DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Raw beef will soon be arriving on U.S. shores from Brazil again, a move by the Trump administration that has roiled U.S. beef and food safety groups. A U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service spokeswoman confirms a 2017 ban on Brazilian imports was lifted Friday.

The agency says Brazil’s inspection system is now equivalent to the U.S. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association says it has continued quality concerns. Food safety group Food & Water Watch Action says there’s no way for consumers to know if hamburgers contain meat from a country with a checkered food safety history.

(Radio Iowa) — Iowa’s largest manufacturing employer reports this (Friday) morning its first quarter income rose, while net sales fell. Officials with Quad Cities-based John Deere say the U-S farm sector is beginning to recover as farmer confidence improves with a relaxation of trade tensions and higher ag exports. Brent Norwood, Deere’s manager of investor communications, summarized the sales figures. “Enterprise net sales and revenues were down 4% to about $7.6-billion,” Norwood says, “while net sales for our equipment operations were down 6% to about 6.5-billion.”

Deere’s net income for the quarter rose to 517-million dollars, compared to 498-million in the first quarter last year. While many Iowa growers encountered a series of setbacks from flooding last year, farmers across the region have endured several years of financial challenges due to trade troubles. Norwood says diplomatic resolutions in Washington are helping to bolster attitudes.  “John Deere completed the first quarter with a solid performance and sees early signs of stabilization for the U.S. ag industry,” Norwood says. “Sentiment improved as some progress was made addressing market access for U.S. farmers through the passage of USMCA and the Phase One trade agreement with China.”

Focusing on Deere’s two largest divisions, sales of farm equipment fell four-percent in the quarter, while construction and forestry dropped 10-percent. “Markets such as Brazil got off to a slower start even as underlying fundamentals and farm production remains high,” Norwood says. “At the same time, markets for our construction and forestry division slowed, dampening results as the division takes actions to manage inventory levels and adjusts to lower levels of demand.”

Earlier this month, Deere announced plans to lay off more than 100 workers at its Dubuque Works, effective in early April, due to sluggish market conditions. It marked the third round of layoffs in recent months at the northeast Iowa factory which makes construction and forestry equipment. Norwood is looking to the year ahead with optimism for the ag division. “Our tractor order book for Fiscal Year 2020 is healthy with a strong sold-ahead position,” he says, “indicating a positive reception to our newly redesigned ADAR, featuring an industry first, fully-integrated, four-track option for a rigid-frame row crop tractor.”

Deere employs about 74-thousand people worldwide.

w/Kate Olson.

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(Radio Iowa) — A bill that would prohibit Iowa cities from annexing most farmland has cleared initial review in the Iowa House, but bill backers say it needs major adjustments and is unlikely to meet Friday’s deadline for committee action. Kevin Kuhle, a lobbyist for the Iowa Farm Bureau lobbyist, says the bill is the starting point for an important conversation. “Our folks have some concerns regarding the annexation process,” he says.

The bill deals with voluntary AND involuntary annexation. That means it would prevent farmers who WANT the land to be annexed as they plan to sell it for development. Gary Grant is a lobbyist for the City of Cedar Rapids. “The sad fact of it is that our cities have always been surrounded by farmland,” he says “and sort of putting this permanent ring around cities seems to be something that I think might have unintended consequences.”

Representative Tom Jeneary, a Republican from Le Mars, says he hopes there’s some way to address farmers’ concerns. “I”m not against expansion or development,” he says, “but there’s only a finite number of flat, black dirt farm ground in Iowa.” The bill as currently written would bar cities from annexing farmland that’s rated at least 45 percent suitable for growing corn. Representative Tedd Gassman, a Republican from Scarville supports some sort of action to limit urban and suburban sprawl, but he says the bill as currently written is not the final answer. “They can’t put all those new houses out in a swamp, you know, so you’re going to have to have some decent land, anyway, to build houses on,” Gasman says.

According to the Iowa State University Extension Services, nearly four percent of prime Iowa farmland was taken out of production in the 35 year period between 1977 and 2012.

The Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department Board held their monthly meeting Monday evening in the Parks & Rec Office, at Sunnyside Park. Parks Director Bryant Rasmussen said with the blessing of the Parks Board, they will begin the process of looking for a campground host at the Schildberg Recreation Area Campground. The campground will open in April but the unpaid position would begin in May and run through October. The job offers free camping for person selected.

The host would be responsible for a number of duties, including: making sure campers are registering properly; help with the purchase of firewood; make sure the rules are being followed at the campground; making sure extended-stay campers are keeping their area cleaned-up, and general maintenance of the bathrooms at the bath house. The Board voted to move forward with a job posting that’s been drafted.

Rasmussen said also, a sign with hours for Mollett Park will be posted when the weather permits. The Park is located at the end of 3rd Street Place. It will include raised garden beds and rain barrels to help supplement any water needed from AMU. He said flyers have been posted around town to describe where the gardens will be and how to acquire one for rent. Five other signs are being created for certain sporting activities at Sunnyside Park. The signs will have a scannable QR Code so persons may access instructions on how to play, for instance: Horseshoes, Disc Golf, Bocce ball, the Skate Park, and ladder golf.

In other business, the Atlantic Library has graciously provided eight of their unused, round  plastic recycling bins, which the parks department has painted blue, and will use to collect aluminum cans. They’ll be found at slow-pitch softball games, some of the campground shelters (such as the Camblin Addition and Kiddie Korral), and elsewhere. The recycling canisters would otherwise cost about $70 to $80, according to Rasmussen.

