(Ames, Iowa – DNR News) – Fishing for catfish is a fun summer tradition for many Iowa families. Invite someone new to come along this year to share the fun and memories. “Catfish will bite most of the time, no matter what the water temperature,” explains Daniel Vogeler, Iowa DNR fisheries technician. “They are biting in most lakes, ponds, rivers and streams across Iowa.” Bring along two coolers with ice, one to keep your bait firm and fresh and another to keep your catch cold and preserve that great taste.

Catfish have a great sense of smell and taste. Try prepared dip baits, chicken livers, minnows or chubs, green sunfish, bluegill, crawdads, frogs, nightcrawlers or dead, but fresh, goldeye or gizzard shad. Lakes stratify, or form layers, this time of year, with cool, oxygen-deprived waters sinking to the bottom. Don’t fish in water deeper than 8 to 10 feet on most lakes.

Channel catfish

Look for areas with vegetation, brush piles or rock. Use the DNR interactive fishing atlas to help you quickly find these spots. Fish the upper ends of the larger reservoirs where the water is shallower and baitfish like gizzard shad gather. Use baits fished on the bottom or suspended off the bottom with a bobber and let current or breeze move the bait to find active catfish.

Iowa rivers are loaded with catfish. Look for fish around downed trees and brush piles, but don’t overlook rock piles or other objects that deflect water and form a current seam. Position your bait just upstream of brush piles so the scent of the bait is carried downstream into the structure to draw the catfish out. Anchor the bait with a heavy weight so it doesn’t drift into snags. If fishing the big rivers, try upstream and on the tips of wing dykes and wing dams on the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.

Find more tips for catching, cleaning and cooking catfish on the DNR website at www.iowadnr.gov/Fishing/Fishing-Tips-How-Tos/How-to-Fish-For-/Channel-Catfish-Fishing.

Des Moines – Show your support for the outdoors while enjoying a day at the ballpark watching the Iowa Cubs vs the Buffalo Bison this Sunday, July 17th, at 1 p.m. There will be hands on activities located near the indoor playground and opportunities to learn about outdoor recreation in Iowa. The first 500 attendees will receive a free I Cubs / Iowa DNR camouflage hat. A portion of each ticket sale will go to further the mission of the Iowa Hunter Education Instructors Association and to support and expand conservation and outdoor recreation programs across Iowa. Tickets are available by going to https://fevo.me/iowadnr2022

• Gates open at noon
• Salute to Service Honorary: Sergeant Craig Cutts, State Conservation Officer
• First pitch: Kayla Lyon, Director, Iowa Department of Natural Resources                                    Sergeant Craig Cutts, State Conservation Officer
• Iowa DNR Conservation Officer Honor Guard will present the colors

Iowa Hunter Education Instructor Association is committed to supporting organized conservation and outdoor recreation programs and efforts across the state of Iowa. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, the primary functions of IHEIA are to provide funding and support to Iowa’s Hunter Education, Fish Iowa, Becoming an Outdoors Woman, Outdoor Journey for Girls, Youth Hunter Education Challenge, Field to Fork, Hook and Cook, various youth shooting sports programs and other outdoor skills-based offerings.

w/Kate Olson.

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(Audubon, Iowa) – The Audubon County Fair gets underway today, in Audubon. Here are today’s activities…

WEDNESDAY, JULY 13
9:00 AM Judging 4-H Static Exhibits
9:00 AM-6:00 PM Fair board secretary’s office open
9:30 AM 4-H Garden Plot Judging
2:00 PM 4-H Communications & Table Setting Event – Agrihall
4:00 PM Clover Kids Pet Show – Rabbit & Poultry Show Area
4:30 PM Clover Kids Showcase – 4-H Bldg.
5:00 PM 4-H Pet & Dog Show – Livestock Pavilion
6:00 PM 4-H Club booth displays must be set-up

The Audubon County Fair wraps-up on Sunday, July 17th, with the livestock sale in the evening, and other activities throughout the day.

