(Radio Iowa) – Staff in the Iowa Department of Natural Resources have drafted tougher rules for manure storage at any new livestock confinements or cattle feedlots in parts of northeast Iowa. The regulations would apply in areas where the bedrock is closer to the surface and it can be porous. Under current rules for these areas, manure from livestock operations must be stored in concrete structures. If the changes are adopted, the distance from the concrete bottom of any NEW manure pit and the bedrock would have to triple from at least five feet to 15 feet.

Attorney Eldon McAfee represents the Iowa Pork Producers and the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association. He says the changes could end expansion of livestock operations in northeast Iowa. “We could have producers who can’t build livestock operations with concrete manure storage on their farms,” McAfee says, “and that is very important to that area.” More than a dozen environmental groups say the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Michael Schmidt is a staff attorney with the Iowa Environmental Council.

“We are calling on DNR to do a better job regulating all of this manure to reduce the nitrogen, phosphorus and bacteria that enters our drinking water sources, our groundwater, our lakes, rivers and streams,” he says. It will be a few months before any proposed rules — whatever they may be — could be presented to the legislative committee that approves or blocks all state regulations.

The D-N-R is accepting informal comments on the proposed changes until late Friday afternoon. After that, there’s a formal public comment period and a possible rewrite of the proposed rules. The Iowa Environmental Protection Commission has to vote on any changes. Finally, a committee in the legislature that reviews all state regulations will either approve or block any proposed changes.

Atlantic, Iowa (October 19, 2022) – After one of the most well-attended summer farmers markets seasons, Produce in the Park is now accepting vendor applications for this year’s holiday markets. Holiday markets have been scheduled for the following days: Harvest Market (Nov. 21, 2022, the Monday Before Thanksgiving), Christmas Market (Dec. 22, 2022), Sweetheart Market (Feb. 11, 2023), and Spring Celebration Market (April 6, 2023).

Cass County Farmer’s Market Coordinator Brigham Hoegh says “These farmers markets are scheduled just before holidays, so customers can pick up local produce, baked goods, and meats to enjoy at their holiday meals. The markets also offer seasonal decorations, candles, soaps, and gifts by local crafters and artisans, in addition to the chance to grab dinner from favorite food trucks.” Vendors can find the application for all holiday markets at www.produceintheparkatlanticiowa.com, or pick up a printed copy of the form at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce. Vendors who register for all four holiday markets receive a discount. Vendor and food truck fees start at $25 dollars per market.

Hoege says while Harvest Market has been a long-standing tradition, Christmas Market, Sweetheart Market, and Spring Celebration Market were introduced in 2020. The additional holiday markets have seen strong sales and positive customer feedback. Shoppers have been delighted to find local produce available year-round, appreciate the chance to stock up on other local foods throughout the winter, and enjoy incorporating local products into winter holiday celebrations. Also, based on positive customer feedback, Produce in the Park will again be offering online pre-ordering at all four holiday markets this season. 

This year, Harvest Market and Spring Celebration Market will be held at the Cass County Community Center and Christmas Market and Sweetheart Market will be held at the Nishna
Valley Family YMCA.

Holiday farmers markets are sponsored by annual sponsors Atlantic Community Promotion Commission, First Whitney Bank and Trust, Cass Health, Deter Motor Co., and Cass County
Tourism. Harvest Market is also being sponsored by Cass County Farm Bureau, and Christmas Market is being sponsored by Meyer & Gross. Produce in the Park continues to welcome
additional sponsors for Sweetheart and Spring Celebration Markets. Businesses and organizations interested in sponsorship should contact Market Manager Brigham Hoegh at
produceintheparkatlanticiowa@gmail.com or 712-249-5870.

A full list of holiday market event details, vendors, and information on pre-ordering will be available online at the Produce in the Park website www.produceintheparkatlanticiowa.com
closer to the market dates. Follow Produce in the Park on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ProduceInThePark) or Instagram
(https://www.instagram.com/produceintheparkatlanticia/) for the latest information.

w/Kate Olson.

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(Radio Iowa) – Harvest season is underway in Iowa with drought conditions ranging from severe to extreme — and forecasts show those conditions will likely continue well into winter. Meteorologist Dennis Todey, director of the U-S-D-A’s Midwest Climate Hub in Ames, says there are a few benefits to the dry weather, like how the tractors aren’t getting mired in mud. “People, when they’re ready to harvest, are going to be able to get out and harvest because there’s nothing really slowing them down,” Todey says, “though the thing that may slow them down in some cases is that beans may be too dry or something like that. I was hearing people waiting until the evening when it’s a little more humid to do some harvesting.” Todey says the soil continues to dry out and dry deeper across wide sections of Iowa.

