(Radio Iowa) – President Biden has taken a temporary step to ensure E-15 can be sold year-round.

Biden spoke about the decision to a crowd of invited guests inside an ethanol plant near Menlo Tuesday afternoon.

Biden says energy prices are the major driver of inflation right now.

Emily Skor is executive director of Growth Energy, a trade association for ethanol producers. Skor says the president has made a commitment to find a permanent fix.

In 2019, the Trump Administration moved to allow nationwide E-15 sales from June to mid-September.

Twitter photo of Pres. Biden at POET Biorefining, via Christian Datoc, White House Correspondent, Washington Examiner.

A federal judge ruled in favor of the oil industry’s challenge of that move and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case. That means the litigation path for addressing this issue is closed and Skor says the industry is pursuing two options: E-P-A action or passage of a bill in congress.

Iowa Farm Bureau president Brent Johnson says ethanol is a major market for one of Iowa’s main crops and Biden’s announcement helps stabilize the ethanol industry.

Biden made the announcement in a storage barn for dried distillers grain — by by-product of ethanol production and hosts left a 300 ton pile of it inside for the event.. Michael Walz is a V-P for POET, the company that owns the facility Biden visited.

POET operates 33 ethanol plants in eight states.

(Radio Iowa) – The bird flu outbreak throughout the state is helping to drive up egg prices. Economist Brian Earnest with CoBank, which is part of the Farm Credit System, says the nation already saw a significant decrease in egg layers due to the pandemic. The virus will only exacerbate the shortage. “If we continue to see these flock depopulations, especially at the rates we’ve been seeing, that continues to put pressure on availability even into this fall,” Earnest says.

The outbreak has already led to the culling of 24 million birds in commercial and backyard flocks across the nation. Earnest says the price of wholesale eggs rose to three dollars a dozen last month. He says prices are likely to fall in the summer but tight supply will continue to plague the industry. Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig says he’s concerned about seeing a repeat of the 2015 outbreak which took a one-point-two BILLION dollar toll on the state.  “We’re all interested in looking at the cost of food right now. There’s food price inflation for a lot of reasons. But we don’t want to add on top of that shortages because of high path,” Niag says.

Rembrandt Enterprises laid off more than 200 workers after the northwest Iowa egg producer lost its flock of more than five million chickens to the virus.

(By Kendall Crawford, Iowa Public Radio)

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors, Tuesday, voted to adopt a 2022 Cass County Trail Plan in an effort to support trail development within the County. SWIPCO Planner Danielle Briggs addressed the Board, prior to the vote. She said the old trail plan was out-of-date, so they began fresh in 2020 efforts to update the plan that was delayed due to COVID and other matters. She said main reason for updating the plan is to use it as a tool for grant funding necessary to move the trails program forward.

Dave Chase, President of Nishna Valley Trails, thanked those who put in a considerable amount of time to develop the plan. Those persons included Wellness Coordinator Brigham Hoegh, Cass County Naturalist Lora Kanning, Conservation Director Micah Lee, and Danielle Briggs.

SWIPCO’s Danielle Briggs talks about the Cass Co. Trail Plan

Chase said “high on the list of trail projects was the connection of the T-Bone Trail to Atlantic.” As it is now, that trail terminates about three-miles northeast of town.

He said through donations and grant funding, “we’re funding new funding is coming on-line,” and they’re working with Golden Hills RC&D in Oakland, to connect the trail to the rest of western Iowa. Chase said there is no tax asking connected with a request for the plan to be adopted. In other business, the Board passed a Resolution to approve a bridge repair project on West 6th Street (The Airport Road). Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken says the joint County-City project is on west 6^th Street over the Nishnabotna River. The project’s cost is $392,414.00 to repair the abutments, replace the steel beams, and bring the bridge back up to its’ legal load rating of 80,000 pounds. Currently, the bridge is carrying a three-ton load limit. The project wouldn’t start until 2023.

And, the Board approved a Resolution for the use of ARPA funds to purchase an enclosed trailer for the Cass County EMA.

DES MOINES – Today, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a proclamation relating to the weight limits and hours of service requirements for the transportation of crop inputs for planting season.

