(Radio Iowa) – Summit Carbon Solutions has announced property owners have given voluntary access to land along two-thirds of the proposed route of its carbon pipeline. According to a news release from the company, more than a thousand landowners have signed contracts to let the pipeline cross through their properties. Summit plans to collect carbon from ethanol plants and transport it through a pipeline to underground storage in North Dakota. Summit’s pipeline would link to a dozen Iowa ethanol plants and cover nearly 700 miles of ground in Iowa. Two other companies are seeking voluntary easements from Iowa property owners for carbon pipelines.

The Navigator pipeline would start in Illinois and extend 900 miles through Iowa. The Wolf pipeline would start in Cedar Rapids and end 350 miles later in Decatur, Illinois.

• 1 package (18.25 oz.) lemon or yellow cake mix
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

FILLING:

• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 4 egg yolks, beaten
• 4 teaspoons butter
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

MERINGUE:

• 4 egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 3/4 cup sugar

In a mixing bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, water and oil.  Beat on low until moistened.  Beat on high for 2 minutes or until blended.  pour into two greased and floured 9″ round baking pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool for ten minutes; remove from pans to wire racks.

For filling, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in a saucepan.  Stir in water and juice until smooth.  Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened.  Remove from heat.  Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg yolks; return all to pan, stirring constantly.  Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir for two minutes.  Remove from heat; stir in butter and lemon peel.  Cool completely.

For meringue, in a mixing bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy.  Gradually beat in sugar on high until stiff peaks form.

To assemble, split each cake into two layers.  Place bottom layer on an ovenproof serving plate; spread with a third of the filling.  Repeat layer twice.  Top with fourth cake layer.  Spread meringue over top and sides.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until meringue is lightly browned.  Store in the refrigerator.

YIELD:  12-14 servings

(Radio Iowa) – As egg prices bound, backyard chicken flocks are gaining in popularity, but the practice of chicken keeping demands plenty of planning and patience before it pays off. Christa Hartsook, the small farms program coordinator for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, says the amount of money you have to invest to get started depends on how large an operation you want to launch. “Your basic costs are going to be in a little bit of equipment,” Hartsook says. “You’re going to need specific waterers and feeders for baby chicks. You’re going to need a specific area to keep them in that you can keep them nice and enclosed, and definitely very warm while they are in that early stage of life. Your biggest costs are going to be in the chick itself and in the feed.”

Most chicks range from three to six dollars each, but before you start counting your chickens, Hartsook says you’ll need to make sure you can legally keep the birds in the backyard.  “I always recommend that folks check with their community first and foremost, so that they can determine what particular regulations are guiding their community,” Hartsook says. “It may be in terms of the overall number, a community may not allow roosters, you may have property setback limits, so definitely check and read your community ordinances.” There are all sorts of breeds from which to choose, and you’ll also need to decide if you want chickens for eggs or for meat. Plus, if you’re going to be raising them in Iowa, certain heavier breeds are better able to withstand the state’s frigid winters.

Hartsook says she’s getting a lot of calls lately about backyard chickens, as spring will arrive March 20th. “People are just very concerned about the rising costs and we use eggs a lot in our daily diets,” Hartsook says. “Another great thing about chickens is it’s a relatively easy enterprise to get started with. It doesn’t cost a whole lot, then it’s a great way for folks to make that connection back to their own food source, and then maybe even provide some responsibility for kids.” For the same reasons egg prices are inflated, supply chain issues are pushing up the cost of chicken feed — and the cost of chicks, too.

“Chicks are a little higher because we are seeing a lot of interest in getting started with backyard chickens, so you’re definitely not going to get chicks tomorrow and then see eggs the next week,” Hartsook says. “You’re not going to see any kind of return really on chicks until fall. It’s five to five-and-a-half months before a chick is mature enough to have egg production.” If you’re considering starting a backyard flock, there’s a free online course through the I-S-U Extension: https://store.extension.iastate.edu/product/15129

February 1:

• Janet Cavner of Atlantic (winner)

February 2:

• Jim Field of Atlantic
• Ty Hull of Jefferson

February 3:

• Lola Hodges of Atlantic (winner)
• Mardell Sorenson of Exira

February 4:

• Brylee Lamp of Atlantic (winner)
• Cammi Nelson of Atlantic

February 5:

• Tyler Duncan of Anita (winner)

February 6:

• Patti Diest of Audubon (winner)
• Amelia Teegerstrom of Elk Horn

February 7:

• Bob Lane of Atlantic (winner)
• Gina Wesson of Atlantic
• Barb Harris of Atlantic
• Louise Pottumato of Atlantic

February 8:

• Shawna Burmeister of Anita (winner)
• John Schultes of Exira
• Brenda Muhr of Exira
• Kayla Mendenhall of Atlantic

February 9:

• Beckett Nelson of Exira (winner)
• Gail Cooper of Atlantic
• Randy LaFoy of Audubon
• Marilyn Fruend of Atlantic
• Betty Knight of Atlantic

February 10:

• Addie Drogo of Atlantic (winner)
• Ginger Thomas of Atlantic
• Jessica Jacobsen of Atlantic
• Gene Crane of Exira
• Joni Hansen of Manning

February 11:

• Dorothy Bates of Atlantic (winner)

February 12:

• Louise Hilyard of Cumberland (winner)
• Jon Hayes of Hamlin

February 13:

• Jalen Petersen of Atlantic (winner)
• Sully McClain of Audubon
• Judy Madden of Atlantic
• Kyle Dailey of Atlantic

February 14:

• Dale Huegerich of Exira (winner)
• Dwayne McDaniel of Elliott

February 15:

• Ronell Nymand of Brayton (winner)
• Joel Wiemann of Atlantic
• Sarah Christensen of Audubon

