St. Charles, Ill. – Aug. 20, 2021 – A new 10-minute video featuring ag editors Willie Vogt, Farm Progress editorial director, and Holly Spangler, executive editor of Prairie Farmer, offers an editorial perspective on can’t-miss moments and hot topics at this year’s Farm Progress Show 2021. Vogt and Spangler discuss the stories and news they are watching and covering, as well as share the new product introductions, technology features, demos and other solutions they anticipate making the biggest impact with farmers when the show reconvenes in-person in Decatur, Ill., Aug. 31-Sept. 2.

“Farmers come to Farm Progress Show to get answers to the burning questions that are bugging them about their operations,” said Vogt. “They’re facing any number of challenges on the farm, but there are tons of opportunities for them in the coming year, too.”

“There will be something – probably a few things – at the Farm Progress Show that farmers have never seen before,” said Spangler. “The show exists for farmers to get a look at new solutions, technology and products, and consider what could work well for their operation. Farmers have an opportunity to see just about everything they might think of adding to the farm next year.”

Vogt and Spangler also discuss a likely hot topic at this year’s show – supply chain challenges and related pricing impacts.
“It seems that every company is scrambling to address these issues,” said Vogt. “If farmers have questions about the supply chain or product availability – whether crop protection or equipment – this is the place to ask tough questions to your suppliers.”

“It’s time to be planning for planting,” said Spangler. “It’s not too early to be asking questions about available planter parts, or working with your dealer. This is the place to come get those answers.”

Watch the video online to hear more from Vogt and Spangler, including their discussion around ethanol uses, farm data and supply chain shortages. Stop by the ADM Stage, Prairie Farmer Hospitality Building, Lot 643, at Farm Progress Show, either day from 11-11:30 a.m. CT, to meet the Farm Progress editors. From Tech to Food Policy, Willie Vogt covers a wide range of ag topics as editorial director at Farm Progress. As editor of Prairie Farmer magazine, Holly Spangler brings meaningful production agriculture experience to the topics she covers, including a variety of production, management and issue-oriented stories.

There are many more must-see moments at Farm Progress Show 2021. Check out the detailed show scheduleand be sure to mark your calendar for:

• ​​5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 1: Case IH presents Lee Brice in concert
• 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tuesday & Wednesday, 10 a.m. on Thursday: Friendly Competition at the Bags Tournament!
• 10-11 a.m. both days, FBi Buildings Qlyft system demonstration

About Farm Progress

As part of Informa Markets, Farm Progress is the largest, most diversified agriculture information business in North America. Through a robust network of live events, digital products, data, marketing services, broadcasting and local and national publications, Farm Progress enables the nation’s most economically significant farmers, growers and ranchers to connect and do business. It serves 80% of the 2 million farms and ranches in the U.S., and an estimated 85% of the nation’s annual agricultural gross domestic product. Visit our website at https://Marketing.FarmProgress.com.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a veteran of the Global War on Terror and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, is urging President Joe Biden to fulfill his “solemn responsibility to evacuate all American citizens and Afghan partners without respect to arbitrary timelines dictated by the Taliban.” Ernst joined 15 of her Republican colleagues on a letter to the president.

 “We are extremely concerned that, despite our recommendations, your administration failed to establish a coherent plan to get all American civilians and Afghans who have aided us out of the country as quickly and safely as possible. This must be our top priority,” the senators wrote. “Not only should we protect American citizens in Afghanistan, we must also uphold our promise to the thousands of Afghans who put their lives on the line to work with us to advance our shared security goals.”

 “You must devote all means necessary to ensure every American citizen and all eligible Afghan partners are successfully evacuated. In addition, you must make it clear to the Taliban and every other terrorist group that they will face severe consequences if they attempt to interfere with this process,” the senators continued.

 Background:

This letter reinforces Ernst’s call for the Biden Administration to authorize the U.S. military to guarantee safe passage for Americans to Hamid Karzai International Airport, and commit to evacuating every American from the country before again withdrawing U.S. forces from Afghanistan at or beyond the end of August.

 In May, Ernst teamed up with Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) to lead a bipartisan bill to express widespread support in the Senate for the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program for Afghans, and to urge continued support from the administration to uphold the integrity of the program. Their bipartisan bill to provide immediate improvements to and strengthen the efficiency of the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program was signed into law.

Earlier today Ernst and Shaheen led 53 of their colleagues in urging the administration to address the quickly deteriorating situation in Afghanistan and implement the Ernst-Shaheen SIV bill.

DES MOINES—Iowa’s public water systems deliver ample clean water, according to the 2020 Annual Drinking water Compliance Report.

