DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey announced today that $3.5 million in cost share funds to help farmers install nutrient reduction practices have been obligated to farmers in each of Iowa’s 99 counties. The practices that were eligible for this funding are cover crops, no-till or strip till, or using a nitrification inhibitor when applying fall fertilizer.

“Farmers continue to show they are willing to invest in practices focused on limiting nutrient loss and improving water quality. To consider that this program went from zero to more than 1,800 farmers over the past three years shows that farmers are committed to action and willing to invest in water quality,” Northey said.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship received applications covering 187,000 acres from more than 1,800 different farmers seeking to participate in the program. Farmers in each of the 100 Soil and Water Conservation Districts across the state received funding.

Participants include 980 farmers using a practice for the first time and more than 830 past users that are trying cover crops again and are receiving a reduced-rate of cost share. The first-time users cover 79,000 acres of cover crops, 7,450 acres of nitrification inhibitor, 7,150 acres of no-till and 3,950- acres of strip-till. The past users will use cover crops on nearly 89,500 acres.

Farmers not already utilizing the practice were eligible cost share rate for cover crops of $25 per acre, $10 per acre for trying no-till or strip till and $3 per acre for using a nitrapyrin nitrification inhibitor when applying fall fertilizer. Farmers that had used cover crops in the past were eligible for $15 per acre in cost share. Cost share was only available on up to 160 acres.

Farmers are encouraged to still reach out to their local Soil and Water Conservation District office as there may be other programs available to help them implement water quality practices on their farm.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship received $9.6 million for the Iowa Water Quality Initiative in fiscal 2016. These funds will allow the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship to continue to encourage the broad adoption of water quality practices through statewide cost share assistance as well as more intensive work in targeted watersheds.

AMES, Iowa — Times have changed since great grandma was canning for her family. Today’s recipes have been scientifically tested to ensure a safe product. So before trying any of those old family canning recipes, call AnswerLine, the home and family hotline at Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

“If great grandma’s recipe isn’t safe, AnswerLine will tell you,” said hotline coordinator Elizabeth Meimann.

“Callers sometimes are a bit frustrated with us when we answer canning questions. We often have to tell a caller that the old family recipe for a canned product is not safe. We must advise our callers that oven canning, canning low acid vegetables in a water bath canner and using ‘any old recipe’ for pickles are not safe practices,” Meimann said.

“We aren’t the ‘canning police.’ Our main goal is to help you keep your family safe for years to come,” Meimann said.

AnswerLine has become a highly trusted resource for the people of Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota, providing information and resources on home and family questions regarding everything from child development to cleaning to food safety, nutrition, laundry and much more.

At this time of year many people contact AnswerLine to get answers to canning questions or tested recipes they can try at home, said Barb Fuller, MA, RD, LD a human sciences specialist in nutrition and wellness with ISU Extension and Outreach.

AnswerLine uses a number of research-based resources, Fuller said, including ISU Extension and Outreach’s “Preserve the Taste of Summer” series of recipes. The AnswerLine specialists also consult the University of Georgia’s National Center for Home Food Preservation and the USDA Home Canning Guide.

“The recipes and procedures in these books have been scientifically tested in a laboratory to ensure the coldest part of a canning jar gets hot enough long enough to kill the botulism bacteria if present. We don’t want you to cut corners and put your family at risk,” Fuller said.

“Botulism can be a deadly disease and those at the greatest risk are those who are often most dear to our hearts; the elderly and the very young. Pregnant women and people with a compromised immune system also are at great risk,” Fuller said.

AnswerLine, 800-262-3804 in Iowa, is open 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. AnswerLine also has a social media presence on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, as well as a twice-weekly blog at http://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/answerline/. Barb Fuller can be reached at 641 202 1843 or bfuller@iastate.edu

w/ Max Dirks

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PANORA, Iowa (AP) – Officials say they’re investigating the cause of a wastewater discharge that entered Lake Panorama in central Iowa.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says it’s unclear what caused a pump to fail Saturday night at a lift station managed by the South Panorama Sanitary District. Officials reported the problem Sunday morning, around the time officials believe the discharge ended.

DNR officials say it wasn’t clear to the agency that there was a wastewater discharge until Monday night. The sanitary district believes it was likely a small discharge.

It’s unclear what caused a pump to fail, since all pumps at the lift station appear to be functional.

Officials for the sanitary district are considering the construction of a new lift station, where discharges would be less likely to reach the lake.

w/ Kate Olson

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Rainfall in the Des Moines area delayed the Outlaw Truck and Tractor Pulls at the Iowa State Fair Grandstand on Wednesday but a local couple are glad they waited it out.  Dean and Cheryl Christensen of Cumberland along with their son Nick travel around the Midwest competing in Outlaw events and Dean came away with a top prize this year.

