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CLICK HERE for the latest market quotes from the Brownfield Ag News Network!
(Radio Iowa) – Prolonged drought across the region has pushed the U-S Army Corps of Engineers to lower Missouri River levels from Nebraska City to Kansas City by a full foot. The lower levels will affect boat traffic and could impact municipal water supplies and other utilities that rely on the river. Missouri River Basin Water Management Director John Remus (REE-mus) says conditions have been getting worse since the drought first began to emerge in July of 2020. “In March, about 70% of the upper basin was experiencing some level of drought and about 20% of it was severe drought, very, very dry,” Remus says. “We have had some good rains throughout the year up there, but the conditions have improved, but not enough to really help the runoff.”
Remus says lower water levels will have an impact on navigation this fall. “Of course, that means more trips or more barges to get the same amount of product up and down the river,” Remus says. Navigation continues on the Missouri, though barges will have to lighten their loads to float on the river. The navigation season will end on November 28th, which is three days early. Remus says even prolonged, heavy rains likely wouldn’t make up the difference in low soil moisture levels, as they’ve been so low for so long. “The wild card is really snowpack next year,” he says. “We had next-to-nothing for plains snowpack in 2022, and we had a below-average mountain snowpack. So unless we get better snowpack in the northern part of the basin, we’re probably going to be facing what we’ve seen this year again next year.”
Flows into the Missouri River have been reduced to cope with a much lower flood control pool in the six upstream reservoirs.
ATLANTIC, IA – It’s Watermelon Week at Produce in the Park this Thursday, September 15. The Atlantic First United Methodist Church will be giving away free samples of Bridgewater Farm watermelon, and Bridgewater Farm will have additional watermelon for sale at the park.
This week’s food trucks are A-Town SmokeShack and Zipp’s Pizzeria. A-Town will be serving brisket and pulled pork sandwiches and nachos, and Zipp’s will be selling pizza by the slice, as well as whole pizzas and whole frozen pizzas (great for dinner in a pinch). Zipp’s will also have homemade ice cream sandwiches for sale at the park this week.
There will be lots of visiting organizations and activities at the park this week. Atlantic Parks & Rec is bringing badminton to the park for the first time this season, along with a variety of other games, Produce in the Park is again offering kids’ scavenger hunt BINGO, and Guest Chef Karleen Evans will be handing out free samples of Cucumber Tomato salad made with ingredients from Brun Ko Farm. Visitors can also expect to see Cass Health’s Senior Life Solutions, Disability Rights Iowa, and Cass County Master Gardeners. 
As usual for this season, there will be nearly 20 vendors at the park. It’s a great time of year for local produce, and produce vendors will be selling a variety of peppers, lots of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, eggplant, green beans, potatoes, aronia berries, and garlic. Shoppers are reminded that Produce in the Park’s meat and egg offerings have significantly expanded this year; multiple vendors at the park are selling beef, pork, chicken, and lamb, as well as farm-fresh eggs.
The Kringleman is back with a variety of Danish pastries, and Sue’s Country Garden will be selling fruit crisps and sweet breads, including banana, banana nut, and chocolate chip. Lastly, craft vendors will be selling fall-themed candles, jewelry, plants, and more.
DETAILS for Produce in the Park September 15
Time: 4:30-6:30 PM
Location: Atlantic City Park (10 W. 7th St. Atlantic, IA 50022)
Date: Thursday, Sept. 15
Time: 4:30-6:30 PM
Location: Atlantic City Park (10 W. 7th St. Atlantic, IA 50022)
Food Trucks: A-Town SmokeShack BBQ (brisket and pulled pork sandwiches and nachos), Zipp’s Pizza
(slices, whole pizzas, and homemade ice cream sandwiches)
Theme: It’s Watermelon Week at Produce in the Park! The Atlantic First United Methodist Church will be
giving away free watermelon samples from Bridgewater Farm! (Bridgewater will have additional
watermelon for sale)
Local Products:
Fresh produce: Fresh local produce: Watermelon, Peppers (bell peppers, snack peppers, hot peppers,
sweet peppers), Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Green Beans, Green Onions, Aronia Berries, Onions, Zucchini,
Shallots, Eggplant, Garlic, Potatoes, Kale, and more!
