• 1 medium sweet onion, sliced
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 medium apples, peeled and shredded
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 can (8 oz.) sauerkraut, rinsed and well drained
• 1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed
• 1 package (16 oz.) smoked Polish sausage

In a large skillet, saute the onion in butter for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

In a large bowl, toss the apples with lemon juice.  Add apples, sauerkraut, apple juice, caraway and fennel to the onion.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, heat sausage according to package directions; cut into slices.  Serve with sauerkraut.

YIELD:  4 servings

Jim Field visits with Carole Schuler about the Cass County Relay for Life event on Sunday, June 25, 2023 at the Nishna Valley Family YMCA in Atlantic.

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Jim Field introduces you to Asa Lucas, who just joined the KJAN team as Sports Director and On-Air Talent.

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w/Kate Olson.

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(Iowa DNR News) – If you are ready to explore Iowa’s happy trails and hidden gems, you should download the State Park Passport for a chance to win prizes as you visit parks and forests across Iowa! It’s free to sign up — the more parks you visit, the more chances for prizes! Please note: If you signed up in 2022, last year’s passport has expired. You must sign up again for the 2023 State Park Passport to participate.

From now through Oct. 31, State Park Passport holders can earn points by checking into more than 60 state parks and forests. Get started by signing up and downloading the passport onto your mobile device. Along with checking into parks through the passport, visitors can then discover “Hidden Gems” as they explore. Each park and forest on the passport includes a description of a “Hidden Gem” feature, such as a historical marker, scenic overlook, special trail and more.

New this year — earn and “bank” points that can be redeemed for various prizes. Each park has a different point value (either 100, 200 or 300 points), with remote parks earning higher points. Additionally, every 300 points earns a chance at a sweepstakes prize package.

Prizes for the 2023 State Park Passport:

500 points – any passholder redeeming at this level gets $5 off an overnight camping stay
1,000 points – first 500 passholders to redeem at this level get a weather-proof sticker
2,500 points – first 300 passholders to redeem at this level get a ceramic coffee mug!

Once points are redeemed, your passholder points reset to zero. So, cash-in early, or bank points for higher level prizes. Additionally, for every 300 points earned, passholders are automatically entered into a drawing to win a paddling package (kayak, paddle, life jacket and dry bag) or a three-night stay at a cabin at Lake Darling State Park. There is no limit to the number of entries!

Prizes were donated by sponsorship partners Bass Pro Shops and the Iowa Hunter Education Association.

Post a selfie at the hidden gem with the hashtag #IowaStateParks on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter and the DNR will randomly select one photo to win an outdoor cooking package!

DES MOINES— Iowa DNR officials are asking for the public’s help in determining the cause of a fish kill yesterday (Thursday), along Squaw Creek in the Franklin County town of Hampton.

Thursday afternoon, a local angler reported dead fish in Squaw Creek in East Park in Hampton. The DNR investigated and found that the fish kill extended approximately 1.5 miles upstream through the town of Hampton.

No definitive source of the kill has been identified at this time, though the DNR is continuing to investigate. Any information or tips from the public with knowledge of a possible cause are requested to contact the DNR’s environmental field office in Mason City at 641-424-4073

• KJAN, Atlantic  .93″
• 7 miles NNE of Atlantic  .22″
• Atlantic Airport  .4″
• Elk Horn  .53″
• Anita  .38″
• Avoca  .25″
• Audubon  .1″
• Oakland  .24″
• Bridgewater  .3″
• Red Oak  .04″
• Clarinda  .22″
• Carroll  .44″
• Shenandoah  .04″
• Glenwood  1.21″

(Atlantic, Iowa) – A reminder from The Station Where Your Friends Are: An event taking place this Saturday, June 3rd, “Truckin’ on the Trails,” will showcase various cycling opportunities and trails fun in Cass County. All Truckin’ on the Trails activities will take place at the Schildberg Recreation Area West Rotary Shelter (102 Buck Creek Rd. Atlantic, IA 50022).

At 10:30 AM, the event will kick off with the “Nishna Valley Trails Gravel Sampler” ride led by Jon Jordan. This ten-mile ride will visit both trails and gravel. Gravel riding has become
increasingly popular in the last few years, and those interested in learning about this sport are encouraged to attend. Prior to the ride, Jordan will give a primer on gravel skills vs. road skills.
Any “non-skinny” tire bikes will work for this ride. Participants will ride from Schildberg Rotary Shelter (West parking lot) to South T-Bone Trailhead (63395 Dunbar Rd. Atlantic) and back.

