Last week was the driest week for the state of Iowa since mid-February and farmers took advantage of it to complete spring planting. Ninety-percent of the state’s corn crop has emerged, just one day behind the five-year average, according to the USDA’s Crop Report issued Monday. It shows 77-percent of the corn crop is in good to excellent condition. Soybean planting is 91-percent done.

State Climatologist Harry Hillaker says over half of the state recorded no rain at all last week. Temperatures dipped as low as 39 degrees Wednesday morning at Chariton and Grinnell. Then, a heat wave arrived for the weekend. “Sioux City got up to 95 degrees on Friday afternoon, which was just two degrees shy of a daily record high for that location,” Hillaker said. Creston reported the most rain for the week with 1.28 inches.

(Radio Iowa)

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – June 5, 2017—Iowa Farm Bureau’s Renew Rural Iowa (RRIA) Leader Award recipient, Puck Custom Enterprises, will be featured on Iowa Public Television’s (IPTV) Iowa Entrepreneur, a 13-part series highlighting success stories of self-starting Iowans.

Iowa Farm Bureau has reinvested more than $125 million in the last year back into rural parts of the state through the Renew Rural Iowa program which brings together business experts, educational seminars and various resources to help Iowans like Ben Puck of Manning take a problem-solving idea and make it a reality through RRIA’s five pillars of education, mentoring, connecting, recognition and financing.

Puck Custom Enterprises, which straddles the Audubon and Carroll county line, is a custom manure operation. Puck and his brother’s business had simple beginnings; they provided liquid manure for Iowa corn farmers. Before long, their business grew to a 60-employee operation offering manure equipment servicing and a parts shop. Always an innovator, Puck also has five patents under his belt, creating equipment to make manure application a safe, efficient process.

“Renew Rural Iowa, now in its tenth year of service, is proud to have relationships with innovators and business-minded people in Iowa like the Pucks,” says Sandy Ehrig, Iowa Farm Bureau economic development administrator. “We are glad to see IPTV dedicating a series to the work they do and the value they bring to their local communities.”

Iowa Entrepreneur will showcase the Pucks’ story on June 9 at 6:30 p.m. and again on June 11 at 10:30 a.m.

Other businesses affiliated with Iowa Farm Bureau’s RRIA program in the IPTV series include Sukup Manufacturing, Milkhouse Candles and Peace Tree Brewery. For more information about the next RRIA Business Success Seminar, “The Journey to Your Vision,” offered in October and November, visit http://programs.iowafarmbureau.com/RRI/.

The World Pork Expo will draw thousands of agricultural producers to central Iowa this week. The annual event is being held at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines Wednesday through Friday. Doug Fricke, spokesman for the National Pork Producers Council, says visitors will see hundreds of booths at the world’s largest pork industry-specific trade show.

“We’ve got exhibits in both the Agricultural Building and the Varied Industries Building in addition to hospitality tents all the way down Grand Avenue and then outdoor space located on Rock Island between the Swine Barn and the Varied Industries Building,” Fricke says. “We’ve got a packed, packed trade show.”

Last year’s show attracted 20-thousand visitors from 30 countries and producers from every county in Iowa. Fricke says the event brings together producers and industry professionals from across the globe for three days of networking, education and innovation. “There’s always something new to see and unique,” he says. “That’s one of the major draws to the trade show. Some of the things, you can read about them but it’s always nice to see them, see how they work, how they operate and how they’d fit into an operation on your farm.”

There’s more to take in at the event than many people can attempt in a day, so he says many producers will attend for a second day.  “Company-wise, we have just over 450 companies,” Fricke says. “That equates to just under a thousand booth spaces.”

Learn more at: www.worldpork.org

Figures recently released from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources show wild turkey hunters harvested 11-thousand-800 birds this year. Wildlife biologist Jim Coffey says that’s 400 below last season. “I think that’s just kind of the case of our hunters this year — our hunters are a little bit beholden to the weather. And our second weekend we had some rainy conditions, and that’s typically one of our big weekends to be out hunting. So, that’s probably what accounted for that little bit of a drop,” according to Coffey.

He says they keep track of turkey numbers every year with a survey. “It varies across the state, and turkeys are kind of a fickle species, they are up and down every year. And that’s why we do our summer brood counts to get an idea of what to expect next year,” Coffey says. “We expected a little bit of a drop in the southern part of the state, but we had some good numbers in the northern part of the state and that kind of balances our overall when you think of statewide averages.”

