w/ Dr. Keith Leonard

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w/ Max Dirks

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A bill that has passed its first step in the Iowa Senate Tuesday would allow more farmers to create game preserves on their land to boost pheasant hunting in the state. The bill allows landowners to offer hunting on as little at 40 acres of land for pheasants, quail and partridges. Senator Steve Sodders, a Democrat from State Center, says pheasant hunting has deteriorated dramatically in Iowa. “Farming has tore out trees we’re losing habitat. So, I think it’s much easier for someone with land out there to be able to find 40 acres along a certain waterway or tree line that they are not going to take out, as opposed to trying to take out a big chunk all in one spot,” Sodders says.

Current law requires landowners to have at least 320 acres of land for game preserves. Sodders says there are benefits for hunters and everyone else when the birds are released. He says the owners put the birds out in the morning before the hunt. Some of the birds are going to get away, and they’re going to hunt some of them.

Lack of habitat is one of the factors cited in the decline of pheasant numbers in the state, along with poor weather conditions that have hurt the development of young birds.

(Radio Iowa)

w/ Kate Olson

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The City of Atlantic’s Parks and Recreation Department’s Board of Directors, Tuesday, approved the contract and plans for a Parks and Rec Office and Maintenance Building. The plans were drawn-up by Snyder and Associates Engineers. Parks and Rec Director Roger Herring said the Building Committee scaled-down the plans from an earlier concept due to costs and other factors. He said the decision was made to change the strategy on how the building would be bid out, which essentially amounts to what Herring calls “A shell,” with basic areas inside, along with alternate options. From there, a cost assessment will be made.

Herring says they have a certain amount of dollars to work with. The total estimated project cost is $311,000, but Herring said the Building Committee hopes to find a way to cut $80,000 from that price tag, by having a skeletal electrical system in the shop area, insulation modifications, plumbing and heating changes, through the use of temporary light fixtures, and gravel in the driveway. Engineering costs have also been reduced due to the changes in the latest design. Herring says he hopes to have the project let for bids soon around March 6^th, bid openings on March 27^th, and awarding of the project at the City Council’s meeting on April 3^rd.

In other business, the Atlantic Parks and Rec Board approved the 2013 Master Plan for the Schildberg Recreation Area. The 2003 plan, which was never actually formalized or presented to the Parks and Rec Board or the City Council for approval, was created by an Ad Hoc group. Herring said the City Council wanted the Parks and Rec Board and Schildberg Recreation Committee to work together and come up with a final plan the Council could also approve.

Some of the changes to the 2003 plan include the addition of future trails, including the addition of a connector to the T-Bone trail, a fishing pier that is handicapped accessible, a proposed dog park, R-V campground and parking area, and more.

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and the University of Nebraska will be teaming up to offer a Feedlot Roundtable session at six Iowa locations on Thursday, Feb. 21 from 12:45-3:45 pm. Locally, the meeting will be hosted at the Wallace Learning Center/ ISU Armstrong Research Farm, 53020 Hitchcock Ave, near Lewis. Interested participants can contact 712-769-2600 or email cclark@iastate.edu to register. A fee of $10, payable at the door, will cover proceedings, meeting costs and refreshments. Please register by Tuesday Feb. 19 so proceedings and refreshments can be provided.

The webinar program will feature Dr. Temple Grandin, presenting from the Nebraska location, discussing animal welfare challenges for the beef feedlot industry. Also, Stephen Koontz from Colorado State University will discuss the market outlook and issues related to formula pricing for fed cattle via recorded session.  The afternoon will wrap up with an overview of research and projects related to the beef feedlot industry at Iowa State University by Dr. Dan Loy and Dr. Stephanie Hansen, presenting from the ISU campus.

The feedlot roundtable sessions are offered annually in Nebraska for feedlot operators and agri- business personnel.  Through a cooperating agreement between ISU Extension and University of Nebraska Extension to share livestock educational resources and programs, and with the benefit of technology, the roundtables will be offered at the Iowa locations via internet connection.

For more information, please contact your local county extension office or ISU Extension Beef Field Specialist.

(Press Release – Cass Co. Extension)

GERING, Neb. (AP) — Feedlot operators in Nebraska and Iowa can get advice this month from experts about dealing with high feed costs and drought. The annual beef feedlot roundtables will be held February 19th through 21st in Gering, Holdrege and West Point. The events will be broadcast to locations in Iowa. The sessions will focus on the latest in feedlot health, nutrition and economics.

The event is sponsored by University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, Iowa State University Extension and the Nebraska Beef Council. The presenters include a mix of university and industry experts who will offer tips on dealing with the current high feed prices and what alternatives exist. Registration costs $30 ahead of time or $40 at the door. More details are available online at panhandle.unl.edu.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The persistent drought is taking a toll on producers of ethanol, with corn becoming so scarce that nearly two dozen ethanol plants have been forced to halt production. The Renewable Fuels Association, an ethanol industry trade group, provided data to The Associated Press showing that 20 of the nation’s 211 ethanol plants have ceased production over the past year, including five in January. While most expect to resume, they won’t likely do so until after 2013 corn is harvested in late August or September.

Industry experts don’t expect an ethanol shortage because millions of barrels are stockpiled and the remaining 191 plants are still producing. But there is growing concern about the high price of corn and what happens if the drought lingers through another corn-growing season.

A newly restored barn in rural Harrison County went up in flames Wednesday. The Missouri Valley Times reports the barn, located at 2731 Quentin Trail (five miles outside of Logan) started on fire around 10:15-am, Wednesday. Firefighters with the Logan Fire Department were the first to arrive on scene. Fire Chief Craig Charbonneau said the barn and another shed burned down quickly.

Firefighters from Woodbine, Missouri Valley, Magnolia and Modale were also on the scene, bringing anyway from 9-to 10,000 gallons of water altogether, but that wasn’t enough to save the structure, which was originally built in 1941, and completely restored last  November.

The loss, including an adjoining shed, was estimated at $45,000, not including the contents of the barn, which were still being inventoried. Firefighters were on the scene for more than two-hours. No injuries were reported.   Officials say an electrical issue appears to have been the cause of the fire.

Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources say 88 counties notified the DNR last month, that they plan to evaluate construction permit applications and proposed locations for animal confinements by using the master matrix. Animal producers in these counties must meet higher standards than other confinement producers who also need a construction permit. They must earn points on the master matrix by choosing a site and using practices that reduce impacts on air, water and the community.

With 11 exceptions, all counties will use the matrix during the next 12 months. None of the 11 counties who opted not to use the matrix are in western or southwest Iowa.  Counties that adopt the master matrix can provide more input to producers on site selection, the proposed structures and proposed facility management. Participating counties can also join in DNR visits to a proposed confinement site.

While all counties may submit comments to the DNR during the review process for permit applications, counties that adopt the master matrix can also appeal approval of a preliminary permit to the Environmental Protection Commission. The deadline for enrolling in the program is Jan. 31st of each year. Producers and citizens can obtain more information and view a map of participating counties by looking for preconstruction requirements for permitted confinements at www.iowadnr.gov/afo.

The matrix affects only producers who must get a construction permit for a confinement. Generally, these include proposed construction, expansion or modification of confinement feeding operations with more than 2,500 finishing hogs, 1,000 beef cattle or 715 mature dairy cows.