“Soils are very dry at this point,” he says, “so soil moisture recharge is a concern and a very serious concern because of some dryness expanding all the way back into 2021 that we didn’t quite recover from completely.” Todey says there are a number of harvest time hazards for farmers and passing motorists due to the dry conditions. “I was driving through southern Minnesota last night and somebody was doing a bean field that looked like there was a fog over the bean field because there was so much dust kicked up,” he say. “I saw somebody tweet, too, that it was a good thing that they had auto-steer because I’m not sure they could see where they were going because of the dust that’s being kicked up. So, multitude of problems because of very severe drought.”

Many locations in Iowa are now showing six-to-eight-inch precipitation deficits for the year.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City of Atlantic’s Parks and Recreation Department Board of Directors, Monday evening, received a check from the Atlantic Rotary Club, for improvements to the Ross Camblin Addition at Sunnyside Park, such as sandblasting the shelter and repainting it. Ross Camblin is the great uncle of Atlantic businessman Bob Camblin. He served on the Parks Board 55-years, from 1918 to 1973.

Bob Camblin said his uncle was “A visionary and he liked to take action and get things done.” Ross was also a founding member of the Atlantic Rotary Club. The Rotary Board wanted to make a connection between what Ross Camblin did back then, and the impact he had on Sunnyside Park.

Atlantic Parks & Rec Board Mtg., 10-17-22

Rotary President Ruth Sears presented a check for $2,500 to City Clerk Barb Barrick.

The check is just the first of many annual installment payments to come. By-the-way, Ruth noted that Bob Camblin has been a member of the Rotary for 55 years, as well as past President. In other business, the Parks and Rec Board approved an agreement with Snyder and Associates Engineers, for the engineering aspect of the future splash pad, which includes surveying, site layout and other aspects of the design phase. The agreement is in the amount of $35,800, $11,500 of which will from the pool planning section of the budget. The rest comes from the Local Option Sales Tax and Hotel/Motel Tax Park Reserve fund.

Byrant Rasmussen receives a $2,500 from Atlantic Rotary President Ruth Sears.

They also agreed to install flag pole landscaping at the Schildberg Rec Area, near the shelter on the west side of the lake by the parking lot. In his report to the Board, Parks Director Bryant Rasmussen said the Tour De Parks last Saturday was a big hit, with people coming from all over southwest Iowa to partake in the free event.

Another free event is the Zombie Run on Oct. 29, from 5-until 9-p.m., at the Schildberg Recreation Area. Assistant to Bryant Rasmussen, Jeff Christensen, explained how the event will unfold.

Bryant Rasmussen thanked the Atlantic Kiwanis for putting in a new flag pole at Sunnyside Park near the historic school house.

This was the last Parks and Rec Board meeting for Byrant Rasmussen, who has accepted a position in Mills County with the USDA’s Soil and Water Conservation District. Board President Jolene Smith thanked him for his hard work and dedication, and programs he’s established for people of all ages. Rasmussen’s last day in Atlantic is Friday.

(Lewis, Iowa) – The Atlantic FFA chapter competed in the Southwest Iowa District Soils Judging Contest at the Armstrong Research Farm in Lewis on Wednesday, September 21st. There were 188 FFA members that made up 46 teams from 23 schools at the Soils Career Development Event.

Atlantic FFA had 11 individuals compete in 3 teams. Team 1 which consisted of Brent Masker, Brett Dreager, Daniel Freund and DJ Shepperd got 10th place overall and earned a gold rating. “It was a fun experience and you get a chance to see different dirt each year,” said team member Daniel Freund.

Team 2 placed 12th with team members Callee, Pellett, Charli Goff, Clarie Pellett and Mary McCurdy placed 12th. Callee Pellett said, “I had fun. It was a good experience and I would like to do it again next year.“ Team 3 consisted of Colton Rudy, Charles Klemmensen and joaquin Wailes placed 27th.

Team members back row from left to right are:
SW District Treasurer Dylan Comes, Joaquin Wailes, Charles Klemmensen, Daniel Freund, DJ Shepperd, Brent Masker, COlton Rudy, SW District VP Colin Bauer, SW State President George Martin,
Front row Callee Pellett, Claire Pellett, Brett Dreager, Mary McCurdy, Charli Goff

The Soils Judging Career Development Event is designed towards motivating students to gain knowledge on surface features, the soil profile, land capability and productivity, evaluation of land use and management practices, and suitability of soils for nonagricultural uses. Students also develop the ability to observe selected soil properties, and use these observations to interpret and evaluate these properties for recommendations for land use.

Mary McCurdy said, “It was a lot of fun! 10 out of 10 and I would do it again.” After the contest took place, Mr. Miller, the Atlantic FFA advisor, felt good about the day’s competition. “I was impressed with the way our students performed. They made a lot of improvement in a very short amount of time.”

