Twelve Iowa FFA chapters have been awarded $2,500 “Be The Seed” grants to spur innovation and progress in their communities while promoting the importance of farming. The “Be The Seed” Grant Program, providing $35,000 in community funding, is sponsored by the Iowa Food & Family Project (Iowa FFP) in cooperation with DuPont Pioneer and the Iowa Soybean Association. Among the grant recipients was the Guthrie Center and West Central Valley FFA’s.

The Guthrie Center FFA plans to establish a community orchard, working with the school’s Family and Consumer Sciences department. The chapter is inspired by the long-term potential of such a project. Establishing a community orchard creates an opportunity to teach students and the area about the importance of agriculture and how people can grow their own food. As the populations continue to grow, food production is going to become increasingly important, and the chapter would like to foster a community-focused interest in food production for local students and area food banks.

West Central Valley FFA in Stuart, will work with the Stuart Public Library to create a community reading garden. The reading garden will encourage people to become more active outdoors and to learn about plants. The reading garden will be used as a way to engage the public by providing a place for them to learn about annuals, perennials, as well as garden crops. FFA members will tend to the garden throughout the summers and will be available to the public as a resource for information.

Grant recipients will be recognized in April at the Iowa FFA State Leadership Conference in Ames. One chapter determined to have conducted the most successful activity in partnership with its community will be recognized with a $5,000 Award of Achievement. More than 40 FFA chapters applied for grant funding.

(For more information, go to: http://www.iasoybeans.com/whatnew/release/275)

The topic of estate planning and evaluation will be an all-day workshop next month in Pottawattamie County. East Pottawattamie County Extension is hosting “Evaluating Your Estate Plan, a Workshop for Farm Families” in southwest Iowa on December 9th, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Community Center in Carson. Topics include the language of estate planning, needed information, setting goals, and gift, estate, and inheritance taxes.

The program gives participants tools and the chance to use those tools to help them prepare or revise an estate plan, and has been highly successful throughout Iowa. According to evaluations within one year 69% of participants had held a family meeting. 64% of participants met with their attorney to review their estate plan within one year of the program.

Presenters are Melissa O’Rourke and Kelvin Leibold, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Farm and Agribusiness Management Specialists. O’Rourke is an attorney who has experience in agricultural law and estate and succession planning. Leibold has been helping farmers with management and business decisions for decades.

The cost is $50 per person, which includes resource materials and lunch. Advance registration by December 6 is required because the program is limited to 40 people. To register, call East Pottawattamie County Extension at 712-482-6449.

Iowans who are curious or concerned about where their food comes from might consider a trip to Ames for tonight’s (Tuesday) event, called a Food Dialogue, or they can participate via the internet. Mindy Williamson is spokeswoman for the Iowa Corn Growers Association, which is teaming up with the U-S Farmers and Ranchers Alliance to sponsor the program. Williamson says, “It’s supposed to be a conversation about food and we are focusing on organic, talking about the definition of local food and also talking about GMOs.”

The issue of genetically-modified organisms continues to be a topic of discussion for many consumers, farmers and activists, and she says it will definitely be a point for conversation at this event.  “We have an evenly-balanced panel of experts and farmers who are going to give consumers, the general public who are in attendance and also those who are live streaming the opportunity to ask questions and get answers straight from the sources.” She says they’ve assembled a panel that is very knowledgeable on an array of ag issues, the G-M-O debate in particular.

Williamson says, “We have some farmers who use conventional farming practices here in Iowa and we also have some farmers who grow organically to talk about what are the issues, what do we need to be concerned about as consumers or what do we not need to worry about as consumers.” Panelists include: Larry Cleverly, an organic farmer, supplier and farmers market vendor; Dr. Wayne Parrott, a professor with the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences at the University of Georgia; Wayne Humphreys, a crop and livestock farmer; Dave Murphy, founder and executive director of Food Democracy Now!; Katie Olthoff, a Common Ground volunteer and turkey farmer; and John Schillinger, a crop researcher.

The Food Dialogue begins at 7 P-M at Iowa State University’s Scheman Building. It’s open to the public and it will be streamed live online at www.iowacorn.org.

(Radio Iowa)

The Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department officially has two new members. Prior to the start of their regular meeting Monday evening, Atlantic Mayor Dave Jones recited the oath of office to incoming members Erin McFadden and Charlene Beane, who were elected to the Board during the November 5th City elections.

Erin McFadden (left) and Charlene Beane (Center) are sworn-in by Atlantic Mayor Dave Jones.

The new board then got down to business by electing their officers for the next two-years. It turns out there was no change, with Stuart Dusenberry having been re-elected as Chair, Mary Strong, Vice Chair, and Jolene Smith as Secretary.

