(Des Moines, Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has released a summary of PFAS testing of public water supplies from October 2021 to December 2022. Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are chemicals used in water-resistant, stain-resistant, and heat-resistant products such as carpets, clothing, fire-fighting foams, non-stick pans, and food packaging. Ingestion of these chemicals may increase cancer risk, affect the ability to become pregnant and interfere with pancreatic, thyroid and liver function. The DNR began sampling public water systems in October 2021 using a tiered system prioritizing locations in close  proximity to potential locations of PFAS storage or use and surface water or groundwater sources at higher risk of being contaminated.

The 116 drinking water supplies tested represent approximately 46% of Iowa’s population. Water samples included both treated finished, or treated, water and raw/untreated water from wells and surface water bodies used for drinking water.  Samples were analyzed for 25 different PFAS compounds, four of which currently have health advisory (HA) levels set by the Environmental Protection Agency: PFOA, PFOS, PFBS, and HFPO DA (also known as Gen X Chemicals). Although one or more PFAS compounds were found in 52 finished water samples, just 15 (12%) of the finished water samples reported PFAS concentrations above the current health advisory levels.

If a PFAS chemical with a health advisory is found at a community water supply in either treated or untreated samples, the DNR will revise operation permits to the public water supply. To date, 20 water supply operations permits were revised to require quarterly monitoring.

This summary report was written prior to EPA’s recent announcement of proposed drinking water standards for PFAS chemicals. Once standards become effective, possibly by the end of 2023, water supplies that exceed the standards in finished water will be required to develop and execute treatment plans. In the meantime, many communities have already adjusted their operations to reduce or remove PFAS.

The DNR will continue to sample PFAS in raw and treated water at public water supplies over the next few years. The Environmental Protection Agency will also require testing of finished water supplies as part of the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule #5, which includes communities with 3,300 or more people and 18 smaller communities, between 2023-25.

The complete summary and results can be found at iowadnr.gov.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa House has overwhelmingly voted to require at least 90 percent of miles along proposed carbon pipeline routes be voluntarily secured before the government’s eminent domain authority could be used to seize the rest. It also would let farmers seek compensation years from now if crop yields are depressed in the area around a carbon pipeline. Representative Steven Holt, a Republican from Denison, is the bill’s lead sponsor. He says the pipelines have generated intense debate around the state and he calls pipeline opponents “freedom fighters.”

“The route of these pipelines in Iowa would impact thousands of fellow citizens, a great deal of farmland and many of our communities,” Holt says. Some of those who voted for the measure lamented that it did not go far enough in protecting landowners who do not want the pipelines on their property. Republican Representative Bobby Kaufmann of Wilton, a bill backer, is blasting pipeline developers and the ethanol industry who’ve been calling for the bill’s defeat.

“When you use government funds to aid your project, when you wish to use the tools of government, such as eminent domain…expect uncertainty,” Kaufmann said. “…The notion that this legislation is going to kill the ethanol industry — there’s a lot of four letter words I could use to describe that and I will not do that — I’ll just simply call it B.S.” Republican Representative Henry Cisneros of Muscatine has the same concerns — but voted against the bill. Cisneros calls eminent domain theft.

“Your government is in a hurry to facilitate this theft so a single corporation can shovel more of our taxdollars into its bank account,” Cisneros says. Representative Chuck Isenhart, a Democrat from Dubuque, says if House members believe carbon pipelines have no public benefit, then the bill should have banned construction. “Don’t put the burden of the decision on a small group of landowners to hold out, resulting — no doubt — in a beseigment if the bill becomes law,” Isenhart said.

Representative Zach Dieken, a Republican from Granville, was a reluctant yes. He says the pipelines a cash cow for developers and he praises landowners who’ve refused to sign voluntary easements with pipeline developers.  “To those actively standing up for yourself and your freedoms, the rest of Iowa and America thanks you,” Dieken said, acknowledging pipeline opponents watching debate in the House balcony. “..I also want to apologize that I couldn’t do more and I’m sorry the government created by God to defend your God given rights was not courageous to do more.”

Summit Carbon Solutions released a statement saying the carbon capture projects will play a critical role in ensuring the long term viability of the ethanol industry and the future of Iowa’s ag economy. The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association says the bill is a mistake that will reduce ethanol production and depress corn prices.

