iowa farm bureau area news january 19, 2011

CENTRAL IOWA

BOONE . STORY . MARSHALL . DALLAS . POLK . JASPER . MADISON . WARREN . MARION

IOWA FARM BUREAU SPOKESMAN JANUARY 19, 2011

Five teams competed for fi rst prize in the 4-H Cooking challenge. Row one, from Sugar Grove Sunshine Club: The Cooking Crusaders - Elizabeth Kruse, Nathan and Katie Thompson, Dallas Center; The Wild Hogs - Ben Romig, Grimes, Ben Beavers and David Johnson, Dallas Center. Back: third place from Adel, D.C. Aggies Club - Lauren and Lindsey Lange and Mackenzie Felt; fi rst place winners from Beaver Junior Farmers Club, The Lady Chefs - Rachel Hoy, Adel, Emma Skahill, Earlham, and Hannah Tiffany, Perry; and second place winners from Adel, D.C. Aggies - Alexis Stine, Emily Wilkerson and Ada Schauer. PHOTO COURTESY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

Local youth learn during cooking challenge

SUBMITTED BY DALLAS

A fun and exciting time was had by Dal-las County 4-H’ers on Dec. 30 when the Sugar Grove

Sunshine 4-H Club sponsored the Dallas County 4-H Cooking Challenge at the Dallas Center Church of the Brethren. Three 4-H members coordinated the event. Jessica Bauer and Clara Cirks, Sugar Grove Sunshine members, and Jamie Van Syoc, Coon River Clovers, handled the day by giving instructions, directing the timing and scoring the event.

Five teams of three 4-H mem-bers, bringing only a recipe, competed by using the ingredi-ents and equipment on site. They had two hours to complete their fare, adding the secret ingredi-ent which was announced to all at the beginning of the day. Upon completing their menu, contes-tants were tested on identifying meat, produce and equipment.

Three judges evaluated the teams. Following a luncheon provided by the Sugar Grove Sunshine Club, the coordinators handed out the awards.

The five teams - from the Sugar Grove Sunshine Club: The Cooking Crusaders, Ka-

tie and Nathan Thompson and Elizabeth Kruse, Dallas Center; Wild Hogs, Ben Romig, Grimes, Ben Beavers and David John-son, Dallas Center. From Dal-las County Aggies: third place, Kitchen Queens, Mackenzie Felt and Lauren and Lindsey Lange, Adel; and second place, Ada Schauer, Alexis Stine and Emily Wilkerson, Adel. First

place from Beaver Junior Farm-ers: Lady Chefs, Rachel Hoy, Adel, Hannah Tiffany, Perry, and Emma Skahill, Earlham.

The coordinators and Sugar Grove Sunshine 4-H Club want to thank the sponsors and the club members and parents who helped make the Dallas County 4-H Cooking Challenge a suc-cess.

Marion County Farm Bureau President Mary Van Zante and Voting Delegate Dave Van Rheenen (right) visited with AFBF President Bob Stallman. PHOTO

COURTESY OF MARION COUNTY.

Members attend AFBF annual meeting

SUBMITTED BY MARION

Approximately 5,000 Farm Bureau mem-bers from across the country gathered in the Georgia World

Congress Center in Atlanta for the 92nd American Farm Bureau annu-al meeting Jan. 8-11. The theme for the meeting was “Producing Re-sults,” a tribute to the productivity and ingenuity of America’s farmers and ranchers.

President Bob Stallman spoke in the fi rst general session and pointed out the need for those in-volved in agriculture to speak with a united voice. Doing so will be es-pecially important as the new Con-gress convenes, a new farm bill is written and the organization seeks to implement policies approved by delegates at the meeting.

Young Farmer and Rancher dis-cussion meets, a variety of semi-nars and an expanded tradeshow led to a busy schedule. The AFBF tradeshow was held in conjunc-tion with Ag Connect, a large farm equipment show that includ-

ed close to 300 exhibitors. Representing the meeting from

Marion County were board mem-bers Norman and Mary Van Zante and David Van Rheenen. “The AFBF annual meeting is a good way to learn what other counties and states are doing to promote agriculture,” Mary said. “The top 15 county Farm Bureau pro-

grams of 2010 were on display at the tradeshow, and members were proud to share what they had ac-complished. The meeting also provides an opportunity to learn what is important to Farm Bureau members in other parts of the country whose farming operations and needs often differ signifi cant-ly from our Iowa operations.”

