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Branstad says the potential is great if trade issues with China settled

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Former Governor Terry Branstad. (file photo)

Former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad says the Trump administration will continue to stand firm on trade issues with China, despite the impact the dispute is having on agriculture.

“If we get this resolved, the potential here is great,” Branstad says. The 71-year-old Branstad, who became the U.S. Ambassador to China just over one year ago, says it’s critical for farmers in Iowa and across the U.S. to have free and open trade with China.

“Nearly 1.4 billion people, a growing middle class with income going up an average of 6.75 percent a year…this is a significant market,” Branstad says. Branstad says the trade potential with China is huge because it can’t produce all the food and protein it needs to meet the needs of its middle class and Chinese consumers like the quality of U.S. food.

“They recognize they can’t produce enough soybeans or some of these other agriculture items that they need on their own,” Branstad says. China buys about 60-percent of all the soybeans traded in the world and Iowa is among the top soybean-producing states in the U.S.

But, Branstad says China has to change to avoid a trade war with the U.S. He says the Trump administration is not willing to accept only a few changes in China’s policies while the trade deficit grows larger and the stealing of intellectual property gets worse – and, Branstad says, China knows it.

 

Iowa Corn Growers Association holding meetings across the state

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A series of farmer roundtable meetings opens today for members of the Iowa Corn Growers Association.

Lisa Cassady, spokeswoman for the Johnston-based organization, says the grassroots meetings are important so farmers’ concerns can be heard at all levels.

“They are one of the key parts of our policy development process,” Cassady says. “They’re happening in locations throughout the state.” Roundtable meetings are being held today in Le Mars, Ogden and Sheffield, and tomorrow in Grinnell, Red Oak and Oxford Junction. More talks are planned July 11th in Mount Pleasant, Emmetsburg and Denison, and July 12th in Albia, Creston and Fayette. At the gatherings, Cassady says growers can bring up any issues that are impacting their operations.

“Those policies will be brought forward and approved at the roundtable meetings and then they’ll go on to the annual ICGA Grassroots Summit which will be held on August 24th and 25th,” she says. That summit will be held in Des Moines. www.iowacorn.org

(By Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City)

 

Iowa Policy Project report calls for mandatory buffers to protect streams and rivers from runoff

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The Iowa Policy Project is calling for a focus on preventative measures to help curb increasing amounts of potentially harmful algae forming in the state’s lakes and streams.

A new report from the group says algae blooms, partially resulting from chemicals used on farms, are expanding with little action to prevent them. David Osterberg, one of the report’s authors, says there’s been more talk about cover crops as a solution. “But the one that’s just not being used very much is the stream-side buffers. And we think moving to that would really get us to some protection,” Osterberg says.

Osterberg says mandatory buffers around streams and rivers would work faster than cover crops to keep nutrients out of the water. Iowa’s state-owned beaches have had steadily increasing numbers of beach advisories because of elevated bacteria. The report says the current Nutrient Reduction Strategy includes vegetative buffers as an option for farmers to help reduce the addition of nitrogen and phosphorus to Iowa waterways — but there is no rule requiring their installation.

One of the authors of the report Mary Skopec says the Environmental Protection Agency recommends a lower threshold for beach advisories than what’s used in Iowa. “So when we take a look at how that would impact the number of advisories for the state of Iowa, that essentially would triple the number of advisories that would be issued in the state. There is a suggestion that perhaps the standard used by Iowa is not protective enough for human health,” Skopec says.

Skopec who is executive director of the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory Regents Resource Center used to oversee the state beach monitoring program. She says DNR data show a large and steady increase from 2009 to 2016 in the number of beach advisories.

(Thanks to Katarina Sostaric, Iowa Public Radio)

Soybean producers continue to watch trade situation anxiously

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Midwestern farmers are seeing soybean prices fall as the U.S. and China remain at odds over trade and tariff issues.

Kirk Leeds, chief executive officer for the Iowa Soybean Association, says soybeans are one of Iowa’s top crops and this continued spiral in prices is disheartening. “China is very, very important for Iowa farmers,” Leeds says. “From soybean farmers in particular, they buy about 60% of all the soybeans traded in the world. Anything that causes a potential disruption in our ability to sell high-quality soybeans to a customer like China is very, very concerning.”

The initial concern came when the Trump Administration threatened to put high tariffs on steel and aluminum coming from China and China responded with threats of raising tariffs on a list of American goods, including soybeans.

“None of these tariffs are yet in place but just simply the threat of tariffs and counter-tariffs has been enough to drive soybean prices down,” Leeds says. “As you all know, at a time when farmers are already struggling to make ends meet, to have this kind of potential disruption in trade is very, very concerning.” Leeds says he and other members of the Iowa Soybean Association are in contact with the Iowa delegation in the U.S. House and Senate.

“The administration has promised that they will take a look at some way to compensate farmers for the loss of income,” Leeds says. “I’m kind of skeptical that we’re going to find anything that they’ll actually follow through on and anything that’s WTO-compliant. So, it’s really troubled times and uncertain times.”