Dean Christensen rode his 1988 Ford Ranger “Red Hot” to a first place prize in the Modified 4-wheel division.  He pulled a distance of 328.3 outdistancing the next place finisher at 327.27.

KJAN news spoke with Cheryl Christensen and she was thrilled with the win and talked about the history of the truck which used to belong to a driver out of Omaha.  Their son Nick also ran Dean’s old truck “Nuttin Honey” in the event.

This is the third time the Christensens have won at the state fair.

w/ Denny Heflin

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Montgomery County Youth take Static Exhibits to the Iowa State Fair

The 2015 Iowa State Fair Static and Awardrobe Results are out! Additional contests and livestock results will be released throughout the State Fair Week. Congrats Exhibitors!

2015 4-H Static Exhibits
Katie Carlson, Communications Posters, Seal of Excellence
Nick Carlson, Mechanics, Blue
Savanna Clark-Moffett, Clothing & Fashion, Blue
Hannah Elwood, Photography, Blue
Hannah Elwood, Photography, Blue
Tannah Halvin, Photography, Blue
Tannah Halvin, Photography, Blue
Caleb Johnson, Visual Arts, Red
Mariah Lombard, Photography, Red
Mariah Lombard, Self-Determined, Red
Luke Mellott, Science, Engineering & Technology, Red
Delaina Olson, Photography, Blue
Isabelle Perkins, Food & Nutrition, Red
Isabelle Perkins, Home Improvement, Blue
Tyler Rines, Environment & Sustainability, Red
Kendra Top, Photography, Blue
Heidi Vanderholm, Sewing & Needle Arts, Red
Scott Vanderhoof, Home Improvement, Red
Hannah Vial, Communications Posters, Seal of Excellence
Hannah Vial, Photography, Blue
Rob Vial, Photography, Blue
Cassie Vrabel, Child Development, Blue
Cassie Vrabel, Food & Nutrition, Blue
Cassie Vrabel, Food & Nutrition, Red
Corbin Wolfe, Food & Nutrition, Blue
Corbin Wolfe, Horticulture, Blue
Corbin Wolfe, Photography, Blue
Tristan Wolfe, Other Agriculture and Natural Resources, Blue
Tristan Wolfe, Food & Nutrition, Red
Tristan Wolfe, Other Family & Consumer Science, Blue
Mallorie Wookey, Photography, Red
Mallorie Wookey, Photography, Blue
Mallorie Wookey, Photography, Blue
Anna Young, Visual Arts, White

Awardrobe Clothing Event
Cassie Vrabel, Clothing Selection, Top 10%, $25 Gift Card

Oven Canning- UNSAFE!

Preserving food by canning in the oven has been a hot topic this summer. It seems everyone is looking for a shortcut to preserve food at home.

Oven canning is NOT a safe shortcut, Barb Fuller, Nutrition and Wellness Specialist and a Master Food Safety Advisor for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, says, “Many individuals have shared they have tried, or have heard about, oven canning. Just because a jar is sealed doesn’t mean the food inside is safe to eat. I’ve had people say to me- ‘I haven’t gotten sick from it.’ I tell them they are probably very lucky! Botulism is a big concern.”

Very often, a trusted and well-meaning friend or relative has shared information about canning in the oven as a simple way to can food. Others have found information off the internet promoting it as a “quick and easy” method.
Food “processed” in the oven will not necessarily be heated hot enough or long enough to produce a safe product! Oven regulators may not be very accurate and the hot air in the oven may not circulate efficiently enough to heat the food in the jars. In addition, dry heat penetrates jars very slowly. Canning jars are not designed for dry heating either. Who would want to clean up that mess if they exploded?

In addition, think of the wasted resources when finding out your food may not be safe to eat. Fuller adds, “People spend a great deal of money, time, and energy canning food. It is disheartening to tell someone their (improperly) canned food could make someone they love very sick.”

Do not put your families’ health and the quality of your food at risk for the sake of a shortcut- like oven canning. Be sure to only use research-based methods and tested recipes for SAFE home food preservation. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is an excellent source of this information. Go to www.store.extension.iastate.edu for publications and recipes. In the Search box (upper right corner), enter the name or number of publication:
• Canning Fruits (PM 1043)
• Canning Vegetables (PM 1044)
• Canning Fruit Spreads (PM 1366)
• Canning Pickled Products (PM 1368)
• Canning and Freezing Tomatoes (PM 638)
• Canning Meats, Poultry, Wild Game, and Fish (PM 3021)
• Freezing Fruits and Vegetables (PM 1045)
• Canning Salsa (HS 0021)

For more information, contact the your County ISU Extension and Outreach Office or Barb Fuller at 641-202-1843or at bfuller@iastate.edu. You can also call ISU Extension and Outreach’s AnswerLine at (800) 262-3804 to talk directly with a Home Economist. AnswerLine hours are Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m.-noon and from 1:00-4:00 pm.