Protein: Beef, Pork, Chicken, & farm-fresh eggs
Sweets: Danish pastries, kringle, crisps (apple, cherry, and more), banana and banana nut bread,
chocolate chip bread, honey, and more desserts!
Crafts & More: Fall-scented candles, bath and body products, art prints, jewelry, fall plants, & more
Activities:
Atlantic Parks & Rec: Games (including badminton) plus, Parks & Rec is giving out free ice cream!
Senior Life Solutions of Cass Health: Activities and information
Disability Rights Iowa: Information
Cass County Master Gardeners: Information on bulbs and more
Produce in the Park Scavenger Hunt BINGO
Live Music: Sarah Selders
Guest Chef: Karleen Evans with Cucumber Tomato Salad
Free drawings for a dozen farm-fresh eggs (sponsored by the Cass County Local Food Policy Council). Anyone age 18+ can enter for free. Winner will be drawn after the market ends and pick up at the market the following week.
Payment methods accepted: All vendors accept cash. Many accept credit cards, Venmo, and Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) Senior and WIC checks. All qualifying food vendors accept SNAP/EBT (also known as food stamps). All fresh produce vendors both accept and distribute Double Up Food Bucks (coupons given for SNAP/EBT purchases of fresh produce).
Produce in the Park September 2022 farmers markets are sponsored by the Atlantic Community Promotion Commission, Cass Health, Cass County Tourism, First Whitney Bank and Trust, the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, and Deter Motor Co. For updates on Produce in the Park, follow Produce in the Park on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ProduceInThePark) or Instagram (www.instagram.com/produceintheparkatlanticia/), or visit the Produce in the Park website to sign up for the e-newsletter at www.produceintheparkatlanticiowa.com. For information on vending at the park, contact Market Manager Brigham Hoegh at produceintheparkatlanticiowa@gmail.com or 712-249-
5870.
(Radio Iowa) – Surveyors who were hired by a company that wants to build a carbon capture pipeline across Iowa are running into opposition when they try to gain access to some properties in northeast Iowa. Delaware County Supervisor Shirley Helmrichs says at least 18 property owners or residents called the sheriff’s office last week with complaints about survey crews trespassing on their land — but their claims had to be rejected. “If the surveyors come out and go on their property, by Iowa code, it is not deemed trespassing,” Helmrichs says, “but the landowners can say, ‘We’re not going to allow you on,’ and that sends them back to get a court-ordered injunction, then they can go on.”
Helmrichs says most residents she’s heard from are barring the pipeline surveyors from entering their property. “So far, I’ve just heard of one landowner that did give them permission to come on,” she says. “The rest are saying, ‘Go get your injunction.'” Landowners are voicing concerns over eminent domain, loss of quality farmland, the mission of this project, and safety. They plan to address the Manchester City Council at their regular council meeting tonight (Monday). Some residents may claim that they haven’t been properly notified about the pipeline project, but Helmrichs says they may’ve gotten something in the mail.
“If they get a certified letter, they have to sign a form that’s attached to the front that shows they accepted that letter, but a lot of them did not sign for the letters, they went back to the post office, but the company had proof that they had mailed them,” Helmrichs says. “So that that’s considered their 10 day notice, which, it still rather shocks me and I know it shocked a lot of people that there were people roaming around the roads and the fields.”
Navigator C-O-2 proposes building a pipeline under miles of farmland from the Dyersville ethanol plant west through the county, just north of Earlville and Manchester and into Buchanan County, along with several other counties in the state. Navigator says the purpose of the pipeline is to capture carbon dioxide emissions produced at the ethanol plant and other facilities that are currently being emitted into the atmosphere. During the capture process, the C-O-2 is dehydrated and compressed into a liquid form that can be safely made available for value-added commercial industrial uses or transported to a storage site, where it’s injected about a mile underground beneath thick layers of rock.
CASS COUNTY, IOWA– The Iowa Department of Natural Resources reports that on Thursday, Sept. 8, the Iowa DNR was notified that a crane overturned into the West Nodaway River approximately 2-3 miles northeast of Massena in Cass County. It was initially reported that approximately 20 gallons of diesel and engine fuel from the crane were spilled.
