(Radio Iowa) – The attorneys general from Iowa, Nebraska and nine other states are asking the Environmental Protection Agency to make it clear there’s a national standard for labeling of Roundup and other weed killers that contain glyphosate. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird says a new E-P-A rule is needed because California has proposed cancer warnings on Roundup and other products that contain the world’s most commonly used herbicide. “If we don’t stop it now…the glyphosate situation — that is just the tip of the iceberg. There will be other things that states like California try to do to tell our farmers how to farm and that future will make it very hard for farmers to be able to grow their crops, which is what it’s all about,” Bird says. “Food does not come from a grocery store. It comes from a farm.”

The E-P-A has said glyphosate is not likely to cause cancer in humans and in November, a federal appeals court ruled in favor of Monsanto — the maker of Roundup — and said California did not have authority to require a cancer warning on Roundup’s label. Bird says it’s time for the E-P-A to set things straight.”Farmers have a lot to deal with…sometimes low crop prices, high input prices, natural disasters,” Bird says. “They shouldn’t have to worry about the types of things that are happening in other states on the coasts to figure out how they’re going to make their family farm work.”

Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers says it’s about protecting the freedom to farm. “What we’re trying to do with our action today is to ensure access to this critical input,” Hilgers says, “…to give our farmers the option that they’ve had for decades to be able to use this technology to be able to manage their own crops and be able to help produce the that come out of Iowa and Nebraska.”

Kevin Ross, a farmer from Underwood who’s a former president of the National Corn Growers Association, joined the attorneys general at a news conference this (Wednesday) morning in Omaha. Ross told reporters there is no real substitute for glyphosate. “It’s been one of the most tested chemicals ever on the marketplace and it’s known to be safe and very effective,” Ross said, “so EPA — set the regulations, do your job in DC and let us farmers do our job on the ground here in the U.S.”

Monsanto’s attorneys have argued that a warning label on Roundup violates the company’s First Amendment right to be free from compelled speech that it disagrees with. This spring, the Iowa Senate passed a bill to block lawsuits against farm chemical companies based on how the products are labeled, but it stalled in the House. Similar bills were introduced in other states. Monsanto, now owned by Bayer, has settled about 100-thousand lawsuits and the company estimates there are more than 50-thousand pending.

(Radio Iowa) – A northeast Iowa lake is seeing its first major renovation in about 70 years. Martens Lake has been a part of the Sweet Marsh Wildlife Management Area in Bremer County since the 1950s but has remained virtually untouched. That’s changing, as Iowa DNR wildlife biologist Dan Kirby says they’re widening the lake’s channels to improve boat access, and they’re making the channels deeper to improve habitat for fish and waterfowl. “This lake does have a history of having some invasive aquatic species,” Kirby says. “It should help us to have the ability to more easily manage a couple of those problems.”

The lake has battled watermilfoil and brittle naiad for the past several decades. Kirby says watermilfoil is particularly troublesome as it chokes out native aquatic plants and fish. “Because we have channels now, we should be able to draw that water down, confine the fish into a smaller area,” he says, “and deal with some of those aquatic plant issues we’ve been having in the past.”

The lake is about 30 miles north of Waterloo. The renovation is expected to be completed by September.

(Iowa News Service) – An Iowa county has received money as part of a $48.5 million federal grant to protect the rusty patched bumble bee and preserve its habitat. The grant is aimed at restoring endangered species and their habitats across the country. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has allocated more than $635,000 to Winneshiek County to protect the bee and its native surroundings.

Pam Mackey-Taylor, director of the Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club, said the rusty patched bumble bee is a critical part of the natural ecosystem. “It pollinates prairie plants, pollinates garden plants, fruit trees, ornamental plants,” Mackey-Taylor explained. “It’s important to keep the pollinator services from the rusty patched bumble bee available and are certainly necessary.”

The Fish and Wildlife Service is awarding more than $48 million to 19 states for habitat conservation projects, to benefit 80 endangered and at-risk species across the country. The bee lives on prairie and marsh lands and makes its colonies underground. Mackey-Taylor pointed out the grant money will be used to make sure the areas the bee relies on most will be protected from invasive species, which will allow the things they need to thrive.

