Pesticide Applicators with a private license can choose to re-certify by attending a continuing instruction course (CIC) each of the three years during their renewal cycle.

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach—Montgomery County will be hosting two CICs on Wednesday, January 6th. They will be held at the Stanton Community Room; participants can choose to attend the two hour session at either 1:30 or 6:30 p.m. There is a $20 registration fee. Pre-registration is not necessary. Questions? Call 712-623-2592

If this date doesn’t work for you, applicators can attend in another county. In addition, certification can be renewed via testing every three years. Please check the IDALS Pesticide Bureau website for testing dates and locations at www.iowaagriculture.gov/pesticide/pesticidetesting.asp

Iowa State University Extension officials plan to host a series of meetings around the state in January for farmers trying to figure out how to deal with sliding commodity prices and rising production costs.  “With margins being as low or as negative as they are, we’re going to focus on that.” That’s I-S-U Extension agronomist Joel DeJong. The “Crop Advantage” meetings will offer advice on managing farm chemical applications.

“What are the odds of applying fertilizer based on different soil test levels?” DeJong asks rhetorically. “You know, it’s a biological system, so we’re all trying to figure the odds and the environment changes.” Farm income in 2015 is projected to fall to its lowest level in nine years and the U-S-D-A predicts farm income will fall even lower in 2016.

There is a 50 dollar registration fee for farmers who want to attend the “Crop Advantage” meetings next month and get advice from I-S-U economists, agronomists, entomologists and grain market analysts. I-S-U Extension will hold 14 meetings around the state during January. Locally, meetings will be held Jan. 19th, in Atlantic, and Jan. 28th, in Carroll. For other dates and sites, go to http://www.aep.iastate.edu/cas/

(Radio Iowa)

The gates to Sunnyside Park in Atlantic have closed for the season. Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department Director Roger Herring said the gates were closed as of 4-p.m. today (Thursday), and will remain closed through the Winter, due to slippery and snow-packed roads. Herring advises you to plan an alternate route around the park if you are traveling in the area.

w/ Max Dirks

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The final stretch for hunters to pursue Iowa’s world class deer began Dec. 21st, with the start of the late muzzleloader season and the re-opening of the popular archery season. Both seasons close Jan. 10th. Hunters with a late muzzleloader license may use a bow, muzzleloader, handgun and Iowa residents may also use a crossbow. Hunters may not use a shotgun or centerfire rifles during late muzzleloader season and party hunting is not allowed.

Hunters have reported harvesting nearly 92,000 deer so far this year, which is similar to the harvest last year. Hunters who harvest a deer are reminded to report the harvest to the DNR by midnight on the day after it is tagged or before taking it to a locker or taxidermist, or before transporting it out-of-state, whichever comes first.

For hunters with internet access, reporting online is the easiest and fastest way to report. Hunters may also report their harvest by phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week at the toll-free phone number printed on the harvest tag or through a license vendor during regular business hours.

Nonresident Holiday Season

Nonresidents may participate in the antlerless-deer only holiday season Dec. 24-Jan. 2, in counties where the nonresident antlerless deer quota has not been filled.
Hunters who do not have a nonresident deer license may purchase an optional antlerless-only license for the holiday season. Licenses may be purchased over the counter through any license agent beginning Dec. 15. Holiday deer licenses will not be sold online or through the telephone ordering system.
Nonresident hunters purchased 110 holiday antlerless licenses last year.

w/ Kate Olson

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You’re invited to join Cass County Conservation Staff at Atlantic’s Schildberg Recreation Area on Saturday, January 9th 2016, for “Sioree with the Swans.” Conservation staff will be giving ten-minute presentations regarding the Trumpeter Swans every half-hour beginning at 11:00 a.m. with the last one being presented at 2:00 p.m. There will also be time to view the swans through spotting scopes and witness random swan feeding sessions.

Hot chocolate, cookies, grilled hotdogs, and other snacks will be provided free of charge with donations being accepted (for swan care). The Schildberg Recreation Area is located on the northwest edge of Atlantic, on the north side of Highway 83.

IF THE WEATHER IS “BAD” OR THE SWANS ARE NOT AT THE PARK…the program will be held at the Atlantic Public Library from 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. with a light lunch available. This event is being sponsored by the Cass County Conservation Board, Atlantic Parks and Recreation, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and the Atlantic Public Library.

