Farmers interested in learning about the benefits of raising cattle under roof are invited to attend an open house at the David Rydberg farm on Thursday, November 15 from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. The Rydberg farm is located at 1448 I Ave, Essex, Iowa.  The event is open to the public and a complimentary lunch will be provided.  (Note: If you are unable to attend at this time, David welcomes you to stop by anytime that afternoon.) The event is sponsored by the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers (CSIF), Iowa Cattlemen’s Association, Summit Livestock Facilities and the Page County Cattlemen.

The open house will highlight how modern livestock buildings enhance animal care and safeguard the environment while showcasing the economic development new livestock farms create.  For example, the Rydberg’s open house will feature a new deep-bedded monoslope cattle barn that provides the cattle with shade in the summer and protection from the cold in the winter.

The Rydberg family will offer tours of the new facility, explain how livestock is raised and demonstrate the latest technology used in cattle feeding. Experts from CSIF will also be available to provide insight into interpreting rules and regulations impacting animal agriculture, enhancing relationships with neighbors and choosing good locations for new barns and feedlots. CSIF assistance is available to farm families at no charge.

CSIF is a non-profit organization that assists livestock farmers who want help interpreting rules and regulations, guidance on good site locations for barns, counsel on enhancing neighbor relations and tips on how to protect the environment at no cost. This positive, solutions-based approach to helping livestock farmers grow is a collaborative effort involving the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association, Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Farm Bureau, Iowa Pork Producers Association, Iowa Soybean Association, Iowa Turkey Federation and the Midwest Dairy Association.  For more information, call 1-800-932-2436 or visit www.supportfarmers.com.

The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency has upgraded the Fire Danger Index in the County, to “Moderate.” The index had been in the “Low” category last week, but Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Seivert says winds and drying conditions this week will increase the risk for field and grassland fires.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources reports one-person was injured during a hunting expedition Saturday, in Poweshiek County. Officials say 78-year old Darrell Lamb, of Grinnell, suffered minor injuries after being struck in the face by shotgun pellets while hunting pheasants.

Lamb was hit in the face by two pellet shots, when a pheasant flushed between him and three other members of his hunting party at the end of a food plot. Lamb and the others could not see one another because of the height of the food plot and the topography of the land.

The man was treated and released from Grinnell Regional Hospital. The incident occurred at approximately 11 a.m. Saturday.

Daily polls track the progress of the ups and downs in the presidential race in Iowa — but a poll taken a couple of months ago shows optimism for one of the most popular hunting seasons opening today (Saturday). D-N-R wildlife biologist, Todd Bogenschutz  conducts the annual roadside pheasant survey — and after five years of lagging numbers — he says the bird population was up 17 to 20-percent. Things may even be a little better than the poll indicated, as Bogenschutz says they depend on the morning dew to push the birds out where they can be counted.

“You know for good dew, you need good soil moisture and that wasn’t very abundant in Iowa this August, so the counts maybe didn’t capture everything that was out there,” Bogenschutz explained. “They are what they are and we’ve been hearing some things anecdotally, people running the combines have been seeing a few birds out there where they didn’t see any last year, so I think we’ve got a good first step toward bouncing the numbers back.” While the dew provides some margin for error in the pheasant poll, Bogenschutz can usually get a pretty good idea from it of how many ringnecks hunters will bag.

He says they can look at the numbers and make an estimate of the harvest. “This year I’m estimating we’ll probably harvest somewhere between 150 and 200-thousand birds — compared to only a hundred thousand last year — so a little bump up compared to last year, a good start,” Bogenschutz says. Another factor in favor of the hunters is the progress of the harvest, with is over 90-percent complete for corn and soybeans. “For the opener that’s going to be a plus for the hunters that are out there, all those standing crops won’t be available to hide the birds, so that might actually improve (the hunt) success wise,” he explained.

Birds trying to stay alive and away from hunters usually have some standing corn or beans to use for a getaway. “You know in a normal year only 50-percent of the corn usually’s out by the opener and this year it’s essentially all out,” Bogenschutz says, “and that will help hunters in finding birds.” Bird populations have been down the last five years due in part to bad weather.

(Radio Iowa)

Officials with the Nishna Valley Trails group are inviting the public to attend an open meeting of the Nishna Valley Trails association, in support of the future development of the T-Bone Trail and other recreational trails in Atlantic and Cass County. The meeting will take place on Monday, October 29 th , 2012 beginning at 6:00 p.m., at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, off 14 th street in Atlantic. The agenda will include a report on conversations with the railroad, updates on trail development efforts, and mapping a vision for the future. For further information, contact Ed or Myra Kail at 712-243-4265.

BOYDEN, Iowa (AP) — Some farmland near Boyden in northwest Iowa’s Sioux County may have set a new sale record. The Sioux City Journal reports the 80.5-acre plot sold on Thursday for $21,900 an acre. The auction company, Vander Werff and Associates Incorporated, says the land has an estimated corn yield of 110 bushels and soybean yield of 43 bushes. Auction spokesman Todd Hattermann declined to name the buyer. The seller is Henry Boelsman, a longtime farmer.

In December, a 74-acre plot near Hull, also in Sioux County, sold for $20,000 an acre. A survey of real estate agents estimated the average farmland value in 2011 was $6,708 an acre. That’s up over 32 percent from 2010.

The West Pottawattamie Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) in partnership with Iowa Western Community College (IWCC) has received a $20,900 DNR-REAP Conservation Education Program Grant, to host Rainscaping Loess Soils and Sustainable Living classes. Cass County Conservation is partnered with them to bring the classes to the Atlantic Campus of Iowa Western. The Intro to Rainscaping Workshop is free to the public, and will be held November 3rd, 2012.

Topics covered at our Atlantic IWCC workshop: Green Roofs, Permeable Paving Systems, Rain Gardens, Worm Composting, and after lunch break Rain Barrel Class. This workshop will be held at the Atlantic IWCC, Saturday November 3, 2012 9 AM-Noon, 12:30-1:30 is the Rain Barrel Class. If you would like to build a Rain Barrel there is a $40/barrel fee.

To register for classes go to http://www.iwcc.edu/continuing_education/

Go to Green Living Classes for the Intro to Rainscaping series for the general public and Environmental Training for the Professional Series Classes. IWCC Continuing Education Certificates will be offered for those taking the Professional Series Classes. For more information contact Danelle Schmielau at 712-328-2489 Ext 307, or Matt Mancuso at 712-325-3448

Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Seivert reports the Fire Danger Index in Shelby County will remain in the “Low” category through Monday. Seivert noted the current rain and the moist field conditions as reasons the danger of grassland and field fires is low. He cited also, the fact the there are currently no bans on open burning anywhere in southwest Iowa.

Info from the Atlantic Animal Shelter

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