You can put them on your pizza, toss them in your salads or fry them in butter and serve as a side dish. For many people, morel mushrooms are some of the tastiest wild foods in Iowa. The season for hunting morels is underway, but Annette Whitrock with the Wapello County Conservation Board says the weather hasn’t cooperated so far this year.  “Depending on where you are, it would be late March until I guess the season’s over through April, sometimes into May, just depending on weather,” she says. “You really need temperatures for the soil probably in the 60 degree area and you can’t be down lower than 40 degrees at night for them to grow. We haven’t had that yet.”

A Morel mushroom (ISU Extension photo)

Soil temperature maps provided by Iowa State University show soil temperatures around 45 degrees for most of Iowa. Overnight temperatures dipping into the 20’s and 30’s are also preventing morels from popping up. Even when they do pop up, morels are some of the most elusive foods to find. Hunting them requires hiking trips through the woods and it takes a sharp eye to spot them. Whitrock says there are some urban legends on the best places to look.

“I’ve been told dead elm trees are the place to look, ash trees, oak trees, old apple orchards or where the May apples are blooming, so it really depends on who you talk to,” Whitrock says. “I think if you find a spot, you find a spot.” Whitrock suggests being wary of all the advice, as people may be trying to drive you away from their best spots. Whitrock says in the early hunting season, morels grow mostly on south facing slopes because that ground is warmer. But be careful, because Whitrock says the inexperienced morel hunter can be fooled or even poisoned.

“There’s some false morels out there and some morel look-alikes that can, depending on how you react to it, I guess they could give you symptoms like cramps,” Whitrock says. “some of them, if you react to them poorly, could kill you.” Whitrock says it’s fairly easy to tell if what you’re looking at is a true morel or an impostor.

“Morels have a darker cap that is pitted, for lack of a better word, and is connected to the stem and I guess the best thing to look for is a hollow stem,” Whitrock says. “If your mushroom doesn’t have a hollow stem, chances are it’s not a true morel — probably don’t want to eat it.”

Whitrock cautions Iowans to make sure they have permission to hunt for morels on property they don’t own. You can find out if you can hunt on public properties by contacting your local conservation board or the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

(Radio Iowa)

The U-S-D-A crop report released Monday showed high winds and frequent showers kept many Iowa farmers from getting the planting season underway. Iowa State University Extension Crops Specialist Joel DeJong works in northwest Iowa and says despite the cooler temperatures most of the signs are positive. “The soil conditions right now really look like for a lot of fields it’s pretty good. The soil moisture is at capacity right now, so it won’t take much to fill it back up,” DeJong says, “and the wet spots seem to be bigger than normal because of all that moisture in the soil — overall, pretty good.”

DeJong says the four-inch soil temperature was 35 on Saturday and up to 41 on Sunday, so it is moving in the right direction. “We like to have 50 degrees and warming if we are going to plant crops into good soil moisture conditions…so it looks like later in the week the weather might be pretty good,” DeJong says. He says the forecast right now for next week is looking good, but that could change.

Many farmers are still applying anhydrous ammonia for fertilizer. DeJong says conditions are still favorable, if farmers make certain they are applying that anhydrous ammonia at deep enough levels. “It looks like it’s sealing pretty well when it is out there. In the spring we want to put it six- and-a-half to seven inches deep or eight inches it’s trapping that gas in a smaller zone — and it looks like it’s working pretty well out there right now.

While some farmers in southern Iowa are into the fields, he says northern Iowa farmers may want to wait a few more days, even though research studies indicate better yields are obtained with early planted seed.  “I’m a little better about putting seed into cool ground that is warming up, better than putting seed into warm ground that cools off very rapidly due to a major storm system,” according to DeJong. “I don’t see that in the 10-day forecast — some rain maybe this coming weekend — But it doesn’t look like it is a real cold rain. So, if their conditions are set and everything is working in the field, later this week might be a good time to get started.”

He says each farmer can decide what they want to do, but there is no rush. DeJong says some farmers will start this week and others my choose to wait. “And that’s not a problem. A lot of producers can get their planting done in four or five days or maybe even less. Those who have a lot of days to plant, probably will get started,” DeJong says. He says as long as the crops get planted by May 5th, they should be okay. The U-S-D-A report shows west-central and southwest Iowa had the best conditions last week for working in the fields.

