The Iowa Soybean Association’s board of directors has voted unanimously to spend 150-thousand dollars to help Sac, Buena Vista and Calhoun counties defend themselves against a federal lawsuit brought by the Des Moines Water Works. Association C-E-O Kirk Leeds says the organization supports the three northwest Iowa counties because the suit could impact farmers statewide and this will bring a quicker end to the case.

“We ultimately think we’re going to be successful in throwing this case out,” Leeds says. “If you look around the country and certainly look around Iowa and the work we’re doing in Cedar Rapids, for example, it’s a great example of farmers and urban folks working together.” He says the court action takes away from the cooperative and proactive approach farmers have taken on water quality and nutrient management.

Leeds says, “It’s unfortunate because it certainly has distracted many of us from the work that was going on before and that continues but certainly at a distracted pace as relates to cleaning up the water and and improving nitrogen management.” He says the suit is also hurting efforts by farmers and the utility itself from implementing programs and practices to address water quality.

“It has taken dollars away from those programs, not only for farmers and farm organizations and the counties but also Des Moines Water Works,” Leeds says. “Before this is said and done, this first round in the lawsuit will have over $3-million invested in legal fees.” That’s money he says could have been invested in improving the water works’ facilities and in helping farmers to make the needed changes.

The lawsuit filed in March of 2015 charges the county supervisors allegedly allowed nitrates coming from 10 drainage districts to pollute the Raccoon River, a primary water source for 500,000 customers in Des Moines. The case is scheduled to go to trial in June of 2017.

(Radio Iowa)

The majority of Iowa’s corn and soybeans are in good shape, according to the latest report from the USDA. The crop report covers activity through Sunday and places 81-percent of the state’s corn crop in good or excellent condition. The USDA rates 80-percent of the soybean crop in good to excellent condition. Sixty-seven-percent of the crop crop has reached the silking stage, which is a week ahead of average and five days ahead of last year.

Soybeans are also ahead of normal, as blooming reached 66-percent and soybean setting pods hit 20-percent. High winds and hail last week damaged some crops over northern, west-central, central, and east-central Iowa. Heavy rains on Sunday also flooded some fields around the state.

(Radio Iowa)

• KJAN, Atlantic  1.38″
• 7 miles NNE of Atlantic  .76″
• Elk Horn  .36″
• Massena  1.68″
• Avoca  2.3″
• Villisca  2.6″
• Oakland  4.07″
• Neola  1.9″
• New Market 3.78″
• Irwin  1.07″
• Missouri Valley  2.36″
• Persia  1.45″
• Logan  .72″
• Woodbine  .16″
• Clarinda  6″  (updated report)
• Shenandoah  .33″
• Adair  .11″
• Audubon  .16″
• Council Bluffs  2.18″
• Creston  2.83″
• Corning 3.10
• Red Oak 3.37″
• Bedford 5.2″
• Mt. Ayr 3.5″
• Blockton 3.95″
• Underwood 2.88″

w/ Bob Beebensee and DNR District Supervisor Brian Smith

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Eggs have gone from record high prices at the height of the bird flu crisis last year to the cheapest prices in a 10-year span. It’s because young hens are laying lots of eggs, boosting supply, but demand hasn’t come back as strong. Countries that stopped accepting U.S. eggs last year have haven’t resumed imports and companies that make pancake mixes and bread learned to cook without as many eggs.

Three weeks ago, Midwest wholesale egg prices hit a 10-year low of 55 cents a dozen. The record wholesale price was $2.88 a dozen in August 2015. Marcus Rust, CEO of the nation’s second largest egg producer, Rose Acre Farms, says the marketplace will resolve the supply and demand issues in time.

The Audubon County Fair continues through Sunday, in Audubon. Thursday evening, 2015 Fair Queen Tess Albright passed the crown on to Molly Armentrout, who was named the winner of the 2016 Audubon County Fair Queen contest. Molly is the daughter of Tim and Tracey Armentrout, of Audubon. Molly told KJAN her older sister Rebecca Grabel persuaded her to try for the crown and title.