(Radio Iowa) – Volunteers with keen ears are needed to help the Iowa Department of Natural Resources track the state’s populations of frogs and toads — as another way to monitor water quality. Graduates of the D-N-R’s so-called Frog and Toad School learn to identify the critters by their calls, like the Boreal Chorus Frog, the American Bullfrog and the Eastern Gray Tree Frog. Wildlife diversity biologist Stephanie Shepherd says volunteers are most needed in northeastern and northwestern Iowa.

“They are assigned a route, which is basically a collection of wetland sites, and they drive to each wetland site and just stop on the road. They get out of the car and they just stand on the road and listen to the wetland site for five minutes and then they move to the next spot,” Shepherd says. “It’s done at night and people are trained to identify what frogs they hear by their unique calls.” Volunteers will just need to make three trips during the spring and early summer, a total commitment of between eight and ten hours a year. That’s not bad, she says, considering you’re just listening to the pleasant sounds of pond life.

“What we’re listening to is the males’ advertisement calls or attraction calls,” Shepherd says. “So basically, they’re making a lot of noise hoping to let the nearby females, that are of the same species, let them know that they’re there and to come on by for a visit.” The ideal volunteer is interested in the outdoors, detail-oriented, and patient, she says. They’ll also need good note-taking skills and a computer with an internet connection.

“There’s only about 17 species of frog and toad in Iowa, which, that may sound like a lot,” Shepherd says, “but compared to birds for example, which there’s almost 400 species of bird in the state, that’s actually a pretty reasonable number.” She says Iowans have collected data on more than 22-hundred wetlands through the program since 1991, providing an incredible record of activity.

Two in-person courses are scheduled in the coming weeks: April 4th in Clayton County at the Osborne Nature Center, and April 11th in Buena Vista County at Gabrielson Park. There is a $5 fee to cover workshop materials. The courses begin at 6:30 p.m. and run for about three hours.

To register, visit: https://programs.iowadnr.gov/vwmp/Home/Registration

(Radio Iowa) – A reward is being offered for information on an attempt to vandalize hog barns in northeast Iowa’s Alllamakee County. Brian Waddingham of the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers says there’s a total of 15-thousand dollars in reward money for the incident in late December or early January. “Someone attempted to throw Molotov cocktails through the tunnel fan openings and light the barns on fire,” he says. Waddingham says the arson attempt failed. “The buildings weren’t heavily damaged there was no fire the pigs were all fine — but it’s certainly a wake up call that we can’t tolerate this kind of vandalism — especially when it not only destroys public or personal property but also could jeopardize the lives of so many pigs,” Waddingham says.

He says they are unsure if the vandalism was random or targeted. “The sheriff’s office is still looking into things. Kind of right now we really don’t have a good indication one way or the other,” he says. “By offering that reward we’re hopeful that somebody does know the person or persons responsible for trying to cause that damage. They do come forward and contact the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Department.”

The Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers put in ten-thousand dollars and another five-thousand was added from local sources.

(Radio Iowa) – A study commissioned by the renewable fuels industry suggests corn prices in Iowa would drop significantly if carbon capture pipelines are not built in Iowa. “It’s like asking a farmer, a corn farmer on the corn side of their equation to take an 85% pay cut,” Shaw said during an online news conference this morning.

New federal tax credits are available for proposed pipelines that would capture carbon from Midwest ethanol plants and ship the carbon to underground storage in North Dakota and Illinois. “We are now looking at Iowa being the only…state on the map where there is still an active effort to derail these projects,” Shaw said.

A bill in the Iowa House would establish new steps pipeline developers would have to clear. Most notable is a requirement that property owners along 90% of a pipeline’s route voluntarily let developers have access to their land. The study found the price for corn could plummet by as much as 80 cents per bushel if carbon capture pipelines are connected to ethanol plants elsewhere, but not in Iowa. The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association is asking its members to lobby House members to vote against the bill.

Tim Recker, a corn farmer from Arlington, spoke during today’s news conference. He called carbon pipelines the next step for the ethanol industry. “If we don’t find favor in getting CO2 transported, I’m going to be shipping corn to my neighboring states or I’m going to be putting a lot more corn on the river system — an 80 year old lock and dam system, our rail sytem or trucking it a lot farther than I do today,” he said “and to me, that’s going backwards in our industry, not forward.”

