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CLICK HERE for the latest market quotes from the Iowa Agribusiness Network!
CLICK HERE for the latest market quotes from the Brownfield Ag News Network!
(Lewis, Iowa) – ISU Field Agronomist and Extension Outreach Aaron Saeugling, Wednesday (March 23rd), provided the latest answer to the questions of “How dry are we,” and “Is there a lack of subsoil moisture this spring?” Saeugling says he wants to put into perspective where we are, related to past and current conditions in southwest Iowa. (See the chart below for monthly precipitation dating back to 2014).
Saeugling says “If we look at last year 2020 as a record breaking crop year we notice a few things that spring was abnormally dry with just enough moisture in July to produce a crop. We also notice the October precipitation in 2020m was dramatically lower causing a poor sub soil moisture going into the 2021 crop year.”
“This current crop year,” he says, “We have adequate subsoil moisture based on good October rains in excess of 4 inches. While yes January and February were a record low levels of precipitation the amount so far in march will more than make up for the dry winter.” Saeugling said also, “No knows what the future holds, but we are in a better place now for subsoil moisture than in past springs.”
(Radio Iowa) – Page County Conservation and Public Health officials confirmed today (Wednesday) that Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza was discovered in snow geese at Rapp Park north of Shenandoah. County Conservation Director John Schwab says his office was first contacted two weeks ago after dead geese were discovered at the park. “We collected a number of dead birds last Monday — I think the total number was around 70. They were all snow geese that we collected, and the D-N-R tested 10 of them, and send them out to the lab. Then, we got reports back this week that they were positive for the avian flu virus,” Schwab says.
Schwab says it’s not uncommon for wild birds to have the bird flu. “The avian flu is always present in the wild bird population,” he says. “It’s just this is the strain that crosses over to domesticated flocks very quickly. So, from the guidelines we were getting, have individuals watch their flocks. A big way that it’s transmitted is through the feces of the wild birds. So, there are a lot of wild birds around domesticated flocks. Just watch for the symptoms in the domesticated animals.”
Symptoms include decreased water consumption, lack of energy and appetite, soft or thin-shelled or misshapen eggs, swelling of the head, eyelids, comb, wattles and hocks, difficulty breathing, and coughing, sneezing and nasal discharge, among others. Though health experts say bird flu is highly contagious and often fatal to domestic bird populations, no human cases of avian viruses have been confirmed in the U-S. Schwab encourages residents to enjoy outdoor wildlife–with caution.”We’re still telling people to definitely go out and enjoy it,” Schwab says. “Just kind of use common sense when dealing with wild animals. Stay a good distance from them, and definitely, if you see a dead wild animal, if it’s in the parks, contact my office and definitely stay away from it.”
He adds hunters and others should use extra precautions when handling wild game–especially during processing. Anyone suspecting signs of H-P-A-I in their flocks should contact their local veterinarian, or the Iowa Department of Agriculture. This would be the sixth case of bird flu confirmed in the state.
(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Trevor Frederickson Memorial Fund recently donated funds to the Atlantic Park and Recreation for their decorated Easter Egg project. Fund spokesperson Melanie Petty says wooden eggs are available at the Park and Rec office for children to paint. Once the eggs are painted and turned back into Park and Rec they will be displayed in the City Park during the Chamber sponsored Easter Egg Hunt.
Both events will be held on Saturday, April 16th. Stop by and vote for your favorite painted egg and enjoy a fun filled morning. 
(Red Oak, Iowa) – A grain elevator fire in Red Oak, late Monday morning caused an undisclosed dollar amount of damage to an exterior dryer stack. No injuries were reported. According to officials, the incident happened at the Bunge Corporation on Fernwood Avenue, a little after 11-a.m.
When the first crews arrived on the scene they observed fire coming from the northeast stack, as well as a field fire directly north of the facility. The employees had been safely evacuated.
Firefighters fought the dryer stack and a nearby field fire at the same time. There efforts concluded at around 1-p.m., with both fires extinguished and hot spots cooled off.
Photo via Red Oak Fire Dept.
Bungee staff said the dryer stack unit could be repaired. Fire officials said Bunge safety staff and maintenance personnel were instrumental in their tackling the ground operations.
The Montgomery County’s Emergency Management Agency, the Montgomery County Sheriff Office, Montgomery County Communications and the Red Oak City Water Department assisted Red Oak Fire at the scene.
(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County, Iowa Master Gardeners (CCMG) are again offering a $1,000 scholarship to local students, with applications due April 1, 2022. This scholarship is available to students who are graduating seniors or graduates of any of the following Iowa school districts, in which currently reside members of CCMG: Atlantic, Clarinda, CAM, Exira-EHK, Griswold, or Red Oak. This scholarship is also available to graduates, of any age, of any of these school districts. Scholarship committee members want to emphasize that students of any age studying a horticulture-related field are encouraged to apply, regardless of the type of program they are studying, as long as they intend to obtain some degree or certificate in a horticultural field.
The goal of the Master Gardener program is to support horticulture education and community service. CCMG members provide many hours of volunteer service and gardening education within their local communities. Accordingly, this scholarship is intended to provide post-secondary funds to individuals who are studying, or intend to pursue a career in, a horticulture-related field. The scholarship winner will be selected based upon academic success, history of community service, and career goals related to horticulture. Demonstration of past interest and experience in horticulture will be very helpful.
The scholarship is for those pursuing post-secondary education during the 2022-2023 school year. The recipient will be notified of their award on or before May 20, 2022 for planning purposes. A scholarship check will be issued in January 2023, in the student’s name directly to the academic institution, upon receipt of an official grade transcript for the completed Fall 2022 semester. A previous scholarship recipient may re-apply, but an individual may only receive a total of two scholarships from this program.
The application form is available through the high school guidance departments, or on the Cass County Extension website at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass/. Applications should be submitted to the Cass County Extension Office, 805 W 10th St, Atlantic, Iowa 50022, or emailed to keolson@iastate.edu on or before the April 1 deadline for consideration. Questions can be directed to the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132.
DES MOINES, Iowa (March 20, 2022) – The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have confirmed a positive case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Warren County, Iowa. The virus was found in a non-commercial backyard flock.
Flock owners should prevent contact between their birds and wild birds and report sick birds or unusual deaths to state/federal officials. Biosecurity resources and best practices are available at iowaagriculture.gov/biosecurity. If producers suspect signs of HPAI in their flocks, they should contact their veterinarian immediately. Possible cases should also be reported to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship at (515) 281-5305.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the recent HPAI detections in birds do not present an immediate public health concern. No human cases of these avian influenza viruses have been detected in the United States. It remains safe to eat poultry products. As a reminder, the proper handling and cooking of poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 ˚F kills bacteria and viruses.
About HPAI
HPAI is highly contagious, viral disease affecting bird populations. HPAI can travel in wild birds without those birds appearing sick, but is often fatal to domestic bird populations, including chickens and turkeys. The virus can spread through droppings or nasal discharge of an infected bird, which can contaminate dust and soil.
Signs of HPAI include:
For updates on this developing situation, please visit https://iowaagriculture.gov/animal-industry-bureau/avian-influenza
(Atlantic, Iowa) – Members of the City of Atlantic’s Parks and Recreation Dept. will meet via Zoom at 5:15-p.m., Monday (Mar. 21). Action and/or New Business on their agenda includes:
In his Director’s Report, Bryant Rasmussen will touch on several topics, including:
The meeting is being held electronically, while Rasmussen and Assistant Parks Manager Jeff Christensen, are in Dubuque, attending the Iowa Parks and Rec Conference.
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