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USDA plans ‘historic’ funding to help struggling farmers and develop new ag leaders
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will distribute up to $550 million to expand certain farmers’ access to land, money and markets and to create educational opportunities for the students of higher-education institutions that cater to racial and ethnic minorities. “The idea here obviously is to enlarge the number of people that are engaged in this […]
Emmetsburg wants residents to stop using water softeners
A northwest Iowa town plans to spend up to $10 million to enhance its drinking water treatment so that residents will cease their use of water softeners. Those in-home treatment systems — which are often used to remove minerals in groundwater — are believed to be a prominent source of chloride that Emmetsburg’s wastewater treatment […]
Iowa crop conditions stabilize with widespread rains
Iowa had above-normal statewide rainfall last week for the first time in more than a month, which helped stabilize the conditions of corn and soybean plants, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report. An average of 1.12 inches of rain fell across the state, about 23% more than normal, State Climatologist Justin Glisan reported. […]
Prolific bacteria, toxins detected at Spirit Lake beach
The water at a Spirit Lake beach recently had the highest concentrations of bacteria detected so far this year at any state beach in Iowa and also an unhealthy amount of blue-green algae toxins, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Crandall’s Beach water last week had more than 100 times the amount of […]
State suspends licenses of financially troubled Jesup grain dealer
State regulators ordered a northeast Iowa grain dealer to stop buying large amounts of grain after it failed to pay for an unspecified amount of grain, among other violations of its licenses. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship announced Friday it suspended the grain dealer and warehouse licenses of B&B Farm Store in […]
Biden administration plays long game for agriculture and trade
WOODWARD, Iowa — The United States could take international trade actions that might have an immediate impact on the operating costs for farmers and the markets available for their crops, but the Biden administration has opted for a longer-term strategy, one of the nation’s top emissaries said Thursday during a trip to a central Iowa […]
Utility regulators might close investigation into wind turbine disposal
The Iowa Utilities Board is set to conclude its investigation into the disposal of old wind turbines now that a prominent blade stockpile has been removed and other state officials are monitoring the situation. “In light of those circumstances that have occurred, staff will be recommending to the board that that docket be closed at […]
Iowa COVID hospitalizations drop sharply; reported cases decline again
The number of people infected by COVID-19 who are receiving inpatient treatment at Iowa hospitals declined 24% in the past week, according to federal data. That marks a significant turnaround from recent weeks, but there have been similar downturns this summer that were quickly erased as hospitalizations have overall trended upward since April. Those hospitalized […]
Utilities board to proceed with pipeline permit scheduling
State regulators are poised to hold a scheduling conference that will guide the rest of the permit process for Summit Carbon Solutions, which seeks to build about 680 miles of liquid carbon pipeline in the state. An Iowa Utilities Board attorney said during a Tuesday board meeting that a proposed order is forthcoming. The meeting […]
USDA: Crop conditions worsened significantly last week in Iowa
The percentage of Iowa’s corn and soybeans rated good or excellent declined at least 7 points last week, the largest such drop this year amid worsening drought conditions, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture reports. The latest USDA report on Monday said 66% of the state’s corn and 63% of soybeans were good or excellent, […]
Rural restaurant fined for failing to report water tests
An eastern Iowa restaurant that uses a very shallow well that is highly susceptible to contamination has failed for months to report the daily test results of the water it serves its customers, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Newt’s Café, in Nichols, avoided a fine from the department in February for its […]
Iowa State Fair’s Big Boar Contest has only 2 entries amid soaring inflation, heat
It’s possible that the cost to feed giant pigs was too much. Or maybe the summer’s unrelenting heat made those 1,000-plus-pound bruisers lose their appetites. Either way, there were just two entries in the Iowa State Fair’s Big Boar Contest this year — the smallest number in at least two decades, according to Ernie Barnes, […]