Rusty-patched Bumblebee gathering nectar from a yellow flower

“Blooming flowers throughout the spring, summer and fall so that there’s a nectar source,” Mackey-Taylor noted. “And make sure the bees are protected from sprays, fungicides, herbicides and insecticides.”

Pesticide overspray and drift can often be a problem for Iowa farmers trying to manage weeds and pests, which could affect the bee habitat the grant is designed to protect.

(Radio Iowa) – It’s a chore many Iowans tackle every week without a second thought, but mowing the lawn can be hazardous, especially for a teenager who’s just taken over the job. Kelly Hilsabeck, the trauma injury prevention coordinator at Gundersen Health System, says there are 85-thousand lawn mower injuries every year nationwide. “They can range from very minor, like a small burn or a cut, to very major like an amputation, broken bones,” Hilsabeck says. “A lot of that can result from blade contact, so we really want to take some safety precautions to avoid that. First of all, we should know how to operate our lawn mower before using it.”

You also need to dress for the job, including long pants, eye and hearing protection, and good shoes — no flip-flops. One of the biggest risks with lawn mowing is accidentally coming into contact with the spinning blade. “The big thing with blade contact is if we need to clear out any debris, any grass under the mower, make sure it’s off, but go ahead and take that extra step and disconnect that spark plug,” Hilsabeck says. “That’s just going to prevent that blade from spinning quickly around in a rare event that once you do clear that debris, that it would do that and cause a serious injury.”

The mower blade is also a hazard, in that it could launch — at a high rate of speed — anything you run over. “We really want to be aware of projectile hazards when going to mow,” Hilsabeck says. “Look over your lawn before mowing. Remove any rocks, twigs, toys that might be outside, because in the event that you do run it over, a lawnmower can spit it out at over 100 miles per hour and cause an injury to yourself or anybody close by.” Add gas to the mower before starting it up, and she suggests if you need to refill the tank during the job, let it cool off first so there’s no risk of spilling fuel on any hot parts.

Gundersen Health System has clinics in Calmar, Decorah, Fayette, Lansing, Postville and Waukon, and a hospital in West Union.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowans for Tax Relief president Chris Hagenow is optimistic Iowa lawmakers will be open to making changes next year in a tax break for big corporations. It’s called the “research activities” tax credit and it’s refundable. That means the state is required to cut the corporation a check for any amount above what the company owes in taxes. Hagenow says the latest data from the state of Iowa shows John Deere received over 19 million dollars in tax credits for research activities last year.

“The conditions are ripe for a new conversation about these credits,” Hagenow says, “and not even necessarily because of this one particular example with regards to John Deere.” John Deere was the state’s largest recipient of Iowa’s research activities tax credit in 2023. Hagenow says Iowans may find that worrisome given recent layoffs at Deere facilities in Iowa, as well as the company’s plan to build a plant in Mexico.

“We generally support a flatter, fairer tax code for everyone without carve outs for anyone,” Hagenow says. “With regard to John Deere, then, being the biggest recipient of those credits, it really makes it much more difficult to take.” In tax year 2023, about 350 corporations filed for the state research activities tax credit — with claims totaling 77 million dollars. Hagenow, a former Republican lawmaker, says he hears from small business owners who cannot qualify for this kind of a lucrative subsidy.

“I think Iowans instinctively know a lot of these incentives are there and they’re not always fairly applied,” Hagenow says.

The 1984 Iowa legislature created the research activities credit. Businesses may receive a credit worth up to six-and-a-half percent of the company’s annual budget for research. Backers of the credit say it keeps companies in Iowa that are doing high value research — with highly paid staff. According to a state report, the salaries paid to employees who do research accounted for over 56 percent of the total amount of the tax credits awarded last year.

(Radio Iowa) – A rare bird came into sight in eastern Iowa this weekend. A four-legged chicken was hatched in the Mississippi Valley Fair’s Expo building. Gary Kaase and his wife manage the display where the chick hatched. “I was taking the chicks out and I thought that one was laying on top of the other. I saw four legs,” Kaase says, “and then I picked the chick up and I realized this was a real rare oddity that I had hatched here at the fair.” Sunday was the last day of the fair in Davenport. The tiny chick is now at home on Kaase’s farm just outside of Eldridge. “He is running around, he’s keeping up with everybody, he’s eating, drinking,”Kaase says. “The future for this chick — we hope to do some educational things with him.” The chick is the offspring of a Brown Sex Link chicken and a Leghorn rooster.

