Iowans will not be paying as much for food this year as previously predicted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The agency has reduced its forecast for food price inflation this year to one-and-a-half to two-and-a-half (1.5 to 2.5) percent. USDA Economist Ricky Volpe says the previous prediction was based primarily on the drought in 2012. “We were initially looking at a three to four percent increase, which was above average, but that was before we knew we were going to have these lower fuel prices, the strengthening U.S. dollar, and the overall improvement in the economy,” Volpe says.

One of the biggest bits of good news for consumers, according to Volpe, is the downward revision of price increases for dairy products. “We were initially forecasting pretty strong price increases (for dairy) for 2013, but it turns out that we saw most of the impacts of the drought at the tail end of 2012,” Volpe says. “We’re now on track for very moderate price increases for dairy for the foreseeable future, one to two percent for 2013.” And although beef prices won’t be increasing as much as expected, Volpe says beef will remain expensive this year.

“We’re now looking at beef prices to increase between two and three percent on the year, but many beef prices have reached record or near record levels across super markets in the U.S. So, inflation for the beef category may be small in percentage terms, but it’s not as if consumers are seeing any relief there,” Volpe says. High inflation is still forecast for poultry, with prices expected to rise three to four percent, according to the USDA. Egg prices should rise two to three percent this year.

(Radio Iowa)

Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman reports that as of noon Friday (Aug. 23rd), no nomination papers had been filed to fill the vacant position of Mayor for the City of Massena. Noon was the deadline to file nomination papers with the City Clerk. Sunderman says since no nominations were filed, no candidate’s name will appear on the ballot. All votes will be cast by write-in.  When the votes are canvassed by the Cass County Board of Supervisors, the person who received the greatest number of votes on September 17 will be declared elected.

The Massena special city election will be held September 17, 2013. The voting center will be the Massena Public Library, 122 Main St., Massena. The polls will open at 12:00 noon and close at 8:00 P.M.

A huge corn expo is running this weekend in Shelby County. The 2013 3rd Bi-Annual Hybrid Corn Pioneers Historical Expo will be held out at Steve and Nadine Kenkel’s farm located in rural Earling. The expo features working corn machinery exhibits, rides and corn shelling for kids. Steve Kenkel, owner of the farm, says he has made changes to his Corn Museum,

Kenkel1: “If you have ever been out to the farm and my museum, you will see a way different look. Over a year ago, we put a loft in the museum and it gave it a new look. I was happy with that. The only problem is I filled it up fairly fast so it is full.”

The museum was built in 2002 and since that time, Kenkel has worked on restoring old farm equipment to hang in the building,

Kenkel2: “Most of the things in my museum are pre-1900. You will see a lot of wood things. I have corn planters to one row to two rows and horse drawn planters. Everything has been restored. I have planters from the 1850’s to the 1950’s and you will see walk behind plows, dryers, several hundred seed corn signs hanging in the museum. There is a little bit of everything.”

The Historical Expo is also having food concessions featuring homemade ice cream, a blacksmith in action and wire check planting demonstrations. Kenkel says another aspect of the expo is the three centuries of corn plot,

Kenkel3: “I plant corn of the 1800s called Reids Yellow Dent. It was the most popular in Iowa and grown on my farm in the 1900s-1920s. Then I jump up to the first Hybrid Corn called US-13. You can see how the technology changed. Then I’ll have the triple stack corn of today. Another thing I have that hasn’t been advertised is some of the first Indian corn, maize was grown several hundred years ago. As you look at that and other corn, you can definitely see where we have come in the technology.”

The Hybrid Corn Expo is welcoming the 2012 National Corn Husking Champions who will pick corn by hand and compete against each other. If you would like a special way to ride out to the farm, located at 2040 Ironwood Road, a tractor ride will leave from Harlan on Saturday morning. The ride is sponsored by the Nishna Valley Antique Tractor Club. For more information on the tractor ride, contact Lance Scott at 712-249-6178. The 2013 Hybrid Corn Pioneers Bi-Annual Historical Expo will take place from 9am to 5pm, Saturday and Sunday. Admission is a free will donation with proceeds going to Ovarian Cancer Research. Signs will be posted off Highway 37 east of Earling.

(Joel McCall KNOD)