(Radio Iowa) – An attorney for the Iowa Utilities Board says the staff is reviewing several items in Carbon Solutions’ proposal to construct approximately 681 miles of pipeline through Iowa to carry liquefied carbon dioxide. A couple of people spoke during the public comment period of the I-U-B meeting about pipeline concerns. Cynthia Hansen and her siblings own a century farm in Shelby County in western Iowa.

“We have landowners who are being what we considered harassed by the land agents who are showing up multiple times when they’ve already been told know that the landowner is not interested in signing for voluntary easements,” she says. Hansen had another concern as well. “We have surveyors who are showing up even though landowners have not signed or have not received proper notice, and have not accepted proper notice through the U-S mail. And we would like to see that stopped,” Hansen says.

She says two people have told her that their elderly family members in the nursing home have been approached multiple times by landowners or land agents, even though they have told them no. I-U-B chair Geri Huser told Hansen there is a way to deal with these issues. “You have the right to file in the docket if there are situations that are arising that you believe are outside the statutory framework for proceeding of this type,” Huser says. She says the Board’s legal counsel would then review those filings to make a determination on how to proceed.

“Whether or not there’s any jurisdiction that the Iowa Utilities Board has to take action related to those complaints or situations that are arising,” she said. Hansen and another speaker asked about the number of landowners involved and how to get that information. They also expressed concern that last-minute changes would not allow them to take action before the proceedings began. Huser said they can talk with the I-U-B staff and get an update on the landowners, and the Board’s attorney said they will have all the information updated before moving forward.

Jim Field visits with Shelby Van Horn about the Adair Sesquicentennial celebration June 16-19.

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ATLANTIC, IA – Bridgewater Farm lost thousands of plants in last week’s hailstorm; the farm was  devastated. This is a loss not only in the Atlantic area (Bridgewater Farm is a produce vendor at Produce  in the Park), but across the state; Bridgewater Farm is Iowa’s largest organic farm. The losses were so  significant that Channel 13 News out of Des Moines did a story on the damage. The farm’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/BridgewaterFamilyFarm/, links to the story and shows many photos of the destruction.

Dale Raasch indicates how tall these tomato plants were before the June hailstorm hit Bridgewater Farm.jpg

Looking through photos of thousands upon thousands of destroyed plants can leave one asking, “What  could I possibly do to help?” Bridgewater Farm has an answer. The community is now being invited to  help with replanting this Wednesday, June 16, at 9:00 AM at Bridgewater Farm (2409 Brown Ave., Bridgewater, IA 50837). There is no need to RSVP for the volunteer day, but participants may want to bring a dish to share at the lunch potluck, along with a lawn chair.

Volunteers should wear clothes that can get dirty. Bridgewater Farm is expecting a few news stations to attend the event.
Produce in the Park thanks customers for supporting Bridgewater Farm and understanding that the farm  may not have as much produce as they’d expect at the farmers market over the next month or so, as  they rebuild and regrow.

Chris Parks and Cass/Adair County Conservation Officer Grant Gelly talk all things outdoors. This week they discuss young wildlife, turkey harvest numbers, new fishing atlas updates, and an odd local celebrity squirrel.

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WILLEY, Iowa —Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, on Friday (today), followed up on an anonymous tip received Thursday night indicating manure was discharging from the Wendl Feedlot about 6.5 miles south of Carroll. When notified, feedlot owner Brian Wendl left his vacation and drove 900 miles overnight to oversee containing and cleaning up the runoff.

Friday morning, DNR staff found runoff leaving several locations from a saturated field, flowing into a tributary of Willey Creek. The discharge occurred when the field became saturated following an attempt to dewater a basin used to contain manure.

DNR staff found elevated ammonia levels in the tributary at the field, but considerably lower levels a mile downstream. The tributary flows into Willey Creek and then into the Middle Raccoon. There were no signs of dead fish. And the stream was running high after about three inches of rain in the last few days.

Wendl was constructing a berm along the stream to stop runoff. DNR is sending water samples to a laboratory for testing. Staff will monitor the cleanup and containment. DNR will consider appropriate enforcement action.

(Radio Iowa) – Beef producers in Iowa and New York are in the midst of a burger battle. Kylie Peterson, spokeswoman for the Iowa Beef Industry Council, says carnivores in both states are being encouraged to log on and cast a ballot for their favorite burger. Peterson says, “This is just a fun way to put together two states that have a similar goal and that is to promote beef.” Over the past few months, Iowans got the chance to vote on their favorite burgers, as did New Yorker’s. The winners of the respective state contests are now going head-to-head, or bun-to-bun.

“We’re putting the two together in a little mini contest that’s for bragging rights only,” Peterson says. “There’s no prize or anything like that. It’s just a fun way to capitalize on our contests that we’ve already had.” The contest ends Monday night and Iowans can vote on the website I-A-beef-dot-org.

“The Flying Elbow in Marshalltown is featuring the Tombstone Burger which includes a blend of chuck brisket and short rib and it has also Wagyu beef that’s raised by a Marshalltown producer,” Peterson says. “And then the Ale ‘n Angus Pub burger is called the Holy Smokers Burger and it is an eight ounce certified Angus beef patty that’s topped with smoked beef brisket.”

This is the second year for the contest. New York challenged Iowa last year — and Iowa won. The winner will be announced on Tuesday.

LaVon Eblen visits with Brad Rasmussen about the local Meals on Wheels program.

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(Radio Iowa) – Plans for a major expansion project at a beef processing plant in Tama County are now on hold indefinitely due to high construction costs. Iowa Premium had announced plans to replace its current beef processing facility in Tama with a bigger plant in 2021. In a filing with the state, the company announced that it planned to hire 400 additional workers by the end of 2024, bringing its total workforce to more than 1,200.

Company officials announced Thursday that the current facility will continue to function at normal capacity where nearly 800 people are presently employed. The company plans to further review the status of the expansion at a later time.

Jim Field visits with Shaun Sayres, the new Museum Manager of the Danish Windmill in Elk Horn.

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(Bridgewater, Iowa) – The hail storm that passed through Cass and area Counties Tuesday evening stripped trees of leaves and decimated an Adair County organic vegetable farm. Bridgewater Farm is the largest organic vegetable farm in Iowa. It has 25 acres of vegetables. Owner Dale Raasch reports almost all of his outdoor produce was lost during an approximately 10-minute burst of hail and heavy rain.

The hail, whipped by approximately 80 mph winds caused damage that was estimated at $150,000.  Raasch said he did not have insurance on the specialty farm. He estimates the losses from strawberries alone to be $32,000. On the Bridgewater Farms Facebook page, Dale Raasch said “We have received donated transplants to replant, some have offered to volunteer their time and energy and the amazing monetary donations that will help mitigate the losses of all the seed costs, labor and infrastructure, not to mention the potential profits lost. Thank you all for giving us hope.”

Lettuce

Beets

Garlic

In addition, a Go Fund Me page has been established, that (as of early Friday morning), had raised more than $88-hundred dollars. Replacement plants are on their way to the farm, and new seeding has begun. (Photos from the BF Facebook page show some of the many different vegetables that were lost to the storm)