Kaase will be seeking permission to take the chick to visit patients at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital and he’s hoping to line up other venues where the chick could spread the message that anything is possible. “With the kids…hopefully show them that life isn’t so bad,” Kaase says. “You can handle anything as long as you try.” About two decades ago, Kaase took eggs to his daughter’s third grade classroom so the students could watch the chicks emerge from the shells. He and his wife now take incubators to dozens of classrooms — and three fairs. “We bring in about three dozen eggs every day and we have a big glass incubator where people can actually see the chicks hatch,” Kaase says. “We have two barns set up, one for the chicks that we hatch, one for the ducks…Everything is educational.”

A rare four-legged chick born in Iowa. (Photo courtesy Mississippi Valley Fair.)

His daughter became a veterinarian. She checked the chick out and says he’s healthy. The family has not named him yet. “He’s kind of a light yellow color,” Kaase says. “I don’t know what he’s going to look like when he gets bigger. I’m sure he’ll change some colors.” Kaase’s four-legged chick is motoring around on its two front legs. Kaase’s family has done some research about four-legged chickens. “All we could find is maybe one in 10 million,” Kaase says. “I’ve got to say it’s rarer than that. I’ve been doing this for probably close to 40 years as far as hatching and everything else and I had never even heard of it.”

Kaase’s farm, by the way, is called Anything is Kaase-able.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – This year (2024) marks a milestone for the Cattlemen’s Beef Quarters with the celebration of its 40th anniversary grilling at the Iowa State Fair! Iowa Beef Industry Council (IBIC) officials says, since 1984, the Cattlemen’s Beef Quarters has became a beloved destination for fairgoers, offering high-quality beef dishes and a welcoming atmosphere. The Cattlemen’s Beef Quarters began its 40-year journey at the fair serving as an advocate for Iowa cattlemen and women and promoting the beef they raise. Comprised of 68 county cattlemen association and FFA groups bringing more than 1,600 volunteers each year, these passionate individuals are crucial in creating a memorable dining experience for fairgoers. These loyal cattle farmers serve nearly 90,000 customers annually and prepare roughly 28,000 lbs. of beef during the 11-day event.

For four decades, Cattlemen’s Beef Quarters has been dedicated to promoting and showcasing the best of Iowa’s beef industry. Commitment to quality and tradition has made them a staple at the Iowa State Fair. CBQ Manager Wayne Baumhover, says “One detail that makes us special is that we have something for everyone on our menu from the casual, on-the-go diner, to those interested in a true sit-down meal. Our menu has expanded and changed through the years, but one thing remains constant – it’s always about the beef.”

The Cattlemen’s Beef Quarters all-beef menu includes such favorites as Prime Rib, Taco Salad, Ribeye Steak Sandwich and the Hot Beef Sundae. Serving up mouthwatering meals is well-known amongst fairgoers, and their breakfast offerings are no exception. You can enjoy a hearty start to your day with their classic breakfast menu, featuring biscuits and gravy, brisket breakfast burrito, salt beef bagel and more. It’s the perfect way to fuel up for a day of fair fun.

Iowa cattlemen and women invite you to visit them at the Iowa State Fair to celebrate this special milestone. Whether you’re a longtime fan or a first-time visitor, there’s something for everyone at the Cattlemen’s Beef Quarters. Enjoy a delicious meal, learn more about the beef industry, and be a part of the 40th anniversary celebration. Visit the CBQ’s iconic location August 8 through August 18, 2024. Located north of the Horse Barn and east of the Walnut Center, look for the black steer on the roof.

Hours of operation are 6:30 AM to 9:30 PM. Breakfast is served daily until 10 AM. Learn more about the Cattlemen’s Beef Quarters and find a full menu at www.cattlemensbeefquarters.com.