Shaw cited part of the study which found just 6% of Iowa field corn currently leaves the state without having value added either by being used to make ethanol, fed to livestock or converted to industrial use. “If we don’t align ourselves to be profitable under the current policy and market conditions and we let the ethanol production migrate out to those areas that do, the study found…44% of our corn would leave this state without having any value added to it,” Shaw said.

Key Republican lawmakers who have proposed new regulations for the pipelines say they’re defending the rights of landowners who don’t want their land seized through the government’s eminent domain process. Other pipeline opponents question the safety of the pipelines and whether capturing carbon from ethanol plants is among the best ways to reduce greenhouse gases.

DES MOINES, Iowa – March 20, 2023 – USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will conduct its biannual Agricultural Labor Survey in April. The survey will collect information about hired labor from more than 850 Iowa farmers. NASS will publish the data May 24 in the Farm Labor report available on the NASS website at nass.usda.gov/Publications. Survey recipients who do not respond by April 19 may be contacted by NASS to arrange an interview. In the survey, NASS asks producers to answer a variety of questions about hired farm labor
on their operations, including total number of hired farm workers, total hours worked, and total wages paid for the weeks of Jan. 8-14 and April 9-15, 2023. Survey recipients can respond online at agcounts.usda.gov or by mail.

“Agricultural labor data are critical for producers when hiring workers and estimating expenses,” said Greg Thessen, Director of the NASS Upper Midwest Regional Field Office. “The data that farm operators provide through NASS’s Agricultural Labor Survey also allow federal policymakers to base farm labor policies on accurate information.”

USDA and the U.S. Department of Labor use the survey data to estimate the demand for and availability of seasonal agricultural workers, establish minimum wage rates for agricultural workers and administer farm labor recruitment and placement service programs. “By asking about two separate time periods each time we collect these data during the year, we are able to publish biannual data and capture seasonal variation,” said Thessen. “This approach reduces the number of times we survey farms, while ensuring that accurate and timely data are available.”

Producers are encouraged to visit youtu.be/6oWSOjGTQzU for further information on and assistance completing this survey. All previous Farm Labor publications are available on the NASS
website at nass.usda.gov/publications/publications. For more information on NASS surveys and reports, call the NASS Upper Midwest Regional Office at 800-772-0825.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Spring is here, and you can get your planting skills refreshed or learn all about gardening, by attending the Cass County Master Gardeners’ 2023 Spring Garden Seminar, scheduled for Saturday, April 1.  The 2023 seminar features a theme of “Gardening for Life” and aims to provide information and inspiration to gardeners of all skill levels. The morning session will be held at the Cass County Community Center in Atlantic, with a new optional luncheon and afternoon bus tour for those interested in making a full day of the event.

The event beings with registration and a light continental breakfast at 8:30 AM. The first session beings at 9 AM, and will feature Aaron Steil, Consumer Horticulture Specialist for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, discussing Late Season Plant Care.  Steil will return for the final morning session to lead a Gardening FAQ session, taking questions from the audience as well as discussing some of the frequently asked questions he gets on his Iowa Public Radio “Hort Friday” radio show and in his role as an Extension specialist.

In between the two general sessions, attendees will enjoy 60 minutes of “lightning learning sessions” where they will have the opportunity to rotate between short presentations on topics including food donation gardening, pollinator gardens, the benefits of gardening for health, and small space gardening.

Spring Garden Seminar 2023- “Gardening for Life” will be held at the Cass County Community Center on the fairgrounds in Atlantic. Registration and a light continental breakfast begin at 8:30AM on Saturday, April 1.  The program begins at 9AM and will conclude by 12:30PM. Attendees are encouraged to spend the afternoon lunching and exploring in the Atlantic area; suggestions and coupons will be provided to all who register! NEW this year is an option for attendees to sign up for an afternoon session featuring a box lunch and a bus tour to two local garden destinations: the Cass Health Healing Garden and Rolling Acres Organic Farm.