Then from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, Truckin’ on the Trails is hosting food trucks and live music at the Schildberg Rotary Shelter. Master Griller Catering, Atlantic Kiwanis, and Louie’s Shaved Ice will be selling food, and Sarah Selders will be singing live. Cass County Conservation and Nishna Valley Trails, a tax-emempt local nonprofit that promotes the development of recreational trails and cycling, will be sharing information on their organizations, and Bike Farm will be offering minor bike maintenance and door prizes.

At 1:00 PM a 1.5-mile kids ride will take off from the West Rotary Shelter. This ride will be a loop that will end back with the food trucks and music.

Whether cycling or walking, pushing strollers, or riding trikes, all people are welcome at Truckin’ on the Trails. Truckin’ on the Trails is just one of many events taking place across the nation on National Trails Day, the first Saturday in June. National Trails Day is an annual event hosted by the American Hiking Society that encourages support of the nation’s public trails. Trails have positive impacts on mental and physical health, and National Trails Day is a day of public events that invites thousands of trail users to participate.

A Cass County trails map can be found online at:
https://www.atlanticiowa.com/experience/cass-county-trails-map-2/. Hard copies of the map will be available at the event and are always available at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce.

(Ames, Iowa) – The latest Iowa Drought Monitor (Released Thursday, June 1) indicated a continued trend toward dryness across the State. Only the north-central & northeast counties are free of drought conditions.The report is released every Thursday, and does not take into account rain received since the report was issued. Atlantic finally received some decent rain Thursday, at slightly more than nine-tenths of an inch. The last time we received over nine-tenths of an inch, was May 5th (.94″).  The National Weather Service says a high-pressure system parked over the Great Lakes continues to block any organized weather system from entering the state.

White-No drought; Yellow-Abnormally dry; Tan-Moderate drought; Orange-Severe drought; Red-extreme drought; dark red-Exceptional drought.

Drought areas are categorized from D-O (no drought) to D-4 (Exceptional Drought). The Drought Monitor shows drought conditions continued expanding across the region, from D-O to D-1 (Abnormally Dry) in parts of Illinois, Iowa and Missouri. D-2 soil/drought conditions expanded in Iowa and Missouri, while D-3 (Extreme Drought) conditions grew in Missouri. As of May 28th, USDA data revealed more than half of the topsoil moisture was short or very short in Iowa (50%), Missouri (62%), and Michigan (68%), and 40% or more was short or very short in Wisconsin (45%), Ohio (45%), Illinois (42%), and Indiana (40%).

The story for the Midwest was continued drying of soils, low streamflows, and mounting precipitation deficits over the last 1 to 3 months.

(Radio Iowa) – The cost to rent an acre of Iowa farmland increased nine percent last year to a record 279 dollars. Iowa State University’s Alejandro Plastina, says the strong farm economy drove the increase. “We saw a great farm year last year with good profitability land values are also at very high levels and still increasing according to recent surveys,” he says.

He says there’s demand when land becomes available to rent and that is also pushing up rents. “Farmers are trying to expand to extract better economies of scale and be more profitable with larger farms so it makes sense,” Plaustina says. He says some input costs came down, and the increase in interest rates has not been a factor after several years of good farm income. “Farmers have built up some cash reserves and are not using credit loans, operating loans as much as in other years in in the past. That higher interest rate is not affecting all farmers as it would have a decade ago,” Plaustina says.

There was considerable variability across counties depending on the quality of the land — but 91 out of the 99 Iowa counties experienced increases. Only Des Moines, Jefferson, Lucas, Muscatine, Van Buren, Wapello, Warren and Woodbury counties saw declines in their overall average cash rents. Plaustina says farm income projections are expected to decline over the next couple of years, putting downward pressure on cash rents. “Now the concern is with 2024, on the whether we will continue to see to see inflation in inputs and declining corn and soybean prices, and you know that will be concerning in 2024 if that happens,” he says.

Plaustina says 51 percent of the farmland in Iowa is rented, with the majority of rent in the form of cash deals.