(Harlan, Iowa) – The Shelby County Fair begins its full-run today (Wednesday). The schedule of activities includes:

6:30-8:30 am……….Enter & Weigh 4-H/FFA Swine – All livestock is to unload at dock and be
inspected by veterinarian.
8:00 am. ……………Opening Flag Raising Ceremony – Front Gate
8:30-2:00……………Bottle/Bucket Calf followed by Bottle/Bucket Calf Plus One Interviews
Extension Office, 906 6th Street
9:00-10:00 am…….Enter & Weigh 4-H/FFA Sheep and Goats
Unload at dock and be inspected by veterinarian
9:00-11:00 am…….4-H Cake Decorating entries – 4-H Exhibit Building
8:45 am……………..4-H Table Setting Exhibitor’s Meeting
9:00-11:00 am…….4-H Table Setting – 4-H Exhibit Building
11:15 am……………Best of Iowa Contest Exhibitor’s Meeting
11:30 am……………Best of Iowa Contest – Commercial Building
1:00 pm……………..4-H Booths to be finished
1:00 pm-6:00 pm….Enter Open Class Non-Livestock Exhibits
4:00 pm……………..Carnival
5:30-6:30 pm………Enter 4-H/FFA Rabbits – All livestock must be inspected by the vet before going to their cage
4:30-7:00 pm………Enter & Weigh 4-H/FFA Market Beef, Breeding Beef, & Dairy
All livestock is to unload at dock and be inspected by veterinarian.
4:30-5:30 pm………4-H/FFA Horses will be checked in – All livestock must be inspected by the
vet before going to stall.
6:00 pm……………GRANDSTAND: Tractor Pull
6:30-7:30 pm………Enter 4-H/FFA Poultry

The Shelby County Fair concludes Monday, July 18th, with the 4-H/FFA Livestock Auction.

ATLANTIC, IA – Produce in the Park is named for fresh vegetables, and many people associate farmers markets with honey, jams, fresh baked goods, and farm-fresh eggs. But, this week Produce in the Park is all about the meat at the market. Market Manager Brigham Hoegh says Produce in the Park vendors sell local beef, pork, lamb, and chicken. Shoppers aren’t always aware of these products because unlike granola and honey, they can’t be displayed on tables. Vendors selling meat keep these products in coolers, often behind their booths. And some meat is available only by preordering.

Maggie Mueller of Noble Provisions shares beef stick samples at Produce in the Park

• Noble Provisions joined Produce in the Park this year as a beef and pork vendor. The Noble Provisions table is a popular stop at the market in part because the Mueller family offers free samples of their beef sticks.
• Brun Ko Farm also sells pork and beef at the market, along with lamb and chicken (when available). Brun Ko Farm is now taking preorders for chickens that will be available in October.
• Bridgewater Farm currently offers chicken, beef, and limited pork. Bridgewater Farm meat is available by preorder only. To order meat from Bridgewater Farm, call or text Marcie at 641-745-7764 by noon on Thursday.

This week, Hungry Spartan Pizza Food Truck will be serving single slices of wood-fired pizza. Hungry Spartan wasn’t originally scheduled to come to the park this week, but the owner’s birthday is Friday and he called to ask if he could join on Thursday for an early birthday celebration. Be sure to wish Eric a happy birthday when you get your pizza! Produce in the Park continues to schedule additional food trucks for the season. Food truck vendors interested in participating in Produce in the Park should contact the Market Manager at produceintheparkatlanticiowa@gmail.com or 712-249-5870.

Details:

Produce in the Park July 14: MEAT Me at the Market; Time: 4:30-6:30 PM; Location: Atlantic City Park (10 W. 7th Street, Atlantic, IA 50022)

Food Truck: Hungry Spartan Pizza; Fun: It’s Parks & Rec month! Atlantic Parks & Rec will be at the park with yard games and Art in the Park; Live Music: Jeremie Faga

MEAT Me at the Market! The Guest Chef will be serving Homemade Hamburger Helper. Get your local beef, pork, lamb, and chicken from Produce in the Park vendors. Note: chicken is available preorder only. Product Highlights: Fresh produce (tomatoes, zucchini, cabbage, onions, lettuce, and more), meats, farm-fresh eggs, honey, popcorn, lemonade, pastries, crisps, soaps, candles, lotions, art prints, jewelry, greeting cards, plants, lawn decorations, and more!

