(Atlantic, Iowa) – Cass County Extension will be celebrating all things 4-H during National 4-H Week October 2-8. Now is the time of year for youth to join and participate in 4-H, a worldwide youth development program, hosted in Iowa by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Keep an eye out for Cass County 4-H members, volunteers, and supporters showing their 4-H pride during National 4-H Week. Many of the local 4-H clubs will be creating window displays in local businesses. Other clubs will be doing special events and activities during the week such as wearing 4-H shirts to school or doing service projects around their community!

In addition, the Iowa 4-H Foundation and Cass County 4-H are partnering to host the Iowa 4-H Giving Day (www.iowa4Hgivingday.org), a special 24-hour event, on October 4th and 5th from Noon to Noon during National 4-H Week. Each year on Iowa 4-H Giving Day, supporters and alumni across the state come together to financially support Iowa’s largest youth organization, to ensure these opportunities continue to be available to youth across the state and at the county level. 4-H supporters can donate online or in person to support programs at the county or state level!

To wrap up National 4-H Week, Cass County 4-H will be hosting a Fall Fest on Sunday, October 9 from 2-4 PM at the Cass County Fairgrounds followed by a 4K Fun Run. 4-Her’s will be on hand to celebrate 4-H as well as invite new/potential 4-Her’s to join in the fun and see what 4-H all is about. All members of the community are invited to come out for an afternoon of family fun!

Katie Bateman, County Youth Coordinator with Cass County Extension says “We have a variety of fun activities planned which will showcase some of the project areas with hands-on activities, games and fun at our Fall Fest October 9th!. We will have youth hosting game booths, a hayride, plinko, a scavenger hunt and much more. A 4-H information booth and snacks will be available from 2-4pm. Following the Fall Fest, we are hosting a 4-K for 4-H starting at 4:00pm. You can sign up for the run or a 1-mile fun-run/walk option at the Youth Council Booth from 2-3:30pm at Fall Fest!”

Fall Fest will be a fun event for all ages to come out and celebrate National 4-H Week! Details about National 4-H week events are located on the Cass County Extension Website, www.extension.iastate.edu/cass. You are invited to follow Cass County 4-H on Facebook page, www.facebook.com/CassCoIAExt or search for “Cass County Iowa 4H” on Instagram. We will feature our club activities, share 4-H trivia and more on these social media pages throughout the week.

Bateman says “4-H is a year round program for youth in grades kindergarten through 12. National 4-H Week is a great time to show some the wonderful things 4-H offers to youth. In fact, research has shown that young people in 4-H are nearly four times as likely to contribute to their communities and are twice as likely to engage in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs during after school time.”

4-H is active in each of Iowa’s 99 counties and empowers youth to reach their full potential through many different types of experiences including photography, music, woodworking, sewing, livestock and horticulture. 4-H grows confidence, creativity, curiosity, courage, character and much more in youth. 4-H allows youth to use the skills that they learn to go out and make a positive difference in their communities.

Cass County 4-H has more than 300 4-H youth and 100 volunteers involved in the program. Interested in joining 4-H? Contact the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132 or visit the Cass County Extension website at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass.

(Radio Iowa) – Officials in 44 Iowa counties have now taken action to express concerns about the three proposed carbon pipelines. In the last week, the Adair and Floyd County Boards of Supervisors have sent letters to state regulators. Floyd County Supervisor Linda Tjaden says the proposed Summit and Navigator pipeline routes pass through Floyd County.

The letters express concern about training for emergency crews who’d have to respond to pipeline ruptures, as well as potential construction damage to land and drainage tiles. The letter about the Summit route also mentions it would pass through the Avenue of the Saints Development Park in Charles City and the pipeline could damage electrical, water and sewage utilities in the area.

The letter from the Floyd County supervisors also expresses concern about the use of eminent domain for a private purpose. State law allows pipeline developers to apply for eminent domain authority to gain access to properties where landowners have refused to grant voluntary easements.

