CLICK HERE for the latest market quotes from the Iowa Agribusiness Network!
CLICK HERE for the latest market quotes from the Brownfield Ag News Network!
CLICK HERE for the latest market quotes from the Iowa Agribusiness Network!
CLICK HERE for the latest market quotes from the Brownfield Ag News Network!
Local residents, business owners and community leaders will have the opportunity to share their thoughts about opportunities and challenges in rural Iowa when USDA Rural Development State Director Bill Menner visits Avoca on Tuesday, July 10th.
Bill Menner
A rural-issues roundtable will take place from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. at The Club House at The Avoca Golf Club, 1701 N. Willow Street in Avoca. The meeting is open to the public.
Officials with the Agency say USDA Rural Development’s funding continues to have a dramatic impact on rural communities across Iowa. Since 2009, USDA Rural Development has invested nearly $2 billion on essential public facilities, small and emerging businesses, water and sewer systems, and housing opportunities for Iowa families. Today, more than 1.7 million Iowans live in rural communities and areas, and nearly half of the state’s communities have fewer than 500 residents.
USDA Rural Development says it’s working with rural communities to create jobs, expand opportunity, encourage innovation and build a strong foundation for the future. The agency currently administers and manages more than 40 housing, business and community infrastructure and facility loan and grant programs designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents and farmers and improve the quality of life in rural America. This past year USDA Rural Development’s investment in Iowa helped create or retain more than 1,900 jobs, aided 2,000 families in buying their own homes and assisted more than 80 communities as they made improvements to their facilities, services and infrastructure.
The U-S House should start debating the Farm Bill early next month after the Senate last week passed its version of the 498-billion-dollar, five-year bill. Chuck Hassebrook, executive director of the Center for Rural Affairs, says the Senate’s one-thousand-page version includes some positive elements for rural areas. “The amendments before the full Senate added rural development funding to the bill for beginning farmers, small business development, for small towns who have to update their water and sewer systems,” Hassebrook says. “We’re very pleased by that because as the bill came out of committee, it would’ve been the first (farm) bill in decades to include no funding for rural development.”
The Senate version of the farm bill eliminates the five-billion-dollar a year direct payment subsidy, while the primary farm program is crop insurance. Hassebrook says that’s not good news for family farms or beginning farmers. “There will be no payment limitation what-so-ever on crop insurance,” he says. “If one corporation farms the entire states of Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota, the government would pay 60% of their crop insurance premium on every acre. That’s not only fiscally irresponsible, it essentially subsidizes those big companies to drive out family-sized farms.”
As the debate moves to the House next month, Hassebrook hopes to see more cuts in subsidies to corporate operators and more expansion of rural development funding. “Past farm bills have over-subsidized the biggest farms and underinvested in the future of rural America,” he says. “They’ve underinvested in beginning farmers. They’ve underinvested in rural communities, small business development, and so we’re going to pitch for a farm bill that cuts back on subsidies to mega-farms and invests more in creating a better future in rural America.”
The Farm Bill passed the Senate on a 64-to-35 vote and cuts back Ag spending by about 23-billion dollars over current levels. The Center for Rural Affairs is based in Lyons, Nebraska.
(Radio Iowa)
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa farmers are being urged to watch their cattle for signs of stress as the heat builds across the Midwest. The Iowa Cattlemen’s Association says cattle could be at risk with temperatures around 100 degrees on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. CEO Matte Deppe says cattle rely on respiration more than sweating to cool down, which means producers must also consider other means to keep them comfortable. Some suggestions from Iowa State University Extension include clean fresh water, shade and using a higher percentage of feed in the afternoon. If necessary, farmers should begin sprinkling cattle with water if there are signs of heat stress. Officials say producers who use fans or water on their cattle should continue to use the process until the heat wave breaks.
More than 700 members of the tourism industry have voted Iowa’s Loess Hills Region as the “Best of the West,” in the category of “Watchable Wildlife.” Nominations were solicated in nine categories on the Western Iowa Tourism Region’s website, Survey Monkey, e-mails and community announcements. The winners were announced during the WITR’s annual meeting in Wall Lake. The Loess Hills Region received 150 nominations and 798 votes.
Shirley Phillips, President of the Western Iowa Tourism Region and Director of the Sac County Economic Development Office, said in a press release, that “Tourism is a proven economic driver for Iowa, generating more than $6-billion in revenue and more than 62,000 jobs.” The 200 member WITR organization works to connect communities, attractions and businesses interested in developing and promoting tourism and travel in western Iowa.
WITR is funded by the Iowa Economic Development Authority, County Boards of Supervisors in the region, and private memberships from chambers of commerce and other organizations. Regional bi-monthly meetings, which are held throughout the 36-county area, are open to the public. For more information, visit www.visitwesterniowa.com.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Topsoil in more than half of Iowa’s fields still needs more rain to reach adequate levels. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says in Monday’s weekly report that topsoil in 54 percent of Iowa’s field rated very short or short of adequate moisture. The east-central part of the state was the driest, with 78 percent of the topsoil moisture rated short to very short. The USDA says 68 percent of the corn crop, which is silking in most parts of the state, is in good or excellent condition. The soybean crop is rated 63 percent good to excellent. The USDA report says 98 percent of the state’s oat crop has headed, which is nearly three weeks ahead of normal progression.
DENISON, Iowa (AP) – Officials say an ammonia leak has forced a beef slaughterhouse in western Iowa to close down for a day. A spokesman for Tyson Fresh Meats says the Denison plant is expected to resume operations today (Thursday). The Sioux City Journal reports that the leak was discovered before Wednesday’s production began. Workers were evacuated, and no injuries have been reported.
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