CLICK HERE for the latest market quotes from the Iowa Agribusiness Network!
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CLICK HERE for the latest market quotes from the Iowa Agribusiness Network!
CLICK HERE for the latest market quotes from the Brownfield Ag News Network!
Officials with Cass County Conservation report the Nishna Valley Trails group is hosting a Kids Bike Ride August 13th, 2016 beginning at 10:30-a.m. Check-in and start of the ride both take place in the west parking lot of the Schildberg Recreation Area, in Atlantic.
There are three age groups, with each ride length according to age. The event is FREE, and all ages welcome. The ride is co-sponsored by Atlantic Parks and Recreation, Cass County Conservation, Howard’s, Fareway, and West Side Diner, in Atlantic.
If you have any questions, call Cass County Interpretive Naturalist Lora Kanning, at 712-769-2372. After the ride, you check out Atlanticfest going on in the downtown area!
Shelby County Extension Council Chairperson Julie Klein reports four Shelby County residents have been appointed to the Iowa State University Extension Council Nominating Committee. The committee is charged with nominating candidates for the four vacancies on the council before August 10th, 2016. Committee members selected to nominate extension council candidates for the 2016 election are Arleatta Bartelson of Irwin, Travis Lane of Shelby, Robert Mortensen of Elk Horn and Stacy Torneten of Harlan.
B
y law the nominating committee must include two women and two men, and cannot include any current member of the council. The committee is required to take county geography into consideration when nominating candidates. Terry Maloy, director for Iowa Association of County Extension Councils, says “Serving as an extension council member is one way to give back to your community. If you believe local educational opportunities are vital to the community’s well-being, then you should consider running for council. It is rewarding to know that people are able to improve their lives, farms, businesses and communities because of ISU Extension and Outreach’s education and information.”
Candidates nominated by the committee must submit petitions containing the names of 25 qualified voters to the county election commissioner by 5 p.m. on Aug. 31, 2016. Additionally, individuals may petition to have their names placed on the ballot through a self-nominating process by submitting petitions with 25 names to the election commissioner. Petition forms are available from the election commissioner and at the county extension office.
Voters will cast ballots for the nominees in the Nov. 8th, 2016, general election. Successful candidates will serve four-year terms beginning in January 2017.
The Cass County Conservation Board (CCCB) is sponsoring a “Breakfast with the Birds” Program. The program will be held at Sunnyside Park, Kiddie Korral Shelter in Atlantic, Saturday, August 13th, beginning at 9-a.m. Free will donations are being accepted. 
During the event, Terrie Hoefer, rehabilitator and 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.
Breakfast with the birds is made possible by the Dick McCauley Memorial Fund. The CCCB asks you to help them support raptors and education, by attending “Breakfast with the Birds,” on Aug. 13th.
Local farmland owners, producers and other interested parties are invited to join Cass County Extension for the 2016 Farm Leasing Arrangements meeting, set for August 8 in Atlantic from 6:30 to 9 p.m. The meeting will be held in the Cass County Community Center at 805 West 10th Street.
Besides the standard topics of land value and cash rental rate trends, this year’s special topic is costs of production. Landlords and tenants are more interested in costs when farming is not as profitable. They have to figure out how much money is available and decide where cuts can be made.
In January 2016, participants from last year’s Farm Leasing Arrangements meetings across Iowa completed a follow-up evaluation. According to the results, people attended to get an update on the rental market. One participant wrote, “The meeting helps me have informed discussions with the farmer, hopefully arriving at a fair price on the rent and being good custodians of the land.” Participants’ most requested topic for 2016 was costs of production.
Tim Eggers, Iowa State University Extension Field Agricultural Economist, said, “With last year’s participants requesting more information on the tenant’s costs of production, I wanted a hands-on activity instead of more slides.” He continued, “We’re going to play a game so participants experience decisions tenants make every year.”
The Farm Leasing Arrangements meeting will give landowners, tenants, and agri-business professionals information and materials they need to make decisions regarding farmland ownership, management, and leasing practices.
