(Radio Iowa) – Recent rainstorms are helping to improve Iowa’s soil conditions, though only about a third of the state is completely drought-free. The new map from the U-S Drought Monitor shows the amount of the state in abnormally dry or drought conditions has fallen in the past week from around 80 to just under 70 percent. State climatologist Justin Glisan says southwest Iowa remains a “problem child” with above average temperatures and below average rainfall.

“One of the driest parts of the state has been that southwest corner of Iowa,” Glisan says. “As we shifted into May, we did see a slightly more active weather pattern, but actually it was the first May since 2010 without a tornado reported. So, the lack of severe weather — that’s where we see drought and dryness across the state.” While spring officially ends later today (Friday), Glisan says meteorological summer started June 1st. Over the course of March, April and May, he says Iowa was two-and-a-half degrees warmer than normal, and two inches below normal for precipitation. Though Iowa broke a four-year drought in May of last year, Glisan says dry conditions are still impacting water levels.

“If you go back four to five years, most stations across the state are still missing out on about a year’s worth of precipitation,” he says. “So, this has impacts on aquifers, which we pull water out of, but also well fields and other water supply sources.” The new drought monitor map shows pockets of “moderate” drought in all four corners of the state. As corn pollination and detassling season approaches, Glisan says Iowa’s crops may become stressed.

“With those windy conditions and high temperatures, that’s where we can exacerbate dryness across the surface,” Glisan says. “So, we’re extracting soil moisture — that topsoil moisture — first. Plus, vegetative demand is increasing with corn and beans, as well. So, this is where we can get into a period of time of rapid drying at the surface.”

Glisan says that could cause stress in corn and soybean fields. On the positive side, he says most of the state remains in a lull in terms of severe weather.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa is the nation’s top corn-producing state and Iowa farmers harvested over two-point-six BILLION bushels of corn last year — the second largest crop ever. Iowa State University ag economist Chad Hart says despite tariff challenges, U-S corn exports for the first five months of the year hit a three year high.

“The only big market where U.S. corn really isn’t moving is the Chinese market,” Hart says. “Almost everywhere else we’ve seen fairly sizable gains in sales and that holds when we look at soybeans as well.” The U-S-D-A has predicted a slight drop in soybean sales this year, but not as much as feared due to the lack of sales to China. Reports indicate corn exports remained well above average through early June.

“When you talk to farmers, there is some cautious optimism out there because they are seeing these additional sales,” Hart says. Hart says in June, it’s typically Brazil and Argentina that dominate global sales of feed grains. Iowa typically accounts for about eight to nine percent of all U-S agricultural exports. California’s the only state that exports more agricultural products.

(Iowa Capital Dispatch) – The Iowa Farm Bureau’s latest food and farm index found that among concerns of the high cost of groceries, the overwhelming majority of Iowa grocery shoppers surveyed are concerned about increases to food prices caused by government regulations. The Iowa Capital Dispatch says the annual survey, conducted by the Harris Poll, also found that more consumers are seeking locally grown and produced products. Latoya Guishard Welch, vice president of research for public release at the Harris Poll, said “At a time when trust in national institutions—from government to media—is at historic lows, the sustained confidence in local farmers speaks volumes about their authenticity and transparency, underscoring the strong bond and mutual respect between Iowa’s farmers and the communities they serve.”

According to the food and farm index, 80% of shoppers are concerned, and 47% are very concerned, about government regulations that increase consumer food prices. The percentage of people very concerned has more than doubled since 2021, when just 21% were more than just concerned about the role of government in increased food costs.  U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics show direct imports, or finished products ready for sale, accounted for 15% of U.S. spending on food and beverages. Foreign ingredients and supplies comprised 4% of domestic food production.  Forbes reported tariffs could have a significant impact on the cost of food and beverages at the grocery store, if imposed at their highest proposed levels.

A recent study from Farmers for Free Trade, a non-profit advocacy group, found that tariff costs for Iowa importers increased by $68 million, or 304% from April 2024 to April 2025. According to the study, imports from China had the highest tariffs, but imports from Mexico, Canada and South Korea faced dramatic increases in tariffs.  Goods imported from Mexico to Iowa in April 2024 had tariffs of 0.2%, compared to a 4.4% tariff in April 2025. Reciprocal tariffs between the U.S. and China, which are currently on a 90-day reduction agreement, would put Iowa industries at a “significant” risk. In particular, Chinese tariffs on U.S. exports would hurt Iowa pork and soybean producers especially hard. The Farmers for Free Trade study concluded the presidential tariffs, if they took effect and stayed in place, would “have major consequences” on Iowa.

Fresh vegetables at a farmers market. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

Recent consumer price index data from U.S. Department of Agriculture shows a 23.6% increase in grocery prices from 2020 to 2024, which likely explains why price continues to be the most important factor for Iowa grocery shoppers when making decisions on which types of food to buy. Three-fourths of Iowans said meat, poultry or dairy products are part of their daily diets, and a higher proportion of Iowans say they prefer “real” meat and dairy over plant-based alternatives.

More and more, consumers are choosing to purchase these items directly from the farm. Sixty-nine percent said they have purchased groceries directly from farmers, through their online websites, farm stores or at farmers markets, and 40% of Iowa consumers look for locally made or grown labels when buying at the store. This is an increase from 2024 survey results which found around 30% of consumers sought local labels. The survey results also show that more than 90% of shoppers said they trust farmers and 49% said they place a “great deal of trust” in Iowa farmers in general. The survey also asked consumers if they felt confident farmers were caring for animals and the environment, which the vast majority, around 80% for each category, did.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Cass/Guthrie County Environmental Health Executive Director Jotham Arber, Tuesday morning, provided a regular monthly report to the Cass County Board of Supervisors. He said as we approach the official start of Summer, on Friday, his department has been very busy conducting septic system inspections on new and current properties.