(Reporting by Atlantic FFA Advisor Eric Miller)

(By FFA Reporter Charli Goff) – Each year, the Southwest District and Iowa FFA officers plan and facilitate Greenhand Fire Up Conferences for FFA members in the Southwest District. The workshops were leadership focused with an emphasis on the experiences that occur in the lives of beginning high school students These workshops are geared toward engaging members into FFA as the year kicks up. Atlantic welcomed 29 FFA chapters and 362 from all over the Southwest District on Wednesday, October 12th.

Atlantic FFA member Dylan Comes, the Southwest State Treasurer for the Iowa FFA Association, helped with other officers prepare and facilitated workshops of: authenticity, balancing priorities, communication, and FFA opportunities – in order to provide the first-year FFA members with skills they would use both within and outside of FFA. Comes said “It was great to see all of the younger members interacting with each other from a facilitators point of view.” “It was fun to meet new people and I made a lot of new friends. I also learned about FFA.” Miraylie Stuart.

Photo submitted

The goal was to engage FFA members in learning about the tools that would allow them to be successful in anything they are part of through high school and beyond. The goal was to engage FFA members in learning about the tools that would allow them to be successful in anything they are part of through high school and beyond. “It’s an easy way to learn the basics of FFA. I also had a lot of fun meeting new people” said Atlantic FFA freshman Mckenna Schroeder. Olivia Olson said, “It was fun meeting new people and talking to other FFA members to see what they do in their chapter.”

(Radio Iowa) – D-N-R Conservation and Recreation Division Administrator, Pete Hildreth, gave the Natural Resources Commission an update on recent mountain lion sightings during their meeting Thursday. He told the N-R-C members the advent of trail and other cameras has led to more videos showing the animals. “The department continues to receive reports of large canines, such as mountain lions, and therefore you may have heard about, heard in the news, about a recent video and report down by Warren Madison County border,” Hildreth says. He says the number of mountain lions in the state is still very small.

“Based on reports, we estimate that there are five to seven mountain lions in Iowa at this time. Between 1995 and 2021, there have been 34 mountain lion sightings in Iowa,” he says. Hildreth says the animals are capable of moving long distances across the state. “No documented self-sustaining populations of mountain lions live in Iowa. Most mountain lions who wander into Iowa can be traced back to South Dakota, Wyoming, and Nebraska,” according to Hildreth. He says the D-N-R’s goals are to notify the public in a timely manner of sightings, and provide technical assistance to individuals and communities regarding the best available scientific information. Hildreth says are some key things they always point out.

“Mountain lions generally avoid humans, and sightings of them are rare. There have been no fatal mountain lion attacks in Iowa in the last 110 years,” Hildreth says. He says one thing he hears is that people are more apt to be killed by a dog or struck by lightning than being attacked by a mountain lion. Hildreth said he wanted to update the commission after all the news and social media reports of the recent camera footage of the mountain lions in Madison County.

(Western Iowa) – Crews in western and southwest Iowa kept busy Thursday afternoon, battling the wind and flames that spurred two separate large field fires. The fires occurred within a couple of hours of one another. One of the incidents involved a soybean field in northwestern Audubon County. Firefighters from Manning, Manilla, Irwin, Defiance, Kirkman, and Audubon responded to the scene. Shelby County Emergency Management noted on their social media page, that “It was fast moving,” and that crews “did a GREAT job stopping it from getting to the next field of standing corn!!!!”

Click on the images to enlarge

Photos via Shelby County EMA Facebook page

Henderson, Emerson, Hastings, Stanton firefighters were paged out Thursday, to the area of Highway 34 and A Avenue in Montgomery County, where a large corn field fire was occurring. Some equipment was burning in that incident as well. Crews battled the flames for at least three hours before they were brought under control. 

No injuries were reported from either incident.

(Radio Iowa) – New bird flu cases have been reported this fall in Minnesota, South Dakota and Nebraska. The virus hasn’t resurfaced in Iowa since May, but experts are cautioning it could come back as wild birds migrate.  “We can expect that as birds, you know, pass through Iowa and head south, that they may still be harboring the virus.” That’s State wildlife veterinarian Rachel Ruden. She says while bird flu hadn’t been making wild bird sick, a more severe form of the virus has been circulating and that strain has hung around. Iowa State University Extension wildlife specialist Adam Janke says another reason for heightened risk is that birds migrate a lot slower this time of year.

“They’re just trying to survive through the fall and winter,” he says, “and then come spring, they start to focus narrowly on reproduction and that means they need to get north really fast.”Janke says November is the peak time for water fowl, like ducks and geese, to migrate through Iowa. State and federal officials have been surveying healthy birds being harvested by hunters. In September, the bird flu virus was detected in three small ducks that were shot in western Iowa.

The hunting season for blue-wing, green-wing and cinnamon-wing teal ducks was in the first half of September.

(Reporting by Iowa Public Radio’s Katie Peikes)