CLICK HERE for the latest market quotes from the Iowa Agribusiness Network!
CLICK HERE for the latest market quotes from the Brownfield Ag News Network!
CLICK HERE for the latest market quotes from the Iowa Agribusiness Network!
CLICK HERE for the latest market quotes from the Brownfield Ag News Network!
(Atlantic, Iowa) – The shorter days and more moderate temperatures make this fall a great time for gardening projects. The Cass County Master Gardeners invite you to their annual Fall Plant Sale, set for Saturday morning, September 10, at the Cass County Community Center, 805 W 10th Street. The sale will be open to the public to purchase divided perennials suitable for fall planting. Plants expected to be on the sale include iris (bearded and Siberian), peonies, daylilies, spring-flowering bulbs, hostas, perennial geranium, bachelor button, baptista, salvia, sedum, garden mum, rudbeckia, clematis, oregano and other herbs, lily of the valley, yarrow, cactus, houseplants and more. There will also be a large collection of gently used garden decor, pots, books, and tools for shoppers to explore.
The sale begins at 8 AM, and will be held in the front parking lot of the Cass County Community Center on the fairgrounds in Atlantic. Interested gardeners are encouraged to arrive early for best plant selection, as the annual spring and fall sales occasionally sell out before 10 AM, especially high-demand plants.
Bulbs bring spring color! The Master Gardeners are again selling bulbs for fall planting as well. Tulip and daffodil bulbs, high quality and shipped directly from the gardens of Van Engelsen in Connecticut, are expected to arrive in Atlantic in early October for timely planting. You can place your pre-order now; pay just $5 for a variety assortment of 5 colorful bulbs for your garden. Order forms with additional details are available at the Cass County Extension office, or online at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass. Orders will also be taken at the plant sale on the 10th, if not already sold out.
Many perennials work well for fall dividing and transplanting, including daylilies, peonies, garden phlox, bleeding heart, coneflowers, speedwell, and more. Irises and hostas can also be transplanted successfully in early fall. By dividing the plant when it is not flowering, all the energy it produces can be directed to root and foliage growth, so plants overwinter in place and come back strong in the spring. Additionally, the cooler weather is easier on the plants (and the gardener!), and the plants generally do not use as much water as in spring and summer. Plants should be placed in the ground as early in fall as possible, but most can be successfully planted up until the ground freezes. The plants should also be adequately watered until the ground freezes, which is particularly important in dry years.
The Master Gardeners will bring perennials dug and divided from their own gardens to the fall plant sale. Community residents are also welcome to donate plants, and members may even help you dig! Please call in advance and make arrangements to drop off donated plants before the date of the plant sale. All funds raised from the sale support local Master Gardener projects such as community garden spaces, educational activities, grants and scholarships.
To donate items, to order bulbs, or for more information about these events and other Master Gardener activities in Cass County, please call the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132, email Cass County Extension Director and Master Gardener Coordinator Kate Olson at keolson@iastate.edu or visit www.extension.iastate.edu/cass. You are also invited to follow the Cass County Master Gardeners Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CassCoMG to keep up with local events and tips for gardening!
Here are links to the various Open Class livestock shows at the 2022 Iowa State Fair.
English Pleasure/Equitation/Walk-Trot
Here are links to see the results from the various FFA livestock shows at the 2022 Iowa State Fair.
Des Moines, IA – The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will continue collecting responses to the Conservation Practice Adoption Motivations Survey over the coming weeks. Survey recipients may respond securely online at www.agcounts.usda.gov, by phone or mail. A representative for NASS may call producers to set up an interview to assist in the completion of the questionnaire.
In late May, NASS mailed the survey to 731 Iowa farmers and ranchers. A joint project between NASS and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), this new survey is aimed at better understanding conservation practice adoption and the role of technical and financial assistance. The data will be used to guide the implementation of NRCS programs in the future.
“Gathering information about farmers’ and ranchers’ motivation for and adoption of conservation practices allows USDA to understand the use and awareness of its programs,” said Greg Thessen, Director of the NASS Upper Midwest Regional Field Office. “By continuing to collect survey responses, NASS can ensure we have the most accurate and representative data.”
There are two versions of the survey this year – one requesting information on crop conservation practices and one for confined livestock conservation practices. Data from both versions of the survey will be available later this fall on NASS’s website at nass.usda.gov.
All information reported by individuals will be kept confidential, as required by federal law. For assistance with the survey, producers can call the NASS Upper Midwest Regional Field Office at (800)-772-0825.
