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Benton County backyard bird flu detection is 14th this fall
A mixed-species backyard flock of 86 birds in Benton County was recently infected by a highly transmissible avian flu, according to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. It is the 14th detection of the virus in Iowa this fall. The infections have led to the culling of about 1.4 million birds to prevent […]
Pipeline opponents urge farmers to request corn checkoff refunds
Iowa farmers should request refunds of the penny-per-bushel fee they pay for their sold corn to protest the Iowa Corn Growers Association’s support of carbon dioxide pipelines, according to some pipeline opponents. That “corn checkoff” fee generates more than $20 million each year for the Iowa Corn Promotion Board, which has a contract with the […]
Council Bluffs is discharging untreated wastewater into Missouri River
A western Iowa city will divert millions of gallons of untreated wastewater into the Missouri River for up to 10 days as it works to repair a broken sewer line, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The damaged sewer main in Council Bluffs was recently discovered when someone noticed wet soil in an […]
Dairy farm might face enhanced penalties for repeated manure violations
A northeast Iowa dairy farm that has repeatedly leaked manure-contaminated water onto neighboring properties and into a stream during the past five years might face stiffer penalties than what state regulators commonly impose. After two more such incidents this year at Regancrest Holsteins near Waukon, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources recently referred the violations […]
Corn and soybean harvests are almost finished
Iowa’s soybean harvest is “nearly complete,” and about 94% of the state’s corn crop has been gathered from fields, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That is nearly 10 days ahead of the five-year average for both crops, which matured more quickly this growing season because of drought and hot temperatures. Last week was […]
Bird flu found in pheasant hatchery and backyard flock
A highly contagious avian flu continues to scourge domestic bird flocks in Iowa this fall with a further two confirmed infections in Cerro Gordo and Kossuth counties, according to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Iowa flocks this fall have occurred at about triple the rate […]
Bird flu strikes southwest Iowa facility with 1.2 million chickens
About 1.2 million egg-laying hens in Taylor County will be culled because a highly transmissible avian flu was detected in their flock, according to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. The detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the southwest Iowa chicken facility, along with another recent detection in a backyard flock of […]
Tree thefts: an uncommon crime on the rise in Iowa
People stealing trees from public and private land in Iowa is an infrequent but growing occurrence, according to state conservation officers. The crimes range considerably in their scope and sophistication, and the value of the heists can be lucrative. Some of the culprits might haul their looted timber with ramshackle trailers. Others might have full-on […]
Summit permit decision in Iowa not expected until next year
A monthslong evidentiary hearing for Summit Carbon Solutions’ pipeline permit in Iowa concluded this week with the final remaining testimony of landowners in the path of the company’s project. That sets the stage for the Iowa Utilities Board to make a decision about whether to grant the company a hazardous liquid pipeline permit, grant it […]
Feds increase expected corn yields for Iowa as harvest nears completion
Corn yields in Iowa are projected to average about 200 bushels per acre, and overall corn production in the United States this year might set a record, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA’s average yield prediction for Iowa on Thursday is an increase of one bushel per acre from its figure a […]
New federal rule seeks to curb ‘deceptive practices’ in poultry production
Federal ag officials are poised to enact new disclosure requirements for the poultry industry to give chicken growers a better understanding of their potential profits. The changes are meant to address some long-standing complaints by farmers who are contracted by large companies to grow chickens for meat, U.S. Department of Agriculture officials said Wednesday. Most […]
Game bird farm in Kossuth County has avian flu
A Kossuth County farm with pheasants, peafowl and egg-laying hens is the ninth site in Iowa this fall to be affected by a quick-spreading avian influenza, according to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. The virus was recently detected at a farm with about 8,400 game bird pheasants, 160 commercial layer chickens and […]