(Radio Iowa) – Iowa dairy farmers planning to invest in new technology or expanded processing can now apply for state grants to finance part of their projects. Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig says the Dairy Innovation Grant Program is part of a broader effort to expand the amount of local food available to Iowa consumers.

“And, in the course of doing that, provide Iowa farmers with more market opportunities,” Naig says. The state is awarding a million dollars in grants to expand processing at meat lockers around the state this year. Now, Naig’s agency is accepting applications for part of the 750-thousand dollars lawmakers set aside for grants to dairy farms with fewer than 50 employees.

“To increase on-farm dairy processing opportunities like cheese, butter, yogurt, frozen yogurt — those type of things,” Naig says, “but also to allow those dairy farmers, especially the smaller farms, to also invest in some technology, some equipment that would help them drive down their labor costs as well.” Naig expects may of the grant applications to be from dairy farmers planning to buy robotic milking systems, but he says there’s a lot of new technology out there to enhance production.

“There are systems now that you can put around the cattle’s necks so you can track their eating and when they’re milking and what their productivity is and track their health,” Naig says. According to the Iowa State Dairy Association, there are nearly 800 dairy herds in Iowa — and over 200-thousand dairy cows. Naig says there are some large-scale dairy operations in the state, but this program is for smaller operations.

“Consumers are more interested than ever before in buying local and so if you can source milk or cheese, yogurts — those types of products from your own farm that’s certainly what consumers are looking for,” Naig says, “but it also gives those farms an opportunity control their own destiny, capture some margin, generate some value of the milk that’s coming off their farm by processing it there and selling it direct to consumers.”

The maximum cost-share grant will be 100-thousand dollars. The grants may not be used to cover start-up costs, advertising, salaries or to pay off debt. The deadline to apply is February 9th.

ATLANTIC, IA (January 16, 2024) – Produce in the Park is seeking to hire a farmers market manager with skills in marketing and event promotion and a passion for community. The farmers
market manager is a part-time position responsible for managing Produce in the Park’s weekly summer farmers market on Thursday evenings in the Atlantic City Park and four holiday farmers markets just prior to Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Easter.

Produce in the Park farmers markets don’t just focus on local food and craft vendors, the events create community by offering activities and entertainment for people of all ages. While knowledge of local food and business management skills are preferred, the market manager will be primarily responsible for marketing and promotion of the farmers markets through social
media, radio, and print media, as well as vendor and sponsor recruitment and scheduling market activities and entertainment.

In this part-time position, the market manager will be required to be on-site in Atlantic at all farmers markets from set up through clean up, while market preparation work can be done
off-site on a flexible schedule. The position requires approximately 20 hours a week from mid-May through mid-October, and approximately 5-10 hours a week in the off-season. The position is expected to pay $15-20 dollars per hour depending on experience.

Produce in the Park is a non-profit organization, and the market manager will report to a board of directors who set market policies and deadlines. For additional details on the position and to apply, visit https://www.produceintheparkatlanticiowa.com/now-hiring.html.

For the latest information on all Produce in the Park markets, follow Produce in the Park on
Facebook (www.facebook.com/ProduceInThePark) or Instagram
(https://www.instagram.com/produceintheparkatlanticia/).

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is postponing the trout stockings scheduled for this Friday, Jan. 19 at Big Lake, Council Bluffs, and Moorland Pond, Fort Dodge, due to unsafe ice conditions and extreme cold weather.

The stockings will be completed after the ice thickens. A news release will announce when the stockings have been completed.

The family fishing event also scheduled for this Saturday at Big Lake has been canceled and will not be rescheduled.

Upcoming trout stockings are still on schedule with significantly colder weather in the forecast. Winter storms last week may slow ice formation by insulating the ice with snow. Check the DNR Trout Fishing website at www.iowadnr.gov/trout for the most up to date information.

(Iowa DNR/Manchester, IA) – The reintroduction of wild turkeys to Iowa’s landscape has been celebrated as a conservation success story for the past 25 years. But Iowa’s turkey population is showing troubling signs: the numbers are down, nests are failing and fewer poults are surviving. And it’s not just an Iowa problem – turkey populations are declining in all states in the Midwest and across the eastern half of the United States. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) says a group of midwestern states met in North Dakota in 2023 to discuss turkey population concerns and projects that are planned and underway. Missouri has had a decades long study, while Ohio, Nebraska and Wisconsin are all in the early stages of projects. In the southeast, Tennessee is looking at harvest seasons impacts and Auburn University is looking at male fertility rates in Alabama, and there are more.

