(Radio Iowa) – Senator Chuck Grassley is calling on President Biden to direct the E-P-A to clear the way for summertime sales of gasoline with a 15 percent blend of ethanol. “Unless the EPA files an emergency waiver for E15, we’ll see a quarter of E15 stations stop providing lower cost fuel to consumers by next Monday,” Grassley says. Current E-P-A guidelines prohibit the sale of E-15 from terminals in about two-thirds of the country after April 30th. E-15 is about 10 cents per gallon cheaper than E-10 according to Triple A. “The administration has the tools in the toolbox to deal with the rising price of gasoline and they’re choosing to not use it and I think that’s malpractice,” Grassley says.

President Biden visited an ethanol near Menlo in mid-April of last year to announce his administration would approve sales of E-15 through the summer driving season. The E-P-A recently announced it would allow year round E-15 sales to start in the summer of 2024. “What’s wrong with 2023? Well, EPA says that there needs to be a deadline for the suppliers to be able to supply E15 and if they don’t know it by a certain date, it can’t get it to the filling stations through the summer months,” Grassley says. “It’s still April. (Biden) could make that decision today and have E15 available during the summer.”

According to the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, a D-C based trade group, refiners have to make expensive changes to produce E-15 for summertime use and those costs will be passed along to consumers. The group is asking Governor Kim Reynolds and seven governors to stop their push for year round E-15 sales in their Midwest states.

w/Kate Olson.

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(Radio Iowa) – Republicans in the Iowa Senate have approved a budget plan for the Departments of Natural Resources and Agriculture that includes more money to prepare for a potential outbreak of a foreign animal disease, like African Swine Fever. Senator Eric Giddens, a Democrat from Cedar Falls, says the bill falls short in other areas.  “Year after year, there’s been status quo budgets for DNR operations, forestry management and state park operations,” Gidden says. “Our state parks are important to attracting and retaining residents in this state.”

Senator Dan Zumbach, a Republican from Ryan, says he met with the D-N-R’s director to shift money within the agency’s budget, to focus on priorities. “I don’t think there’s anything more enjoyable to drive through Backbone State Park and see it mowed and see the benches fixed and see the shelters in good shape for they’re much more usable for us,” Zumbach says. The 16 Democrats in the Senate voted against the budget plan.

Senator Janice Weiner, a Democrat from Iowa City, says the bill cuts funding for the Iowa Nutrient Research Center at Iowa State University and likely ends its collaboration with the Iowa Flood Center at the University of Iowa. Weiner says it’s University of Iowa staff who’ve been measuring whether water quality projects are working.  “We know that water quality is a problem,” Weiner says. “We know that Iowans deserve better, but without data it will be easy to say: ‘There’s no problem’ or ‘We don’t know how to measure the problem’ — so problem solved.”

Zumbach says the water quality funds shifted to the Iowa Department of Agriculture will be spent on science-based initiatives. “What we do know is practices on the land and in our towns is what makes cleaner water,” Zumbach says, “and so when we made the decisions on how to appropriate dollars, it was all about let’s put practices that help clean our water.” Democrats like Senator Sarah Trone-Garriott, of Waukee, also object to language in the bill that would repeal a law that says the State of Iowa should aim to have 10 percent of Iowa land be parks, wilderness areas and other property available for public use.

“To sneak this into our budget work really robs our public from the opportunity to speak out against it,” Trone Garriott says. Zumbach says it’s about priorities. “We have a lot of land in public use that’s not being taken care of the way it should be,” Zumbach says.

The State of Iowa currently owns about 390-thousand acres of land that is to be maintained by the D-N-R. That’s about one percent of the 36 million acres in Iowa according to a D-N-R land inventory.

(Ellsworth, Iowa) – Officials with Champion Seed have announced Grant Gleason, a senior at Audubon High School, has received a $1,000 scholarship from Champion Seed to support his college education. Gleason, nominated for the scholarship by his father, will attend Iowa State University to study agricultural studies. After graduation, Gleason plans to return to the family farm and successfully manage the crop and livestock operation.