During their meeting, Parks and Rec Director Roger Herring reported a fish kill can be expected soon in Lake number 1 at the Schildberg Recreation Area. Last month, Brian Hayes, Fisheries Biologist with the DNR reported to the Board the Gizzard Shad has overpopulated the lake and stunted the growth of other game fish.

Gizzard Shad fish

Hayes said to deal with the menacing Gizzard Shad, the DNR will have to administer a dosage of Rotenone. Herring warned the Board that the DNR will be treating the lake possibly within the next week, or before the first ice freeze at the very least, and the result will be visually shocking to the point where the Board can expect calls from the public.

He said there will be a “sizable fill kill out there,” and will result in a lot of fish floating on top of the water. The media will be notified 48-hours in advance of the kill, which is designed to improve the fish population. While the floating fish carcasses might be a bit disturbing, Herring says Brian Hayes told him there is a plus side, in that the fish will attract predatory birds. That means there may be several Bald Eagles drawn to Atlantic. The rotenone will be in such small concentrations, that it will not harm the animals or birds that eat the fish which were killed by the chemical application.

In other business, the Atlantic Parks and Rec Board approved for remittance to the City Council, a draft of the Tobacco Free Policy for Sunnyside Park, with a slight modification. It was created using the City of Adel’s Ordinance which says tobacco use is prohibited in designated areas of City parks, trails, and outdoor recreational facilities, and all public building grounds at all times. Designated park areas include: restrooms, athletic fields and in the spectator areas of athletic fields during a sporting event; tennis courts; disc golf courses; playground areas; recreational trail rest areas; and any pavilions; shelters and benches located in a park or on a public ground.

Atlantic’s version would add the basketball court, but remove the disc golf course from the list of areas where the use of tobacco products would be prohibited. It would also be submitted as a proposed ordinance instead of a “Policy.” Herring said the police department is recommending it be submitted as an ordinance because it would be more enforceable than a “Policy.” The final version will be written by the City Attorney and presented before the City Council at a future meeting for their approval.

The City of Atlantic’s Parks and Recreation Board of Directors will meet Monday at the new Parks and Rec Maintenance Building at 1200 Sunnyside Lane, beginning at 5-p.m., with the swearing-in of new Board members, and the regular meeting at 5:15.

During the Board’s session, they will elect Board Officers for a two-year term (2013-2014 & 2014-2015). They’ll also receive an update on Schildberg Lake #1 with regard to Fishery development, and review the Tobacco Free Policy and ordinance for Sunnyside Park. Other business includes: An update on the Schildberg Recreation Area (SRA) Campground; the setting of a date for the Park Maintenance Building Open House; An update on the boat ramp and Buck Creek Dog Park projects, and recent fundraiser for the dog park; and an update on the Bike Rack Project and Atlantic Walking Path.

Discussion items near the end of the meeting will include the future of the older metal buildings at Sunnyside Park, and Sunnyside Park Closing dates.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Farmers and agribusiness professionals are invited to the Omaha Ag Outlook event in December. The event is scheduled for Dec. 6 and 7 at Embassy Suites in Omaha’s Old Market district. Organizers are offering sessions focused on livestock marketing, estate planning and international agriculture.

The event will also include a banquet to discuss the U.S. farm bill, and a discussion on the outlook for grains and oilseed. Pre-registration is required. The meeting is a joint effort of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Iowa State University.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office has rescinded a ban on outdoor burning in Audubon County. The ban, which went into effect On August 31st due to the dry condition, was lifted effective 1-p.m. today (Friday).

The Watershed Improvement Review Board (WIRB) recently approved ten applications totaling more than $2.3-million in grants to support projects that will improve water quality or reduce flooding in the state. Among the projects is the Adair Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) covering Adair and Cass Counties, which will receive $298, 562 for the West Fork Middle Nodaway River. And, the West Pottawattamie SWCD will receive $279,811 for the Mosquito Creek Project in Pottawattamie County.

The grant funds will be matched by recipients, who will provide over $6.5-million in funding from the local communities to support these projects. As a result, $8.8- million will be going to support conservation work in priority watersheds throughout the state.

The approved projects have already completed watershed assessments that identified critical water resource areas and will focus on implementing specific water quality or flood reduction improvements. The projects will start after a grant agreement is signed between the applicant and the Watershed Improvement Review Board. Soil and water conservation districts, public water supply utilities, counties, county conservation boards, cities, and local watershed improvement committees were eligible to apply. Individual projects could request up to $300,000.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey says “These projects are a partnership between federal, state and local organizations that are committed to improving Iowa’s water quality. By supporting projects that address runoff and drainage, sedimentation, urban stormwater, livestock runoff, streambed and bank stabilization and a number of other issues, these projects are focused on issues that directly impact the state’s waterways and water quality.”

WIRB received a total of $3 million this year and at least half of the funds must be used to support voluntary, science based water quality practices referenced in the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy.