Riverton, Iowa- A delay in the delivery of the precast concrete and new metal screw gate required to replace the failing Spring Creek outlet at the Riverton Wildlife Area will impact the ability for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to pump water on to the main marsh, north of county road J46.

“The materials were supposed to arrive in plenty of time to complete the outlet replacement so we could begin pumping on the normal start date of August 15, but that didn’t happen,” said Matt Dollison, wildlife biologist with the Iowa DNR’s Nishnabotna Wildlife Unit. The new expected completion date when pumping will begin is around September 1.

The delay will not impact the ability to pump water onto the Jensen Tract, south of the highway.

“The teal only season hunting opportunity north of the highway is going to be limited, but it will be business as usual south of town, so if the teal show up, there should be some good hunting on the Jenson Tract,” Dollison said.

He said they are monitoring the water levels in the East and West Nishnabotna rivers, which are the sources for water pumped into the Riverton area.

“Since we began pumping here, the rivers have been able to provide water for Riverton, and we are optimistic that will be the case again this year,” he said.

Staff have disked the holes on Riverton and the habitat looks excellent ahead of the regular duck season, he said. “There should be good hunting on the entire marsh for the regular duck seasons. The water may just be a little lower than normal up north.”

The National Weather Service forecast is calling for hot and humid air to flow into Iowa this weekend and it could stick around through the middle of next week. The conditions might be uncomfortable for humans and animals and they could potentially pose a problem for corn producers as well. Farmer Dave Rossman from Hartley, in northwest Iowa, says this year has been a mixed bag that started out cold and dry.

Recent rains helped, and usually corn thrives with heat and humidity, but Rossman worries about the heat and wind.

Breezy conditions could offset the humidity.

The most recent U-S-D-A crop report shows both corn and soybeans rated 58-percent, good to excellent, with one-third falling into the fair category. Rossman says his soybeans do have early signs of disease.

The Iowa Barn Foundation will hold their annual All-State Barn Tour on September 16th and 17th with 72 historic barns across the state open for touring inside and out. Many of the owners and family members will be on hand to share the stories behind their barns, which served as the central hub of activity on the farm. The Iowa countryside will be one expansive museum with barns located across the state. The self-guided tour is free and open to the public.

The Iowa Barn Foundation is especially excited to have a record eight round barns on the tour this year, which are the most unique and rare type of barns built in the state. Out of the approximately 200,000 barns built in Iowa, only 250 were round (including octagonal and multi-sided) representing just 0.13% of all barns built. Only 74 of Iowa’s round barns remain standing today, and many in various states of disrepair. Each of the 8 restored round barns on the tour are unique works of art, and visitors will leave with a great appreciation of the craftsmanship that went into their construction.

Why were round barns built? The largest surge in Iowa round barn construction came in 1910-1920 after they were promoted by universities, including Iowa State, for dairy operations. The circular interior layout was pitched as more efficient for the farmer to work in a circular pattern, accentuated by a central silo. Material efficiency in construction and greater structural stability were also key advantages cited. The enthusiasm for these barns was short-lived. Many of the efficiency claims were largely overstated and offset by more complicated and expensive construction methods. Construction largely ended as the 1920s came to a close.

The 1883 Secrest Octagonal Barn in Johnson County received an Award of Distinction in 2023, and it is joining the fall tour for the first time. The three-story bank barn is like no other barn in the world featuring an 8-sided bell-shaped roof topped with a cupola 72 feet above the ground. All eight of the round barns offer a glimpse into a unique period of agriculture history in our state. Don’t forget about the 64 other historic barns to visit as well, each with their own story to tell.

Full tour details can be found online at https://iowabarnfoundation.org/barn-tour/2023-fall

w/Kate Olson.

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The Cass County Conservation Board is holding a “Terrariums- Make & Take” program at the Campground Shelter at Cold Springs Park in Lewis on Saturday August 26^th at 2:00 p.m. Participants will be building closed Terrariums. Everything needed will be provided for a suggested donation of $10, limited class size of 10 terrariums.

Call 712-769-2372 to sign up before Thursday, August 24th.

The Cass County Conservation Board is sponsoring a “Breakfast with the Birds” Program at Sunnyside Park, Camblin’s Addition Shelter in Atlantic on August 19th at 9:00 a.m. Cassie Wendl, Educator at S.O.A.R. Saving Our Avian Resources, will show and discuss several of her permanently injured birds and will hopefully have one that is fully recovered and ready to release back into the wild.

The event is open to the public and a free will donation will be accepted. Donations help support raptors and conservation education.

Continuing the upward streak, the Iowa Governor’s Charity Steer Show exceeded the previous year’s fundraising total donated to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Iowa. This year’s event raised $501,000. Including this year’s donations, the Iowa Governor’s Charity Steer Show has raised almost $5.5 million since the event’s inception in 1983.

All money raised benefits the three independent Ronald McDonald House Charities of Iowa, located in Des Moines, Iowa City, and Sioux City. These three houses have served over 55,000 families from all 50 states and 62 foreign countries. Families from all 99 counties in Iowa have benefited from the Ronald McDonald Houses of Iowa.

This event, hosted by the Office of the Governor of Iowa, Iowa Cattlemen’s Association, and Iowa Beef Industry Council, is another example of the care the beef cattle industry has for our state, rural communities, and those in need. The youth exhibitors, their families, sponsors, celebrities, and buyers should be proud of their effort given to this year’s event. Their impact through volunteering, donations, and dedication created yet another successful show and fundraising outcome.

