Palo Alto County, Iowa —[KCCI] – An insect that kills ash trees has been confirmed in all but one of Iowa’s 99 counties. According to the Iowa Department of Agriculture, the Emerald Ash Borer was confirmed in Palo Alto County last month. The non-native, wood-boring insect kills ash trees by laying eggs inside the wood, according to the Department of Ag. The dead trees then pose the risk of property damage or personal injury if they fall. The Emerald Ash Borer was first found in Iowa in 2010 and has slowly made its way across the state.

In July 2014, the city of Des Moines announced that roughly 13,000 ash trees along city streets would need to be treated or removed. Just two years ago, there were still six counties without a confirmed case of the destructive insect. That list is now whittled down to one. Emmet County, which sits just north of Palo Alto County, along the border with Minnesota, is the only county that hasn’t reported the pest’s presence. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship notes that while the insect travels only short distances on its own, it uses people to aid its long-distance movement — often in infested firewood. More information on the Emerald Ash Borer can be found at iowatreepests.com.

April 1:

• Karen Miller of Atlantic (winner)
• Clint Mathisen of Massena
• Joy Miller of Atlantic (winner)
• Bruce Nelson of Atlantic

April 2:

• Bennett Blake of Atlantic (winner)
• Randy Rush of Atlantic
• Kenny Hinson of Atlantic
• Lynette Herrick of Wiota

April 3:

• Lola Ehen of Atlantic (winner)
• David Smith of Atlantic
• Dianna Essington of Atlantic
• Nancy Freeman of Atlantic
• Sarah Kirke of Omaha, Ne

April 4:

• Miley Kelly of Griswold (winner)
• Diane Breach of Atlantic
• Dorothy Peters of Marne
• Wendy Petersen of Atlantic

April 5:

• Bobbie Jo McNees of Atlantic (winner)

April 6:

• Lyriq Dodson of Atlantic (winner)
• Blake Burris of Jasper, Indiana

April 7:

• April Meyer of Atlantic (winner)

April 8:

• Kristin Templeman of Wiota (winner)

April 9:

• Lily Knudsen of Marne (winner)

April 10:

• Alan Lillard of Atlantic (winner)
• Lindsey Thomas of Atlantic
• Donna Skow of Atlantic
• Joy Hansen of Brayton

April 11:

• Debbie Denison of Atlantic (winner)
• Vickie Tibben of Audubon
• Keith Grabill of Audubon
• Asa Lucas of Atlantic

April 12:

• Gary Wiechmann of Atlantic (winner)
• Mara Mae Myers of Atlantic
• Matt Amdor

April 13:

• Lisa Shotwell of Exira (winner)
• Beth Lauritsen of Exira
• Mary Ann Huegerich of Exira
• River Meyers of Exira
• Martha Baier of Atlantic
• Hana Holtz of Atlantic

April 14:

• Nancy Zellmer of Atlantic (winner)

April 15:

• Roux Dailey of Atlantic (winner)

April 16:

• Donna Zellmer of Atlantic (winner)
• Elinor Elsberry of Atlantic

April 17:

• Sadie Schultes of Exira (winner)

April 18:

• Debbie Leistad of Atlantic (winner)
• Marjorie Frisbie of Walnut
• Sara Paulsen of Exira
• James Hickman of Atlantic

April 19:

• Carolyn Dix of Atlantic (winner)
• Doris Christensen of Audubon

April 20:

• Sheri Fletcher of Atlantic (winner)

April 21:

• Jenna Andersen of Audubon (winner)

April 22:

• Dawn Marnin of Anita (winner)
• Brynn Lamp of Atlantic

April 23:

• Roger Sinow of Gray (winner)
• Raelynn Weisenborn of Exira
• Wayne Rush of Walnut
• Doug Dittman of Atlantic

April 24:

• Donna Willoughby of Atlantic (winner)
• Lane Alan Myers of Atlantic
• McKinley Sandbothe of Atlantic
• Christine Newman-Waters of LeVeen, Az
• James Henningsen

April 25:

• Ann Huegerich of Exira (winner)
• Carolyn Landon of Exira
• Dave Erickson of Exira
• Brittany Knudsen of Atlantic
• Leanne Sorensen of Brayton

April 26:

• No birthdays submitted

April 27:

• Connie Sorensen of Exira (winner)
• Marlow Ehrenfrid of Atlantic

April 28:

• Sherry Kramer of Atlantic (winner)
• Sarah Becker of Atlantic
• Mariah Stockwell of Elk Horn

April 29:

• Mitch Munch of Exira (winner)
• Dov Lower of Atlantic

Jim Field visits with travel blogger Sara Broers about her new guidebook, “Perfect Day Iowa: Day Trips, Weekend Getaways and Other Escapes.”