However, during a follow-up visit today (Friday), DNR staff observed a sheen downstream of the absorbents. DNR staff also found dead and stressed minnows between the bridge collapse and approximately 1/2 mile downstream. Similar conditions were not observed Thursday.
The crane is owned by Mammoet Crane Company, who is working with MidAmerican Energy. MidAmerican Energy and subcontractors responded quickly by placing absorbents in the river. To date, Clean Harbors has pumped approximately 1,500 gallons of fuel and water from the river. Because of rain chances over the weekend, absorbent booms will be placed in the river every 75 feet between the bridge collapse and the bridge downstream about 1/2 mile. Booms will remain in place for 7-14 days.
Downstream users are advised to stay out of the river. A wrecker is expected to remove the 61-ton crane from the river today. Also, an access road is being built to allow better river access for the clean up company.
The DNR will continue to monitor clean up efforts and consider appropriate enforcement action with Mammoet Crane Company.
(Radio Iowa) – August saw below-normal rainfall — but drought conditions did improve in some parts of the state. The D-N-R’s Tim Hall says some areas didn’t get the rain from thunderstorms. “You sort of have to look at it regionally. And some parts of Southeast Iowa were accepted exceptionally dry in the month of August,” Hall says. August was the fifth straight month with below-normal precipitation, and Hall says the state needs a rainfall rally.”To get out of a drought that’s been sort of lingering and brewing for a couple of years, it’s going to take month over month over month of above normal rainfall,” he says.
“We haven’t seen but one month this year, where we’ve had above normal rainfall statewide. We haven’t seen the conditions that we’d like to see that’ll start to dig us out of this long-term condition.” Rivers and streams are running low in some of the drought areas — which can lead to more problems.”There’s water quality issues that come along with decreased streamflow and groundwater. There’s some communities battling nitrate issues. So in northwest Iowa, it’s not very good. And if you look at the streamflow in southeast Iowa, it is also trending downward,” according to Hall. 
The fall months are not normally the wettest of the year in Iowa — but Hall says there is some positive recent history. “Going back to 2016 — a really wet September, 2017 a really wet October, 2018 a really wet September, 2019 a really wet September, and last year a really wet October. So we’ve seen the emergence of the trend I think that shows September and or October being above normal for precipitation,” Hall says. He says the timing of the rains are key to rebuilding subsoil moisture. “There is there’s ample opportunity to get some much needed rainfall going into the winter. Depends how much we get and how much gets locked into the soil moisture before the ground freezes,” Hall says.
The latest drought monitor showed just a slight increase in the percentage of the state that doesn’t have any type of drought.
(Atlantic, Iowa; reporting by the Atlantic FFA’s Charli Goff) – The Atlantic FFA Chapter competed in the Iowa FFA Livestock Career Development Event held at Iowa State University on August 27, 2022 placing 15th and earning a Gold medal. Team members included Brett Dreager, Dylan Comes, Joaquin Walies and McKenna Sonntag as they competed against 47 other teams during the contest. Sophomore McKenna Sonntag led the way with earning 4th place individual. McKenna placed 3rd in Beef, 2nd in the Swine division, 3rd in the Sheep & division and 6th in Oral Reasons. Dylan was 2nd on the team placing 69th, Joaquin placed 121st and Brett placed 129th out of 159 individuals.
The FFA Livestock Evaluation Career Development Event provides an opportunity for FFA members to display their agricultural knowledge and skills in the area of Livestock Evaluation. Activities included: placing breeding and market classes of beef, swine, sheep and goats; keep/cull and oral reasons classes; and a general knowledge test.
Left to right
Brett Dreager, Dylan Comes, Joaquin Wailes, Mckenna Sonntag (Photo submitted) Click to enlarge
There were 159 members participating from 47 chapters. Dylan Comes said “It was really fun to spend the day at ISU. The classes were challenging, and touched most aspects of livestock, and I learned a lot.”
The Iowa FFA Livestock Evaluation Career Development Event was made possible with support from the Iowa State University Block and Bridle Club through the Iowa FFA Foundation. The Livestock Evaluation Career Development Event was coordinated and conducted by Will Taylor and other faculty and staff with the Animal Science Department at Iowa State University.