FARM FAMILYFAVORITES

Southwestern Sautéed CornMarilyn Heitz, Charles City (Floyd County)1 package (16 ounces) frozen corn (or 3-1/3 cups fresh corn)1 Tbsp. olive oil1 plum tomato (chopped)

1 tablespoon lime juice1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon ground cumin1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro

In a large non-stick skillet, sauté corn in olive oil until tender. Reduce heat to medium-low; add the tomato, lime juice, salt and cumin. Cook and stir for 3-4 minutes or until heated thor-oughly. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

Creamy Wild Rice and Mushroom SoupMidwest Dairy Association recipe

2 Tbsp. butter1 c. chopped onion1 c. white mushrooms, chopped1/2 c. carrots, diced3 c. low-fat milk1/4 c. flour

2 c. chicken broth2 c. cooked wild rice3/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese2 Tbsp. chopped Italian parsley

In a large pot, heat butter over medium heat. Add onions, mushrooms and carrots. Sauté onions until they are soft, about 10 minutes. In a medium saucepan, whisk milk and fl our over medium heat, stirring frequently until milk starts to boil. Whisk constantly for one minute or until milk thickens. Pour into on-ion mixture and cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken broth, shredded cheese and cooked rice. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until carrots are soft.

The Spokesman is in need of your favorite recipes to share with Farm Bureau members. We would like to have your meat, casserole, soup and crock pot recipes as well as any dessert and other favorite family dish-es. You may either e-mail them to [email protected] or send them to: Communications Division, Spokes-man Recipes, 5400 University Ave., West Des Moines, IA 50266.

Farming fun factsThe average dairy cow pro-

duces 7 gallons of milk a day, 2,100 pounds of milk a month and 46,000 glasses of milk a year.

Raising beef cattle is the sin-gle largest segment of American agriculture.

The heaviest turkey ever raised weighed 86 pounds, about the size of an average third-grader.

Cows must give birth to a calf in order to produce milk.

How many pounds of tomatoes does the average American eat each year? Twenty-two pounds. More than half the nation’s to-mato consumption is in the form of ketchup and tomato sauce.

What nut is the peach related to? Almond. Almonds are stone fruits related to cherries, plums and peaches. California produc-

es 80 percent of the world’s sup-ply of almonds.

Domestic animal agriculture consumes 98 percent of the do-mestic soybean meal. Over half of that amount is by poultry, and swine is the next largest con-sumer, at 26 percent.

When a male horse and a fe-male donkey mate, what is the offspring called? Hinny. Hinnies are rarer than mules, which are the offspring between a male donkey and a female horse. Hinnies are on average slightly smaller than mules.

A combine can harvest enough wheat in 9 seconds to make 70 loaves of bread.

One acre of wheat can produce enough flour to furnish a family of four with bread for nearly 10 years.

EAST IOWA


TAMA . BENTON . LINN . JONES . JACKSON . POWESHIEK . IOWA . JOHNSON . CEDAR . CLINTON . SCOTT


Southwestern Sautéed CornMarilyn Heitz, Charles City (Floyd County)

1 package (16 ounces) frozen corn (or 3-1/3 cups fresh corn)1 Tbsp. olive oil1 plum tomato (chopped)








Advocates for Ag coming to eastern IowaSUBMITTED BY IOWA

We all know how important it is for farmers to talk about what we do to help others become familiar with agriculture. Now, more than ever, people are curious about where their food comes from and how it is raised. As Charlie Arnot said at the annual meeting, this is an opportu-nity to help others understand what we do every day on the farm.

Iowa Farm Bureau Federation is pleased to announce that Advocates for Ag, Troy and Stacy Hadrick, are coming back to Iowa to help us learn how to “Lead out Loud!” The Had-ricks are young farmers from South Dakota who have been traveling the countryside, helping farmers and ranchers understand the need to con-nect with consumers.

The Iowa Farm Bureau Young Farmer Advisory Committee and

the Iowa Soybean Association are sponsoring three sessions with the Hadricks. They spoke last year at the Young Farmer Conference and the Western Iowa Presidents Confer-ence - and members continue to talk about their valuable presentations.

