GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) – The nation’s largest 4-H livestock show is relocating from Omaha to Fonner Park in Grand Island, where the Nebraska State Fair runs. The Aksarben Foundation sponsors the Aksarben Stock Show, which began its Omaha run in 1928.  The foundation’s Kevin Kock says moving to Grand Island will help the event expand.

Last year it drew nearly 1,100 4-H participants from surrounding states. Kock says the Fonner Park facilities offer more room than Omaha’s CenturyLink Center, which has hosted the show since opening in 2003.  This year’s stock show will be held from Sept. 28 through Oct. 1.

A professional rodeo has run with the show since 1947, but Kock says a contract for the 2017 rodeo hasn’t been signed yet.

The new U-S quarter featuring Effigy Mounds National Monument in northeast Iowa near Harpers Ferry is now in circulation. The quarter is part of the U-S Mint’s “America the Beautiful” series and Effigy Mounds park Ranger Bob Palmer says it fits the beautiful description very well. “Oh, it’s amazing. In terms of being able to depict Effigy Mounds on something that small — to be honest with you — I was pretty skeptical when this whole process started some time ago,” Palmer says.

He says his skepticism about the quarter quickly changed. “When I saw the coin for the first time I was absolutely blown away that the essence of the Effigy Mounds could be captured on something that’s a little more than an inch in diameter,” according to Palmer. There are some 200 burial mounds at the monument along the Mississippi River Valley, and the coin shows one grouping.

“What it depicts are three mounds, two of what we tend to call bear mounds and then one bird mound. And the orientation of those three mounds represents three mounds that are found up in the south unit of the park,” Palmer says. “So, anyone who is very familiar with the park and very familiar with the various mound groups looks at that and immediately knows what that’s depicting. So, it pretty neat that it’s actually depicting something that is true to life.”

The mounds were believed to have been built by American Indians around one-thousand years ago. President Harry Truman signed the proclamation that created Effigy Mounds National Monument on October 25th, 1949. The quarter was designed by Sioux City native Richard Masters , who is an associate professor of art at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Palmer says there’s been a lot of local buzz since the coin was officially released Monday, and he says it could lead to more attention as people across the country discover the coin.

“I would think that if somebody would take a coin out of their pocket and see Effigy Mounds that might lead to a little more interest,” Palmer says. He says the amount of attention they get remains to be seen, but there is certainly a lot of interest in northeast Iowa. Palmer says they get 80 to 85-thousand visitors to the monument every year — and for those Iowans who have never been there — the scenery itself is worth it.

“This part of the state is very different than the rest of the state,” Palmer explains. “And the Effigy Mounds are primarily found…in southern Wisconsin and the do reach into extreme northeast Iowa. And the geography and topography here more represents what you’d find in Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota and northwestern Illinois. So, it is a place that is special unto itself.”

The visitor center at Effigy Mounds is open year round except for Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and during extreme weather conditions. The hours vary and you can check them on their website: https://www.nps.gov/efmo/index.htm

(Radio Iowa)

The foggy days we saw in January could be an indication of the type of weather farmers ace this spring. Iowa State University Extension Climatologist Elwynn Taylor says it may be folklore, but there is some reasonable evidence to think it will be a wet one. “The folklore message is ‘if you have fog in January, you are going to have a wet planting season.’ Or some people say, 90 or 100 days later it’s going to be awfully wet,” Taylor says. “There is some fact behind that because — why would the fog come in — we’ve started to get the flow from the Gulf of Mexico, which is what brings us our moisture.”

He says this year fits the pattern that can give us a wet spring. “It doesn’t mean we always will, but that was the first point we looked at. Be ready for it to be on the wet side of usual at planting time,” he says. While a wet spring is a possibility, Taylor says another better than average yield is also a possibility.

“That is a distinct possibility — now of course everyone who has farmed in the Midwest knows for many years knows that it’s rare to go more than two or three years with above trend-line yield,” Taylor says. “This would be the fourth year. But it does happen. IN fact, five isn’t an unheard of number of years for staying above trend before it dips back below.”

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has told Iowa environmental regulators that changes made to state clean water standards last year violate federal regulations. The Iowa Environmental Protection Commission approved changes in August that eliminated a rigorous environmental assessment before allowing new contaminants to be introduced to streams, rivers or lakes by city wastewater treatment plants or industry.

The new so-called anti-degradation standards allowed a focus on cost when evaluating introduction of new contaminants into waterways. Environmental groups opposed the change saying it weakened Iowa’s clean water protections and commended the EPA Tuesday for rejecting the changes.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources, which enforces state environmental rules, did not immediately respond to a message. It’s not immediately clear if the EPA determination will withstand scrutiny of the new Trump administration.

An Iowa State University agricultural economist believes there may be an opportunity for a modest price rally for commodities during the spring. Chad Hart says this year is looking very much like last year, and farmers will need to strike while they can to capitalize on any potential price rally. “We look at prices that time versus now, we’re up on the corn side a little, we’re up on the soybean side by about a dollar fifty. That’s despite having record crops this past year,” Hart “Well, that speaks about this demand that continues to build and work through these crops. And hopefully as we sort of found last year, as we worked through the spring of 2016 we sort of saw a price rally from April to June, and we’ve got the potential to do the same thing over again as we look into 2017.”

Analysts believe the South American crop production will also be good this year, but Hart says it, too, is resembling last year when flooding damaged some of the crops. That’s already showing up in the markets. “We’ve added about 50 cents to the soybean price…so far this year and this month. The South American soybean crop looks big — but can they get it out of the fields, will they be able to — that uncertainty is helping to raise prices right now,” Hart says.