“Unprecedented economic and foreign policy challenges have disrupted the food supply chain and worsened the inflation we are seeing across the country,” said Gov. Reynolds. “But Iowa farmers stand ready to answer the call, as they have always done. This Proclamation is intended to help our farmers meet this global challenge by providing regulatory relief for the transportation of crop inputs necessary for a timely and successful planting season.”

The proclamation is effective immediately and continues through May 11, 2022. The proclamation allows vehicles transporting corn, soybeans, other agricultural seed, water, herbicide, pesticide, fertilizer (dry, liquid, and gas), manure (dry and liquid), gasoline, diesel #1, diesel #2, ethanol, and biodiesel to be overweight (not exceeding 90,000 pounds gross weight) without a permit for the duration of this proclamation.

This proclamation applies to loads transported on all highways within Iowa (excluding the interstate system) and those which do not exceed a maximum of 90,000 pounds gross weight, do not exceed the maximum axle weight limit determined under the non-primary highway maximum gross weight table in Iowa Code § 321.463 (6) (b), by more than 12.5 percent, do not exceed the legal maximum axle weight limit of 20,000 pounds, and comply with posted limits on roads and bridges.

(Radio Iowa) – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst says it appears efforts to contain bird flu are working to prevent the outbreak from growing far worse.  “Those that have laying flocks and those that are also poultry producers have really upped their game since 2015 when HPAI first came through Iowa…making sure they have all the biosecurity measures in place,” Ernst says. In the massive bird flu outbreak in 2015, the virus spread among commercial operations. Officials from the U-S-D-A and the Iowa Department of Agriculture say it appears this year’s outbreak is being spread by wild birds that come into contact with backyard flocks and commercial poultry operations.

Ernst says when a sick flock is detected, there’s a quick and coordinated response from federal, state and local officials.  “I feel better about it this time around,” Ernst says, “so we’ll just plan and pray for the best.” Ernst met with poultry producers in Clarion earlier today (Monday). Scientists believe this current strain of bird flu is similar to the virus that has been periodically circulating in Europe and Asia.

“It’s just like with COVID, it’s just something that will be around and that’s why the biosecurity is so important,” Ernst says. “After we learned that lesson in 2015, a lot of measures have been taken since then.” The outbreak of avian influenza among wild birds in America is far more extensive than it was seven years ago. The virus has been confirmed in 40 wild bird species in 30 states.

(Washington, D-C) – According to multiple media reports, former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, the current US Secretary of Agriculture, is isolating after testing positive for COVID-19. Vilsack received word of his test results on Friday. He’s the latest high-profile Washington figure to test positive for COVID-19. In a Twitter post, Saturday, Vilsack said “I tested positive for COVID. I’m both vaccinated and boosted and thankfully my symptoms are mild. If you have yet to get vaccinated and boosted, please don’t wait.” Vilsack’s office said he is is experiencing mild symptoms.

The positive test comes after the secretary met with Mexican officials earlier this week. The secretary tested negative at the time of his departure and after his return. The Mexican government has been informed of this positive test.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Iowans will be registering more than 231,000 boats before April 30, when current boat registrations expire. Boat registrations are good for three years and registration fees go to support water trails, navigation enforcement, aquatic invasive species, and boater education and safety.

Boat registrations are handled by Iowa’s county recorders and boat owners may bring their current registration to any recorder’s office when they renew. Nonresidents who register their boat in Iowa will go to the county where the boat is primarily used. Owners who purchased a boat from a private seller and are registering it in their name should bring the signed registration and to make sure the title is signed over to them, if applicable.

Only boats displaying a current registration are allowed to operate on Iowa waters.