Leeds says they’ve gotten tremendous support from both Iowa U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst as well as from the U.S. Ambassador to China, Terry Branstad, a former Iowa governor. Leeds says he’s taken around 25 trips to China over past 35 years, working to develop the trade relationship.

(By Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City)

 

Popular farm conservation program is revived from hiatus

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Continuous sign-up under the Conservation Reserve Program is now open in Iowa and runs through mid-August.

Greg Reisdorff, with the Farm Service Agency, says they’ve restarted the popular program after putting it on hold.

“Currently, there’s 22.7-million acres enrolled in CRP and the cap under the last Farm Bill is 24-million acres,” Reisdorff says, “so, we’re going to take some more sign-up right now.”

He says CRP has always been a popular program, moreso now.

“I think it has something to do with the commodity prices but there’s just a lot of interest right now,” Reisdorff says. “We’ve got people asking all the time about enrolling in CRP. I expect there’ll be a lot of interest when people start making some appointments to come in.”

Reisdorff says the deadline for continuous CRP sign up is tied to the Farm Bill, which is set to expire this fall on September 30th.

“They want to make sure all of the offers we get, we get them processed, we get them accepted and we get them approved before the end of September,” Reisdorff says. “The deadline for producers to sign an offer is August 17th. Then, we have to get conservation planning done by NRCS and get the contracts approved.”

Reisdorff says for any CRP contract that’s expiring this fall and is less than 15 years, enrollees can apply for a one-year extension.

For more information, contact your local county Farm Service Agency office.

By Jerry Oster, WNAX, Yankton

When facing a bee infestation, this guy won’t tell you to buzz off

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Photo by Matthew McGuire, Des Moines Backyard Beekeepers

Discovering a large swarm of bees in a hollow tree or in an abandoned building can be unnerving. For some Iowans, the first instinct is to destroy the insects, but there are alternatives.

Sixty-two-year-old Jeff Becvar of Indianola is a bee removal specialist. He says it’s not an easy task, but the honeycomb and its residents can be relocated.

“I use a bee vacuum to collect up all the excess bees,” Becvar says. “They are not harmed. They are actually put into a hive-box that’s converted into a vacuum with a vacuum head on top of it and they’re ventilated as well so they don’t suffocate or overheat.”

Becvar has been using this specialized skill for more than 26 years. He says it’s hard work and it can be dangerous for both the bees and those doing the removal.

“It’s extremely difficult,” he says. “The one I’m working on currently, three beekeepers have looked at it and all three have backed away from it. Not everyone is prepared for this. It’s a pretty daunting task to open up somebody’s house, get in there and remove bees.”

Becvar and a few other bee removal specialists in Iowa are called on an average of 85 times each year. He says the prime time for “cut outs” as they’re called is mid-May through August.

He says he gets stung nearly every time.

Thanks to Pat Blank, Iowa Public Radio

 

 

Iowa pork producer donates 30 tons of pork loins to state’s needy

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Today marks the start of a two-week effort to feed the needy in Iowa called “Haul Out Hunger.”

The state’s largest pork producer will be filling freezers at food banks, pantries, schools and churches.

Allyson Ladd, spokeswoman for the Iowa Falls-based Iowa Select Farms, says they’ll be delivering boneless pork loins by the ton.

“School is out for summer so food pantry supplies are at an all-time low,” Ladd says. “We schedule our donations so that it’s timely and so these pantries can have access to fresh, high-quality, protein-packed products like pork when families need it most.”

Ladd says the total donation will be around 60,000 pounds of pork, or about 30 tons.

“The pantries really appreciate the five-pound pork loins we donate,” Ladd says. “From each pork loin, families are going to get about 24 servings of pork, so when it’s all said and done, we’ll have donated about 292,000 servings of pork for families in need here in Iowa.”

The effort is also being made possible by the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation. The pork is being delivered through July 2nd.

Deliveries at many of the food pantries will be live-streamed on the Iowa Select Farms Facebook page.

By Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City

After four rounds of voting, Naig secures GOP nomination for ag secretary (AUDIO)

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Mike Naig talks to delegates.

The one statewide contest that was unresolved by the June 6th Primary ended today. Delegates at the Iowa Republican Party’s state convention nominated Mike Naig as their candidate for Iowa secretary of agriculture.

“Now, if I’m elected secretary I will make this promise to you: I will continue to work with all of my effort to build a brighter future. I will bring a conservative voice, common sense and leadership to the department on your behalf every day,” Naig said during a three-minute speech to delegates early this afternoon.

Naig was the top deputy in the agency until March. Ag Secretary Bill Northey left for a job in Washington and the governor appointed Naig to take Northey’s place. Naig fell just short of the 35 percent support he needed to win the GOP’s nomination from the primary results. Congressman Steve King signaled to delegates that Naig had the backing of the party establishment and King reminded delegates Naig got more votes than his competitors in the primary.

“He’s Bill Northey choice. He was appointed by Governor Reynolds,” said King, who faced a similar nominating process during his first run for congress in 2002. “He has their support, my support, but more importantly, he won the election and he is the choice of ‘We, the People.'”