Over the last 10 years, Iowa public drinking water facilities have increasingly complied with all health-based standards for water we drink. In 2020, 96.8 percent of public water supplies and a vast majority of people served by these facilities (98.9 percent) received drinking water that complied with state and national standards.  

Despite the challenges of COVID-19 last year, Iowa’s 1,848 public water systems produced safe drinking water for 98.9 percent of Iowans. In fact, the number of systems meeting all health-based standards was the highest in 25 years, since 1996. Both the percentage of systems (96.8 percent) and the percentage of population receiving drinking water compliant with all health-based standards were the highest achieved in the past 10 years.

Most systems (83.8 percent) met all major monitoring and reporting requirements, the best since 2014. Most important: last year, there were no disease outbreaks or deaths attributed to drinking water from an active public water supply.

Like a statewide report card, the annual compliance report measures how well nearly 1,900 public water supplies meet national standards. DNR gathers information from each public water supply to prepare the report, and then submits it to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The report includes maps of the public water supplies, and locations of systems that had violations of health-based standards, or major monitoring or reporting requirements.

People who want more information about their drinking water can ask their public water source for a Consumer Confidence Report. Public water sources must compile the reports, informing their customers and submitting the reports to DNR annually. The reports include any violation of standards for contaminants or reporting requirements.

Des Moines – The Iowa Department of Education today announced the Build Iowa’s Future Design Challenge, an opportunity for K-12 students to create innovative projects, connect them to careers and compete for up to $1,000 awards for their schools.

The Iowa Clearinghouse for Work-Based Learning and the Home Builders Association of Iowa (HBA of Iowa) are hosting the challenge to engage more students in authentic professional experiences that transform education for the workforce. The Iowa Association of Community College Trustees, Kreg Tool Company and Pella Corporation are sponsoring the challenge awards. The challenge is in keeping with the Future Ready Iowa goal of 70 percent of the workforce having education or training beyond high school by 2025.

“The Build Iowa’s Future Design Challenge will help students see how subjects like math and science can be applied in the real world while cultivating creativity, problem-solving and other critical skills,” said Iowa Department of Education Director Ann Lebo. “Through work-based learning opportunities, students see the connection between the classroom and the workplace where they can explore and prepare for careers that fit them. The challenge is available to all students in rural and urban communities across Iowa, and I’m excited to see the projects they produce.”

“With approximately 7.5 million construction jobs projected nationwide by 2026, and ongoing industry expansion, we want students to explore those opportunities for great-paying jobs. This project makes that introduction in a creative way,” said HBA of Iowa Executive Officer Jay Iverson. “Our members are excited to see what students are able to come up with.”

Elementary and middle school students can participate in the Iowa Home Design Challenge by constructing a model home using toy plastic construction bricks, wood blocks or other materials of their choice. High school students can participate in the Iowa Dream and Design Challenge, which involves conceptualizing and designing a project that could improve their community, such as a school athletic storage facility, a ramp for a disabled person’s home or a prairie birdhouse. Students will seek feedback about the project’s feasibility from people who would be impacted, but students will not actually build the project.

Teachers are invited to submit a form letter of intent to participate on the Clearinghouse website by Sept. 29, 2021. Submission of the form letter by the deadline is required. On May 4, 2022, three awards – $1,000 for first place, $500 for second place and $300 for third place – will be made to schools in each of the K-5, 6-8 and 9-12 grade bands for projects scored and selected by reviewers. Outstanding designs may be shared on Clearinghouse and HBA of Iowa websites and through other publications and events. Learn more about the design challenge at: https://clearinghouse.futurereadyiowa.gov/challenge.

DES MOINES, Iowa – State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald announces 83% of the children who participated in College Savings Iowa’s annual State Fair survey believe pursuing higher education is a necessary step in achieving their dreams and career aspirations. “It’s fun for kids to dream of what they want to be when they grow up, and parents can guide them on the right path to get there,” said Fitzgerald. “This survey demonstrates the importance of saving and planning early for those big dreams that will one day become reality for their children.”

Each year, Treasurer Fitzgerald and College Savings Iowa ask children visiting the State Fair to share what they want to be when they grow up and if they will need to attend higher education to achieve these goals. “Kids are extremely smart, and I am always amazed by the responses they offer,” continued Fitzgerald. “Seventeen percent are planning on becoming an artist, with another 16% hoping to become an athlete.” Police, teacher and scientist round out the final top five answers.

“According to the survey, the majority of kids think higher education will cost them around $100,000,” Fitzgerald added. “Families that save and invest for their children’s higher education will be better prepared to financially support those dreams when the time comes, and College Savings Iowa is here to help.”