(Des Moines, Iowa_ The Iowa Department of Natural Resources and its federal partners are working together to monitor for the presence of avian influenza in Iowa’s wild birds. Avian influenza is a highly transmissible, naturally occurring disease often found in certain waterfowl and shorebirds. There are various strains of the disease ranging from strains causing no harm to domestic poultry to strains that are lethal. “Bird loss in the wild is a natural occurrence, so seeing one dead bird shouldn’t be cause for alarm, but if someone is finding a number of dead birds, especially ducks, geese or raptors, we want to know about it,” said Dr. Rachel Ruden, state wildlife veterinarian with the Iowa DNR.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has an online database tracking avian influenza positive wild birds by state at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-2022/2022-hpai-wild-birds

Ruden said those who find five or more dead wild birds within a week should report their findings to their local wildlife biologist or state conservation officer. Contact information is available online at www.iowadnr.gov under the About DNR tab on the homepage. (https://www.iowadnr.gov/Portals/idnr/uploads/contacts/wildlife_management.pdf) (https://www.iowadnr.gov/Portals/idnr/uploads/Law%20Enforcement/dnrlemap31422.pdf)

Avian influenza can exist in a deceased bird for several weeks, depending upon environmental conditions. “We are encouraging the public not to handle sick or dead birds or to take sick birds to a wildlife rehabilitator to avoid unintentionally spreading avian influenza in the event that the bird is positive,” said Dr. Ruden.

At this point, she said, backyard birdfeeders are not of concern, unless mallards are actively using the feeder. Avian influenza’s impact on upland birds, like wild turkeys, is much less, because of the behaviors and preferred habitats make them less likely to encounter the disease in the wild. Spring turkey hunters can find information on handling and preparing wild turkeys online at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/animal_health/2015/fsc_hpai_hunters.pdf

(Radio Iowa) – Spring turkey hunting season opens this weekend in Iowa. The D-N-R’s Nate Carr says things get started with the youth season Saturday and the other turkey seasons will follow. Carr says you should check now to be sure you have the proper paperwork. “You need your hunting license if you are 16 and over. You need your habitat fee if you’re ages 16 to 64, there are some exceptions if you are a landowner — but for the most part — make sure you get those two things,” Carr says.

The first two seasons after the youth season Saturday runs from April 11th to the 14th and then April 15th to the 19th. The third season begins on the 20th. “It’s a little bit longer, you’re looking at a seven-day season and it has a weekend in it. And then the fourth season is really what’s going to provide a lot of opportunities. Hopefully, the weather is warmed up by then and you might be able to find a lone Tom,” according to Carr. “I think it’s about 19 days — it runs the 27th (of April) through the 15th of May.”

Carr he expects around 50-thousand hunters for the turkey seasons. “About 20 to 22 percent of tags are filled each year — so really if you are getting two tags it’s probably not 50-thousand hunters — it’s probably less than that,” he says. Carr says there should be some 10-thousand-500 turkeys harvested by the end of the season There is more information on the turkey season at www.iowadnr.gov.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Cass County Grow Another Row is ramping up for 2022. Now entering its third year, Grow Another Row is a local produce sharing program that encourages people in Cass County to grow and share fresh produce. The program is now recruiting volunteers and local gardeners and farmers, and seeking to hire a seasonal program coordinator for 2022.

Grow Another Row began in 2020 as a Healthy Cass County initiative by a group of local growers, and has proved a valuable program for the county. Through a network of produce sharing sites managed by volunteers, Grow Another Row has provided free fresh local produce across county. Produce donated to the program is also shared through all four Cass County food pantries. Fresh produce is not only healthy and nutritious, but also in-demand. All four Cass County food pantries have shared with Grow Another Row that they want more fresh produce.

Can you help?

• Grow Another Row is looking for volunteers to grow, harvest, bag, and transport produce across the county. Individuals and groups—such as organizations, churches, or workplaces—are welcome to join the effort.
• Cass County ISU Extension is now also seeking to hire a seasonal Grow Another Row program coordinator, a position which provided to be very valuable last year.

The Grow Another Row Program Coordinator position is made possible through AmeriCorps funding. The coordinator position is a temporary position through fall 2022. The coordinator will manage produce donations and distributions throughout Cass County. Cass County ISU Extension is seeking to fill the position immediately. Interested individuals should visit www.extension.iastate.edu/cass/ for more information.

More information on Grow Another Row, the open coordinator position, and to sign up for the program’s email newsletter or volunteer to grow, deliver, or help harvest (pick or dig) food, visit
https://www.extension.iastate.edu/cass/content/grow-another-row-cass-county or contact Cass County Extension Director Kate Olson or Cass County Wellness Coordinator Brigham Hoegh at 712-243-1132.