Up until today (Wednesday), at least, Iowa farmers were putting in some long hours, taking advantage of good weather while they can, to get all their crops planted. Robert Lynch, who farms north of Fort Dodge, says he worked nearly around the clock on Sunday and finished planting one of his corn fields early Monday morning.

The USDA’s weekly crop update shows 52-percent of the state’s corn acreage was planted as of Sunday. That’s about a week behind last year’s pace, but just a little later than average. “The corn is probably right on line. If we try to get in by the sixth to eighth of May to get our corn finished up, and turn right around and do the beans, it’s probably right on line,” Lynch said. “The beans will be good to get in this early too.”

Statewide, nine-percent of the soybean acreage is planted. That’s about two days behind average.

(Radio Iowa, w/thanks to Dean Borg, Iowa Public Radio)

A report from the U-S Army Corps of Engineers finds runoff into the Missouri River reservoir system is increasing, but it’s still well within the flood capacity. Nicole Shorney, a hydraulic engineer with the Corps’ Omaha office, says parts of the region are seeing some flooding, but nothing too severe.

“The 2017 calendar year runoff forecast is 29.7-million acre feet or 117% of average,” Shorney says. “Based on this runoff forecast, the May 1 system storage, the tributary project storage and Plate 6/1 in the Master Manual, the service level adjustment of 5,000 CFS that was made in April will continue through May.”

Corps engineer Joel Knofczynski says they have adequate space for all the predicted runoff. Knofczynski says releases from Gavins Point Dam are being adjusted due to downstream flooding. “Gavins Point releases averaged 28,500 cubic feet per second in April,” Knofczynski says. “In early May, releases were reduced to 21,000 CFS for several days to lessen downstream flooding. As downstream flows recede, releases will be increased to about 34,000 CFS by around mid-May.”

The Corps’ monthly report shows mountain snowpack runoff into the basin is now peaking.

(Radio Iowa)

• KJAN, Atlantic  .31″
• Massena  .32″
• Elk Horn  .28″
• Audubon  1.07″
• Manning  1.03″
• Carroll  .37″
• Clarinda  .04″

Bob Bebensee and DNR Conservation Officer Grant Gelle talk about all things outdoors including turkey season, fishing, and dealing with baby wildlife.

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Iowa’s state parks are hosting “Camping Kickoff” events today (Saturday) to celebrate the unofficial opening of this year’s camping season. Todd Coffelt, chief of state parks for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says all of the state park campgrounds will host special programs. “The topics will vary from that individual (park) you’re staying in, the fish habitat our folks work on, or maybe some program related to hiking, birding, or kayaking,” Coffelt said. The full schedule of programs is posted on the Iowa DNR’s website ( www.iowadnr.gov/campingkickoff ).

“You can see the list of programs and where they’re going to be offered,” Coffelt said. “I think we have a program at almost every campground in the state parks system, so that’s 55 different programs people can pick from.” Campers who are staying in an Iowa state park today (Saturday) will also receive a free (May/June) issue of Iowa Outdoors magazine.

Iowa’s state parks hosted more than 15 million visitors last year, according to the DNR, and that included more 900,000 overnight stays. Iowa has more than 4,700 state park campsites and more than half of them can be reserved in advance
( www.iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com ).

(Radio Iowa)

An event taking place this weekend near Lewis will take you back in time to the days of the Pioneer. The Hitchcock House Pioneer Festival takes place Saturday, from 1-until 4-p.m. at the historic Hitchcock House, located about six-miles south of Atlantic off Highway 6 and 1.5 miles west of Lewis.

Cass County Naturalist Lora Kanning says you’ll have a chance to learn pioneer skills and tour the national historic landmark, two-story home, built in 1856.

(You can observe the making of ropes, candles and tin punching, and more importantly, try your hand at some of those skills. All of the activities are free.)

The skills activities will take place in the barn. Again, there is no charge, but if you want to donate toward the preservation of the property and buildings, funds will be gladly accepted. If you want to tour the Hitchcock House, the fee is just $5 for adults, high school students and those younger are admitted for free. The home holds a historic value, because it was used as a stop for the Underground Railroad during the days of slavery.

The home features thick, sandstone walls, window seats, native hardwood trim, and a secret room that hid runaway slaves. The secret room is located in the basement where there is also a stone fireplace slaves could use to cook their meals and stay warm. It’s said the famous John Brown preached around that fireplace.

There are lots of other activities taking place at the Hitchcock House this Summer.

For more information, call Lora Kanning at 712-769-2372.

The new U.S. Secretary of Agriculture will spend much of today (Friday) in Iowa. According to the U.S.D.A., Sonny Perdue will deliver his first “major farm policy speech” as the nation’s ag secretary during a mid-morning event at a cattle farm near Nevada. IOWA Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey will be there.

“Certainly in his second week in the job, it’s a great thing to be to have him here,” Northey says. “I think Iowans are going to like him a lot. He’s going to feel very much like a regular down-to-earth, Iowa farmer almost — with a little bit of a twang.”

Perdue is the former governor of Georgia, but — as Governor Terry Branstad notes — Perdue has extensive roots in agriculture. “He’s been involved in the elevator business and, of course, he’s a veterinarian,” Branstad says. Branstad and Perdue had dinner in April when Branstad was in Washington, D.C. “That’s when he told me…’I might be from Georgia, but I don’t raise peanuts or cotton on my farm. I raise corn and soybeans,'” Branstad says.

Northey says there’s an ethanol plant near Perdue’s farming operation and Perdue has sold corn to the plant. Northey is rumored as under consideration for a job in the U.S.D.A. Northey says he hasn’t had an interview and hasn’t been told he’ll have one today (Friday) while Perdue’s in Iowa.

(Radio Iowa)

If you’re looking for a fun, enriching adventure for the kids this summer, keep in mind six Iowa state parks will host the popular University of Iowa Wildlife Camps for local families. The conservation education day-camp program will be offered at Maquoketa Caves, Mines of Spain, George Wyth, Springbrook, Viking Lake and Ledges state parks.

The camps are for students entering 3rd-6th grade. Campers can expect to spend a week exploring, playing and learning about the natural environment and unique features of their state park, its wildlife and their habitats. Cost of the 5-day camp is $100 per child.

In southwest Iowa the dates of each day camp are:

·         Viking Lake State Park (Stanton): June 12-16

·         Springbrook State Park (Guthrie Center): June 26-30

Enrollment is limited to 40 students per camp and the camps have a history of filling fast. For details about each camp and to register, visit recserv.uiowa.edu/wildlife-camps-state-parks

The expansion of the University of Iowa program comes after the camps received a Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) grant from the Department of Natural Resources to pilot the program in Iowa state parks. Wildlife Camps is operated under University of Iowa Recreational Services.

w/Kate Olson.

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Farmers in parts of the state were able to get into the fields last week. The latest U-S-D-A crop report shows 28 percent of the corn has now been planted, despite soggy weather in a lot of areas of the state. That’s a big increase compared to last week’s report when only eight percent of the corn was in the ground.

Farmers in southeastern Iowa made the most progress with more than half their corn acreage planted — while farmers in the northern third of Iowa have planted less than one-fifth of their corn. Overall planting is one week behind last year, but only two days behind the five-year average. Soybean planting got underway in some areas, with two percent of the soybeans planted, That’s two days behind average.

(Radio Iowa)