(Radio Iowa) – The Farm Progress Show is back in central Iowa — and one of the innovations featured is a 43-thousand square foot asphalt base made from soybean oil and recycled crushed asphalt. Iowa Soybean Association President Robb Ewoldt says this project demonstrates yet another way soybeans can be used.
“When I was younger there was only oil and protein. Well now we’re looking at different uses that we can use. And who would’ve thought that we could take 100 percent recycled asphalt and basically glue it back together with soybean oil,” Ewoldt says. Iowa State University engineering professor Eric Cochran says this project also recycles old road layers and keeps them out of landfills.
“And giving it not just a new use, but a new high-value use,” he says. “It’s becoming a new pavement that actually serves a purpose and prevents you have from having to buy new hot mix asphalt that is oil-based primarily.”The project on display at the Boone site uses more than 23-hundred pounds of soybean oil from 215 bushels of crushed soybeans. Soybean checkoff dollars funded the soy-based asphalt.
(reporting By Katie Peikes, Iowa Public Radio)
(Radio Iowa) – The potential for wind energy is now severely limited in Woodbury County. The board of supervisors voted Tuesday night to increase the setback distance for wind turbines from 12-hundred-50 feet to 25-hundred. The change will prevent MidAmerican Energy from building the 90-plus wind turbines proposed in its Siouxland Wind Farm Project. County supervisor Justin Wright voted against the measure, calling it unfair to the nearly 60 residents already signed on to the project. “There’s a minority of constituents in Woodbury County that are on the opposing side of the issue,” Wright says, “but we are still going to strip a right away from a smaller group of Woodbury County taxpayers.”
Many residents showed up to the public hearing to support the amended ordinance, citing safety concerns. The majority of the board sided with the almost 900 residents that signed a petition supporting the change. Supervisor Matthew Ung says he understood their concerns about the potential disruption the turbines could pose to the county. Ung says, “Good, bad or indifferent, the nuisance issues with turbines are exacerbated by the population density in Woodbury County compared to other areas with industrial wind farms that are widespread.”
Representatives from MidAmerican energy opposed the measure, as the new ordinance shrinks the buildable acres in the county from 177 to just one-point-seven.
(reporting by Kendall Crawford, Iowa Public Radio)
(Radio Iowa) – The proposed Iowa route for a Texas company’s carbon pipeline has changed and more than 200 people packed a public hearing in Manchester to express their opinions on the project. The Navigator pipeline would ship liquefied carbon dioxide from ethanol plants to storage in Illinois. Elizabeth Burns-Thompson, a vice president for Navigator, says the route was adjusted once Archer-Daniels-Midland decided to pursue its own carbon pipeline.
A dozen POET ethanol plants in Iowa would be connected to the the Navigator pipeline route. Dubuque County Supervisor Ann McDonough says the company has given zero safety information to emergency services in the area.
A man who spoke at the hearing in Manchester said the proposed route would come within a quarter mile of his house and he’s concerned about ruptures.
In 2020, a carbon pipeline rupture in Mississippi prompted the evacuation of a small town, as liquified carbon dioxide can cause nausea, headaches, mental confusion and respiratory issues. Several speakers urged the audience to send written objections to the Iowa Utilities Board, which will review Navigator’s requests to seize property from landowners unwilling to sign voluntary easements for the pipeline. Iowa-based Summit Carbon Solutions is the third company seeking landowner agreements for a pipeline.
ATLANTIC, IA – Produce in the Park is delighted to offer customers local peaches this week. Market Manager Brigham Hoege says vendor Brun Ko Farm will be selling the Iowa-grown peaches in the downtown City Park, and the market’s guest chef will be handing out samples of peach salsa. Peach salsa is good with chips, but also pairs well with pork (also sold at the park).
This week’s food trucks are Pim’s Thai and Pomodoro Fresh Italian. Pomodoro offers a plain butter noodle option for kids, and will offer that popular dish in adult-sized portions thanks to Produce in the Park customer feedback.
Emily Paulsen of Brun Ko Farm with Iowa peaches
The Atlantic Lions Club will be at the park this week with free putt-putt golf and bags games, and Atlantic Parks and Recreation will set up checkers and chess, in addition to a variety of yard games. Produce in the Park continues to welcome new vendors to the park throughout the season. Within the last few weeks, a vendor selling sourdough bread and produce has joined the market, along with a vendor selling hand-embroidered dishtowels and t-shirts. Check out these new vendors at the park on August 25.