(Radio Iowa)

Emergency Management officials in Shelby County say the field/grassland Fire Danger rating will remain “High,” this week. EMA Operations Officer Jason Wickizer says drying conditions, wind and abundant sunshine along with low humidity will make for dangerous fire conditions.

Anyone who plans to conduct controlled burns should contact their local fire chief, first. Be sure and call 755-2124 also, with the location of your burn, so dispatchers can gather logistical data.  Burns should be conducted with fire chief approval during the late evening or early morning hours only, when winds are usually reduced.

Iowa’s spring turkey hunting season opens for youth-only tomorrow (Saturday). Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources say about 50-thousand turkey licenses have been purchased so far this year. Jim Coffey, a forest wildlife species technician with the D-N-R’s Wildlife Bureau, predicts an excellent season ahead.

“We’re going to be coming off of a good hatch, not just last year but two years ago,” Coffey says. “I would expect to see lots of two-year-old gobblers out there. Those are sometimes aggressive birds that will come to the call more readily than the older birds do. Don’t be surprised if you have a couple-three birds show up to your calls this year.” The wild turkey population should be strong this spring, he predicts, as this past winter wasn’t too harsh.

“Unless we have deep snow over 10-inches, turkeys survive real well in Iowa,” Coffey says. “They want to get out. The sun’s changing, the temperatures are changing. They’re ready to get out and start doing their spring thing and get the nesting season started.” Many hunters could benefit from a reminder about safety, Coffey says.

“We want to make sure we identify our target, we identify downrange so we know what we’re shooting at because if we shoot the wrong thing, we may be in violation,” Coffey says. “We’re going to shoot male birds or bearded birds. On the ethical side, be friendly to the other hunters. Don’t try to sneak in on somebody or do something that might disrupt their hunt.”

The youth-only season begins Saturday and runs through April 17. The first of the four regular seasons will be April 18 through 21. The second is April 22 through 26. The third is April 27 to May 3. The fourth season is May 4 to 22. The archery-only license is good from April 18 through May 22. Learn more at: www.iowadnr.gov

(Radio Iowa)

Iowa homeowners who have tulips, daffodils, newly-planted trees and other tender plants poking up in their yards will need to get busy this (Friday) afternoon to save them. Meteorologist Craig Cogil, at the National Weather Service, says a Freeze Warning is posted for a wide portion of Iowa, roughly from Highway 20 south. “We’re going to see temperatures drop well below freezing overnight across the entire state,” Cogil says. “We are concerned about some of the trees and vegetation across the southern half to two-thirds of the state that have seen growth and are susceptible to freezing temperatures.”

Many areas of the state may see temperatures dip into the low-to-mid-20s tonight and into tomorrow morning. Homeowners will need to act to keep their plants from being nipped or possibly killed by the overnight cold snap. “Individuals in those situations, obviously, if you have smaller plants, cover them up, that helps out,” Cogil says. “People that have orchards will have mitigation techniques they use. The main thing is to get them covered up.”

We’re a couple of weeks into spring now but Cogil says this isn’t an unusual situation. “Some years, especially if you look back at 2012, had an extremely warm March, everything was ahead as far as growing was concerned,” Cogil says. “We saw that a little bit in March where temperatures were warm and things are maybe a little bit ahead of normal, but this is not entirely unusual.”

Some areas of northern Iowa are seeing flurries fly this morning and while it’ll be a cold weekend, Cogil predicts the sparse snow won’t accumulate.

(Radio Iowa)

Emergency Management officials in Shelby County have upgraded the field/grassland Fire Danger rating to “High” this weekend. EMA Operations Officer Jason Wickizer says there will also be a chance of “Red Flag” Conditions.  He urges people to be mindful of drying conditions, wind and abundant dead vegetation.

Authorities therefore are asking anyone who plans to conduct controlled burns to contact their local fire chief, first. Be sure and call 755-2124 also, with the location of your burn, so dispatchers can gather logistical data.  Burns should be conducted with fire chief approval during the late evening or early morning hours only, when winds are usually reduced.