Ellsworth, Iowa-based Champion Seed selected Gleason because of his impressive academic achievements and his plan to continue working in agriculture. Champion Seed was also impressed by Gleason’s application essay on the role of technology in the future of agriculture. “Until now, equipment has only gotten bigger and bigger, but we have likely reached a point where it is hard to make things bigger, and instead we will start making our machines more precise,” wrote Gleason.

Grant Gleason (Photo submitted)

“Instead of having 48-row corn planters, farmers will buy six different four-row planters that will run themselves,” added Gleason. “In today’s industry, there is often a large financial obstacle involved in getting into farming because equipment is so expensive. With smaller, more cost-competitive machines, beginning farmers won’t have to spend so much.”

The Champion Seed team congratulates Gleason and other area seniors pursuing degrees in agriculture.

(Radio Iowa) – The latest U-S-D-A crop report says cold, wet weather slowed planting progress last week. The report says there were only two-and-a-half suitable days for fieldwork. Corn planting advanced only three percent compared to the first week — and now sits at ten percent complete. That is nine days ahead of last year — after being 14 days ahead in the first week. Planting is now equal to the five-year average — after being six days ahead of that average after the first week of planting.

Five percent of the expected soybean crop is in the ground. That is ten days ahead of last year and three days ahead of the average.

AMES, Iowa – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture has named Manjit K. Misra as its new director. USDA announced the appointment today (Monday, April 24). Misra will assume his new role on May 8, 2023, with a swearing-in ceremony in Washington, D.C. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said “Dr. Misra is an esteemed scientist and educator whose devotion to studying and sharing his knowledge of seeds with the world will benefit society and inspire generations to come. I am confident he will bring strong leadership and expertise to USDA as we continue our work to invest in and grow initiatives that ensure the long-term viability of agriculture and food systems.”

As he takes on this national leadership position, Misra will retire from Iowa State University after a nearly 45-year career as a faculty member in agricultural and biosystems engineering and 32 years as director of the university’s Seed Science Center. Misra joined Iowa State in 1979 to initiate a seed extension program and in 1991, became director of the Seed Science Center. Since then, the SSC has grown from a campus unit that served local needs, to a globally recognized center of excellence with approximately 190 affiliated faculty, staff and graduate students conducting programs in 79 countries.

Manjit Misra

The center operates the largest, most comprehensive public seed laboratory in the world, testing samples from 300 seed species annually and for 350 pathogens. In 2001, the USDA designated the SSC as administrator of the National Seed Health System, charged with ensuring that seeds exported from the U.S. are disease-free. The center also houses the Biosafety Institute for Genetically Modified Agricultural Products, which Misra founded in 2003 to provide unbiased information on biosafety issues for genetically modified agricultural products.

As a researcher, Misra is the principal or co-investigator in numerous externally funded research projects, the author or co-author of 137 publications and an innovator with 10 technology patents. As an educator, Misra has made a significant impact on supporting and mentoring future seed industry leaders. This includes his leadership to develop Iowa State’s Graduate Program in Seed Technology and Business, launched in 2007. Delivered globally via distance education, the program has had students from 21 states and 14 countries. Misra grew up near the Bay of Bengal in India, where he helped oversee rice and sugarcane harvesting on his family’s sharecrop operation.

An interim director for the Seed Science Center will be named soon, with a search to follow.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Montgomery County Emergency Management Coordinator Brian Hamman reports, “At the request of the fire chiefs within Montgomery County, the burn ban has been lifted effective immediately. It is requested that anyone who wishes to burn, please call the Montgomery County Communications Center at 712-623-5107 to avoid any unnecessary fire department responses, have alternative water sources nearby, never leave fires unattended and use caution on dry windy days.”

The only Burn Bans remaining in western Iowa, are those in Monona and Crawford Counties.

(Des Moines, Iowa) April 21, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is reminding Iowa farmers and ranchers that the window
is closing on the opportunity to participate in the 2022 Census of Agriculture. NASS is encouraging producers who have not returned their completed ag census questionnaires to do
so as soon as possible to avoid additional mail, phone, email, text, and in-person follow-up, which is currently underway.

