(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says there are opportunities for Iowa as the United Kingdom negotiates a free trade agreement with the United States. “Certainly that’s important in the U.K. as they are starting to forge a new trail post-BREXIT and going about creating new trade agreements with countries,” Naig says. “We already have a significant trade relationship between our two countries and it seems like it would be a great opportunity to increase that, to strengthen that.”

The United Kingdom left the European Union in early 2020, three and a half years after voters in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland narrowly approved leaving the trading block. Naig and state ag officials from five other states were in the United Kingdom last week. “I see lots of opportunities to connect further with one of our oldest and most important allies in the world,” Naig says.

The United Kingdom was the 5th largest export market for Iowa in 2019, with about 11 million in grain sales that year, along with 50 million dollars worth of Iowa-made machinery. Naig sees an opportunity to boost pork and beef exports to the U-K, as well as a focus on relationships with British tech companies.”This is not a large market, certainly not something that would overwhelm our existing trade relationships,” Naig says, “meaning there are opportunities here to send some higher value products.” And Naig suggests ag tech companies in the U-K may be an area for growth.

“You’ve some start-ups in the U.K. that have some good ideas, some interesting technology, but they do not have agriculture at the scale we do,” Naig says. Naig says that means there are partnerships or investment opportunities in Iowa. “Precision ag both in the crop standpoint, but also in the livestock side of things, seeing some interesting things happening on the biological side in terms of crop inputs,” Naig says. “If you’re a company sitting the U.K. you’ve got a start-up, you’ve got a good idea, but you don’t have access to agriculture at scale, work with us in Iowa. Get connected with Iowa State University, get connected with one of our Iowa based companies.”

The U-S is already a major ethanol supplier to the United Kingdom.  “I think there’s opportunity for that to even grow as well as they look to lower the carbon intensity of their energy sector,” Naig says. In September of 2021, E-10 became the standard blend of fuel at gas stations in Great Britain. Last month, Naig hosted Mark Spencer, the U-K’s Minister of State for Food, Farming and Fisheries during World Food Prize events in Iowa.

“It was nice to just within a matter of a few weeks host him on farms in Iowa and then to turn around and be in his office, in parliament…talking about what are the opportunities for us to work directly with the U.K.,” Naig says, “but certainly pushing for that U.S.-U.K. free trade agreement.”

Naig was the only Midwestern official in the trade delegation. The other state ag officials were from Arizona, Tennessee, Virginia, Connecticut and Massachusetts.

(Radio Iowa) – The latest U-S-D-A crop report showed south-central Iowa had 12 percent of its corn remaining to be harvested by the end of last week — the only region with more than four percent remaining. Iowa State University field agronomist, Clarabell Probasco, says from what she’s seen that harvest number would be a little higher. Probasco says some rare wet weather this spring may’ve impacted the harvest by requiring some growers to replant corn and those hybrids may be just now getting to the point where they’re good enough on moisture content to come out of the field. That could be what’s caused the harvest in the region to be behind other areas.

(Radio Iowa) – One area of the state continues to lag behind in finishing off the corn harvest. The U-S-D-A crop survey found twelve percent of the corn in south-central Iowa remained to be harvested at of the end of the week Sunday. No other crop district had more than four percent remaining, with the statewide average of just three percent of the corn still in the fields.

The corn harvest is on the same pace as last year, and ten days ahead of the five-year average.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Turkey Federation president Brad Moline says the variant of bird flu that’s circulating in the U-S appears tougher than the one that hit the poultry industry in 2015 — but he says stepped up biosecurity at poultry operations is preventing the virus from spreading like it did six years ago. “In 2015, it disappeared in June. Warm temperatures came and it was gone. From 2022-2023 warm temperatures haven’t necessarily stopped it. It doesn’t follow the fall bird migration or the spring bird migration,” Moline says, “so it’s been totally different.”

The outbreak, though, has not impacted the supply of turkeys for this Thanksgiving. More turkeys were raised in the U-S this year than in 2021. The price of Thanksgiving turkey is down more than five-and-a-half percent from last year according to the Farm Bureau. If the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza continues, though, the price and availability of turkey may be impacted in the new year. There are at least 30 outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in 16 states right now.

“The whole industry is on edge again, there’s no question about it,” he says. “…Folks on our farm and many other farms in the state of Iowa follow strict bioseurity protocol and do everything we possibly can to keep that disease out of our farms.” Moline’s turkey operation is near Manson, on the border of Calhoun and Pocahontas Couties and it had a bird flu outbreak in 2015. Moline says state and federal government officials have eliminated red tape and there’s a speedier process of euthanizing infected birds now.

