gov. Terry Branstad that relies on voluntary farmer compliance.  Environmental groups say that approach won’t work.

A conference set to take place later this month in Ankeny will address the challenges women face in agriculture. Deb Schuler, President of Iowa Women in Agriculture, says the organization’s 7^th Annual Conference, entitled “All in a Day’s Work,” will be held July 30^th, from 8-a.m to 5-p.m. at the FFA Enrichment Center, in Ankeny. The day before, a wine and cheese welcome reception will be held from 5-to 8:30-p.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott, in Ankeny. Cost for the conference is $70, and includes the evening welcome reception, a continental breakfast, and lunch. Registrations are due by July 20^th. All early paid registrants will be eligible to win a Google Nexus 7, 16-gigabyte tablet. 

Schuler says the conference features a variety of topics, including: Farm estate planning; Livestock marketing; Mobile precision ag lab; Livestock regulations; Agronomy; Stress management; Quick books; Income tax issues, and much more. Distinguished speakers include Roger McEowen/ISU Center for Ag Law and Taxation; Julianne Johnston, Farm Journal Media editor; Brandi Shay, from SouthwesternCommunity College; Dr. Michael Rosemann, with AgriWellness, Inc.; Annette Sweeney, former chair of the House Ag Committee and Iowa AgriWomen President, and others. 

For more information, contact IWIA President Deb Schuler at 712-243-4444, or go to www.iowawomeninag.org.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The recent defeat of the House farm bill highlights how Congress’ country-city political marriage is becoming another victim of partisan politics in polarizing times. And the divorce throws into doubt the future of sweeping agriculture and nutrition spending. Newly emboldened conservative groups pressured Republican House members from rural states last month with radio ads and email blitzes to oppose the five-year, $940 billion bill. They call its proposed cuts to food stamps too little.

Democrats in urban districts that are home to food-stamp recipients refused to make cuts they call too deep. Each party was fearful of angering their core supporters — the height of partisanship over a measure that long had been immune. Pennsylvania Democratic congresswoman Allyson Schwartz says the lack of cooperation wouldn’t have happened in past years.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Warmer and mostly drier weather is helping Iowa farmers near completion of corn and soybean planting and improving crop condition. The Department of Agriculture says 99 percent of the corn crop is in the ground as of Sunday and 96 percent of the crop has emerged, which is three weeks behind normal. Warm humid days helped corn improve. The good to excellent rating increased 3 percentage points with 57 percent of the crop now rated in those two categories and 29 percent is fair. Fourteen percent is poor or very poor.

Ninety-six percent of the soybean crop has been planted, about two weeks later than normal. Eighty-nine percent of the soybean crop has emerged, eight percentage points behind the five-year average. The condition of soybeans also improved slightly.

Local growers from across the state will soon have the opportunity to sell their onions, radishes, sweet corn, and other fresh home-grown produce at their local farmers markets. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Bill Northey, says the markets are more than a place to get fresh food, they also serve as an important social gathering point where people can interact. Northey says you can spend part of a morning or afternoon talking to someone and you can learn how food is grown. And while he says farmers markets are a very small part of agriculture economically, they are very important socially. 

Northey encourages you to talk with growers and learn more about the food you eat while you’re visiting the markets.”We know many folks — even though they are surrounded by agriculture — don’t know anything about it, and certainly don’t know how food is grown,” Northey says. “So, farmers markets are a great way to increase that interaction and make people feel better about the food they’re eating.” 

Northey says Iowa is among the top two or three states for the number of farmers markets per capita in the country.

(Radio Iowa)

Local producers, residents, business owners and community leaders will have the opportunity to share their thoughts about opportunities and challenges in rural Iowa when USDA state leaders visit Audubon on Monday, July 8th. A rural listening forum will take place starting at 10-a.m. at the Extension Office, 608 Market Street in Audubon. 

Scheduled to attend the forum are John Whitaker, State Executive Director for USDA’s Iowa Farm Service Agency (FSA), Jay Mar, State Conservationist with USDA’s Natural Resources Conversation Service (NRCS), and Bill Menner, USDA Rural Development State Director in Iowa. The meeting is open to the public.

Information from the Atlantic Animal Shelter with Andrea Farrior and Chris Parks

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