The 41^st Iowa Governor’s Charity Steer Show was held on August 12 in the Livestock Pavilion at the Iowa State Fair. Winners in four categories were recognized in the show ring – Community Hero, Grand Champion Showman, People’s Choice, and Judge’s Grand Champion. This year’s event hosted 24 sponsored steers, shown by their youth exhibitor and a local celebrity.

The Community Hero Award recognizes the youth exhibitor that goes above and beyond collecting non-monetary donations and creating awareness for the event. This year two exceptional youth exhibitors were recognized for their efforts. Will Vlasek from Cedar Rapids and Colbie Fevold of Gladbrook were both honored with the Community Hero Award for collecting non-perishable donations, pop tabs, and sharing information about the event on social media. Will was sponsored by Eastern Iowa Ronald McDonald House and Quad Cities McDonald’s and showed with celebrity, Rebecca Kopelman, a meteorologist from KGAN. Colbie was sponsored by Iowa Premium and showed with the 2022 Tama County Fair Queen, Kaylynn Murty.

Our showmanship contest was judged by Dr. Dan Loy, who recently retired from the Iowa State Beef Center. He commented that showmanship is a partnership between the steer, the youth exhibitor, and the celebrity. He awarded Emma Wayson of Mount Auburn, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, and Junior the steer, with Grand Champion Showman. Emma, Secretary Naig, and Junior were sponsored by Benton County Cattlemen and Local Supporters.

A fan favorite, the People’s Choice Award, gives the audience and team supporters a voice in the competition as they help select the winner of this event. Show emcees, Bob Quinn with WHO Radio and Duane Murley with KWMT AM 540, worked through the steers and had the crowd on their feet and cheering loud for their favorite. In the end, it was the 2022 Iowa State Fair Queen, Mary Ann Fox, and her youth partner, Taylor Quade from Charles City, along with her steer, Max, that took the award home. Mary Ann, Taylor, and Max were sponsored by Friends of Floyd County.

Finally, the most prestigious award of the show, the Judge’s Grand Champion, was selected. Brad Pellett from Atlantic, Iowa had the hardest task of working through and judging the stellar lineup of steers and showman. Celebrity Blake Boldon, Franklin P Johnson director of the Drake Relays and senior associate athletic director at Drake University, and his youth partner, Tyson Mohr from Ladora, received the honor. Batman, the winning steer, along with Blake and Tyson were sponsored by Dee Zee, Inc.

Following the show, a live auction was conducted to raise funds through the sale of each steer and some additional value-added items donated by industry supporters and celebrities. These funds were added to the donations received by each youth participant, resulting in the $501,000 donation going to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Iowa.

Thank you to Governor Kim Reynolds for her continued dedication to this event and for her partnership with Iowa beef cattle producers. This event is a rewarding and humbling experience for all that participate. While the financial results are exceptional, the connection our participants, their families, and volunteers experience to the bigger picture of service the Iowa Governor’s Charity Steer Show offers to fellow Iowans and beyond is monumental.

For a list of sponsors, youth exhibitors, steers, celebrities, donors/buyers, and funds raised by each, please click here.

(Radio Iowa) The 2023 Iowa State Fair Queen will take a break from her duties on Saturday — to show cattle at the fair. Eighteen-year-old Kalayna Durr of New London showed her sheep Monday morning — without the crown.

Durr, the queen of the Henry County Fair, was crowned Iowa State Fair Queen this past Saturday night.

In what little spare time she’s had since Saturday, Durr has been shopping for new clothes to go with the new crown she wears at dozens of State Fair events every day.

Durr’s reign as State Fair Queen does not end when the fair ends Sunday. She plans to break a record set by 2022 State Fair Queen Mary Ann Fox.

Fox visited 76 county fairs in the state this past summer. Durr is a 2023 graduate of New London High School. She plans to get an associate degree in ag business at Des Moines Area Community College, then transfer to Iowa State University to earn a degree in ag education.

(Radio Iowa) Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Junior says it makes no sense to provide federal tax credits to ANY of the three proposed carbon pipeline projects.

Kennedy says the pipelines will not address climate change, since carbon from proposed Summit pipeline will be used to extract fossil fuel from oil fields in North Dakota and Canada. Kennedy says the Iowa Utilities Board should not grant eminent domain authority so the pipeline companies can force unwilling landowners to sign easement contracts. Kennedy describes the projects as a transfer of wealth from taxpayers to oil companies, ethanol producers and pipeline developers.

Kennedy held a town hall forum at a farm near Council Bluffs yesterday (Sunday) and campaigned at the State Fair Saturday. Iowa Democratic Party chair Rita Hart says anyone challenging President Biden is welcome to campaign in the state, but Hart says Kennedy has made concerning comments suggesting the COVID virus was genetically engineered to spare Chinese people and Jews whose ancesters lived in central and eastern Europe.

(Radio Iowa-John Slegers) One of the biggest buyers of Iowa corn is planning to cut off most of its purchases in 2024, though diplomatic efforts are still underway that aim to bring about a change in policy. Fourth District Iowa Congressman Randy Feenstra says he recently met with our nation’s top trade ambassador to Mexico, and so far, there’s no movement on Mexico shifting its stance on plans to ban the majority of American corn.

Feenstra, a Republican from Hull, says the window of opportunity is slowly closing around engagement with Mexico.

Mexico is phasing out its use of G-M-O or genetically modified corn next year, though about 90-percent of all corn grown in the U-S is G-M-O corn. Feenstra says the looming ban, prompted by Mexico’s president, is in violation of the U-S-Canada-Mexico Free Trade Agreement.