The sessions will be held in three locations and will begin at 6 p.m. with a meal, followed by the pro-gram, free of charge.

• Monday, Feb. 7: The Hotel at Kirkwood Center, Cedar Rapids

• Tuesday, Feb. 8: FFA Enrich-ment Center, Ankeny

• Wednesday, Feb. 9: Buena Vista University, Siebens Forum, Storm Lake

The program is open to all mem-bers, with a special emphasis on young farmers. To register call the Iowa County Farm Bureau offi ce at (319) 668-1331, ext. 4 by Jan. 31.

IDOT regulations may affect farming operations

SUBMITTED BY BENTON, LINNAre you confused with the

truck and trailer regulations that are now being enforced? The Buchanan County Farm Bureau and the Buchanan County Corn Growers would like to invite you to attend a free information ses-sion on Wednesday, Feb. 2, at 10 a.m. at Heartland Acres Event Center in Independence. Iowa DOT Offi cer Chris Boswell will be the featured speaker and will shed some light on the new re-quirements.

Currently the Iowa DOT has adopted the federal requirement

for putting U.S. DOT numbers on all commercial trucks, which include pickups for farm use that have a gross vehicle weight rat-ing (GVWR) of more than 10,000 pounds. This affects some 3/4 and all 1-ton pickups. The fi ne for having no DOT number is $127.50.

If the combined GVWR of a pickup and livestock or grain trailer for intrastate commerce exceeds 26,000 pounds, that’s considered a commercial vehicle. So is a vehicle transporting haz-ardous materials placards, like an anhydrous ammonia tank.

Did you know all commercial vehicles need a yearly inspection and they are required to carry emergency triangles and a fi re extinguisher? Each one of those missing items could result in a fi ne. In some instances, farmers may have to keep a log book and carry a medical card.

This informational meeting is free and open to the public but reservations are required to ad-equately plan for the lunch and materials. Please call Chris at the Buchanan County Farm Bureau offi ce at (319) 334-2561 by Jan. 31.

Robertson featured at ISU Crop Advantage ConferenceSUBMITTED BY TAMA

Sudden death syndrome (SDS) was widespread in Iowa during the 2010 growing season. Dr. Alison Robertson, ISU Extension plant pathologist, will “kick off” the 2011 Crop Conference with a keynote presentation address-ing SDS issues in soybean pro-duction. A dozen additional crop management topics will also be offered at the conference.

The conference will be held Wednesday, Jan. 26, at the Hawk-eye Community College near Wa-terloo. The conference will focus on major issues facing agriculture and provide producers and agri-

business professionals with re-search-based information to assist in their decision making for the coming year and beyond.

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. in Tama Hall with the morning keynote sessions scheduled from 9 to 10 a.m. For the rest of the day, four concurrent sessions per hour allow participants to select from a dozen different topics to chose what best interests them. Topics include: grain market out-look, products enhancing N use, corn diseases, deep ripping, weed management, P and K manage-ment, farm energy issues, corn yield issues and more.

Program and registration infor-mation is available online at www.aep.iastate.edu/cas/. Pre-registra-tion is $35, or you can register at the door for $45. Refreshments, a noon meal and proceedings are included in the registration fee. Up to six Certifi ed Crop Advi-sor credits can be earned for an additional $25. Private pesticide applicator recertifi cation can also be earned by attending an addi-tional session from 3:45 to 4:30 p.m. and paying the standard $20 recertifi cation fee. For additional information, contact Brian Lang, ISU Extension agronomist, at (563) 382-2949.

January is Thyroid Awareness MonthSUBMITTED BY POWESHIEK

Feeling fatigued? Putting on weight? Is your hair becoming dry and thinning? All of those things can be part of the thy-roid connection, in particular a condition called hypothyroid-ism, which means the gland just isn’t producing enough thyroid hormone. Here are some other common symptoms that could also point to the condition: your face begins to look puffy; you just can’t tolerate the cold the way you once did; you’re suffer-ing from joint and muscle pain; you’re constipated; for women, too, either unusually heavy or ir-regular menstrual periods.

It’s been estimated that about 5 percent of the U.S. population - more than 15 million of us - suf-fer from the condition. Women are far more likely than men to have it, and the disorder is more common in people over the age

of 60 than in younger people. It’s a common enough condition that January has been declared Thy-roid Awareness Month.