(Radio Iowa) – Looking for fresh-picked sweet corn or ripe strawberries right out of the patch? Iowa has more than 220 certified farmers markets and many of us know they’re a great place to find a wide variety of produce, to interact with local growers, and to support the community. U-S-D-A Undersecretary Jenny Lester Moffitt says farmers markets offer Iowa’s small producers what’s known as a low-barrier entry point, where it’s affordable to sell directly to consumers. “It’s really important because when we have direct sales, right now in mainstream supply chains, anywhere from 14 to 15 cents of that consumer dollar, our food dollar, goes directly to farmers,” Moffitt says, “but at farmer’s markets, that price is seven times that.”

This is National Farmers Market Week and Moffitt says communities in Iowa and across the country are celebrating the role farmers markets play in supporting local agriculture. “Farmers are able to capture and keep a lot more money of the consumer dollars in their own pockets, which means they’re reinvesting in their farms, they’re reinvesting in local jobs in their communities,” Moffitt says. “Really importantly, they’re able to get healthy food that’s grown in their region to the members in their communities as well.” She says Iowans who are on SNAP or other nutritional programs can use their benefits at many farmers markets. The markets are also known for offerings like local honey, giant heirloom tomatoes, and fresh-baked pies and pastries.

Farmers Market (USDA photo)

“What’s really great is you can find products that you normally can’t find on store shelves, whether that is locally-grown produce or other types of grains,” Moffitt says. “Also, it’s a really great opportunity to be able to buy things from other local producers, whether that is jams and jellies, and other value-added products, or craft products as well.” Even in an agricultural state like Iowa, people can forget where their food comes from, so farmers markets are a perfect way to rediscover our roots.  “It’s also just a really great place to engage with farmers, to talk about how the food is grown, to be able to have that personal connection,” Moffitt says. “I know we all really love and thrive when we’re talking with producers that are growing the food that we’re enjoying.”

You can find a farmers market near you by visiting the USDA’s Local Food Directory (https://www.usdalocalfoodportal.com). Before entering the government sector, Moffitt raised organic walnuts on a family farm in California. She’s now the U-S-D-A’s Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, the first woman to hold the post.

(Radio Iowa) – Volunteers are needed in north-central Iowa this weekend to help clean up a stretch of the Boone River. In years past, they’ve hauled out everything from water heaters to wagon wheels. They’ll be clearing out debris from the waterway on Saturday as a group, according to Brian Stroner, with the city of Webster City, who’s organizing the Boone River Clean-up.

“We’re going to be on the river for about four to five hours,” Stroner says. “We’re going to provide food and drink, some T-shirts. We’re also offering a self-guided clean-up to where people can go at their own pace. We’ll have dumpsters available at the 7-B canoe access, also at Briggs Woods.”

Hamilton County Conservation naturalist John Laird said since the first clean up of the river in 2007, volunteers have collected a range of interesting items. “We’ve found all kinds of things,” Laird says. “We’ve found couches, washing machines, washers, dryers, cars, car parts, old safes.”

Hamilton County Conservation Board photo

They had planned to clean a stretch of the Des Moines River in Fort Dodge this weekend, but the plans were called off due to the high water levels. The Boone is one of Iowa’s most scenic rivers.

Learn more about the weekend cleanup at the Hamilton County Conservation Facebook page. Volunteers are to meet at Briggs Woods Shelter #1 at 7:30 AM on Saturday.

(Radio Iowa) – There’s been a dramatic decline in the total number of barns in Iowa over the past century and it’s estimated fewer than 75 in the extremely rare round design remain. Wayne Frost of the Iowa Barn Foundation says most of the round barns in the country were built between 1900 and 1920.  “There was some work in early 1900, some of it at Iowa State and other universities that linked a round barn to maybe being more efficient and less expensive to build,” Frost says.

By 1925, though, Iowa State Extension warned against round barn construction due to the expense of materials and how difficult it was to find carpenters with the skills needed to complete the complicated designs.  “If you look across our landscape, every barn we have is different,” Frost says. “Even every round barn is different. Oftentimes they would have a silo in the center of it.”

2021 photo of a Hardin County Round Barn (Iowa Barn Foundation Facebook post)

Round barns are so rare now that dozens are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There’s a 94-year-old round barn on the Plymouth County Fairgrounds in Le Mars. At this month’s State Fair, the Iowa Barn Foundation is building a small barn inside the Agriculture Building on the fairgrounds to promote their work. The group raises money and awards grants to people who are working to preserve barns on their property.