He said also, the Parks and Rec Department is coordinating with the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce and some businesses, to place Walking Maps in kiosks at the Schildberg Recreations, City Park and Sunnyside Park. Those kiosks will be installed this Spring.

Rasmussen said they’ve coordinated with the Street Department to address some of the high need maintenance areas along the Bull Creek pathway. As things start to thaw, and heat up, they’ll begin addressing at least one area of Bull Creek erosion control.

(Radio Iowa) — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has a series of town hall meetings scheduled to discuss possible changes to hunting rules and regulations and other topics. D-N-R spokesman, Mick Klemesrud, says the first meeting is scheduled for Wednesday in Sioux City. “We have 18 meetings set up across the state. And these are public meetings where our local staff will come in and provide a recap of the hunting and trapping seasons,” Klemesrud says. “They’ll give population updates, and they’ll talk about hunter participation, trapper participation and just what to expect and what we’re looking at as potential rule changes.”

He says one rule change involves the waterfowl hunting zones. “We are going to increase the size of the Missouri River Zone to actually go all the way to the Mississippi across southern Iowa to create kind of a new central zone, shift the southern border of the north zone up a little bit. And then modify the season dates accordingly,” according to Klemesrud. “So the southern zone will have later season dates, the central zone will have the old southern zone season dates, and the north zone will probably stay fairly close to what it has been.”

There could be some other rule changes as well. “We are also looking at expanding and increasing the number of otters that trappers can harvest. And there’s some other deer quotas, and things like that,” he says.  Klemesrud says they expect to have a good turnout. “Hunters like to talk about hunting and they like to come to these. They’ve got a like-minded audience — they’re hearing things that they enjoy — and hunter participation is definitely a part of these meetings,” Klemesrud says.

Comments collected from the public meetings will be considered along with other related comments received by the Iowa D-N-R prior to proposing changes to hunting rules and regulations. Proposed rules will be presented to the Natural Resource Commission during a regular public meeting for consideration and additional public comment.

Here are the AREA meeting dates, time and locations:

Sioux City, Feb. 19, 7 p.m., Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center, 4500 Sioux River Road
Council Bluffs Feb. 25, 7 p.m., Fish and Game Club, 531 Commanche Street
Creston, Feb. 27, 7 p.m., Multi-Purpose Room adjacent to the YMCA, Southwestern Community College, 1201 West Townline Street
Sac City, March 5, 7 p.m., Sac County Conservation Center at Hagge Park, 2970 280th Street

Members of the City of Atlantic’s Parks and Recreation Department Board will hold their regular monthly meeting beginning 5:15-p.m. Monday, at City Hall. Action and/or New Business items on their agenda include:

• Continued discussion with regard to a Campground Host (At the Schildberg Rec. Area)
• The Community Gardens Project (at Mollett Park).
• Recycling cans.
• City of Atlantic Walking Map.
• PALS (Friends of the Parks) news.
• Bull Creek Erosion Control.

And, in his report to the Board, Parks & Rec Director Bryant Rasmussen is expected to talk about:

1. Starting to contract Summer Coaches/Coordinators positions.
2. An update on Summer Help.
3. Signage for City Parks.
4. Summer Programs.
5. and updating the Board on the New Year’s Challenge.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say an investigation into animal treatment at an Iowa state lawmaker’s hog farm found no evidence that animals were being abused despite video that a group posted that appeared to show otherwise. Two people with California-based Direct Action Everywhere entered a hog farm last spring owned by Republican Iowa state Sen. Ken Rozenboom.

Mahaska County Sheriff Russell Van Renterghem says an investigation didn’t find any abuse. Rozenboom said he decided in December to lease the hog building to a different farmer. He has said veterinary records show the herd was being treated for a respiratory infection that contributed to the problems Direct Action Everywhere documented.

(Atlantic FFA Reporter submittal) – On Wednesday, February 12th, 2020, 21 members of the Atlantic FFA chapter competed in the Sub District Career Development Events with four advancing to District FFA Convention.

Extempt Speaker Carli Henderson

FFA member Carli Henderson competed in the Extemporaneous Speaking category placing 1st earning a Gold and advancing to Districts.  Craig Alan Becker competed in Ag Sales earning a Gold placing 2nd and advancing to Districts. Andrew Engler competed in the Ag Broadcasting CDE placing 3rd earning a Gold and advancing to Districts.  Gunner Kirchhoff competed in the Ag Welding contest placing 1st earning a gold and advancing to Districts.

Ag Broadcasting Andrew Engler

Ag Sales Craig Becker

Ag Welding Gunner Kirchhoff

Taylor McCreedy competed in the Public Speaking CDE placing 4th earning a Silver and will be the alternate to Districts. The Conduct of Meetings team of Aspen Niklasen, Malena Woodward, Wyatt Redinbaugh Sofia Mendez, Dan Freund, Dylan Comes, and Jackson McLaren placed 4th earning a Silver and will be the alternate to Districts.  The Chapter Program team of Cooper Jipsen, Bryan York and Logan Eilts placed 4th earning a Silver and will be the alternate to Districts.  Tate DenBeste competed in Job interview earning Silver placing 5th.

In the Farm Business Management Test Atlantic FFA had 3 members compete, Drey Newell, Hannah Carlson and Caroline Pellett. Newell placed 1st, Carlson was 2nd and Pellett was 3rd. In the FFA Freshman Greenhand Quiz, Atlantic FFA had 4 members participate. Dylan Comes placed 6th, Sofia Mendez placed 7th, Jackson McLaren placed 8th and Dan Freund placed 22nd.

FFA advisor Eric Miller commented, “I was proud of all the hard work members put into preparing for their event.”

w/Max Dirks.

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