The Adair County Board of Supervisors has sent the Iowa Utilities Board a letter, saying the board is not oppose to the purpose or construction of the pipeline, but is opposed to eminent domain being used as a way of achieving it. None of the three proposed pipeline routes run through Adair County, but there are nearby ethanol plants in Menlo and Corning. If those facilities are connected to a carbon capture pipeline in the future, the route would likely pass through Adair County.

(Radio Iowa) A judge has struck down a state law that enhanced the penalty for trespassing at an ag-related business if the person took pictures or recorded video that was shared. Animal welfare groups had sued the state over the law aimed at those who’ve used undercover video of livestock confinements and dog breeding facilities to allege the animals were being mistreated. Two previous state laws with the same goals have been blocked by federal courts. Critics say the laws could be used to shield unsafe working conditions or animal neglect. Supporters of the law say farmers are being smeared and hurt financially by unfounded accusations. The Iowa Capital Dispatch was first to report that a federal judge ruled that private property rights are an important governmental interest, but taking photos and recording videos is protected speech under the First Amendment.

w/Kate Olson.

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ATLANTIC, IA – The Atlantic Lions Club is back at Produce in the Park this week with free putt-putt golf. People of all ages are invited to enjoy mini golf, but you don’t have to play to enjoy it. It is a treat to see all the clever ways kids use the golf clubs to hit the ball and their persistence and concentration while
the work to get a hole in… 20?

In addition to free mini golf, this week at the market in the park visitors will find live music, a guest chef, visiting organizations providing helpful information and activities, and lots of delicious, fresh, local produce. Free taste tests of snack peppers will be offered to all. Snack peppers are sweet, crunchy peppers that come in a variety of colors and take almost no preparation—a win for anyone. While many shoppers are most familiar with green peppers, many folks find yellow, orange, or red peppers to be their favorites. As long as they aren’t specific hot pepper varieties, yellow, orange, and red peppers tend to be sweeter. Thursday is a great chance to taste tests peppers at the park. Cooler weather is on its way, and produce shoppers are reminded to get peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and green beans while
they’re still in season.

This week’s food trucks are Pim’s Thai and Zipp’s Pizzeria. Zipp’s will be taking orders for both whole pizzas and individual slices all evening (earlier in the season Zipp’s only offered whole pizza orders at the end of the market). Zipp’s will be offering their full menu of whole pizzas and will also be bringing frozen
pizzas to the park this Thursday.

All visitors to the park age 18+ are encouraged to enter this week’s free drawing. In addition to a dozen farm-fresh eggs sponsored by the Cass County Local Food Policy Council, one lucky winner will receive six cupcakes from Frosting Inc. Both prizes will be redeemed at next week’s October 6 Produce in the Park.

Survey information released from the U-S-D-A shows a big increase in farmland values and cash rent. Iowa State University livestock economist, Lee Schulz, says the cropland increased 19-point-seven percent.

Schulz says this is one set of numbers in the overall picture.

He says high commodity prices are one of the big drivers of land values.

Schulz specializes in livestock and says that industry is having an impact on pasture land values.

He says as the commodity prices rise there’s competition for that land. The Fed Reserve recently raised interest rates again and Schulz says that is going to continue to impact land values along with the other factors.

Iowa State releases its annual land value survey in December.

Atlantic has entered the Iowa Cities Walking Challenge as part of Iowa’s October 5 Healthiest State Walk. However, to be counted in the challenge, all walk participants must be registered by midnight, Tuesday, September 27. To register for a walk visit http://www.iowahealthieststate.com/events/annual-walk/. To incentivize walk participation and registration, area businesses and organizations are donating door prizes. Winners will be drawn from all people who have registered for the walk by midnight, Tuesday, September 27.

All people participating in walks in Atlantic will be counted towards Atlantic’s Cities Walking Challenge, which provides funding to the cities with the most walk participants. A walk Atlantic-area residents may be particularly interested in joining is the walk from the Nishna Valley Family YMCA to Harl Holt Park and back on Wednesday, October 5 at 9:30 AM.
Participants will walk approximately two miles (there and back) along the newly renovated Bull Creek Pathway, learn about area recreational opportunities and trails, and enjoy refreshments from Hy-Vee and Fareway of Atlantic. A few lucky walkers will take a door prize, such as $25 gift cards from Brown’s Shoe Fit of Atlantic.