For a gland that can cause all sorts of ailments, the thyroid is relatively small, shaped like a butterfl y, and lives in your neck just in front of your windpipe. It weighs less than an ounce.

A few things can prompt it to malfunction, including: some-thing called Hashimoto’s disease, which is really an auto immune disorder, that in this case has the immune system producing anti-bodies that attack cells in the thy-roid. Infl ammation of the thyroid, which may come from an infec-tion, or suffered by women who have just given birth, or so-called silent thyroiditis, thought to also be an auto immune issue. It could be something you were born with. It may also be caused by either a previous surgery on the thyroid,

or by radiation treatments.When it comes to treating hy-

pothyroidism, it’s a drug called thyroxine to the rescue. Experts say it almost always does the job and allows you to get on with your normal life. It works by imitating the natural substance made by the thyroid. It’s really a matter of getting the dosage right. Doctors will consider your weight, age and the degree of hy-pothyroidism.

Once that is all established, along with taking your general health into consideration, the doctor will prescribe the medi-cation, and you would be tested in about two months to see if the dosage is correct. That could go on for awhile, until the dosage is just right.

After the stable dose is reached, the test may be repeated at six months and then once a year af-ter that.

NORTH IOWA


MITCHELL . HOWARD . FLOYD . CHICKASAW . BUTLER . BREMER . GRUNDY . BLACK HAWK











4-H leaders honored

4-H club leaders recognized for their years of service at the 4-H banquet are (from left) Deb Mumm, Hudson; Jane Eilderts of Cedar Falls; Janice Heth of Eagle Center; and Wendy Drinovsky of Hudson. PHOTO COURTESY OF

BLACK HAWK COUNTY.

Robertson featured at the ISU Crop Advantage Conference

SUBMITTED BY BLACK HAWK, BUTLER, GRUNDY

Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) was widespread in Iowa during the 2010 growing season. Dr. Alison Robertson, ISU Extension plant pathologist will kick-off the 2011 Crop Conference with a keynote presentation addressing SDS issues in soybean production. A dozen ad-ditional crop management topics will also be offered at the confer-ence.

The conference will be held Wednesday, Jan. 26, at the Hawkeye Community College near Waterloo. The conference will focus on major issues facing agriculture and pro-

vide producers and agri-business professionals with research-based information to assist in their deci-sion making for the coming year and beyond.

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. in Tama Hall with the morning key-note sessions scheduled from 9 to 10 a.m. For the rest of the day, four concurrent sessions per hour allow participants to select from a dozen different topics to chose what best interests them. Topics include: grain market outlook, products en-hancing N use, corn diseases, deep ripping, weed management, P and K management, farm energy issues, corn yield issues and more.

Program and registration infor-mation is available online at www.aep.iastate.edu/cas/. Pre-registra-tion is $35, or you can register at the door for $45. Refreshments, a noon meal and proceedings are included in the registration fee. Up to six Certifi ed Crop Advi-sor credits can be earned for an additional $25. Private pesticide applicator re-certifi cation can also be earned by attending an additional session from 3:45 to 4:30 p.m. and paying the standard $20 recertifi cation fee. For addi-tional information, contact Brian Lang, ISU Extension agronomist at (563) 382-2949.

IDOT regulations may affect farming operations

SUBMITTED BY BREMER, BUT-LER, HOWARD

Are you confused with the truck and trailer regulations that are now being enforced? The Buchanan County Farm Bureau and the Buchanan County Corn Growers would like to invite you to attend a free information session on Wednesday, Feb. 2, at 10 a.m. at Heartland Acres Event Center in Independence. Iowa DOT Officer Chris Boswell will be the featured speaker and will shed some light on the new re-quirements.

Currently the Iowa DOT has

adopted the federal requirement for putting U.S. DOT numbers on all commercial trucks, which include pickups for farm use that have a gross vehicle weight rat-ing (GVWR) of more than 10,000 pounds. This affects some half-ton and all 1-ton pickups. The fi ne for having no DOT number is $127.50.