Three of Naig’s competitors called on the GOP to nominate an active farmer rather than an administrator like Naig. After three rounds of voting, the contest was down to Naig and Ray Gaesser of Corning.

“I’m a full-time, life-long farmer with my hands in the soil,” Gaesser said in his three-minute speech to delegates.

On the final ballot, Gaesser got nearly 46 percent of the delegates’ votes compared to Naig, who got a total of 54 percent — the only round Naig crossed the required 50 percent threshold to secure the nomination from GOP delegates.

“Now the job is before us. We know what we need to do,” Naig said. “It’ll be a competitive race looking ahead to November.”

Naig will face Democrat Tim Gannon, a former aide to Tom Vilsack in the governor’s office and in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Gannon, who did not face primary opposition on June 6, addressing delegates at his party’s state convention today.

“The hay is not in the barn yet, so we have to do all we can over the next five months,” Gannon said.

AUDIO from Iowa GOP’s state convention of nominating speeches and the speeches delivered by Mike Naig, Ray Gaesser, Dan Zumbach, Craig Lang and Chad Ingels, 26:00

AUDIO from Iowa GOP’s state convention of voting results, candidates endorsing those remaining in the contest and, finally, Naig’s acceptance speech, 12:00

AUDIO from Iowa Democratic Party’s state convention of Gannon’s speech, 4:30

 

Two mega grain bins will hold millions of bushels of corn for Atlantic ethanol plant

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An ethanol plant in southwest Iowa features two of the world’s largest free-standing grain bins, big enough that you could park a 757 inside each one.

Elite Octane, in Atlantic, has two bins that are 156-feet in diameter and about 16 stories tall, each with a capacity of two-million bushels of corn. Elite Octane president and CEO Nick Bowdish says a big investment is hidden under the bins.

“We’ve got $1.4-million stuck in the ground,” Bowdish says. “There’s 1,384 concrete piles about 16-inches in diameter and 14-feet deep with both bins combined. That’s all structural support to hold the weight of what these bins store.” The two bins were built by Sukup  Manufacturing, based in Sheffield. It took some 200 semis to supply all of the materials to construct them.

Beside the monster bins is the corn-receiving area. Bowdish touted the speed and efficiency of the grain dumping process. “When you time it and you stand here, the farmer pulls in and opens both doors, it’s right at one minute for the grain to fall out of his trailer,” he says. “By the time he rolls his doors shut, gets back in his truck, pulls out and the next truck pulls over the pit, that takes about one minute. At that point, the pit’s empty and the next truck is wide open again.”

As part of the fuel-making process, yeast will be sitting in huge tanks for around 60 hours, eating sugars and creating ethanol and carbon dioxide. “The CO2 is all collected, run through a scrubber — to make it absolutely pure — and then today, we vent that to atmosphere,” Bowdish says. “There are some plants that will spend money and add on a side project where they compress the CO2 and sell it to bottling companies like Coca-Cola or some people make dry ice out of it. That might be something we look at down the road.”

The plant plans to ramp up to near-capacity production next week. It has a holding capacity of six-million gallons of ethanol which Bowdish says is about 15 days of production for the plant.

(By Ric Hanson, KJAN, Atlantic)

 

John Deere celebrates 100 years of building tractors in Waterloo

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John Deere is celebrating a century of tractor production in the northeast Iowa city where it all began in 1918.

The company is hosting a two-day community celebration in downtown Waterloo today and tomorrow that features everything from vintage tractors and engines, to kids games, and live music. Kelly Henderson is John Deere’s project manager and event co-organizer.

“This is really a celebration to thank our community, our customers, our fans, and all of our employees for the past 100 years that we’ve had here in the Cedar Valley,” Henderson said. Three venues and about four blocks of city streets are being used for the century celebration. More than 111 vintage tractors and engines will be on display.

“We have collectors who are bringing in tractors from all over, as well as our archive tractors that have come out of storage for this show,” Henderson said. “I’m told that there are a lot of collections that have never been seen together before, taking place here in Waterloo.” The two-day celebration will include a display so large that, according to Henderson, specific details have been kept secret from corporate executives. That display is located inside the exhibit hall at the Waterloo Convention Center.

“We have set up our entire 100 years of John Deere history through eight eras, breaking it out,” Henderson said. “These will be large cylinders suspended from the ceiling that walks you through not only John Deere’s history, but what was happening in the community, and the world at the time.” The museum will have a blacksmith and other demonstrations, along with some children’s activities and a photo booth. Henderson said, while this is a celebration of 100 years of tractors, it’s also a recognition of the company’s partnership with the Cedar Valley.

“We have over 5,000 employees and thousands of retirees in the area. We all live, work, volunteer, and contribute to the communities,” Henderson said. The century celebration runs from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. today (Friday) and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, concluding with a free concert by Joe Diffie at 6 p.m. Diffie is best known for his 1993 song “John Deere Green,” which peaked at #5 on the country music charts. The celebration marks John Deere’s acquisition of the Waterloo Gasoline Engine Company in 1918, a purchase that thrust the then 80-year-old farm implement maker into the tractor manufacturing business.

(By Elwin Huffman, KOEL, Waterloo)