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CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Alliant Energy has named 41 Iowa communities, including the City of Atlantic and Creston FFA, as recipients of grants totaling nearly $145,000 through the company’s Community Tree Planting program, part of its One Million Trees initiative.  Alliant Energy partners with Trees Forever to help communities develop, select and plant a diverse mix of trees. A tree expert helps communities select the best species for their areas and create care and maintenance plans to ensure the new trees have long, healthy lives.

Atlantic receives a $3,000 grant for community tree planting at the local campground next to camp sites. Local students will volunteer this spring.  The Creston FFA Chapter will receive a grant for $4,950, for community tree planting led by the local FFA chapter. Locations will be on city property and school locations.

Since 1990, Trees Forever and Alliant Energy have awarded over $7.85 million in grants and planted more than 1.1 million trees through their partnership and programs in Iowa and Wisconsin.  Across Iowa, communities are eligible to apply for grants up to $5,000 to fund new trees.

Some communities will begin to plant trees this spring while others will wait until fall.

JOHNSON COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG & USDA) – This week, the USDA announced cases of bird flu had been found in dairy cows in a few states; Texas, Kansas, and Michigan. Iowa currently isn’t one of those states, but cattle farmers are keeping a close eye it. Last year, the avian flu killed nearly 3 million birds in the state of Iowa. That ranges from commercial poultry farms to backyard flocks.

Iowa State Extension Dairy Veterinarian Phillip Jardon said cows in Texas had contracted an unknown illness, which reduced milk production in older cattle. It wasn’t until this week he said pathologists learned it was the bird flu, but they aren’t sure how it happened.

Jardon said in each of the found cases in Texas, dead birds had been found near the farm. While he said the findings are all still new and research was being done, so far, the virus doesn’t seem to be as deadly to cattle. Jardon said it would still be a good idea for farmers to be vigilant as they get closer to starting selling and moving cattle this season.

In its latest report, the USDA said ” There continues to be no concern about the safety of the commercial milk supply because products are pasteurized before entering the market, or that this circumstance poses a risk to consumer health. Dairies are required to send only milk from healthy animals into processing for human consumption; milk from impacted animals is being diverted or destroyed so that it does not enter the human food supply.

In addition, pasteurization has continually proven to inactivate bacteria and viruses, like influenza, in milk. Pasteurization is required for any milk entering interstate commerce for human consumption. FDA’s longstanding position is that unpasteurized, raw milk can harbor dangerous microorganisms that can pose serious health risks to consumers, and FDA is reminding consumers of the risks associated with raw milk consumption in light of the HPAI detections.”

(Radio Iowa) – One northeast Iowa farmer has a head start on coloring his Easter eggs. Mark Westbrock keeps between 180 to 200 chickens on his Solstice Farm in Waverly. They provide eggs that range in color from the standard shades of brown and white to spots, and even more unexpected hues. “Blue eggs, green eggs, 364 days out of the year, they’re the most beautiful eggs out there, but they don’t dye very well,” he says, “You can’t really dye them, because they’re already colored.”

Westbrock says the color comes from having unique birds.”It’s just different breeds of chicken that people have developed over the years. There are some breeds of green egg layers that have been around for a while, and then kind of more recently people have developed breeds that can lay these bright brilliant blue eggs,” he explains.

Westbrock adds that organic and sustainable farming practices also help in bringing out an egg’s richer colors. His farm has been around for a little more than five years.

Jim Field visits with Pat Petersen, president of the Audubon County Pheasants Forever.  They will hold their 39th annual banquet, raffle and auction Saturday night, March 30 at the Agri-Hall in Audubon.

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OMAHA (Via the Iowa Capital Dispatch) — U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced $124 million in grants and loans to projects in 44 states, including Iowa, that are aimed at saving energy and creating more income streams for smaller farmers and rural businesses. The heftiest award — nearly $4 million — went to Nebraska-based Bluestem Systems to help boost a creative process that removes water and pathogens from manure. In doing so, the company produces dry fertilizer and recycles the water for on-site use. Russ Vering, owner of Bluestem Systems, based in Howells, Nebraska, was on the panel. He said the nearly $4 million FPEP award headed to his business will help construction and equipment purchases at two Nebraska locations and another in Iowa.

In all, Vilsack said, the 542 projects — most of the awards range from about $7,000 to $1 million — are expected to advance President Joe Biden’s pledge to expand clean energy and allow small- to mid-sized farm and rural operations a better chance at competing with larger counterparts. Thirty Iowa projects received a total of just over $2.76 million.