“From that, you have stopped the spread from farm to farm,” Moline says. Wild birds like geese are thought to be major spreaders of the virus to confinements and backyard flocks. However, the number of avian influenza cases in the wild bird population appears to be dropping according ot the U-S-D-A. It could be a sign wild birds are developing immunity to the virus and may be contributing to a reduction in bird flu cases this year.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Hundreds of pages of written briefs that argue for and against a hazardous liquid pipeline permit for Summit Carbon Solutions in Iowa are due before the end of the year, with written replies to those arguments due Jan. 19, the Iowa Utilities Board recently ordered. If approved, the pipeline would run through about the western-third of Montgomery County. The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports the three-member IUB board will decide whether to issue or deny a permit to Summit to allow construction of its carbon dioxide pipeline system and whether the company can use eminent domain to obtain land easements for about a quarter of its route.

State law does not set a deadline for that decision, and the board has not estimated when its decision might come. Summit proposes a five-state pipeline system spanning more than 680 miles to transport captured carbon dioxide from ethanol plants to North Dakota for underground sequestration. The board’s evidentiary hearing for Summit’s proposal in Iowa ended Nov. 8. After the hearing’s conclusion, the board said it would allow a briefing schedule that is longer than normal “due to the voluminous record and the upcoming holiday season,” and would accept atypically long initial briefs of up to 150 pages, with some exceptions for even longer filings. It noted that the case file has tens of thousands of pages of testimony and exhibits. Pipeline opponents sought to circumvent the laborious briefing process after the hearing concluded with a motion for the board to deny Summit’s permit application.

More than half of Iowa’s corn is used to produce ethanol, and Summit has argued that supporting the ethanol industry also supports higher corn prices. The company has agreements with ethanol plants to share profits from federal tax credits that reward capturing carbon dioxide and producing low-carbon fuels, along with increased profits from selling those fuels in new markets. The specific details of the agreements have not been made public. Pipeline opponents have argued that those profits will mostly benefit wealthy Summit investors. They further oppose the use of eminent domain to force construction of the pipeline system against landowners’ wishes and worry about damage to farmland and safety threats from potential pipeline breaches.

Summit’s permit application in North Dakota is under reconsideration and has no definitive timeline for completion. The state’s capital city of Bismarck recently sought to intervene in the process because of the pipeline’s proximity, according to documents filed with the state’s Public Service Commission. Bismarck’s petition said it does not support or oppose the company’s proposal, but that it will be affected by it. Specifically, the city said the pipeline route might affect its future growth and the safety of its residents. The city’s fire department might also lead an emergency response to a pipeline rupture. South Dakota rejected Summit’s initial route proposal for that state, and the company has said it plans to reapply with a modified route. The company has not indicated when that might happen.

Summit has delayed the projected operational date of its pipeline system by more than a year to 2026.

DES MOINES, Iowa – Gov. Kim Reynolds, Friday, announced the extension of a disaster proclamation for Buena Vista, Clay, Hamilton, Kossuth, Pocahontas, and Taylor Counties, effective immediately through December 17, 2023. The USDA has confirmed positive cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in all 6 counties.

The proclamation allows state resources from Iowa Homeland Security, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, and other agencies to assist with tracking and monitoring, rapid detection, containment, disposal, and disinfection. The proclamation also waives regulatory provisions related to commercial vehicles responding to affected sites.

The recent HPAI detections in birds do not present an immediate public health concern, and it remains safe to eat poultry products. If producers suspect signs of HPAI in their flocks, they should contact their veterinarian immediately.

Cass County: Corn $4.28 Beans $12.89
Adair County: Corn $4.25 Beans $12.92
Adams County: Corn $4.25 Beans $12.88
Audubon County: Corn $4.27 Beans $12.91
East Pottawattamie County: Corn $4.31 Beans $12.89
Guthrie County: Corn $4.30 Beans $12.93
Montgomery County: Corn $4.30 Beans $12.91
Shelby County: Corn $4.31 Beans $12.89

Oats $3.13 (Same in all counties)

(Radio Iowa) – There’s another tick to be on the look-out for, especially if you raise cattle or horses in Iowa. The Asian longhorned tick has been found in 19 states, including Missouri. Veterinarian Grant Dewell says “They can bite humans, but they tend to prefer livestock.” Dewell is with Iowa State University Extension, and his research specialty is beef cattle.

The Centers for Disease Control has issued a warning about these ticks due to recently published research about three Ohio cows that died after being bitten tens of thousands of times by Asian longhorned ticks. This tick species was first found in the U-S in 2010. Dewell says a female can produce on her own. “A single female will produce several thousand eggs…so they can really expand exponentially their numbers once they get into a population,” Dewell says, “They can really overwhelm an animal in some cases.”

Asian longhorned tick (Iowa State University Extension photo)

Researchers in Ohio concluded the cattle there died of blood loss. Dewell says it’s important to keep grass cut around feedlots and make sure animals are grazing in pastures, because ticks prefer to live in areas with tall grass.”We’ll see how far north it spreads,” Dewell says. “It is somewhat cold tolerant, but it doesn’t love the cold either. We have ticks in Iowa, but they’re not as severe as in Missouri and Arkansas and those types of (warmer) places.”

While Asian longhorned ticks seem to prefer cattle and horses, they have been found on dozens of animals in the United States. A man from New York is the first known human to be bitten in the U-S by this species of ticks. That happened in June of 2018.