February 16:

• Robert Keithly of Atlantic (winner)
• Traci Riesgaard of Brayton
• Jeff Winston of Atlantic
• Kathie Rose of Atlantic
• Norma Brix of Atlantic
• Kylene Amdor of Lewis

February 17:

• Vernie Venteicher of Brayton (winner)
• Gary Johnson of Brayton

February 18:

• Hazel Sager of Atlantic (winner)
• Mark LeJueness of Atlantic
• Wilma Bowman of Audubon

February 19:

• Kathy Butler of Atlantic (winner)
• Lynne Peterson of Atlantic
• Rick Thompson of Exira
• Sherri Wilkerson of Brayton

February 20:

• Ashley Will of Anita (winner)
• Nate Potts of Elk Horn
• Ileen Fern of Atlantic
• Lila Kelley of Walnut

February 21:

• Katie Wheeler of Exira (winner)
• Jean Templeman of Atlantic
• Joyce Hart of Atlantic

February 22:

• Dan Olsen of Lewis (winner)
• Mary Maher of Atlantic
• Brandi Mericle of Wiota
• Doc Jessen of Anita

February 23:

• Lucas Carter of Cumberland (winner)
• Adrian Hansen of Atlantic
• Jane Kite of Marne
• Leaha Gregerson-Greene of Atlantic
• Beverly Walter of Atlantic

February 24:

• Shirley McDermott of Brayton (winner)
• Bob Evans of Atlantic

February 25:

• Myah Jean Ehrman of Anita (winner)
• Raymond Vias of Exira

February 26:

• Winnie Munson of Atlantic (winner)
• Bev Juelsgaard of Exira
• Sharon Winston of Atlantic

February 27:

• Oliver Drogo of Atlantic (winner)

February 28:

• Jax Teegerstrom of Elk Horn (winner)
• Randy Fieblekorn of Exira

Jim Field visits with Liz Ripley of Iowa Learning Farms about a Cover Crop workshop to be held at the Walnut Community Center on Tuesday, February 21 from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm.  To RSVP for this free event contact Liz at 515-294-5429 or ilf@iastate.edu.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (21.6MB)

Subscribe: RSS

w/Kate Olson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.8MB)

Subscribe: RSS

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Ag Expo opens today (Tuesday) in Des Moines for its 103rd year, with a forecast economic impact of 19-million dollars over its three-day run. Katie Stien, with Catch Des Moines, says there will be more than 700 exhibitors traveling from 26 states and five Canadian provinces to display their latest products and services to farmers from across Iowa and the Midwest.

Spanning more than seven acres, Stien says the expo is the third-largest indoor ag show in the country, featuring everything from tractors to tech. The event opens at 9 A-M and will draw an expected 18-thousand people through Thursday afternoon at the Iowa Events Center.

(Radio Iowa) – A key senator is proposing new restrictions for commercially owned solar installations placed on farmland. Senate Ag Committee chairman Dan Zumbach says the goal is to establish limits on how close solar arrays may be to property lines, farm buildings and homes. “Most people that live around them don’t like what they look like when they’re used to looking at farmland or pastures and see this new industrial product coming in on farmland,” Zumbach says.

Zumbach, a Republican from Ryan, says it’s time to set rules for an industry that’s in its infancy. Representatives for utility companies and developers say requiring solar arrays to be 12-hundred feet from a residence or livestock facility would be a project killer. Christopher Rants is a lobbyist NextEra Energy, which is currently developing two solar arrays in Iowa. “We fundamentally believe that this is a decision that should be made by the landowner as opposed to the state legislature trying to make it for them,” Rants says.

The Iowa Farm Bureau supports some restrictions. However, Farm Bureau lobbyist Matt Gronewald warns the bill as currently written may prohibit farmers from installing solar panels to generate electricity for their operations. “Perhaps including a minimum acreage of solar facilities being 40 acres or larger might address that,” he says. Dustin Miller, a lobbyist for the American Clean Power Association, says the restrictions in the bill are pretty onerous.

“The only thing that this would really standardize is a halt in investment,” Miller says. “…What nuisance are we trying to cure here?” Last year, Zumbach proposed a ban on placing solar arrays on land rated as highly suitable for growing corn and soybeans. However, Zumbach says he learned that approach would have shifted solar development to areas of the state with the least productive farmland.

(Des Moines, Iowa/IA DNR News) -The paddlefish snagging season on the Missouri and Big Sioux rivers opens Feb. 1 and goes through April 30 (sunrise to sunset). Anglers fishing for paddlefish must have a valid Iowa fishing license, along with a special paddlefish license and unused transportation tag(s). The DNR asks you to “Please keep track of your catch and effort and complete the electronic survey after the paddlefish season whether you harvested a fish or not. The information collected will help the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) evaluate the success of the season and determine what potential changes/modifications may be needed.”

Furthermore, “If you catch a jaw-tagged fish (numbered band in the lower jaw), call the phone number on the tag and report the tag number, date of capture, capture location and eye-to-fork length. The Iowa DNR and other state fisheries agencies tag paddlefish to better understand and manage populations. Tagging provides valuable information to estimate population size, fish movement and growth.”

Paddlefish catch(DNR-photo)

The DNR notes also, “Ongoing drought conditions and low river levels might affect Missouri River boat ramp access.” For more information about Iowa’s special paddlefish season regulations, visit the DNR website at www.iowadnr.gov/paddlefish.

Jim Field visits with Associate Professor in Animal Science and Extension Equine Specialist at Iowa State University Peggy Auwedra about the “Women Managing Horses” course at the Adair County Extension Office in Greenfield.  To register, visit:  https://go.iastate.edu/5NI3C1.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (21.7MB)

Subscribe: RSS