Speaking to a group of about 75 people at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Vilsack described key challenges faced by most farmers. Since 1981, he said, the nation has lost some 545,000 farms and 155 million acres of former farmland. While the nation has enjoyed record farm income in the last few years, he said, the income has been concentrated among about 7% of s farms that cumulatively collect up to 89% of the bounty. Part of the answer to shrinking rural communities, Vilsack said, is to provide access to funding via programs such as REAP and FPEP. Such monies, he said, open the door to creating other “value-added” opportunities and sources of income for farmers. Instead of “get big or get out,” Vilsack said: “The word is entrepreneurial.”

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, in Omaha on March 28, 2024, announced about $124 million in grant and loans to smaller farms and rural businesses across the country, including 30 in Iowa. (Photo by Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner) via Iowa Capital Dispatch

Of the newly announced grants and loans, Vilsack said the investments he announced “Will expand access to renewable energy systems and domestic fertilizer, all while creating good-paying jobs and saving people money that they can then invest back into their businesses and communities.

Among the larger REAP awards for Iowa projects were:

Among the larger Iowa recipients were:

• DeWitt Travel Mart – $395,527 to help install a 423.5 kilowatt solar array at its convenience store in DeWitt.
• Deck Supply Services – $283,977  to help install a 281.8 kilowatt solar array at its sheet metal work manufacturing operation near Walcott.
• L & S Ag Center Inc. – $203,477 to help install a 199 kilowatt solar array at its farm supply business in Worthington.
• D Daufeldt Farms Inc. – $160,728 to help install a 114 kilowatt solar project at its turkey production operation near West Liberty.
• Home 40 LTD – $160,259 to help install an energy-efficient grain dryer at its oilseed and grain production farm operation near Britt.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa House has voted to let landowners seek a court ruling now on whether carbon pipeline developers qualify for the government’s eminent domain authority to force unwilling property owners to let the pipeline on their land. Republican Representative Charley Thomson of Charles City led debate on the proposal.

“We’re faced with lots of choices in this body. Few go to the heart of Iowa the way this does. Land is the original asset in Iowa. It’s in our souls. An unjust taking of land without remedy is not only irritating, it’s outrageous,” Thomson said. “Let’s give Iowans a remedy.” Thomson says, right now, property owners are forced to live in limbo for years — waiting for the Iowa Utilities Board decision on the project as well as the resolution of lawsuits expected to challenge that decision.

“That means for that entire period you have these Century Farms, landowners, people who didn’t especially want to have this pipeline going over their land and have some questions about it, not being able to get an answer on their constitutional law question,” Thomson says, “and not being able to sell their land at full value or make a decision on tiling or make a decision on estate planning.”

Republican Representative Steven Holt of Denison says Iowa landowners are pleading with elected officials to do the right thing — while their land is in limbo. “For several years I’ve watched, I’ve listened and I’ve been deeply concerned,” Holt says. “I’ve watched landowners fighting to protect their private property rights…and I have been disturbed by that fact that others do not hear their pleas or the truth of their message.”

Representative Bobby Kaufmann, a Republican from Wilton, was the other lawmaker who spoke before the bill passed on an 86 to seven vote — and Kaufmann sounded as if he was speaking directly to Bruce Rastetter, an influential G-O-P donor who owns Summit Carbon Solutions.

“Most importantly I have a message for those who would choose to attempt to use their money to influence this vote, for those who would attempt to use their money to prevent this vote,” Kaufmann says. “My message is: ‘Take your money and shove it!'” Kaufmann says government doesn’t exist to make the confiscation of private property easier or cheaper for pipeline developers.

The Iowa House has previously passed other proposals to set up pipeline regulations, but all have stalled in the Iowa Senate.

(Radio Iowa) – The recent snow and rains have helped push back some of the drought conditions in the state. D-N-R Hydrologist, Tim Hall, the rainfall has been good to see. “The statewide average over the last seven days, three times the normal rainfall for that seven day period. And for the month of March, we’re ahead of normal. And so those things are all reflected in the U-S Drought Monitor this week,” Hall says. Northeast Iowa remains the driest area of the state, but the picture is better than last week.

“Almost 20 percent of the state was designated as D-3 extreme drought. And now that’s down to 12 percent,” he says. Hall says it is good to see the dry weather turnaround in March. “Every month that goes by between March and April in May and June, the monthly precipitation averages go up. So that’s why it’s really critical when we get above normal rainfall in March, because March is a pretty wet month, and even more so for April and even more so for May,” Halls says. He says the past few years a promising start to spring didn’t pan out.

“We’ve seen really encouraging early spring and late winter rainfalls, but then the tap has been shut off. And we’ve missed out on April May and June rainfalls over the past few years,” he says. “So we’re really hoping that this will set a trend that will allow us to see above normal rainfall in April and then May and then June. And that’ll go a long ways toward getting some significant areas of drought wiped off the map here.”

The Drought Monitor shows the areas of the state not reporting any drought have gone from just more than two percent to now just under ten percent.