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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!
A public hearing featuring a large crowd, was held Wednesday morning in Greenfield, as part of the Adair County Board of Supervisors’ meeting. The hearing was with regard to an amended Ordinance “Assessment of Wind Energy Conversion Property,” and was followed by passage of the third and final reading of the Ordinance, which affects persons who are both in favor of, and opposed to, the construction of numerous Mid-American Energy wind turbines throughout the county.
The amended ordinance sets a 2,000-foot setback for turbines from non-participating residences, and an 800-foot setback for property owners who wish to be associated with Mid-American Energy wind farm turbines.
The Arbor Hill and Orient wind energy projects tentatively calls for the construction 275 turbines, and the option to build 100 more. In all nearly 500 turbines are expected to be built, and will be spread throughout the County. Currently, more than 400 landowners have signed-up to have the turbines built on their land.
And, while the Adair County Supervisors passed the amended Ordinance, they tabled a more comprehensive plan addressing the health concerns, noise and other issues dealing with the turbines.
(Radio Iowa) — A Midwest ag economist is predicting a return to profitability for pork producers. But, Purdue University’s Chris Hurt says the turnaround likely won’t come until sometime next year. Back in August, Hurt suggested pork producers could face losses this fall that haven’t been seen since the late 1990s. “The outlook is still suggesting losses this fall and winter, but much less than in August,” Hurt says.
He’s now forecasting losses of $10 to $20 per-head this fall and winter, while projecting profits of $5 to $10 next spring and summer. Hurt points to positive export developments with Mexico, Japan, and South Korea. “Needless to say, the pork outlook has improved with considerable uncertainties remaining,” Hurt says.
Those uncertainties center primarily on the trade dispute with China and that country’s attempt to control African Swine Fever. In addition, tariffs on U.S. pork to Mexico and Canada remain in place despite the recent U-S trade deal with those two countries. Hurt says one certainty is that pork supplies will be at record levels and an expanding U.S. hog herd probably cannot be sustained. Iowa is by far the country’s leading pork producer. The USDA reported last month that Iowa now has a record 23.6 million pigs.
Red Oak, Iowa – Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Montgomery County office will offer the Mosquito/Public Health Pest Management Continuing Instruction Course (CIC) for commercial pesticide applicators Thursday, Oct. 25, 2018. The program provided by the ISU Extension and Outreach Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP) can be seen at office locations across Iowa. The local attendance site for the Oct. 25 CIC is the Montgomery County Extension office located at 400 Bridge Street Suite #2 in Red Oak.
Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. followed by sessions from 9 to 11:30 a.m. The registration fee is $35 on or before Oct. 18 and $45 after Oct. 18. To register or to obtain additional information about the CIC, contact Katie Hart at the ISU Extension and Outreach Montgomery County office at (712) 623-2592.
The course will provide continuing instruction credit for commercial pesticide applicators certified in categories 7D (Community Insect Management), 8 (Public Health Pest Control), and 10 (Research and Demonstration). The course will cover topics such as: equipment calibration; reduction of offtarget/drift of pesticides; and pests, pest management, and pesticides.
Additional information about this and other courses offered through the Pesticide Safety Education Program may be accessed at www.extension.iastate.edu/psep.
(Radio Iowa) — The three Democrats challenging Iowa’s three Republican congressmen are calling on Rod Blum, David Young and Steve King to pressure their G-O-P leadership for action on the Farm Bill. Cindy Axne is the Democrat running against Congressman Young.
“I hope they get back to work and go back out to Washington and demand that we settle this Farm Bill because it really impacts the lives of Iowans, our farmers, our rural communities and, as everyone well knows, our overall economy,” Axne says. The 2014 Farm Bill expired Sunday and there’s no replacement yet. Republican leaders do not intend to reconvene the U.S. House until after the November election. Axne says Iowa farmers are paying the price for Washington dysfunction.
“We’re already seeing banks not loaning as much. We’re seeing implement dealers not getting as many new orders for next year because of the uncertainty with the trade wars,” Axne says, “so the increased uncertainty by not having a Farm Bill go through in a timely fashion just adds to that.” Abby Finkenauer, the Democrat running against Republican Congressman Rod Blum and Democrat J.S. Scholten, Republican Congressman Steve King’s opponent, signed onto a letter with Axne on this topic.