‘Becca was the Audubon Fair Queen about eight-years ago. Molly said also she also wanted to get involved in a new way, because she hasn’t been in 4-H, so she wanted to step out of her “Comfort zone,” and learn a little bit more about agriculture that she doesn’t already know.

Molly is in the green dress. Thanks to Cassie Irlmeier for the photo.

The path to the stage and her crowning included interviews last week with the Queen candidates. Molly said she just tried to be herself during the interviews, and answer the questions as best as possible. She said she stumbled over the question “If you could have dinner with any person living or dead, who would it be?,” but in the end, it all worked out ok. Molly says she plans on attending Iowa State University after the State Fair Queen Competition. She prefers ISU because it’s closer to home, and because her sister attended the college. At ISU, she’ll study English and Secondary Education.

1^st runner-up in the Queen contest was Kaitlin Schultes, the daughter of Chris and Shandy Schultes, of Audubon. Kaitlin will be a Senior at the Audubon High School during the 2016-17 school year. She says she has plans on attending college after graduation, but she’s not sure where that will be at this time. Kaitlin said even though she didn’t think she would enjoy the process of competing for Fair Queen, it turned out to be better than expected.

And, the 2^nd runner-up honors went to Taylor Nielsen, the daughter of Robert and Christy Nielsen, of Hamlin. Like Molly Armentrout, Taylor said participating in the Fair Queen contest brought her out of her “Comfort Zone.” Taylor would like to attend college to become a Veterinarian, because she loves animals and wants to make sure they stay healthy and happy.

Fifteen Grundy County field workers were taken to a Marshalltown hospital Thursday after being accidentally exposed to herbicide. Officials were notified of the situation just after 4:30-p.m. Thursday, and set up a decontamination area in the hospital’s parking lot.

The workers were at an undisclosed location in Grundy County and were apparently affected by herbicide from a ground sprayer being carried by the wind to where they were working. Those affected were complaining of sore throats and itchy eyes, and after decontamination were given further treatment.

(Radio Iowa)

The emerald ash borer (EAB), a destructive and invasive insect of ash trees has been discovered in Missouri Valley. Iowa’s growing number of counties with confirmed detections has now reached thirty-five. Native to Asia, EAB has spread to 27 states since first being identified in Michigan back in 2002. This exotic pest is responsible for the death of tens of millions of ash trees.

The Missouri Valley discovery was the result of an area certified arborist contacting the Iowa EAB Team after visiting some city owned ash trees that a resident had concerns about. After further investigation, an insect specimen was collected by members of the Iowa EAB Team and submitted to the USDA Systematic Entomology Laboratory which officially confirmed it as EAB.

“This find marks the westernmost site that we have found EAB in Iowa to date,” said Mike Kintner, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship EAB and gypsy moth coordinator. “Six new counties have been detected with EAB in Iowa this year.”

The adult beetle is metallic green and only about one-half inch long and slender making it difficult to recognize in the landscape. The larvae stage of this wood-boring insect tunnel under the bark of ash trees, disrupting the flow of water and nutrients, ultimately causing the tree to die. EAB infested ash trees include canopy dieback beginning at the top of the tree and progressing downwards, S-shaped feeding galleries under dead or splitting bark, D-shaped exit holes, water sprouts (along the trunk and main branches), and increased woodpecker activity to the bark.

The Iowa EAB Team urges Iowans to use locally sourced firewood, burning it in the same county where it was purchased. Firewood is a vehicle for the movement EAB and other tree-killing pests.

At this calendar date, the treatment window for soil-applied preventive treatment measures (soil injection, soil drench, or granular application) and basal bark sprays has ended. Trunk injections can be done now through the end of August, provided there is good ground moisture. Landowners interested in protecting a valuable and healthy ash tree within 15 miles of a known infestation, should have landscape or tree service companies bid on work and schedule a treatment.

The State of Iowa will continue to track the movement of EAB on a county-by-county basis. Before a county can be officially recognized as infested, EAB must be collected by a member of the Iowa EAB Team and verified by USDA entomologists.

To learn more about EAB and other pests that are threatening Iowa’s tree population, please visit www.IowaTreePests.com.

w/Andrew Commes.

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