w/Kate Olson.

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(Radio Iowa) – U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says universities, farmers and communities with projects that could turn agricultural waste into usable products can apply for new federal grants. Vilsack uses the example of manure — separating the water from the solids.  “Why is that important? Because we’re faced in some parts of this country with serious water shortages. We need to reclaim that water,” Vilsack said.

“What do you do with what’s left? Well, you evaporate any additional moisture from that you create a pelletized fertilizer product that you put in a bag and you can sell…You eliminate the need for storage. You eliminate the smell. You create a new product. You create a new job opportunity in rural places.” A total of 10 million dollars is set aside for this U-S-D-A pilot program.

“All of this is designed essentially to create additional revenue streams for farmers, additional job opportunities in rural places, and states like Iowa should be all over this.” Vilsack made the announcement at a family-owned creamery in Ely that sells bottled milk, cheese curds and ice cream made from milk produced by the family’s 150 dairy cows.

(Iowa DNR News) – Iowa State Parks are gearing up for the Fourth of July weekend as thousands of campers, cabin renters, picnickers and outdoor enthusiasts get ready to enjoy the long weekend. “State Parks are great destinations for summer holidays,” says Sherry Arntzen DNR State Parks, Forests and Preserves Bureau chief. “Whether you are staying for a week or making a day trip, our parks and forests provide great opportunities for families and friends to make memories.”

Last-minute campers can take their chances with walk-in campsites, as 25 percent of all state park campsites are first-come, first-served, except at Lake Manawa, Maquoketa Caves, and Walnut Woods state parks, which are 100 percent reservable. Most of the sites available are non-electric; realistically, most will be occupied by this Thursday. The best chances to secure a site will be at smaller, more remote parks. Visit https://www.iowadnr.gov/Places-to-Go/State-Parks/Iowa-State-Parks for a list of parks and amenities.

Here are additional tips for an enjoyable and safe visit to Iowa state parks this holiday:

Parking: Expect large crowds, be patient and plan accordingly. Consider coming early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Parking is not allowed on roadways (only in designated areas). Please follow all road signs, especially speed limits, to keep everyone safe.

Fireworks: Individuals are allowed to use “novelties,” which include party poppers, snappers, toy smoke devices, snakes, glow worms, wire sparklers and dipped sticks. All other fireworks are banned in state parks without a special event “fireworks” permit.

Water safety: Park beaches will be very popular. Be aware of surroundings, stay in designated swimming areas, and keep your eyes at all times on members of your group who are swimming. Most state park beaches do not have lifeguards, so be vigilant. Consider life jackets for any children who may not be able to swim.

Stay cool: Heat and crowds can take their toll. Drink plenty of water, wear sunscreen and avoid excessive alcohol use.

Be a good neighbor: Everyone wants to have a good time. Be courteous, pick up trash and be patient with other visitors. If you need assistance or see something concerning, please contact the park office. In case of emergency, call 911.

Alerts and closure information is posted on the DNR website at www.iowadnr.gov/parks and the parks reservation system at http://iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com. Current information is also available by calling individual park offices directly.

COUNCIL BLUFFS – The new campground at Lake Manawa State Park has opened. According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, tghe 40-campsite campground features modern amenities including full hook-up campsites, a shower house, and a paved walking trail connecting the campground to the beach and Dreamland Playground. It also features a gated entrance for campers to access the campground. A registration building at the campground gate provides online and telephone reservation information for those who come to the park looking for a site. Campers will receive a four-digit access code to open the gate and enter the campground.

All 40 campsites are available for online reservations; walk-in sites will not be an option. “Lake Manawa is the third Iowa state park to offer 100 percent reservable campsites,” said Sherry Arntzen, chief of the Parks, Forests and Preserves Bureau. “Campers have been pleased with the flexibility and convenience it provides and we are excited to offer this feature and for campers to enjoy this beautiful new campground.”

With 100-percent reservable sites, availability is known in real time. Campers can search and book sites online before leaving home, on the way to the park, or at the campground. Reservations can be made from April 15 to October 15 until 9 p.m. CST the day of arrival online at https://iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com/ or by calling the reservation call center at (877) 427-2757 Mondays through Fridays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; the call center is closed on Sundays.