Officials with the Cass County Conservation Board say the sponsors of the Trumpeter Swan arrival contest have determined the official arrival of the swans at the Schildberg Recreation Area, as November 22nd  On that day 18 Trumpeter Swans were at the Rec Area, and they stayed more than twenty-four hours. The winner of the contest is Todd Rocker.

He will receive a Trumpeter Swan 8×10 print from the Cass County Conservation Board. The Cass County Conservation Board thanks to all who participated in the contest.

The Cass County Board of Supervisor’s, today (Wednesday), voiced their support for a proposed Resolution pertaining to the U-S Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). A draft of the Resolution was presented to the Board for their review and changes as necessary. The Resolution, as currently written, states in-part, that the RFS “Has been created to reduce dependence on foreign sources of crude oil and to foster development of domestic energy resources.”

A change to the proposed resolution by Supervisor Mark Wedemeyer, would remove a section that states “Renewable fuel resources should provide significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.” Wedemeyer says he doesn’t subscribe to the theory of “Global warming.”

John and Brad Hartkopf, representing the Renewable Fuels Industry, spoke before the Board prior to their taking the Resolution under consideration. John Hartkopf said they have been trying to educate the public and presidential candidates on the importance of the issue.

He said “Iowa is the nation’s leader in renewable bio-fuels and ethanol and production.” The renewable fuels industry he says, brings 73,000 jobs to Iowa, a $5-billion payroll and $13-billion to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In the original law passed in 2005 and renewed in 2007, “There is seven-years left in that law, and that last seven-years is primarily for market access. So this market can be expanded to other states. And that was the intent of the law…the purpose of the law is the protection of the United States from foreign oil…environmental protection, and to grow Iowa’s and [the] Midwest’s agriculture industry.”

Hartkopf said the RFS of course has seen opposition from the oil industry, and there are misconceptions about who benefits from renewable fuel. He said Renewable Fuels has not received federal tax credits since 2011, but the oil industry still receives $4.8-billion in tax credits.”

He says the main thing they want to the public and presidential candidates to understand, is the economic benefit to the State and how critical the RFS is in continuing that benefit. The Board is expected to approve the amended resolution during its meeting on Dec. 31st.

Economic development officials and local leaders have been trying for years to bring an ethanol plant to Atlantic. After hopes were dashed in 2006 when Amaizing Energy pulled plans to build a plant here, and a Green Plains Renewable Energy deal fell through, plans were announced in 2011-2012 for Ron Fagen, with Fagen, Inc. of Granite Falls, MN, to buy the property. But since then, only an administrative building, an outbuilding and foundation have been placed on the site, and the County constructed a road leading to the facility.

During a meeting of the Cass County Board of Supervisors this (Wednesday) morning,
Kathy Schowalter, with PlanScape Partners, said by speakerphone, momentum is once again building for the stalled-out project. She said Fagen has been trying to market the site, and if he can get assistance from the State of Iowa, the County and City of Atlantic, he will work and develop the site himself.

The company is now ready to submit an application to the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA), but officials there have made it clear they need proof such a plant is needed before financial assistance is considered and granted. She said they have had to demonstrate there is adequate corn available for processing, and an available labor force.

Showalter said they used 2013 data provided by CADCO (the Cass-Atlantic Development Corporation) and other anecdotal information about the county to support the application. The application needs to be submitted to the State by January 4th. A decision on the request won’t be made until the end of January.

As part of the application, Showalter said there has to be “Some local skin in the game,” in the form of a 50-percent match of the TIF (tax Increment Financing) for 10-years, which is projected to be nearly $3.5-million, based on an assessed value of $25-million dollars.

The County, has passed a Resolution approving the sponsorship of and local match for the application to the IEDA High Quality Jobs Program for Farmers Energy, Cardinal, LLC. If the application is approved, the ball would start rolling on $190-million dollar investment toward bringing an annual 150-million gallon ethanol plant to the County just outside of Atlantic. The plant would be added to the Cass County Urban Renewal Plan, and the project, which is larger than the originally proposed 100-million gallon production facility, would create at least an estimated 45 new jobs. Other details about the proposal are still being worked out, and are pending approval of an economic development package from the State.