The impasse revolves around new work requirements for food stamp recipients. President Trump and House Republicans support the move, but Republican Senator Chuck Grassley says there aren’t enough votes in the senate to stop a filibuster on the Farm Bill if that’s included. “I think it’s going to be impossible for us to go along with the House and get 60 votes in the United States Senate,” Grassley says. “Now, it happens that I favor what the House is doing, but we’ve got to have a Farm Bill and if this is holding it up, I’ve got to say that even what I think is a good idea has to go by the wayside.”
As for the timing of the Farm Bill’s passage, Grassley says for the time being, farmers should be o.k. “Immediately, I don’t see a problem,” Grassley says, “but if you get into November, December, I think there’s problems.” A campaign spokesman for third district Congressman David Young says Young “is disappointed a new bipartisan Farm Bill has not been enacted” and he says Young is monitoring the ongoing negotiations to ensure his priorities are including, like a bipartisan measure to address gaps in the mental health system for farmers and agricultural workers.
Fourth district Congressman Steve King told a crowd in Carroll this week that he would have liked to have had the Farm Bill done last month, but King predicted it will pass congress some time in early December.
WEST BRANCH, Iowa – The Sustainable Iowa Land Trust has recognized Denise O’Brien of Atlantic with its 2018 Leadership Appreciation Award. “As a SILT co-founder, Denise has been committed to our organization’s values and goals even before its very start,” said executive director Suzan Erem. “We appreciate her leadership, guidance, tremendous knowledge and commitment to sustainable agriculture more than words can say. Hers is a commitment that extends far beyond her involvement with SILT to a life’s work in support of sustainability and women in agriculture.”
O’Brien, who has served as SILT’s vice president since January, was honored at SILT’s annual Foodie Fest in Windsor Heights. The Sustainable Iowa Land Trust currently protects five farms across the state, providing land for farmers who produce healthy, locally grown food and offering solutions to families who want to protect their land from development. O’Brien and her husband, Larry Harris, operate Rolling Acres, a community supported agriculture farm that includes three acres of fruits and vegetables and six acres of apples. They also raise organic chickens and turkeys.
O’Brien, who was inducted into the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame in 2000, grew up in Atlantic before attending the University of Iowa and Creighton University. She has lobbied with the Iowa Farm Unity Coalition, directed the Rural Women’s Leadership Development Project of PrairieFire Rural Action, Inc. and was president of the National Family Farm Coalition. She co-founded the Women Food and Agriculture Network in 1997, is a former W.F. Kellogg Food and Society Policy Fellow and a former U.S. Department of Agriculture advisor in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. “A guiding principle in my career has been the unwavering belief that we must all do the right thing by protecting our land and water. A key part of that commitment is to help young people who want to practice sustainable and regenerative agriculture can afford to get started,” O’Brien said. “That’s why I’ve been devoted my energy to SILT and I encourage others to take up this important cause.”
Through SILT, property owners can protect their land by donating some or all of an acreage or farm, or placing a land protection agreement on their deed. Depending on location, SILT will protect parcels as few as five acres or as many as 500 or more acres. On donated farms, SILT offers long-term leases that farmers can pass on to their children and grandchildren, so long as they want to farm the land sustainably. The farmers earn equity in the house, barns and business they can cash out when selling to the next farmer for that land. On farms protected by land protection agreements, families retain ownership of their land. Future farmers have the opportunity to purchase the land at an estimated half of its value on the market, because it comes with sustainable food production requirements that SILT monitors and enforces for generations to come.
Additional information is available here: silt.org
(Radio Iowa) – The harvest remains ahead of schedule in Iowa despite rainy weather. The latest U-S-D-A crop report says with all the rain farmers only had about three days last week that were suitable for fieldwork. But the harvest that got started early is still ahead of the normal pace. The report finds 11 percent of the corn is harvested — that’s five days ahead of average. Fifteen percent of the soybean crop has been pulled from the fields — that’s one day ahead of average. Seventy-five percent of the corn condition is rated good to excellent, while 74 percent of the beans are rated in the same condition.
(Radio Iowa) — President Trump says he’s coming to Iowa soon to make an announcement. Sources tell Radio Iowa Trump will be in Council Bluffs on October 9th and he’s likely to announce the E-P-A will allow year-round sale of gasoline with a 15 percent ethanol blend. Trump mentioned his upcoming trip to Iowa as he announced some details of the new United States Mexico Canada Agreement.
He says the deal is “a very big deal” for farmers — and exports of wheat, poultry, eggs and dairy products — including ice cream — should increase to both neighboring countries. Iowa Senator Joni Ernst was among those who gathered today (Monday) in the White House Rose Garden for the president’s news conference and Trump mentioned Ernst twice during his remarks.
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