Customers will no longer need to fill out the paper walk-in registration forms or pay with cash or check; all reservations will require a credit card payment online or over the phone. Customers can still pay by check if the reservation is made through the call center and made at least 21 days in advance.  Construction began on the campground in fall 2020. It officially opened on June 1st.
Out-of-state user permits required for Lake Manawa, Waubonsie state parks

The Iowa Legislature has extended the out-of-state user permit requirement for Lake Manawa and Waubonsie state parks through December 31, 2025. The law also changes the expiration date for annual permits from one year from the date of purchase, to the end of the calendar year. Annual permits purchased January 1 – June 30, 2022 will be honored into 2023, expiring one year from purchase date.  Annual permits purchased starting July 1, 2022 will be valid until the end of 2022. The daily permit for out-of-state visitors costs $5 and an annual permit is $40. Daily passes can be purchased at pay stations throughout the park. More information can be found at: https://www.iowadnr.gov/Places-to-Go/Nonresident-Vehicle-Entrance-Permits

(Atlantic, Iowa) –  Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department Director Bryant Rasmussen says, “This July, “We Rise Up for Parks and Recreation.” Be sure and join the Atlantic Parks and Rec Department in July, for Parks and Recreation Month, as “we celebrate how Atlantic, Iowa is stronger, more vibrant, and more resilient because of parks and recreation.” Rasmussen says a variety of activities are planned for people of all ages and abilities. The big highlight is July 9^th for the block party which takes place from 12 until 4-p.m., with a band to follow at 6pm.

Atlantic Parks and Rec is celebrating Park and Recreation Month, an initiative of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), by inviting our community to share their experiences, memories and stories about what parks and recreation means to them. There are plenty of ways to celebrate with us as well. All month long they will be having either suggestions of what you can do for that day, or having something for you to participate in.

The NRPA and Atlantic Parks and Rec encourages everyone who supports parks and recreation to share how it has improved their quality of life, as well as why local parks and recreation is important to them on social media using the hashtag #RISEUPJULY. To learn more information about Parks and Recreation Month, visit Atlantic Parks and Recreation Facebook page and www.nrpa.org/July.

There is a calendar of events on the Atlantic Parks and Rec Facebook page, but check back daily to learn more about the programs happening over the course of July.

LEWIS, Iowa – The Armstrong Memorial Research and Demonstration Farm will hold a field day this Wednesday, June 29th, with crop management and soil health demonstrations hosted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, the Wallace Foundation and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. The event is being offered in collaboration with a group of soil health driven producers and professionals in southwest Iowa known as the SWISH team.

The day begins at 10 a.m. and concludes with a presentation at 2 p.m. The field day will be held at the Wallace Learning Center and Iowa State University Armstrong Research and Development Farm, 53020 Hitchcock Ave., Lewis. 

Agenda

9:30 a.m. Registration and welcome at the Wallace Learning Center.

10 a.m. Corn rootworm management demonstration with Erin Hodgson, professor in entomology and extension specialist in entomology at Iowa State; Ashely Dean, education extension specialist in entomology with ISU Extension and Outreach; and Aaron Saeugling, field agronomist with ISU Extension and Outreach.

11 a.m. STRIPS demonstration (Science-based Trials of Row Crops Integrated with Prairie Strips), featuring a soil pit, with Tim Youngquist, agricultural specialist in agronomy at Iowa State, and graduate student Cole Dutter.

Noon. Lunch and NRCS presentation. Using the soil health principles to build stress tolerance in cropping systems: Rainfall Simulator Demonstration with NRCS soil health specialists Hillary Olson and Ruth Blomquist.

1 p.m. Maximizing cover crop benefits: using diverse species mixes to build soil resiliency and interseeding demonstration with soil health expert and Shenandoah, Iowa, farmer Chris Teachout.

2 p.m. Maximizing cover crop benefits: cereal rye termination timing and options with Nate Quam, BASF, and Terry Gleaves, NRCS.

Sponsors include the Iowa Soybean Association; No-Till on the Plains; Benson Hill; Nutrien Ag Solutions – Hancock, Iowa; TFS AG Solutions, Aaron Sick, Carson, Iowa; and Iowa Cover Crop.

The field day is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is requested. Please register with Ruth Blomquist at 712-254-4346 (office), 319-541-2969 (cell) or ruth.blomquist@usda.gov

(Atlantic, Iowa) – This week’s Produce in the Park is packed full of family friendly activities, a new food truck vendor, and honoring the “Founding Mother” of the annual event. Pim’s Thai mobile restaurant is the featured vendor for the event in the down Atlantic City Park (10 W. 7th Street). Produce in the Park is held each Thursday through September, from 4:30-to 6:30-p.m.

Other info.: 

Activities: Bounce Houses from the Nishna Valley Family YMCA, Yard Games and more fun from Atlantic Parks and Rec, and more
Live Music: Sarah Selders
Herbs week: Fresh herbs taste tests, Guest Chef recipe featuring herbs, buy fresh herbs and herb plants from various vendors. Visit the Grow Another Row Cass County table to learn about donating herbs.

Products: Fresh produce, local meats, farm-fresh eggs, honey, popcorn, fresh lemonade, pastries, kringle, soaps, candles, freshies, art, jewelry, and more!
Celebrate LaVon Eblen of KJAN’s Backyard and Beyond. After 25 years on the air, LaVon is retiring. Backyard and Beyond has been a great program that has covered Produce in the Park many times. LaVon was also a founding mother of Produce in the Park. Come thank her for all she’s done for the community!

