Jim Field visits with Kate Olson about the Cass County Master Gardeners Scholarship and the Spring Garden Seminar. The seminar will be held on Saturday, April 1, 2023 at the Cass County Community Center. April 1 is also the deadline for scholarship applications. To learn more about both visit: www.extension.iastate.edu/cass.
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(Radio Iowa) – Iowa is known for its many thousands of acres of fertile farmland which help to feed perhaps millions of people around the world, and a new report details just how valuable the agriculture industry is to the state. Brent Johnson, president of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, says the report just confirms what we already know, that agriculture is vital to our state’s economy and identity.
The report says Iowa has 326-thousand jobs that are directly tied to agriculture with an economic impact of more than 96-billion dollars tied to those jobs. When that 96-billion figure is trickled down to Main Street and other industries, he says it quickly more than doubles to nearly 222-billion dollars. Even through the past few years with the pandemic, Johnson says agriculture saw steady gains, and farmers are growing significantly more food on less land.
(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.
Pour the broth and water into the slow cooker. Add the onion, carrots and celery in to the slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients.
Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.
YIELD: 6 to 8 servings
Jim Field talks about some tips for preparing your garden tools for the spring.
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(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.
Jim Field speaks with Ryan Archibald about a fundraising event this Saturday for the Jeff and Debbie Pope Family. The event will be held on Saturday, March 25th from 5-7pm at the Lewis Fire Station. They will have a pulled pork meal, silent auction, and live auction.
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Jim Field visits with Atlantic Public Library Director Michelle Andersen about the Cass County Library Association “Pizza, Puzzles & Pub Night” fundraiser for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library project on April 15.
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