The Iowa State University Extension Grain Marketing Specialist says producers, and trading partners are watching closely the actions of the Trump administration on trade, as it will play a big factor in the prices as well. ‘That is where we are seeing the biggest growth in that demand, and that’s going to be, let’s call it an issue that the administration is going to have to wrestle with over the entirety of the Trump administration — how to continue to promote and grow agricultural trade as we renegotiate some of these trade agreements,” Hart says.

So much of U-S agricultural trade depends on the value of the dollar in foreign nations. Hart says the value of the dollar has been on the increase, however, trading partners have not been deterred from purchasing U-S grown commodities. Hart says he’s hearing that the dollar will continue rise in the coming months, but the demand for the commodities to feed animals is driving the price despite what’s happening with the value of the dollar.

Hart suggests farmers to look at perhaps conducting some forward contracting to take advantage of price rallies when they occur.

(Radio Iowa)

The proposed Elite Octane, LLC Ethanol plant in Atlantic, is not going to happen. The Cass County Board of Supervisors were scheduled Wednesday morning, to act on approving a Development Agreement between the County and ethanol plant officials that would have authorized $8.5-million dollars in Tax Increment Payments. The agreement would have also Pledged Certain Tax Increment Revenues to the Payment of the Agreement, but Nick Bowdish, President of N Bowdish Companies, which represents the ethanol group investors, told KJAN News they reached an impasse over discussions about the amount the plant would pay for electricity, and have informed Board Chair Gaylord Schelling and Auditor Dale Sunderman, the deal is dead. (Click on the left side of the audio players below to hear comments)

Steve Tjepkes, Atlantic Municipal Utilities General Manager told KJAN News last week, that the AMU Board declined to approve a request from Elite Octane to reduce their electrical rate to 5.6-cents per kilowatt hour. Elite Octane officials told the Board that if they were unable to get that rate, AMU should transfer its service territory to Mid-American Energy, which likely can charge 5.5-cents per kwh. Tjepkes says the AMU Board voted against transferring the service territory to Mid-American because of a contractual obligation AMU has with its regional power provider.

Bowdish said since there’s no chance of getting a reduced rate, he’s “Out of ideas,” on how to make the project work.

Bowdish said the company could have explored “self-generation” of electrical power, but that would have been too costly.

He says from this point, he’s stepping back from involvement in the project.

The Cass County Conservation Board has two events coming up later this week (Feb. 10th and 11th). Friday night, there’s a “Full Moon Owl Prowl.” The Owl Prowl will be held at the Cold Springs Park in Lewis,  beginning at 7-p.m., Friday. You’re invited to come out for a great night hike, and try to call in various species of Owls that may be in the park that night. All ages are welcome.

And, Saturday night (Feb. 11th), the Cass County Conservation Board is holding a free, Sweethearts Snowshoe Hike. The Moonlight Snowshoe Hike will be held at the Pellett Memorial Woods outside of Atlantic, beginning at 7-p.m., Saturday. If there are no clouds, the moon will light the way. Snowshoes (in a variety of sizes) will be available. Officials say they will hike and try to call in various species of Owls that may be in the park that night! In the event there is no snow, the event  WILL be CANCELLED.

Officials with the Cass County Conservation Department are reminding area residents that the Great Backyard Bird Count Program will be held at the Atlantic Public Library Community Room, this Saturday February 11th, beginning at 1-p.m. During the event, you’ll learn how to participate in this wonderful citizen science project, and about basic bird identification.

The first Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) was held in 1998. The 20th annual GBBC takes place February 17th-20th in backyards, parks, nature centers, on hiking trails, school grounds, balconies, and beaches—anywhere you find birds. Bird watchers count the birds they see for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count, then enter their checklists at birdcount.org. All the data contribute to a snapshot of bird distribution and help scientists see changes over the past 20 years.

The family-oriented program is for bird watchers of all ages, and is free of charge. All you need is basic knowledge of bird identification It is not required that you record every species you see, only those that can be properly identified. To participate in the bird count either call the Conservation Board at 712-769-2372 and receive everything you need in the mail (or pick up in the office), or go to the website: http://gbbc.birdcount.org/ and follow the instructions.

The Cass County Cattleman’s Association held their annual banquet and awards program Saturday night, at the Cass County Community Center, in Atlantic. During the awards and scholarship portion of the program, scholarships were awarded to Haley Carlson, Clayton Sauegling and Tyler McAfee.

Award presented include:

• Youth Ambassador – Lexi Freund
• Young Gun – Miles McDermott
• Riding for the Brand – Gary Sullivan
• Producer of the Year – Chad Comes
• Business of the Year – Steve Nelson (w/Nelson Machine & Forge)
• Hall of Fame – Alan Robinson

You’re invited to join Iowa State University Extension & Outreach Field Agronomist, Aaron Saeugling, and Iowa State University Farm Coordinator for Southwest Iowa, Jim Rogers, for a one-hour presentation covering the newest farm trials conducted across the state. The Ag Input Meeting for Montgomery County will be held this Friday, February 10th, from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm at the Extension office in Red Oak.

Do you have crop input questions for 2017? Do you wonder what research Iowa State University is doing in southwest Iowa? Do you value independent research results? Would you like to see demonstrations conducted on farm fields? ISU’s Saeugling and Rogers will also answer participants’ questions about crop input in the upcoming growing season.

Ag Input Meetings will be conducted all across southwest Iowa this winter. There will be one held at the Montgomery County Extension Office located at 400 Bridge Street, Suite 2 on Friday, February 10, 2017 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Complementary cookies and coffee will be served. There is no fee to attend and pre-registration is not required.

For more information contact Montgomery County Extension at 712-623-2592.