AMES, Iowa – Iowa Cattlemen’s Association (ICA), the leading grassroots organization supporting Iowa’s beef cattle industry, is pleased to announce Bryan Whaley as their new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective December 4, 2023. Whaley brings many years of experience leading successful teams, serving customers, and a deep-rooted passion for the cattle industry that will be invaluable to the future of the association.

Whaley most recently worked as the Director of Field Operations – North for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Before that, he was a regional extension education director for more than seven years. He has also worked with youth development in several roles with 4-H Youth Development through Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Upon completing his first college degree, he was a classroom educator. Whaley holds a master’s degree from Iowa State University in agriculture education and a Bachelor of Arts from Simpson College.

The cattle industry is a part of Whaley’s daily life. He and his family own and operate Whaley Cattle in Eagle Grove, Iowa, raising Maine Anjou and Maine Angus seedstock. He has also been involved in many organizations that support the beef cattle industry, including regular membership with ICA, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, and American Maine Anjou Association. Whaley is serving as the current president and board member of the Iowa Maine Anjou Association.

Bryan Whaley

“The search committee is very excited for Bryan to join the ICA staff as the new CEO,” said ICA Board President Bob Noble. “Those on the search committee were impressed with his experience leading teams, working with county committees, and his positive attitude toward the work ahead of ICA. The association has just celebrated 50 years, and Bryan’s energy and optimism will bring a renewed perspective to the association and be the perfect way to move us into our next 50 years.”

The hiring of Whaley comes at no better time as ICA heads into one of the busiest times of the year for the association. This will offer many opportunities for him to get out within the state to meet the Iowa beef cattle producers ICA serves.

“I am honored to have been selected to serve the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association,” said Whaley. “I am excited for the opportunity to serve the members of the association, but also the entire cattle industry in Iowa, and support the efforts nationally to advocate for the policies set forth by our members.”

The ICA Board of Directors and staff look forward to welcoming Bryan Whaley to the team and continuing our mission of serving Iowa’s beef cattle industry now and in the future.

(Clive, Iowa) November 16, 2023 – Six teams of Iowa youth won scholarships while participating in the Senior Division of the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) Youth Swine Judging Contest. The event, which invites students from across the state, took place at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines last week. There were 120 teams represented in the Senior Division of the competition. The top teams came from Grinnell High School, Alburnett High School, Gladbrook-Reinbeck High School, the Winfield-Mt. Union Community School District, and Woodbury County in northwest Iowa. A total of 517 students participated in both the Senior and Junior divisions.

Cory Van Gilst, IPPA’s producer outreach director, says “We enjoy welcoming students who are really into judging livestock, as well as those who don’t get a ton of exposure to agriculture. This is a day out of the classroom—a chance to see pigs in person and learn about the pork industry.”

Top Senior Teams:

• The top team was Grinnell FFA 1, earning 761 points. Team members included Tristan Graff, Kolton Kline, Rylee Mauss, and Aden Wolfe, all of Grinnell. Each receives a $500 scholarship. Wolfe had the highest overall score in the competition.
• Alburnett FFA 1 had 729 points for second place. Team members were Lexi Geistkemper, Brady Hospodarsky, Jaxson Martin, Riggs Martin, all of Alburnett. Each receives a $250 scholarship.
• Gladbrook-Reinbeck FFA 2 earned 725 points and third place. Team members were Prycely Beard and Dylinn Blohm, both of Reinbeck, and Parker Schmidt, of Gladbrook. Each member earns a $125 scholarship.
• Grinnell FFA 2 placed fourth with 722 points and wins $125 scholarships for each team member. They are Peyton Davenport, Maggie Dayton, Zane Iverson, and Anthony Wolfe, all of Grinnell.

Tying for fifth place were Winfield-Mt. Union FFA 1 and Woodbury County 4-H 1, both with 717 points. All of those team members also receive $125 scholarships. Representing Winfield-Mt. Union were Eli Miller and Katie Miller, both of Winfield; and Kurt Beard and Quinlyn Smith of Morning Sun. Students on the Woodbury team included Grace Flannigan, Salix; Jacob Mitchell, Oto; and Kara Nelson, Pierson.

Top Junior Teams:

The top five junior teams are Buena Vista County 4-H 1 — first place; Greene County 4-H 2 — second; Carroll County 4-H — third; Creston 2 — fourth; and Greene County 4-H 1 — fifth. Each of the junior teams wins a plaque.

Points were awarded for each of the following activities: tests on meat quality and knowledge of commercial pork production; as well as judging four classes of hogs that required students to test their commercial gilt selection and market hog evaluation skills; score a keep-cull gilt class; and do a live carcass evaluation, which involved examining 10 pigs individually to determine each animal’s weight, loin eye size, and back fat, then comparing and ranking them on carcass value.

The day also included a demonstration of pork carcass fabrication and a seminar about careers in the pork industry. This is the 15th year for the event. Eldon C. Stutsman Inc., Iowa State University, the Pork Checkoff, Producers Livestock, and Smithfield Foods all partnered with IPPA for this year’s contest.