w/ Kate Olsen discussing popular holiday plants.

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Radio Sales Executive

KJAN Radio in Atlantic, IA is looking for a self-motivated, well-organized team player to join our sales staff.  If you enjoy a flexible environment that allows you to meet people, listen to their needs, help them find solutions and make your own paycheck then this job is for you!  Do not apply if you think sales means sitting in the office answering phone calls!

This is a full-time, commissioned sales position with an established territory and room to grow.  KJAN also offers a benefit plan to the successful applicant.  Sales experience is welcomed but we are willing to train the person who best fits this opportunity.

Interested applicants should apply no later than December 31, 2011 by sending a resume and any other applicable information to:
Jim Field
General Manager
KJAN Radio
PO Box 389
Atlantic, IA 50022
712-243-3920
800-283-5526
kjan@metc.net

Two farmers from Page County received the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation’s (IFBF) 2011 Young Farmer Achievement Award, Thursday. The award was presented during the organization’s annual meeting in Des Moines, to Justin and Jennifer Dammann. The Dammanns raise cattle, corn, soybeans, alfalfa and rye on their Century Farm near Essex.

In addition, they offer a number of diversified services including a seed business and custom farming, spraying and harvesting and grain hauling. Justin and his father also run a hay business. Justin and Jennifer have both served the Farm Bureau in various capacities at the local and state levels.

For their award, Justin and Jennifer received a plaque, the use of a John Deere tractor for one year/300 hours or a XT Gator and a 90-day NPNI farm Plan Certificate. They will also receive expense-paid trips to the 2012 American Farm Bureau annual convention in Honolulu (to represent Iowa in the National Young Farmer Achievement competition), the GROWMARK annual meeting in Chicago in August and the IFBF Young Farmer conference in February.

The IFBF’s annual contest honors young farmers who show outstanding management ability in their farming operations and involvement in Farm Bureau and community activities. Second place in the contest went to Tom and Jessica Forbes of Monona County.  The Third place recipients were Mark and Stacy Boender of Mahaska County.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources said Thursday Wildlife biologists killed an elk Wednesday in Crawford County, near Charter Oak. Testing is being done on the elk for chronic wasting disease (CWD), brucellosis and tuberculosis. The animal was killed to protect the health and welfare of the state’s deer herd and domestic livestock.

Dale Garner, chief of the DNR’s wildlife bureau, said “We don’t like having to kill the animal, but at this time, the most reliable method of testing for CWD is from the brain stem which involves putting the animal down.”  Garner added that the department tests thousands of brain stems each year from harvested deer for the disease.

The animal was located by local deer hunters who contacted the DNR. Officials say the hunters were very helpful in keeping tabs on the animal while notification was made to the State Veterinarian’s office with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship to make sure the elk was not an escapee from a local owner.

If the results are negative the meat from the animal will be processed and donated to charitable organizations. Garner said their top concern,  “Is for the health of the state’s deer herd and for domestic livestock. Because once chronic wasting disease (CWD) or bovine tuberculosis (TB) is out there, there is no going back.  For the most part, there will be no happy ending to this situation.”

CWD is a neurological disease affecting cervids, primarily deer and elk. It is caused by an abnormal protein, called a prion that attacks the brains of infected animals, causing them to lose weight, display abnormal behavior and lose bodily functions. Signs include excessive salivation, thirst and urination, loss of appetite, progressive weight loss, listlessness and drooping ears and head.

When an elk sighting report comes in, the DNR works with IDALS to determine status of elk and the best available options. If the elk can be returned to the proper owners, then they are.  If not, they then pose a risk to spreading CWD and/or other diseases and are dispatched.  The elk are tested for CWD and if the tests are negative, the meat is donated to local needy families or a food bank.

Garner says “Having these escapees is more than a minor irritation.  The prion linked to CWD does not go away when the infected animal dies.  It stays active in the soil and contaminated soil can infect other animals. Like CWD, TB is extremely difficult to get rid of and could cost billions of dollars to the livestock industry.”