College Savings Iowa is a 529 plan that allows anyone – parents, grandparents, friends and relatives – to invest in education expenses on behalf of a child. Qualified withdrawals include tuition, room and board, books, supplies, fees and more at any qualified education institution in the country or abroad.* Plus, if an Iowa taxpayer is a College Savings Iowa participant, they can deduct up to $3,474 in contributions per beneficiary account from their state taxable income in 2021.**

For more information, visit CollegeSavingsIowa.com or call (888) 672-9116. Connect with the plan on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on current events and plan updates.

On August 18, 2021, deputies of the Montgomery County sheriff’s office arrested 49 year old Trevor Wayne Hale of Red Oak on an active Montgomery County warrant for Harassment 3rd Degree. Hale was transported to Montgomery County jail and is being held on $300 bond.

DES MOINES, Iowa, Aug. 18, 2021 – Organic producers and handlers can now apply for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funds to assist with the cost of receiving or maintaining organic certification. Applications for the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP) are due Nov. 1, 2021.

“USDA is here to help all producers, including those who grow our nation’s organic food and fiber. Many farmers have told us that cost was a barrier to their ability to get an organic certification,” said Bob Wegand, Acting State Executive Director for the Iowa Farm Service Agency (FSA). “By assisting with the costs, this program can help organic farmers get their certification along with the benefits that come with it.”

OCCSP provides cost-share assistance to producers and handlers of agricultural products for the costs of obtaining or maintaining organic certification under the USDA’s National Organic Program. Eligible producers include any certified producers or handlers who have paid organic certification fees to a USDA-accredited certifying agent during the 2021 and any subsequent program year. Producers can be reimbursed for expenses made between Oct. 1, 2020 and Sept. 30, 2021 including application fees, inspection costs, fees related to equivalency agreement and arrangement requirements, travel expenses for inspectors, user fees, sales assessments and postage.

For 2021, OCCSP will reimburse 50% of a certified operation’s allowable certification costs, up to a maximum of $500 for each of the following categories (or “scopes”):

• crops
• wild crops
• livestock
• processing/handling
• State organic program fees.

Organic farmers and ranchers may apply through an FSA county office or a participating state agency.

This funding will be complemented by an additional $20 million for organic and transitioning producers through the Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative. More information on that funding will be available in the coming weeks.

More Information

To learn more about organic certification cost share, please visit the OCCSP webpage, visit usda.gov/organic, or contact your local USDA Service Center.

In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit http://www.usda.gov.

Montgomery County residents interested in running for their City Council or School Board can soon begin filing papers to place their name on the November 2, 2021, ballot.
Candidates will need to file a nomination petition and an affidavit of candidacy to get their name on the ballot. Those documents need to be filed with the Auditor’s office for a seat with the city or with the school secretary for a seat on the school board.
Candidates can begin filing those papers with those officials on August 23. The petitions are due to those officials before 5:00 p.m. on September 16.
Potential candidates in Montgomery County for city councils and school boards may be surprised how few signatures they will need to place their name on the ballot for this upcoming election. “We have some city and school seats that only require collecting 10 signatures to get on the ballot,” said Montgomery County Auditor & Commissioner of Elections Stephanie Burke. “I know the first roadblock for those thinking about running is collecting signatures on the nomination papers. However, I think that people might be surprised by how few they need to collect.”
The following are the races with signature requirements that will appear on the November 2 ballot:
• Red Oak Mayor – 25
• Red Oak Council Ward 2 – 25
• Red Oak Council at-large – 25
• Elliott Mayor – 10
• Elliott Council (3 at-large) – 10
• Grant Mayor – 5
• Grant Council (5 at-large) – 5
• Villisca Mayor – 10
• Villisca Council (2 at-large) – 10
• Stanton Council (3 at-large) – 10
• Coburg Mayor – 5
• Coburg Council (2 at-large) – 5
• Red Oak School District (3 at-large) – 48
• Stanton School District (3 at-large) – 10
• Villisca School District (2 at-large) – 15
• Southwestern Community College (District #1, #3, #5 and #6) – 50
Burke said interested candidates will find useful information at https://sos.iowa.gov/ or at
www.montgomerycountyia.gov. Forms can be printed from those websites. Candidates may also pick up
the required paperwork at the Auditor’s Office located in the Courthouse. For more information about the
2021 City/School Election, contact the Montgomery County Auditor’s Office at 712-623-5127.

U.S. Senator Joni Ernst announced on Wednesday that she will be making a stop in Cass County next week as part of her 99 county tour. Ernst will host the Cass County Town Hall Meeting on Tuesday, August 24th at 2:00 p.m. at the Griswold Community Building in Griswold.

Senator Ernst said she looks forward to hearing from constituents in the area about the issues most important to them. This event is open to the public. The Griswold Community Building is located at 603 2nd Street in Griswold.