Deere & Company is reporting lower second quarter profits and sales. The world’s largest farming-equipment maker, based in Moline, Illinois, had net income of $495 million and adjusted earnings per share of $1.56. Deere CEO Samuel Allen says the company’s second-quarter performance reflects the continuing downturn in the global farm economy and further weakness in construction equipment sales.

The company has cut back its expected full-year net income forecast to $1.2 billion from $1.3 billion. Even so, Allen says the company is continuing to perform at a much higher level than in previous downturns. Deere is Iowa’s largest manufacturing employer.

(Radio Iowa)

The Iowa DNR reports six public hearings will be held from May 23rd to June 3rd, to gather input on proposed rule changes for animal feeding operations. The proposed rule incorporates recent legislation, allows marketing solids from open feedlots as bulk dry animal nutrients, provides clarification of requirements in the rules, and repeals unnecessary and outdated rules, lists and internet addresses.

Written or oral comments can be made at any of the hearings. In the KJAN listening area, a hearing will be held 10-a.m. May 24th, in the downstairs meeting room at the Carroll County Courthouse, 114 E. Sixth St., in Carroll.

Send written comments to Gene Tinker, DNR, Wallace State Office Building, 502 E. Ninth St., Des Moines, IA 50319; or by e-mail to Gene.Tinker@dnr.iowa.gov.

Officials with ISU Extension in Montgomery County, say the Montgomery County Fair Queen, sponsored by the Montgomery County Fair Board, will be crowned on Tuesday, July 12^th, at 7:30-pm at the Fairgrounds Auditorium.  To qualify, contestants must be at least 16 years of age and not more than 21 years of age on August 13, 2016 (the first day of the State Fair), have not been married, be enrolled in school (or be a high school graduate), and be an active member of at least one worthwhile organization in her community.

If you are interested in running for the honor and title, stop by the Montgomery County Extension and Outreach Office at 400 Bridge Street for the application form, or you can also download the information at www.extension.iastate.edu/montgomery

Please be sure to access all information if you do so online, including the information letter, rules, and entry form.  Applications are due at the Extension and Outreach office by noon on Wednesday, June 22^nd.

DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today encouraged Iowa students who are in kindergarten through 8^th grade to take part in the “Farmers Market Scavenger Hunt” again this year.  Students can take part at any of the 35 participating farmers markets across the state.

To participate in the scavenger hunt students should look for the bright blue “Farmers Market Scavenger Hunt” banner at a participating market.  As part of the hunt students will be asked to look for 37 fruits and vegetables and identify which ones are available at the market.

Students completing the scavenger hunt form will receive a free piece of fruit or vegetable from the market and be in a drawing for books, cookbooks or cooking supplies.

Among the farmers markets participating in the program are those in: Atlantic, Highway 34 (rural Glenwood), Madison County (Winterset), Main Street (Council Bluffs), and the Welcome Center (Missouri Valley).

In the fall, classroom teachers will be given the opportunity to participate in another great initiative called “Farm to School…to Market” where they will have the opportunity to receive funds to buy produce from the local farmers market and incorporate it into classroom lessons.  Teachers will also receive classroom supplies (books or bulletin board tools).

The initiative will be open to all teachers and market sign up is not required.  More information about the Iowa Farm to School program and other upcoming events can be found at: http://www.iowaagriculture.gov/AgDiversification/farmToSchoolProgram.asp.

The Iowa DNR said today (Wednesday), cleanup was underway at a Taylor County farm following reports of an overflowing manure pit Tuesday afternoon. Barrans Farms, owned by Steve Kerns, will work with a contractor to empty the manure basin and clean up spilled manure on the site. The farm is a small hog finishing farm about three miles southwest of Lenox.

While investigating Tuesday, DNR field staff saw a path where manure flowed into an unnamed tributary of the East Fork of the One Hundred and Two River. However, DNR staff have not observed any dead fish.

The DNR will be on site today (Wednesday) as it continues to investigate the incident.

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All of the recent rain is making it slow going for Iowa farmers who are trying to get their crops planted. Only two days were suitable for field work in the past week. Statewide, about 88-percent of the corn crop is planted. That’s one day behind last year’s pace but four days ahead of the five-year average. Iowa State University Extension agronomist Joel DeJong, based in LeMars, monitors nine northwest Iowa counties, which are trailing the rest of the state.

“You’ve got some neighborhoods that are pretty close to being done, probably 80% or so, on the corn planting,” DeJong says. “We’ve got other neighborhoods that have 30-to-40% of the corn in the ground, and then you get south of Sioux City in the Missouri River bottom, there’s a lot of areas there that have very few of the acres of corn planted at this stage of the game because of the rainfall we’ve had so far this spring.” While much of the state has gotten a drenching in recent weeks, northwest Iowa is getting more than its usual share, frustrating many farmers.

“For the whole region, we’re probably about three-quarters planted on corn because we’ve got some very well-drained soils where we’ve got corn in the ground, but yet, I’ve talked with a lot of people who really don’t have that many acres planted yet because it’s been wet,” DeJong says. “Soybeans, probably only about ten-percent of the beans in the ground at this stage of the game whereas most people were done with both at this stage of the game last year.”

The latest U-S-D-A report shows less than half, or 43-percent, of the state’s intended soybean acreage is planted. That’s two days ahead of normal.

(Radio Iowa)

The funding source for state grants to help finance installation of equipment that dispenses higher blends of renewable fuels will end next year. Grant Menke of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association says his group will lobby legislators to continue the program. “Investments like this program not only benefit the Iowa economy and the Iowa environment, but Iowa consumers as well,” Menke says.

Governor Branstad has signed legislation that ends a one-cent-per-gallon state tax on motor fuel on December 31st of this year. The tax was established a couple of decades ago to finance clean-up of old underground petroleum storage tanks that were leaking, but that project is complete. Until June 30th of next year, three-million dollars generated by that tax will be spent on fuel pumps that dispense biodiesel and ethanol at higher blends.

“Iowa consumers can look forward to more choices at the pump for E15, for E85, for higher biodiesel blends,” Menke says. “It’s going to save them money. It’s going to burn cleaner.” State grants from the Iowa Renewable Infrastructure Program can cover up to 50 percent of the cost for retailers installing these kind of blender pumps. The retailer must agree to sell the higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel for at least three years.

Supporters hope to convince legislators next year to find another source for the three-million dollar annual cost of the program.

(Radio Iowa)

Officials with the Iowa DNR said Tuesday, that they had received an anonymous complaint of an overflowing manure pit in Taylor County. When the DNR investigated, they found evidence of a manure spill at Barrans Farms, a small hog finishing farm about three miles southwest of Lenox. The outdoor pit that collects manure from buildings at the site was not overflowing during the investigation.

However, DNR field staff saw a path where manure flowed into an unnamed tributary of the East Fork of the One Hundred and Two River. Field tests showed elevated levels of ammonia in water flowing into the tributary, but DNR staff did not find any dead fish. The DNR is continuing to investigate the incident and will consider appropriate enforcement action.