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!
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The latest U.S. Drought Monitor map shows conditions have worsened in the Corn Belt states of Iowa and Nebraska. The map shows extreme drought has spread further into the western half of Iowa and covers all but a small section of southeast Nebraska, where severe drought is occurring. A few counties in central Nebraska are still listed as being under exceptional drought conditions. The drought map is a project shared by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Weather Service. The latest map is based on conditions as of 6 a.m. Tuesday, so it doesn’t reflect rainfall from storms that passed through parts of both states later Tuesday and on Wednesday.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Livestock farmers and ranchers seeing their feed costs soar because of the worst drought in decades are demanding that the Environmental Protection Agency waive production requirements for corn-based ethanol. The Obama administration sees no need for a waiver, siding with corn growers — many of them in presidential election battleground states Iowa and Ohio — who continue to support the requirement. The livestock industry argues that at a time when supplies are precarious, the large share of the corn crop going to ethanol production is driving up prices and driving them out of business. The Renewable Fuel Standard, enacted in 2005 and then significantly expanded in 2007, requires that 13.2 billion gallons of corn starch-derived biofuel be produced in 2012.
The Iowa State Fair begins Thursday, but hundreds of people are already camping on the fairgrounds. Kevin Muxfeldt of Story City started setting up his family’s campsite last Saturday. “There’s so much to do here that I don’t want to have a heart attack,” he says, “so I take my time, get everything all set up and leveled up.”
The Muxfeldts have two adjacent camping spots. He and his wife stay in one camper and his mother — 80-year-old Aretta, of Webster City — stays in the other. Green indoor/outdoor carpeting covers the space between the campers and Muxfeldt tacked it down with laths so the wind doesn’t whip the carpeting away. “This is like Grand Central Station,” he says of the spot. “We have three-quarter-inch plywood picnic tables on both sides, lawn chairs all over the place. I’ve got the ice cream maker here.”
Muxfeldt was sitting in one of those lawn chairs, relaxing underneath an awning on Monday afternoon, as an electric fan sitting on one of those picnic tables stirred up the air. Muxfeldt has two words for those who’d like to start camping at the fair. “Good luck,” he said. “If you get these spots and you give ’em up, it’s like Green Bay Packers tickets. You’ll never get it back because there’s a waiting list a mile long wanting to get reserved spots here because we have electricity, we have water and about 13 years ago I came in and we have sewer hook-up, so we have all the comforts of home.”
The Muxfeldt family has the two spots closest to the east gate that leads from the campgrounds into the fairgrounds. Muxfeldt’s mother secured their prime location 35 years ago, when one of the two spots was mainly occupied by a huge oak tree. That tree was knocked down by a tornado several years ago, making more room for two campers.
(Radio Iowa)
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – The Army Corps of Engineers is again reducing its prediction for how much water will flow down the Missouri River this year because of the drought. The corps now predicts 21 million acre-feet of runoff this year in the 2,341-mile-long river that flows from Montana through North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri. That forecast is about 85 percent of normal, and well below last year’s record amount of 61.2 million acre-feet of runoff. Flooding along the river last year caused massive damage, but this year the amount of snowmelt and rain flowing into the river is below normal. Some of the extra water stored in reservoirs along the river has been used to provide enough water for navigation, power and other uses of the river.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa State Fair officials are on alert but not overly worried about swine flu cases showing up at the fair as it begins Thursday. Animals have been passing a new swine flu strain on to humans. Officials say more than two dozen human cases of the new strain have been confirmed in the U.S. in the past year. Ten cases confirmed last week were linked to the Butler County Fair in southwest Ohio.
Iowa State Fair manager Gary Slater, says that the state veterinarian has been checking fairground preparations before up to 3,500 pigs start arriving today (Tuesday). Each animal must have papers from its local veterinarian, attesting to the animal’s health. Slater says any pig that appears to be sick will be sent home if necessary.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s crops continue to decline as the drought tightens its grip on key farm states. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says 49 percent of the corn crop is in poor to very poor condition. Last week, it was 46 percent. Just 16 percent is rated good or excellent. The USDA says 37 percent of the soybean crop is in bad shape. That compares to 30 percent a week ago. The dry summer is also taking a toll on Iowa’s pastureland, with 86 percent rated poor or very poor. Storms arrived late Friday and Saturday with over 2 inches of rain in eastern Iowa. The statewide average for the week was 0.62 inches, or two-thirds of the normal. Audubon got 0.01 inches of rain, ending a streak of 41 dry days. In Atlantic, we received just one-tenth of an inch of rain Saturday, ending our dry streak of 37 days.
Officials with the USDA and ISU Extension are inviting livestock producers to attend the 2012 Greenhorn Grazing series of seminars at the Adair County Extension office. The sessions will build on those sessions that were held in May and June, and will especially be of interest to new participants. The sessions take place August 23rd, September 13th and November 15th, beginning at 10-a.m. each day. The cost of $20 per person for each session, includes lunch.
Organizer Joe Sellers, and ISU Extension beef program specialist with the Iowa Beef Center, says the August 23rd session features several presentations on fencing and watering technologies, fence laws, and forage quality, which includes harvesting drought crop silage and green chop. A pasture walk-through will include a display and demonstration of electric fencing and watering options.
The September session will cover such topics as pasture leasing, planning for stockpiled grazing, mineral supplements, winter feed planning and, a weed and brush control demonstration. The final session in November, covers stockpiled grazing, cornstalk grazing, and winter feeding strategies that include drought corn silage.
For more information about the southwest Iowa Greenhorn Grazing sessions, call Joe Sellers at 641-203-1270, or e-mail him at sellers@iastate.edu, or NRCS Grasslands Specialist Rick Sprague at 712-542-8765 (e-mail richard.sprague@ia.usda.gov).
Iowa crop and livestock producers are invited to attend an Iowa State University Extension and Outreach webinar Tuesday, Aug. 21st, to learn about grain quality issues and marketing options related to drought. The Guthrie County extension office will be hosting the 1-3 p.m. webinar. There is no charge to attend the webinar.
Mark Licht, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Field Agronomist specialist, says “As we near harvest, the attention has shifted to grain quality issues,” said. “ISU Extension and Outreach specialists will talk about the quality issues farmers can expect, their marketing options and how crop insurance will address reduced value. Just as important, livestock producers should be prepared for potential feeding challenges of off-quality grain.”
In addition, ISU Extension and Outreach specialists will look to the future and provide the outlook for crop and livestock prices. They also will discuss planning for the 2013 crop, including land lease considerations and the impact of drought on fall fertility decisions for the 2013 crop, according to Licht. Farm safety considerations during drought also will be discussed.
The Guthrie County extension office and county extension offices around the state are hosting the webinar. The Guthrie County Extension & Outreach office is located at 212 State St., Guthrie Center, Iowa. Time has been allowed for questions and answers following the presentations. The webinar will be recorded and made available on the ISU Extension and Outreach website www.extension.iastate.edu/.
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
RSS