The Farm Leasing Arrangements meeting costs $15 per person, which includes the 100-page Farm Leasing Arrangements booklet and a copy of the presentation. Pre-registration is required and limited to 30 people. To register, call the Cass County Extension office at 712-243-1132 or email xcass@iastate.edu.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has proposed new daily catch limits and a harvest season for commercial turtle trapping. Earlier this year, the state Legislature passed a bill requiring the DNR to set a harvest season and daily catch limits for turtles to more closely regulate the practice.
The Des Moines Register reports that the proposal limits the daily catch to 14 snapping turtles, one softshell turtle and three painted turtles. Trappers have been allowed to catch an unlimited amount of certain turtles year-round. The DNR also proposed a commercial trapping season that begins July 1 and runs through Dec. 31 to protect turtles during their nesting season.
The latest data from the DNR shows that more than 17,500 turtles were caught statewide in 2014 worth a wholesale value of nearly $273,000.
The fall Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) workshop is Sept. 16-18, at the Springbrook Conservation Education Center, adjacent to Springbrook State Park, north of Guthrie Center. While the focus of BOW is primarily for women, the workshop is an opportunity for anyone 18 years or older to learn outdoor skills. Workshop courses include basic fishing, Dutch oven cooking, birdwatching, kayaking, deer hunting, wild edibles, basic camping, intro to archery, intro to firearms, canoeing and more.
“This workshop is an excellent opportunity to try activities under the guidance of our top-notch instructors,” said Rachel Ladd, with the Iowa Departments of Natural Resources. “Our workshop is popular because we keep our class sizes small and the setting at Springbrook is beautiful, particularly in the fall.”
The cost for the workshop is $150 before Sept. 4, and $180 beginning Sept. 5. The fee includes program materials, equipment, lodging and meals. Enrollment is limited to 100 participants. A limited number of scholarships are available that can reduce the fee by $75.
Go to www.iowadnr.gov/bow to download a registration form, select classes and for more information on applying for a scholarship. Lodging is in dormitories with eight people per room.
DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today (Monday) commented on the Iowa Crops and Weather report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistical Service. The report is released weekly from April through October. Northey said “In general, crops remain in very good condition with both 83 percent of corn and soybeans rated in good or excellent condition. Fortunately, most areas of the state have adequate moisture as we head into August, which is a critical time, especially for soybean development.”
The weekly report is also available on the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s website at www.IowaAgriculture.gov or on USDA’s site at www.nass.usda.gov/ia. In summary…Relatively dry conditions throughout the week were ideal for crop development and allowed Iowa farmers 5.4 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending July 31, 2016, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Activities for the week included cutting hay and aerial spraying of corn with fungicide and insecticide.
Topsoil moisture levels rated 2 percent very short, 10 percent short, 82 percent adequate and 6 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 2 percent very short, 12 percent short, 81 percent adequate and 5 percent surplus.
Ninety-five percent of the corn crop reached the silking stage, five days ahead of last year and almost two weeks ahead of the five-year average. Thirty-five percent of the corn crop reached the dough stage. Isolated reports of corn starting to dent were received from across the State. Corn condition rated 83 percent good to excellent. Soybeans blooming reached 90 percent, 6 days ahead of the previous year. Sixty-four percent of soybeans were setting pods, 5 days ahead of last year. Soybean condition rated 83 percent good to excellent. Seventy-eight percent of the oat crop for grain or seed was harvested, 2 days ahead of both last year and the average.
The second cutting of alfalfa hay reached 93 percent, more than 2 weeks ahead of last year and 10 days ahead of normal. The third cutting of alfalfa hay was 28 percent complete, 6 days ahead of average. Hay condition was rated 73 percent good to excellent, while pasture condition was rated 61 percent good to excellent. Reduced temperatures improved livestock conditions which were reported to be good.
The statewide average precipitation last week was .18″ (of an inch), while normal for the week is .94″ (of an inch). It was the driest week in eleven weeks (since mid-May).
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