In 2022, the DNR began a 10-year study of the turkey population in southeast Iowa to learn more about why the numbers are declining. Now entering its third year, researchers may have more questions than answers.   Dan Kaminski, wildlife research biologist with the Iowa DNR, is leading the study and what Kaminski and his fellow researchers have learned is that only around 60 percent of Iowa hens survive annually. Of the hens that are alive on April 15, roughly 25 percent will not nest, which is above what other researchers are finding in other parts of the country. Researchers observed 60 nests last summer and documented 10 nests that hatched. Of those 10 nests, only 30 percent of the broods survived at least one poult into August. All of the unhatched eggs collected from lost nests were sent to the University of Tennessee for examination and all were determined to have been fertilized.

“These are concerning findings, but the study only goes back two years,” Kaminski said. “The ten-year study will get us out of any short-term weather patterns that affect turkeys and provide clearer long-term data trends.”

Hen turkey outfitted with a transmitter as part of the 10-year Iowa turkey population study. Photo courtesy of the Iowa DNR.

So, what is killing them? Environmental factors? Lack of available food? Predators? Abandonment?

The Project

Researchers in Wisconsin found that to sustain its current population, hen turkeys need to average 2.6 poults per hen. The recent trend in Iowa’s summer turkey brood survey has hens averaging two poults per hen. To find out what is causing nest failures, poult mortality and why a quarter of the hens are not even attempting to incubate a nest, researchers will be catching hens in late January and February, outfitting them with transmitters and releasing them. “Cold and snowy conditions are best – that will group up the birds,” he said. “Our local staff have trail cameras set up at wintering sites and once the birds show up, we head to the sites and trap the birds.”

Nesting season begins in late April, peaks around May 20, and ends in mid-July. Turkeys nest on the ground, usually in dense vegetation underneath shrubs or trees in overgrown fields or mature forests, relying on their natural camouflage to avoid predators. The transmitters update hen location every 15 minutes and once it appears hens are on a nest, Kaminski will mark and date the location, and then wait. Hens will lay one egg every day-to-day-and-a-half, averaging 12-14 eggs per clutch. Eggs incubate for 28-30 days before hatching. After hatch, little by little, she will slowly begin to move her brood away from the nesting site. Once she is on the move, researchers will go in to check nesting success, collect any unhatched eggs as well as any eggs that appear to have been broken or eaten.

“With the new technology – the satellites and gps – it makes collecting highly detailed data much more available,” he said. “When birds set up nests we want to know about it – if it fails, is predated, or abandoned, we want to know ASAP – we want to get to the nest to see what happened and collect the eggs for analysis.” This year, they will attempt to catch 83 adult and juvenile hens across all sites in Lucas, Van Buren, Louisa and Jackson counties. These birds will join the roughly 55 birds that are currently “on the air.” The goal is to maintain 25 birds with transmitters in each county.

The study area is a mosaic of grassland, agriculture and timber that should be producing turkeys – but is not. And the issue is not isolated to southeast Iowa, other well-known turkey spots in northeast Iowa and the Loess Hills are also seeing the same declines. “But those areas started with more birds so the population decline isn’t as obvious,” he said.

Looking for answers

“We get comments at public meetings and through social media focusing on bobcats, eagles, coyotes and other predators as the reason for the population decline. Poults are ground bound and vulnerable for the first four weeks before they can roost in a tree so there is no question that predators impact turkeys through nest predation and poult predation. But this long-term decline goes back to pre-bobcat days, back before the fur market crashed in 2015, before carnivore populations increased,” he said. “The population decline likely began in the late 1980s and it may simply be due to a changing landscape that has less carrying capacity and that this is just nature’s way of finding a new normal for the population. However, it is probably a combination of factors. Predation is an obvious cause to detect; what we don’t want to do is miss one of the other factors.”