Self-Care Summer:  The VA Nebraska Western Iowa’s suicide prevention oordinator will be at the park with info.
Free drawing for a dozen eggs sponsored by the Cass County Local Food Policy Council. (Anyone age 18+ can enter for free. Winner will be drawn after the market and receive eggs the following week.

Payment methods accepted: All vendors accept cash. Many accept credit card and Venmo. 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). Follow PiP at https://www.facebook.com/ProduceInThePark

An Iowa State University study finds there’s not enough evidence to show fertilizer companies are taking advantage of inflation to raise prices. The study was requested by Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller earlier this year because of fertilizer price spikes. I-S-U ag economist Chad Hart, one of the study’s authors, says several factors caused fertilizer prices to rise, including supply chain problems, energy market fluctuations and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The price of ammonia is up 126-percent compared to a year ago. Farmers use nitrogen, phosphate and potassium-based fertilizers to help their plants grow. Hart says there was a “perfect storm” of factors but there’s not enough evidence to say whether fertilizer companies are using their market power to hike prices.

The I-S-U study predicts fertilizer prices will decline in the second half of this year but they won’t return to where they were in mid-2020 because farmer demand is high and supply chain problems still exist.

• KJAN, Atlantic  .08″
• Massena  .71″
• Elk Horn  .07″
• Oakland  .41″
• Corning  .18″
• Manning  .06″
• Underwood  .16″
• Creston  .19″

Applications are now being accepted for anyone interested in the Iowa Master Gardener training, which will be offered in many locations across the state, including Cass County, beginning in mid-August. Applicants have from June 3 to July 8 to apply for the fall session. Online training begins August 22, with a local orientation session scheduled for Monday evening, August 15^th.  The program will be delivered in a hybrid format this fall, with many lessons taking place online, but several face-to-face learning opportunities also offered for trainees to connect and participate in hands-on learning activities as a group.

“Throughout the pandemic, many of our programs have been forced into virtual formats and participants have missed out on peer-to-peer interactions,” said Alicia Herzog, Master Gardener Statewide Coordinator with ISU Extension and Outreach. “We find immense value in the learning that happens when our participants interact with each other, their county Extension and Outreach staff, and experts in their local communities. We’re happy to be able to offer the best of both worlds with this hybrid format.”

Iowans wishing to complete Master Gardener training should complete the initial registration online by July 8, and then will be contacted by their local extension office to complete a background screening and finalize payment and registration. Once accepted into the program, trainees will participate in online learning modules at their own pace through their home computer, and should also plan to attend at least 4 in-person training sessions organized by their county office to complete the training.

A total of 17 educational modules will be offered online by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, on topics that include houseplants, pollinators, vegetables, and perennial flowers. Each course module includes a book chapter, lecture video, online discussion board for trainees to connect and discuss the topic and a follow up quiz. Participants will also take an online pre-test and post-test to gauge knowledge gained through the course.

Applicants for the 2022 training must apply online by Friday July 8. The online class begins on Monday, August 22. An in-person orientation class will be held at the Cass County Extension Office on Monday August 15^th to distribute materials and discuss the hands-on training schedule. Apply and learn more about the program online at www.extension.iastate.edu/mastergardener.

The fee for the training is $150 and covers all class materials. The fee will be payable to the Cass County Extension Office upon acceptance into the program. Because Master Gardener volunteers work with many community partners, applicants will also be required to successfully pass a background screen before being accepted into the program. At the end of the course, there is an open-book test that participants will need to pass to complete the course and receive their certificate.

The Master Gardener program is open to anyone who is passionate about volunteering and gardening. No previous garden knowledge is required. The program equips participants to grow in knowledge about gardening best practices. After the training, Master Gardeners volunteer in their community, making contributions such as donating vegetables to food pantries, leading community beautification projects and maintaining demonstration gardens at local parks and county fairgrounds.

After completion of the MG Training, participants have 13 months to complete 40 volunteer hours to finish their “internship” and become a full Master Gardener. Annually, Master Gardener status can be maintained with 20 volunteer hours per year and ten hours of continuing education. Cass County has an active Master Gardener group that participates in many projects throughout the year, so opportunities to learn and volunteer are plentiful! Examples of local Master Gardener volunteer projects include educational workshops and seminars, maintaining community parks and demonstration gardens, and donating fresh produce to food pantries. Iowa State has offered Master Gardener training since 1977, engaging more than 15,000 people in learning about gardening best practices.

Iowans who want professional development training for their job and who do not plan to volunteer can participate in the ProHort option, for a fee of $550. No background check is required for this option.

Local extension staff can help anyone with questions about joining Master Gardener training this year, including details of when and where in-person meetings will take place locally.

For more information on the class, or the Master Gardener program in general, contact the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132, or email Cass County Extension Director and Master Gardner Coordinator Kate Olson at keolson@iastate.edu. Online program registration can be completed at www.extension.iastate.edu/mastergardener.