(Radio Iowa) – More than a dozen people addressed the Iowa Utilities Board today (Tuesday), asking regulators to block the use of eminent domain by companies seeking to seize land for carbon pipelines in the state. Kathy Stockdale of Iowa Falls says two of the proposed pipeline routes go through her family’s Hardin County farm.

James Norris of Red Oak says one of the proposed pipelines would pass behind his house in Montgomery County.

Sherri Webb and her siblings were notified nearly a year ago that the proposed Summit pipeline would go through the farm that’s been in their family for 122 years.

Jessica Wiskus lives near Lisbon and her farm is on the proposed path of the Wolf Carbon Solutions project. She raised concerns about the danger of pipeline ruptures.

After speaking during the public comment period of the Iowa Utilities Board’s regular meeting, the group of pipeline opponents formed a caravan and drove by the governor’s mansion as a form of protest. Utilities Board officials say today’s (Tuesday’s) spoken comments will not be part of the agency’s official record as it considers the pipeline applications, but written comments can be submitted and those will be documented.

(Corning, Iowa) – Here’s what’s in-store for the final day of the Adams County Fair, in Corning, and a look ahead at some follow-up activities.

Tuesday – July 12th

7:00am 4-H Endowment Fund Breakfast

8:00am Dairy Show

9:00am Beef Show

12:00pm Non-Sale Livestock Released

1:00pm 4-H Dog Show

2:00-5:00pm Ag Day in the Pavilion

3:00pm-6:00pm Reach the Red

4:00pm Tall Corn Contest

4:30pm Fair Board BBQ

5:00pm Open Class Bottle Buckaroo Show

6:00pm Adams County Fair Sale

Wednesday – July 13th

8:00am Fair Clean Up

8:30am-5:00pm Static Project Pick Up

Saturday – July 16th

9:00am Carcass Learning and Results Announcement

The Adams County Fair began it’s five-day run on July 8th.

(Radio Iowa) – Some Iowa corn fields were battered or knocked over by last week’s storms and I-S-U Extension Field Agronomist Gentry Sorenson says over the next few days, the upper stalk of the corn may start to shift. “What’ll happen is the corn will ‘goose neck’ — that’s what they call it,” he says. “It’ll try to upright itself It’ll form a crook in the base of the stalk and it’ll upright itself using base roots, trying to get into an upright or verticle fashion.”  Goose necked corn creates headaches during harvest, as the corn cobs fall or break off before they’re captured by the combine.

The latest Iowa crop and weather report indicates the vast majority of Iowa’s corn crop is in good shape. The latest U-S-D-A analysis indicates there were pockets of crop damage from the derecho that swept through northern Iowa last week, but the report does not offer any estimate of the damage. Eighty-one percent of the corn crop is rated in good or excellent condition. Iowa’s soybean conditions: 79 percent in the good or excellent category.

Storms that rolled through dropped rain on parched areas of the state. The state climatologist says the statewide average precipitation last week was over two inches — twice what’s normal this time of year. Spirit Lake recorded the most rainfall for the past week — more than six inches.

(Radio Iowa) – The long-range forecasts are calling for hot and dry conditions to persist likely into August for Iowa and the rest of the Missouri River basin. Meteorologist Doug Kluck, the climate services director for the Central Region of the National Weather Service, says the outlook for the next month shows plenty of summertime heat for much of the nation’s midsection.

“Above-normal temperatures are going to be prevalent, Texas up through the Central Plains, really the whole probability extends all the way up to Canada,” Kluck says, “but the strongest and probably the warmest and the biggest anomalies are going to be to the Central and Southern Plains.” While large sections of Iowa have seen a few plentiful rain showers in recent days, Kluck says less precipitation is expected going forward over the next month.

“Precipitation outlook, not a strong forecast here,” Kluck says, “but below normal for the Southern and Central Plains, Lower Basin, Missouri Basin, and then equal chances elsewhere for the most part.” He says the forecast models point to a slightly-elevated chance for below-normal precipitation for Iowa and the region. The U-S Army Corps of Engineers is predicting runoff into the Missouri River system will be far below-normal through the end of the year.