(Cass County, Iowa) – The Cass County Local Food Policy Council reminds residents that Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) senior vouchers remain available. The senior voucher program provides $30 in farmers market fresh produce vouchers to adults age 60 and older with annual incomes less than $25,142 (single) and $33,874 (married). To apply for the FMNP senior vouchers, individuals over age 60 should call the Connections Area Agency on Aging at 800-432-9209 (extension 8888) and leave a message with their name and phone number.
While all Cass County farmers markets are certified to accept the vouchers, only the Lewis Farmers Market and Produce in the Park remained open past August. Both markets will be open until October 13, 2022.
Cass County Farmers Markets Fall 2022
For more information on local food, farmers markets, and food access, follow the Cass County Local Food Policy Council’s Facebook page @CassCountyLocalFood.
The Cass County Local Food Policy Council is a Cass County Government advisory body that promotes local foods and food access. The Council facilitates networking among people and groups who are involved in all aspects of the local food system—from growing and processing, to selling and eating. In its work, the Council gathers information about local food-related needs and considers what might be done to make sure everyone in Cass County has access to healthy food.
The Council then makes recommendations and supports organizations working toward that goal. To learn more about the Council, contact Cass County Wellness Coordinator Brigham Hoegh at bhoegh@iastate.edu or (712) 249-5870. The next Council meeting is September 13 at 2:00 PM at the Cass County ISU Extension Office (805 W. 10th St. Atlantic, IA 50022). Meetings are open to the public.
(Radio Iowa) – The Interstate 80 bridge that spans the Mississippi River between Le Claire, Iowa and Rapids City, Illinois needs to be replaced, but instead of demolishing the structure, an innovative proposal is emerging. The Bison Bridge Foundation wants to repurpose the bridge, opening it to pedestrians and wildlife, including a herd of American bison. Alexis Banks of Dyersville, a landscape and architecture student at Iowa State University, was part of a group that drafted design ideas for the proposed bridge.
The Illinois Department of Transportation is considering seven potential locations for the interstate’s Mississippi River crossing. A study on the existing bridge’s future is expected to be completed in 2023. The bridge opened in 1966. 
(reporting by Zachary Oren Smith, Iowa Public Radio)
DES MOINES, Iowa (Sept. 6, 2022) — Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented today (Tuesday) on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly April through November.
“The weather could not have been better for Farm Progress Show attendees last week as exhibitors highlighted and demonstrated the latest innovations across the ag sector,” said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. “Now that we are past the Labor Day holiday and the days of summer dwindle, farmers are keeping a close eye on outlooks in preparation for harvest. With the potential for warm and dry conditions through fall, we need to remain vigilant for potential fire hazards as combines start to roll.”
The weekly report is also available on the USDA’s website at nass.usda.gov.
Crop Report
Continuing mostly dry conditions across most of the State resulted in 6.1 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending September 4, 2022, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Fieldwork included harvesting corn for silage, cutting hay, seeding cover crops, and preparing equipment for harvest.
Topsoil moisture condition rated 16 percent very short, 30 percent short, 53 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 19 percent very short, 31 percent short, 49 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus. Moisture levels in the Northwest, West Central, Southwest, South Central and Southeast Districts of Iowa continued to be a concern with over 50 percent of both topsoil and subsoil considered short to very short.
Corn in or beyond dough stage was 96 percent. Seventy-one percent of Iowa’s corn crop reached the dent stage or beyond, 3 days behind last year but 1 day ahead of average. Ten percent of the State’s corn crop was mature, 2 days behind both last year and the 5-year average. Corn condition remained 66 percent good to excellent. Ninety-seven percent of soybeans were setting pods. Soybeans coloring or beyond reached 20 percent, 5 days behind last year and 4 days behind the 5-year average. Soybeans began dropping leaves at 2 percent, 1 week behind last year and almost a week behind the average. Soybean condition rated 66 percent good to excellent. Oats harvested for grain neared completion at 96 percent.
Seventy-six percent of the State’s third cutting of alfalfa hay was complete, 5 days behind average. Pasture condition rated 32 percent good to excellent. Producers were supplementing short pastures with hay and grain.
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