The income tax returns Iowans are filing provide some insight into the health of Iowa’s economy. Legislative Services Agency analyst Jeff Robinson says “So far this tax return season individual income tax returns for tax year 2015 are showing good wage growth,” he says, “but growth in unearned income such as interest, dividends and capital gains is negative, while reported farm income is down significantly.”

Robinson has reviewed overall tax payments to the state over the past nine months. “Year to date revenue growth is 2.3 percent through March and that is in line with current budget expectations for the year.” Eighty-eight percent of that growth is in income tax payments to the state. Sales tax payments to the state are up, but not quite as much as experts had predicted.

(Radio Iowa)

w/Kate Olson.

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The second annual “Women Gaining Ground” conference will take place Sat., April 30th, in Glenwood. According to officials with the ISU Extension Service, the day will be jam-packed with fun and informative opportunities.  Participants are invited to arrive between 8-and 9- a.m. to check in, browse vendor booths, and enjoy a famous Donut Stop donut, fresh fruit and coffee bar.

At 9-a.m., Laurie Guest will take the stage for her presentation, Life in the Espresso Lane.”  With a mix of fun and wisdom, she will share behaviors that can change our accelerated lives and teach us how to manage our mental caffeine and find contentment even during stressful times.  Laurie is the author of “Wrapped In Stillness” and blogs at www.solutionsarebrewing.com..

Following the Keynote Speaker, the first breakout session will be held and participants will be invited to choose one of the following:

• Becoming A Grape Goddess:  A history of grape growing in Western Iowa and discussion about efforts to establishing the Loess Hills American Viticulture Area.
• Ag In Iowa.  So What?:  Jenni Richards, District Field manager with the Iowa Corn Growers Association, will discuss Iowa corn and the importance of getting involved in the industry.  Carrie Kelly, the Producer Services Regional Coordinator in Western Iowa for the Iowa Soybean Association, will explain the services offered Iowa ISA and discuss finding the “right fit” for Iowa soybean producers.
• Building Business Rapport~Marketing Strategies:  Dana Wenstrand will address the basics of effective communication, customer service, and marketing strategies to make a positive impact in promoting your business.  YOU!
• Meals In Minutes:  A Love Story:  Whitney Larsen, a Registered Dietician and Licensed Medical Nutrition Therapist, will present tips and tricks on creating healthy, simple, fast and affordable meals while Chef Corey Hall demonstrates the preparation of a family-friendly recipe.

The second break-out session will begin at 11:30 and will feature topics that include:

• Building Business Rapport
• Farmland Ownership & Management
• Putting Pinterest Into Practice
• Low-Maintenance Landscaping

Participants will be treated to a hearty lasagna lunch. During the lunch hour, there will be time to visit the vendor booths and socialize.  There will also be drawings for door prizes and a $100 Early Bird Cash Prize.

The final session of the day will feature topics that include:

• Iowa:  Caught In The Crosshairs of Human Trafficking
• Low-Maintenance Landscaping
• Ag In Iowa.  So What
• Putting Pinterest Into Practice

The day’s activities will conclude around 2:30 or 3:00-p.m.  Vendor applications are still be accepting for the event.  Download the form at www.extension.iastate.edu/fremont .

Registration forms are available at www.extension.iastate.edu/montgomery or by visiting the Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/womenlandlegacywgg/.

Register by April 8^th to take advantage of Early Bird discounts and for a chance to win $100 CASH!  The final registration deadline is April 21st. For more information, call Iowa State University Extension & Outreach—Montgomery County at (712) 623-2592.

The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) says the Fire Danger rating in the County will remain MODERATE this week, but Operations Officer Jason Wickizer says you should keep in mind “This time of year we can go from Moderate to Extreme in less than 24 hours.  Sunday was an excellent example where we had Moderate conditions that due to wind, temperature, and humidity changed rapidly to a Red Flag or Extreme condition.”

Continue to notify the EMA if you have any planned large burns, and conduct burns during the early morning or late evening hours when possible.