“We thank everyone who has completed their ag census.” said Greg Thessen, director of the NASS Upper Midwest Regional Field Office. “To date, NASS has received just over 73,600
completed questionnaires from Iowa producers for a return rate of 64%. We are grateful that those producers recognized the importance of completing the ag census to help show the
importance of the agricultural industry.”

“To ensure the Census of Agriculture remains a comprehensive and impartial source of agriculture data for every state and county in the nation, we need responses from all farmers
and ranchers. Even though many farmers have already responded, we want the voices of all producers to be represented in the data since the resulting statistics will directly impact farming
communities for years to come.” Census data are used by policymakers, trade associations, researchers, agribusinesses, educators, and many others. The information helps inform decisions on farm policy, rural development, the development of farm technologies, and more. It also aids in the creation and funding of loans and insurance programs and other forms of assistance.

NASS is reminding producers that if they produced and sold $1,000 or more of agricultural product in 2022, or normally would have produced and sold that much, they meet USDA’s definition of a farm. However, federal law requires everyone who received the 2022 Census of Agriculture questionnaire to complete and return it, even if they do not currently meet this definition. Producers can respond online at agcounts.usda.gov or by mail. “If you received the ag census but do not fit the definition of a farm, are no longer farming, never farmed, or are a landowner who leases your land to a producer, please write your status on the form and mail it back,” said Thessen.

The ag census differs from other NASS surveys. Beyond being conducted just once every five years, it provides important demographic information and data on certain commodities, such as specialty commodities produced in Iowa that would not otherwise be available. The Census of Agriculture collects information on nearly every aspect of American agriculture to provide a complete picture of the health of the industry.

Federal law under Title 7 USC 2204(g) Public Law 105-113 requires that NASS keep all submissions confidential, use the information for statistical purposes only, and publish aggregate data to prevent disclosing the identity of any individual producer or farm operation.  NASS will release the results of the ag census in early 2024. To learn more about the Census of Agriculture, visit nass.usda.gov/AgCensus. On the website, producers and other data users can access frequently asked questions, past ag census data, special study information, and more. For highlights of these and the latest information, follow USDA NASS on Twitter at @usda_nass.

(Radio Iowa) – Cedar Rapids celebrates Earth Day tomorrow with the annual EcoFest CR, featuring interactive educational activities, eco-products, demonstrations on how to reduce consumption, and ways to reduce and reuse household items. Event coordinator Jackie Wedeking says one new feature this year is a visit from the Iowa State University Insect Zoo, showcasing more than 100 living arthropods, including beetles, tarantulas and scorpions. “It’s really neat because you get to touch some of them and you get to learn all about how they fit into our ecosystem,” Wedeking says. “It’s such a great way to explain to kids, and adults for that matter, that we are part of a bigger ecosystem and seeing how we tie it into all the world.”

In addition to the local foods, arts and free live music, she says the family-friendly festival helps connect people with personal choices to individual, community and planetary sustainability. “Sometimes it is as simple as making sure that you are carrying around a reusable water bottle, or just making sure that you’re not using products unnecessarily,” Wedeking says. “There is a great store here in Cedar Rapids where you can fill up your detergent and bring your own bottle and get your own detergent. Stuff like that reduces plastics.”

For area residents who are ready to start planting their vegetable and flower patches, there will be a compost give-away. “Compost is so good for your garden,” Wedeking says. “You can grab a bag of compost and just spread it on your garden. It’s a great way to reduce the amount of artificial fertilizer that you might use. I use it in my garden and it works great.”

With the bounding cost of eggs, some Iowans have taken up raising their own chickens, which Wedeking says can be a rewarding venture on multiple levels. “Backyard chickens are a great way to make sure that your food is local because, what’s more local than your backyard?” she says. “We have someone coming who has had her own chickens for years, and she’s going to have at least one of her chickens there and that way she can talk to you about her experience.”

EcoFest CR is free and runs from 10 AM to 3 PM Saturday. Find the full schedule of events at: www.EcoFestCR.org.