Produce in the Park is a farmers market and community gathering held Thursday evening from 4:30-6:30 PM in the Atlantic City Park through October 13.
Produce in the Park August 25 DETAILS…
Time: 4:30-6:30 PM
Location: Atlantic City Park (10 W. 7th St. Atlantic, IA 50022)
Live Music: Sarah Selders
Food Trucks: Pomodoro Italian and Pim’s Thai
Activities: Putt-putt with Atlantic Lions Club, Yard games and board games with Atlantic Parks and Recreation
Fresh local produce: Peaches, tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, onions, eggplant, garlic, and more!
Guest Chef: Peach Salsa
Fresh Produce: Tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, onions, garlic,
Meats: Beef, pork, lamb, chicken
Staples: Honey, farm-fresh eggs, granola
Treats: Kringle, pastries, fresh-squeezed lemonade, popcorn
Crafts and More: Jewelry, candles and melts, bath salts, art prints, plants
Free drawing for farm-fresh eggs (sponsored by the Cass County Local Food Policy Council)
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 August 2022 farmers markets are sponsored by the Atlantic Community Promotion Commission, Cass County Tourism, Cass Health, 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) – Iowa State University researchers have developed a way to take 3-D pictures with a robot to study the leaf angles of corn plants. Professor Lie Tang says the leaf angles play an important role in how the plant captures sunlight, but it’s hard for a photographer to get pictures with thousands of plants growing together. “Some of them they can grow more than ten foot tall. And you want to capture the angles from bottom to the top in a very tight space,” Tang says. Tang is a professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering and says they developed a system with multiple tiers of cameras that are customized to work together.
“We could have binocular vision or stereo vision, just like our human beings who have two eyes. So we can perceive the world in three dimensional space. It’s the same kind of principle, we even have two cameras through something we call the matching between two cameras,” he says. Tang says the cameras on the robot they call “Phenobot Three,” gives them color plus depth to help determine the leaf angles. There’s a quite a breakthrough piece, to be able to exactly detect the different angles in a very complex imaging situation,” Tang says.
Lie Tang (ISU photo)
Tang says they use A-I or artificial intelligence and deep learning to sort through the data to measure the angles accurately. “So we are training our computer algorithms to understand the different angles to be able to recognize different angles through training. So that has proven to be very successful,” according to Tang. There are various corn hybrids with an upright leaf angle, to assist in the photosynthetic process and improve crop yields, but the I-S-U researchers say the genetics that control this trait are relatively unknown.
It’s hoped the advanced photo system will help them learn more. The research is supported by a two-point-five million-dollar National Science Foundation grant.
(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation has announced plans to spend millions of dollars to renovate the livestock barns on the fairgrounds. Foundation executive director, Peter Cownie, says the cattle, horse, sheep, and swine barns will each get an update. “The structures themselves are historic, you know, nearly a century old in some cases. Those will stay the same, but we need to renovate and restore the barns,” he says. “They are all unique, they all have different issues that have occurred over time,” Cownie says the barns have a constant flow of visitors and exhibitors through them during the fair’s run.
“You know, that’s where the 4-H and F-F-A youth show their livestock. They compete in the livestock competitions. The Iowa State Fair is the climax of their summer, and of all the competitions from the county fairs, and that is really the backbone of the Iowa State Fair youth in agriculture and what they do on these barns,” Cownie says. “And so to be able to renovate and restore them is really quite exciting for us.” The renovations are expected to cost around 25 million dollars.
The Blue Ribbon Foundation fundraising effort has already received 12 million dollars from the state’s “Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund,” along with five million dollars from the Richard O. Jacobson Foundation, and Jeff & Deb Hansen of Iowa Select Farms have committed two million dollars for the Swine barn portion of the renovation. Cownie says they will have more details on the renovation schedule when they meet in October. “It’ll take us a few years to do it — but we’re gonna get started in time for next year’s fair to have some improvements done,” according to Cownie. ” We’re going to make the specific decisions this fall on which ones go first and what order it will be. But we will have progress made by next year’s fair, no doubt.”
Cownie says the work on the Iowa State Fairgrounds is like anyone has with their house — there’s always something that needs to be worked on to keep it up. “What we strive to do is we want to maintain our heritage, we want to maintain our traditions. We love the fact that these buildings are historic, in our state,” he says. “We want those to remain historic, and we want them to remain upgraded so that people have the same memories that, so that the kids have the same memories as their parents and grandparents did.”
For more information on the Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation visit www.BlueRibbonFoundation.org.
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