It could involve habitat loss. It could also involve a new disease. That new disease – Lymphoproliferative Disease Virus (LPDV) – was first detected in North America in 2009 in Arkansas and has since been found across the Eastern U.S. and statewide in Iowa. Lymphoproliferative Disease Virus has been studied by the domestic poultry industry which found that chicks and poults die within six weeks of contracting it. “The question is, can an LPDV positive wild hen pass the disease on to her poults? We don’t know. We also don’t know if it’s 100 percent fatal in the wild like it is with domestic poultry,” he said. LPDV is not known to be a health concern for humans.

There are other theories being explored in other regions of the country. Some research in the southeast U.S. is looking at the timing of the hunting seasons potentially disrupting breeding and removing dominant birds from the population before they can pass on their genetics. But Kaminski has his doubts. “We’re not sure about this theory but it is being discussed,” he said. “Our study doesn’t include males so I’m interested in what they find. More so than genetics, it may be that early and prolonged disturbance during the egg laying period is disrupting hens.”

Whatever factors are causing the decline, Iowa still has a dynamic population of the iconic bird in every county in the state. “We just came off a record harvest in 2023,” he said. “We still have a vibrant turkey population and when the nesting conditions are right, the population can really jump.” Data collected from this project will be used to build population models and habitat models that will provide researchers some understanding and guidance in ways to improve populations.

Landowners, partners play key role in project

“The project would not happen without cooperation with private landowners,” said Kaminski. “Public support to allow us to come out, investigate nest sites and collect carcasses – that support is critical for this to be a success.” The project involved 20 staff from the Iowa DNR’s Wildlife Bureau and buy in from local private landowners in four counties. Project funding is supported by grants from Iowa State University – Fish and Wildlife Co-op Unit, the state and national National Wild Turkey Federation and Turkeys for Tomorrow. Luther College is conducting genetics work and the DNR is working with the USGS National Wildlife Research Center in Fort Collins, Colo.

ALTOONA, Iowa, Jan. 12, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director in Iowa Theresa Greenfield today announced that the Agency is awarding $14,943,812 in grants to three U.S. companies with locations in Iowa. The grants will increase the availability of domestic biofuels and give Iowans cleaner, more affordable fuel options at gas station pumps as part of President Biden’s Bidenomics agenda to lower costs and invest in America.

The Department is making the awards through the Higher Blends Infrastructure   Incentive Program (HBIIP), made possible with funding from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.

“The Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program provides grants to fueling station and distribution facility owners to help expand access to domestic biofuels. These grants will help owners install and upgrade their fueling pumps, dispensers, and storage tanks,” said Director Greenfield. “At over 75 fueling stations across Iowa, families will have more options and will have lower costs to purchase homegrown biofuels.”

Today’s announcement is part of a larger national announcement made by USDA Secretary Vilsack during his visit to the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit in Altoona on January 11^th. Secretary Vilsack was awarded the Lifetime Champion of Renewable Fuels Award by the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association during the summit.

Award Recipients with Ties to Iowa

–Casey’s General Store Inc. received a $4,999,992 grant to create infrastructure to expand the sales and use of renewable fuels. Casey’s General Stores, Inc is the owner of more than 10 fueling stations. This project will install 456 E15 dispensers at 111fueling stations located in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, and South Dakota. Among the area Casey’s locations impacted by the grant, are those in: Atlantic, Carroll, Clarinda, Corning, Essex, Lenox, Mapleton, Onawa, Sidney, Villisca, Winterset, and Woodbine. Projections show the grant will serve to increase the amount of ethanol sold by 49,084,590 gallons per year.

–Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores Inc. received a $4,943,820 grant to create infrastructure to expand the sales and use of renewable fuels. Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores, Inc is the owner of more than 10 fueling stations. This project will retrofit 704 E15 dispensers at 88 fueling stations located in 17 states, including one in Sioux City, Iowa. The grant is projected to increase the amount of ethanol sold by 86,085,412 gallons per year.  As a core pillar of the President’s Investing in America agenda, the Inflation Reduction Act is the largest investment in climate action in history. It is also the largest single investment in rural electrification since the Rural Electrification Act of 1936.