There were 50-thousand turkey tags purchased for the spring hunt, but only a small percentage took home a bird. “Only about 20 percent of Iowa turkey hunters are going to be successful,” Coffey says, “and I always like to put it into a sports analogy, we are playing on their home court. They know where the draws and ravines are at, they are a predator-related species, so they know everything is trying to get after them so they are always wary and they’ve got great sense. So, it is not an easy sport to participate in.”

The weather has raised a few concerns about how well the turkeys will fair in raising their offspring. “With any ground-nesting birds, turkeys, pheasants, quail, woodcock — any of those, woodcocks included — cold, wet springs are a big nemesis,” Coffey says.

He says wild turkeys are a lot different then the domesticated ones, and their weight can vary quite a bit. He says on if you shoot a young bird known as a Jake, which will weigh about 17 pounds or an adult bird, which can weigh from 22 to 28 pounds, depending on how active they have been. Coffey says the male birds are focused on mating in the spring and will actually lose weight during the mating season.

Hunters are asked to help the D-N-R with collecting population information during its annual turkey count in July and August. You can do to the D-N-R website and report online when see a turkey.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Farm groups and some members of Congress from farm states are decrying proposed cuts to crop insurance and other safety net programs for farmers included in President Donald Trump’s budget.

The proposed cuts come as farmers are facing their fourth straight year of falling income. They could particularly affect farm states such as Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska that helped Trump win the November election.

One proposal would cut the federal crop insurance program by $28 billion over 10 years. Programs that provide crop subsidies would lose $9 billion. But Republican Sen. Charles Grassley, an Iowa farmer, says the crop insurance cuts won’t make it through Congress.

The Trump administration says the proposed cuts help fulfill a campaign promise to balance the federal budget.

Bob Beebensee and DNR Conservation Officer Grant Gelle talk about all things outdoors including leaving young wildlife alone, free fishing weekend, and boating safety.

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COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Officials from six western Iowa counties are working together to mark a 209-mile bicycle route that would run from Woodbury County to Fremont County. The Daily Nonpareil reports the Frontier Iowa Trails Network is working on the designation of the Lewis and Clark Today Route. It’ll run along the Missouri River, following the path of explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.

The project’s first phase will create a “shared route” that runs on highways, county roads and other types of streets. The majority of the trail would be paved. The project’s second phase will be the implementation of another bicycle trail off the roadway.

Brian Leaders of the National Park Service and others are raising money for installation of the route’s signs, which is expected to cost $200,000.

w/Max Dirks.

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Iowa residents may fish without a license on June 2, 3 and 4 as part of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) free fishing weekend. “Free fishing weekend is a great opportunity for Iowans to reconnect with fishing,” said Joe Larscheid, chief of the Iowa DNR’s Fisheries Bureau. “Invite a kid, your best friend or your mom to come along. Have some fun and create new memories.”

Gather your family or friends and travel to one of the hundreds of Iowa lakes, thousands of miles of rivers or a nearby pond for a few hours of outdoor fun and relaxation. Iowans can try fishing without buying a license during free fishing weekend. All other regulations remain in place.

“This is a great time to take kids fishing or introduce someone new to fishing,” Larscheid said. “Fish are usually close to shore and are willing to bite. Use small tackle – little hooks, a bobber no larger than a quarter, 4-pound test line and small bait to catch bluegills.

“Kids will stay interested and have fun when the fishing is good. Just let them play once the interest in fishing is gone,” he said. “It isn’t about how many fish you can catch; it’s about sharing your time and having fun together.”

Fun, hands-on fishing events will be offered across Iowa to teach parents or kids the basics of fishing. A list of fishing clinics, derbies, and other fun events co-sponsored by the DNR is available on the Special Events Application System at programs.iowadnr.gov/specialevents/.

“We hope free fishing weekend will inspire anglers to buy an annual fishing license,” Larscheid said. This investment allows the Iowa DNR Fisheries Bureau to produce and stock more than 160 million fish annually, conduct research studies to manage fish more effectively, construct fish habitat, improve water quality, restore lakes with a history of poor fishing and improve access for anglers.

Find tips for taking kids fishing and catching crappie, bluegills and yellow bass on the DNR website at www.iowadnr.gov/Fishing/Fishing-Tips-How-Tos.

Just as one holiday ends, it is time to think about another. Campers hoping to reserve spots for the 2017 Labor Day weekend need to mark June 1 on their calendars, when reservations for a Friday arrival open.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says by June 1, some sites will already be reserved by campers arriving prior to the holiday weekend, and electric sites go quickly.

For more information on Iowa’s state parks and to make a reservation, visit www.iowadnr.gov/reservations