The Healthiest State Walk is a state-wide initiative that encourages people to “Walk More.  Connect More.” Anyone can register a walk, and workplaces, schools, churches, and other organizations  are encouraged to register a quick 30-minute walk anytime on October 5. For more information visit http://www.iowahealthieststate.com/events/annual-walk/.

The Healthiest State Walk is spearheaded by Iowa’s Healthiest State Initiative, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization with the goal of making Iowa the healthiest state in the nation. On their blog, Iowa’s Healthiest State Initiative shares many benefits to walking including increased energy levels and better sleep, as well as increased blood flow that leads to better cognitive functioning, improved memory, and reduced anxiety and depression.

What: Help us celebrate the renovation of Bull Creek Pathway trail in Atlantic! We’ll walk from the Nishna Valley Family YMCA north parking lot to Harl Holt Park and back.  Expect information on outdoor activities and trails in the area, as well as refreshments and a good time!

Where: Nishna Valley Family YMCA (1100 Maple Street, Atlantic, IA 50022). North parking lot.
Rain location: inside the YMCA

When: Wednesday, Oct. 5, 9:30-10:30 AM

Who: Anyone is welcome!

Cost: No cost! Free giveaways will be provided to participants. Door prizes will be drawn from
participants who have registered online by midnight, Tuesday, Sept. 27 at http://www.iowahealthieststate.com/events/annual-walk/.

Iowa State University researchers are part of a multi-state effort to map out where a rare type of bumble bee lives and to figure out what sorts of habitat it prefers. I-S-U grad student Erika Ibarra-Garibay says they’re assembling clues about the genetic diversity and overall health of what’s known as the rusty patched bumble bee.

Teams from I-S-U surveyed 50 sites across Iowa twice in recent months and they only found the rusty patched bumble bee at four locations — in Ames, Brushy Creek State Recreation Area near Fort Dodge, and two locations near Dubuque and Yellow River State Forest.

Another I-S-U grad student and team member, Kelsey Shepherd, says the findings could help wildlife managers and land stewards reverse the decline of bee populations and support other pollinators more broadly.

The I-S-U teams are also collecting data on the threatened American bumble bee. Once widespread across the eastern U.S. and Upper Midwest, the number of rusty patched bumble bees has plummeted nearly 90% since the 1990s.

While the rusty patched bumble bees were only found at four of the 50 Iowa sites, they were abundant in a few of those sites. Team leaders say that suggests there are survivor populations out there and it’s not too late for conservation action in Iowa.

(Radio Iowa) – Negotiators returned to the bargaining table this week, hoping to find an agreement that will end the strike at a southeast Iowa plant that makes Case I-H and New Holland equipment. About 430 United Auto Workers members employed at the C-N-H Industrial facility in Burlington went on strike May 1st. Paul Iverson of the Labor Center at the University of Iowa says manufacturing workers nationwide who stayed on the job in the pandemic’s early days seem to approach contract talks differently. “Workers in organized and unorganized ways have gotten together and said that, you know, we’re just not going to take the labor relations that existed before COVID,” Iverson says.”…It seems in some of these negotiations it seems that it’s taking employers to get that realization.”

John Deere and the United Auto Workers came to agreement last year that ended a five-week strike. It was the first strike at Deere in 35 years. The strike at the Burlington and Racine, Wisconsin C-N-H Industrial plants is nearing the end of its 20th week. Iverson says that’s not necessarily a surprise. “Case New Holland has had a more contentious relationship with its union over time than John Deere has,” Iverson says.

In early May, C-N-H Industrial released a statement saying the U-A-W’s decision to strike creates high anxiety among employees, customers and the community. C-N-H made a contract offer in mid-May that it said provided significant economic improvements for employees. The union called the offer subpar, with very little increase in pay and a downgrade in health benefits. The company says it’s committed to reaching an agreement and will continue to negotiate in good faith.