–Bulk Petroleum Corporation received a $5,000,000 grant to create infrastructure to expand the sales and use of renewable fuels. Bulk Petroleum Corporation is the owner of more than 10 fueling stations. The project will install 73 E15 dispensers, including two in Davenport. The project aims to increase the amount of biofuels sold by 7,841,796 gallons per year.

Altoona, Iowa, Jan. 11, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that USDA is awarding $19 million in grants to U.S. business owners to increase the availability of domestic biofuels in 22 states and give Americans cleaner, more affordable fuel options at gas station pumps as part of President Biden’s Bidenomics agenda to lower costs and invest in America.

Blending ethanol into gasoline has helped reduce fuel costs by approximately 25 percent, contributing to falling gas prices across the country. Gas prices are now under $2.99 in more than half of U.S. states and saving the average driver more than $100 per month relative to peak prices. HBIIP increases the number of Americans that benefit from falling prices by expanding the use of ethanol-based fuels at gas stations around the nation.

The Department is making the awards through the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP), made possible with funding from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.

“President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act is giving people in rural areas the historic opportunity to expand clean energy and build an economy that benefits working families,” Vilsack said. “By increasing the supply of biofuels made here in the U.S., we are strengthening our energy independence, lowering costs for American families, creating new streams of income for agricultural producers and bringing good-paying jobs to people in rural communities.”

Secretary Vilsack made today’s announcement during his visit to the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit in Altoona. Secretary Vilsack was awarded the Lifetime Champion of Renewable Fuels Award by the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association during the Summit.

Through this most recent tranche of awards, business owners are receiving $19 million to expand access to domestic biofuels in 22 states and strengthen America’s energy independence. For example:

·     Casey’s will use a $5 million grant to install ethanol blend fuel dispensers at 111 fueling stations in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota. Using these investments, the company aims to increase the amount of biofuels it supplies by 50 million gallons a year.

The full list of states to receive funding is: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds says Iowa officials need to close a loophole that could let foreign interests town Iowa farmland.  “We absolutely cannot let foreign governments undermine the agricultural dominance our farmers have worked so hard to build,” Reynolds said. Reynolds is calling on the Iowa Secretary of State’s office to review land purchase documents, to see if foreign governments or individuals are involved in U-S based companies or trusts that have purchased farmland. “Fortunately, I’m proud to say that Iowa already has some of the strongest laws in the country on foreign ownership of land,” Reynolds said. “In fact, we’ve seen other states look to us for a model for their own policies, but as China’s our laws should, too.”

Under current law, foreigners may own now more than 320 acres of Iowa farmland. Reynolds has proposed a bill that calls on the Iowa Secretary of State to compile a public report to show the extent of foreign ownership of farmland in Iowa.  “With this bill, Iowa will continue to lead the nation and keep American soil in American hands,” Reynolds said.

Reynolds made her comments this (Thursday) morning at the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit. G-O-P presidential candidates Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley are speaking to the group, too.

(Radio Iowa) – The last opportunity for hunters to take a deer this season will focus on unclaimed deer tags in individual counties. Iowa D-N-R state deer biologist Jace Elliott says this final season helps with population control. “Starting January 11th through January 21st, we have January antlerless seasons being held in select counties based on the availability of those county antlerless tags on the 11th,” he says. The D-N-R held its first excess tag season last year. “Those tags can be purchased for use during that January anterless season. It has to be purchased in person at a vendor just because if you purchased it online, the tag may not come to you in time to utilize for the season,” Elliot says. “They must be purchased in person at a vendor, a list of which can be found on our D-N-R website.”

Elliott says the rules change a little bit on the type of gun you can use to encourage hunters to participate. “The Excess Tag January Season allows the use of centerfire rifles between 22 and 50 caliber, that can be used to harvest deer that normally many of those calibers couldn’t normally be used during our firearm season,” he says. “So there’s a little bit of incentive there for hunters to go out and take advantage of these extra seasons.” Elliott says hunters have had success in recent weeks.

“In terms of our overall harvest this season, we’re trending along pretty closely with our five year average. We’re within five percent of the harvest at this time last year, which was a very good year for our deer harvest in Iowa,” Elliott says. “I would expect finishing up at about the same spot, which is between 105 and 110-thousand deer.”

He says the anterless season is a little quieter and longer, and offers a great opportunity to get a deer for your freezer late into the winter.