Garner said Iowa does not have the large land areas typically needed to support an elk herd.  Elk are two to three times the size of an Iowa white tail, averaging between 500 to 700 pounds.

w/ Denny Heflin

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa has a new farmland price record. The Des Moines Register says it happened on Wednesday when a 74-acre tract near Hull in Sioux County in northwest Iowa sold for $20,000 an acre. The previous record was in October when a 120-acre parcel went for $16,750 per acre near Sioux Center, also in Sioux County. Auctioneer Pete Polleman, of Hull, who called Wednesday’s sale, says farmland in northwest Iowa is very valuable, with good commodity prices and a strong livestock industry. Economist emeritus Neil Harl of Iowa State University calls the prices “amazing.”

A survey or real estate agents in September put the state average at $6,477 an acre, an increase of over 30 percent in the last year. ISU will release its annual farmland survey Dec. 14th.

w/ Kate Olsen.  Some tips on picking out and taking care of a live Christmas tree.

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The Iowa DNR says hunting and fishing licenses in the State for 2012 will go on sale Dec. 15th.  The 2011 licenses are valid through Jan. 10th, 2012. Nonresident hunting and fishing licenses go on sale Jan. 1, 2012.  Nonresident 2011 licenses are valid through Dec. 31st, 2011.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says hunters have reported harvesting nearly 61,000 deer so far this fall which is about 10 percent fewer than last year. Fewer deer were taken during the opening weekend of the first shotgun season due partly to less than ideal hunting conditions, but concerned hunters are commenting that they are seeing fewer deer across much of the state.

Iowa’s first shotgun season closes tomorrow (Dec. 7th). The DNR expects that 50,000 hunters will take the field for the second shotgun season which runs from December 10th – 18th. Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.

In areas where deer numbers are down, hunters should work with the landowner to see if the deer population is at a desirable level. Hunters should refrain from taking extra does if deer numbers are reduced. In some areas deer numbers are still strong and can take the extra pressure. The DNR says Hunters are the key to a properly managed Iowa’s deer herd.

Safety First

Blaze orange is required for hunters participating in the shotgun hunts and party hunting is legal. Hunters who hunt in a party should plan their hunt and hunt their plan. They should never shoot if they are unsure of what is beyond the animal they are harvesting. Hunters using blinds during the shotgun seasons are reminded that they are required to display at least 144 square inches of blaze orange that is visible from all directions (see p. 23 of the 2011 Hunting Regulations for more information).

Report Your Harvest

All deer taken must be reported using the harvest reporting system by midnight the day after the deer is recovered.  Accurately reporting the harvest is an important part of Iowa’s deer management program and plays a vital role in managing deer populations and future hunting opportunities. It is also required by law and officers will be checking to see if all deer have been reported.

For hunters with Internet access, the online harvest reporting is the easiest way to register the deer. Hunters can report their deer online at www.iowadnr.gov, by calling the toll free reporting number 1-800-771-4692, or at any license vendor.  

Tagging Antlered Deer

Hunters are reminded that antlered deer must have the transportation tag attached to the antler’s main beam, either at the base or between two points. 

Youth Season Tags

Youth season hunters with an unfilled “any-deer” license from the youth deer season who did not harvest a deer are eligible to hunt during one of the two shotgun seasons. However, the youth hunter must follow the weapons restrictions that are in place during the season and be under the direct supervision of a licensed adult. A youth must harvest and tag their own deer.

The Iowa Farmers Union says Representative Jack Drake, from Griswold, was awarded the 2011 “Friend of the Family Farmer Legislator Award,” during the organization’s Annual Convention held over the weekend, in Ames. Drake, who represents House District 57, serves as chair of the House Agriculture Committee. He’s served in the Iowa House of Representatives since 1992. 

As the chair of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriation Subcommittee, the IFU says he was instrumental in ensuring the structure and funding was present for the Local Food and Farm Plan.  The groups says Drake’s knowledge of the need for expanded agricultural markets in Iowa aided tremendously in the passage of the bill’s language. Iowa Farmers Union President Chris Petersen said at the convention “The Iowa Farmers Union is proud to honor Representative Jack Drake’s contribution to Iowa’s rural communities and promotion of a healthier local food system this year.”

Nearly 100 Iowans gathered for the event, which was co-sponsored by Iowa State University’s Sustainable Agriculture Student Association. They discussed the state and federal policies that affect farm operations and rural communities.  The awards ceremony recognized nine individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary efforts in support of family farms, local food and the growth of sustainable agriculture in Iowa over the past year.