He septic systems that were installed within the past 40-years (Mid-1980’s), are coming to the end of their useful life. The other they’re thing they’re seeing, is issues with rural water supply, given the current state of the drought in this area.

Arber says depending on the type of your well, there are different procedures to rehabilitate it.

Some of the well issues property owners may have, can be remedied through the use of U-V (Ultra Violet) lights or filters. Another option may be to hook-up to a rural water system, if that’s available to you.

More information on septic systems and well water can be found on the Environmental Health Department’s website.

(Cass County Environmental Health Office)

(Atlantic, Iowa) – This week’s Produce in the Park (in the downtown Atlantic City Park), is being celebrated as “Beef Night.” The event takes place on Thursday, June 19th from 4:30-to 6:30-p.m.  This week’s farmers market features cow-themed fun for the whole family. Kids and adults alike will enjoy meeting baby calves and saying hello to Cass County Beef Royalty. Kids can get creative with a free cow-themed craft from Your Forte, and local beef vendor Noble Provisions will be grilling burgers for dinner. Market guests will enjoy free live performances by Dance Atlantic and sample guest chef Sloppy Joe recipes.

Two food trucks will be serving up dinner in the park June 19. In addition to Noble Provisions selling burgers, Hungry Spartan will be offering pizza.

The June 19 market includes more than 20 vendors offering farm-fresh produce like leafy greens, cucumbers, radishes, snap peas, and kohlrabi, along with local meats including beef products such as beef sticks, dried beef, and ribeyes, as well as pork, lamb, and chicken. Shoppers will find farm-fresh eggs, as well as baked goods and desserts like sourdough, Danish kringle, cinnamon rolls, muffins, cupcakes, cookies, cotton candy, bagels, and gluten-free options.

Cows and calf at Hoopy Hallow Ranch.

Beyond food, visitors will find handmade crafts, bath and body products, garden gifts, and home décor. Visiting organizations and sponsors sharing community information at the park June 19 include Cass County Tourism, Cass Health, Healthy Cass County, and the Atlantic Public Library.

Beef Night at Produce in the Park is made possible by support from June market sponsors Atlantic United Church of Christ, City of Atlantic, First Whitney Bank & Trust, Gregg Young Chevrolet of Atlantic, Cass Health, Cass County Tourism, Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, and Nishna Valley Family YMCA. Produce in the Park is held every Thursday evening in the Atlantic City Park from 4:30–6:30 PM through September. All are welcome, and admission is free. The market accepts SNAP/EBT and Double Up Food Bucks for all qualifying food items.

For the latest market updates, follow Produce in the Park on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ProduceInThePark and Instagram at www.instagram.com/produceintheparkatlanticia/.

(Des Moines, Iowa/ KCCI-TV) – Republican leaders of the Iowa House say they have enough signatures from its members to convene a special legislative session in order to vote to override Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ veto of House File 639. House File 639 was a key piece of legislation passed this spring by the Iowa House and Senate. Proponents said it would strengthen private property rights.

Iowa landowners have been fighting for this legislation for years, as Summit Carbon Solutions continued work on its proposed $8.9 billion, 2,500-mile carbon capture pipeline, which would run through Iowa and other states. In a statement released after vetoing the legislation, Reynolds said HF 639 was about more than eminent domain and would set a “troubling precedent that threatens Iowa’s energy reliability, economy and reputation as a place where businesses can invest with confidence.”

Immediately after Reynolds’ veto, Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, called for the legislature to reconvene in a special session to override the veto. The House petition collected signatures from 70 lawmakers, surpassing the two-thirds majority required to call for a special session. The Iowa Senate would also need to collect enough signatures — also a two-thirds majority — on a petition to convene the special session.

Last week, Iowa Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, R-Grimes, said he did not believe the Senate would “be interested in any attempt to override her veto.” Two-thirds of both chambers would need to vote for an override for the bill to become law without the governor’s approval.

The last time the Iowa legislature convened to override a governor’s veto was in 2006.

(Radio Iowa) – The annual “Water Rocks” summit is underway at Iowa State University for some 31 teachers representing 24 Iowa school districts. Spokesperson Ann Stout says the workshop participants range from kindergarten to high school teachers. “It’s helping to build educators’ awareness and their knowledge base of different environmental and agricultural topics, the interconnection of our water, our land, our wildlife in the state of Iowa,” Stout says. One topic they learn about is watersheds.

“So a watershed is an area of land that all drains to a common water body. So, everything that happens on that land can ultimately affect the rivers, the streams, the lakes where that water ends up,” she says. Stout says it’s something that has been at the top of the news lately with high nitrate levels in rivers that are impacting the water supply for Des Moines and surrounding cities. The event focuses first on water issues, but Stout says they also include some other environmental topics. They will have a professor from Central College in Pella teaching about the various bats in the state.

“He’s going to share some information about the exciting role of bats, the different bats that we have here in Iowa,” she says. “And then as part of that, we will also be going on a field experience and netting bats. So, he’ll be setting out large nets and we’ll be going out at dusk to be able to see what sort of bats use different habitats here in Iowa.” Stout says the goal is to give the teachers information they can use to teach their students about these topics.

“We’re not giving them a curriculum, but we’re giving them, I would describe it as enhanced learning activities that they can then put into their existing curriculum,” Stout says. The “Water Rocks” summit got underway today (Tuesday) in Ames and wraps up tomorrow.