Cost for the morning seminar sessions, including continental breakfast, materials and refreshments is $25. The afternoon session featuring lunch, transportation and garden stops can be added on for an additional $20 fee. Attendees are encouraged to register early as space is limited. Early registration deadline is March 25. After this date, a limited number of walk-in spaces will be available for the morning session at $30/attendee. Walk-in registration will not be allowed for the afternoon bus tour. A full schedule and registration form are available for pickup at the Cass County Extension office, or online at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass.

Previous seminar attendees with a current address on record will also receive a brochure with a registration form in the mail or by email. Questions can be directed to Kate Olson at 712-243-1132, or by email at keolson@iastate.edu. Mark your calendars, get registered, and plan to join the Cass County Master Gardeners for the 2023 Spring Garden Seminar on Saturday, April 1!

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Produce in the Park’s Spring Celebration Market in Atlantic, is scheduled for Thursday, April 6 from 4:00 to 7:00 PM at the Cass County Community Center (805 W. 10th Street, Atlantic, IA 50022). Over 20 vendors are scheduled to attend the holiday farmers market. Spring Celebration Market is held the Thursday before Easter, so shoppers can pick up Easter dinner and Easter basket goodies and farmers market favorites such as premium local produce, meats, jams, desserts and baked goods, candles, crafts, art, jewelry, and bath and body products. Pim’s Thai food
truck will be in the Community Center parking lot selling Thai Food for the duration of the event (4:00-7:00 PM). Spring Celebration Market is the last holiday farmers market Produce in the Park is hosting before the summer market season starts June 1.Spring Celebration Market offers both in-person shopping as well as pre-ordering.

Pre-ordering will be available from Thursday, March 30 to Tuesday April 4. Shoppers can pick up pre-orders and shop in person at Spring Celebration Market on Thursday, April 6. Spring Celebration Market vendors confirmed as of March 19 include Johnna Joy Designs, Wud Bi Ten, Sweet Sisters Vegan, Brun Ko Farm, Holiday Baking, Sue’s Country Garden, Ter-Bear Honey, Noble Provisions, Smudge – Candles, Soaps, and More, Kringleman Pastries, Spirits of the Faire, Miss NiNi’s Fine Desserts, Donna’s Jewelry, Studio Samantha, Bridgewater Farm, Midwest Candles by Brit, Frosting, Inc., Creekside Crystals and Crafts, Blessings Bakery and Gifts, Knuckle Down Crochet, Crafts, and Pet Treats, Silver Valley Craft Corner, Pim’s Thai Food Truck, and Precursor Printing.

Produce in the Park continues to accept vendor applications to Spring Celebration Market. For more information visit produceintheparkatlanticiowa.com or contact the Market Manager at produceintheparkatlanticiowa@gmail.com.

Spring Celebration Market is sponsored by the Atlantic Community Promotion Commission, Cass County Tourism, First Whitney Bank and Trust, Cass Health, Gregg Young Automotive of Atlantic, and the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce. For the latest information, follow Produce in the Park on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ ProduceInThePark) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/produceintheparkatlanticia/) or sign up for the Produce in the Park newsletter at www.produceintheparkatlanticiowa.com.

Bridgewater Farm will be selling fresh spinach and other premium organic produce at Spring Celebration Market April 6.

(Radio Iowa) – A lead sponsor of a bill that would set new regulations for proposed carbon pipelines projects says there may be changes in the bill when it’s debated in the House. Republican Representative Steven Holt of Denison says the main part of the bill would require that developers get voluntary access to 90 percent of the miles along the pipeline route before state officials could grant them eminent domain authority to seize the rest.

Holt says he’s confident the House will vote on the bill before month’s end.

Bills in the SENATE that outlined new rules for carbon pipelines never made it past an earlier deadline. Representative Lindsay James, a Democrat from Dubuque, says the concern is the bill will die in the senate.

The two House lawmakers made their comments during a weekend appearance on Iowa Press on Iowa P-B-S. Last month, Governor Reynolds said she’s watching to see what happens with the House bill. While saying there could be areas where pipeline regulations could be tweaked, Reynolds told reporters she’d be having conversations with lawmakers about how new regulations could impact the ethanol industry. The pipelines are touted as a way to make ethanol carbon free and therefore expand markets the corn-based fuel.

Chris Parks and Cass/Adair County Conservation Officer Grant Gelly talk about all things outdoors. This week they discuss prepping for the Spring season, checking licenses, turkey season dates, prairie chicken day and much more.

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