If the combined GVWR of a pickup and livestock or grain trailer for intrastate commerce exceeds 26,000 pounds, that’s considered a commercial vehicle. So is a vehicle transporting haz-ardous materials placards, like an

anhydrous ammonia tank.Did you know all commercial

vehicles need a yearly inspec-tion and they are required to carry emergency triangles and a fi re extinguisher? Each one of those missing items could result in a fi ne. In some instances, farmers may have to keep a log book and carry a medical card.

This information meeting is free and open to the public but reser-vations are required to adequately plan for the lunch and materials.

Please call the Buchanan Coun-ty Farm Bureau offi ce at (319) 334-2561 by Jan. 31.

Tri-State Beef Day set for Jan. 27

SUBMITTED BY CHICKASAWLocal beef producers will

have the opportunity to receive the latest beef industry informa-tion at the 2011 Tri-State Beef Day on Jan. 27. The meeting will be offered at two different times and locations: the Craw-ford County Administration Building in Prairie du Chien and the Postville Community Room in Postville.

The Prairie du Chien session will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the Postville session will run from 4-9 p.m. Registration will start one half hour before each meeting.

This year, producers will en-joy three general sessions fea-turing timely topics. Denise Schwab, beef program special-

ist from the ISU Extension, will discuss the results of the 2010 Iowa Beef Center forage test-ing project and issues related to forage quality. Dr. Amy Radunz, UW Extension Beef Specialist, will discuss strategies to combat the high corn prices. Dr. Brenda Boetel, UW Extension Livestock Specialist, will provide her out-look on cattle prices into 2011.

Two breakout tracks will give producers the choice of several topics. Cow-calf producers will learn how to extend the grazing season from Jim Munsch, and managing health issues from Dr. Larry Moore, DVM. Feedlot pro-ducers will learn about decision-making tools available from the University of Wisconsin, and strategies for feeding Holsteins

from Dr. Dan Loy, ISU.Registration includes a meal

and materials and is $25 per person and $15 per additional person from the farm if received by Jan. 24. After that date, add $5 per person. Walk-ins will be welcome the day of the event, but meals will not be guaran-teed.

Tri-State Beef Day is an annual event sponsored by Iowa State Uni-versity Extension and University of Wisconsin Extension. Together, the planning team strives to deliv-er the latest in research-based in-formation regarding the beef cattle industry. For more information or to receive a brochure, contact ISU Extension in Allamakee County at (563) 568-6345 or Denise Schwab at (319) 721-9624.

NORTH CENTRAL IOWA


KOSSUTH . WINNEBAGO . WORTH . HANCOCK . CERRO GORDO . HUMBOLDT . WRIGHT . FRANKLIN . WEBSTER . HAMILTON . HARDIN


Southwestern Sautèed CornMarilyn Heitz, Charles City (Floyd County)

1 package (16 ounces) frozen corn (or 3-1/3 cups fresh corn)1 Tbsp. olive oil1 plum tomato (chopped)1 tablespoon lime juice

1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon ground cumin1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro


Creamy Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup

Midwest Dairy Association recipe

2 Tbsp. butter1 c. chopped onion1 c. white mushrooms, chopped1/2 c. carrots, diced 3 c. low-fat milk

1/4 c. flour2 c. chicken broth2 c. cooked wild rice3/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese2 Tbsp. chopped Italian parsley

In a large pot, heat butter over medium heat. Add onions, mushrooms and carrots. Sautè onions until they are soft, about 10 minutes. In a medium saucepan, whisk milk and fl our over medium heat, stirring frequently until milk starts to boil. Whisk constantly for one minute or until milk thickens. Pour into on-ion mixture and cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken broth, shredded cheese and cooked rice. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until carrots are soft.

The Spokesman is in need of your favorite recipes to share with Farm Bureau members. We would like to have your meat, cas-serole, soup and crock pot recipes as well as any dessert and other favorite family dishes. You may either e-mail them to [email protected] or send them to: Communications Division, Spokesman Recipes, 5400 University Ave., West Des Moines, IA 50266.

Farm Bureau volunteer leaders from Cerro Gordo, Hancock, Winnebago and Worth counties met with area legisla-tors. Pictured are (back row, from left) Andy Hill, Worth; Dave Luscomb, Cerro Gordo; LaVurne Josten, Winnebago; Wm. David Smith, Hancock; Chuck Grove, Charlie Norris and Fred Lundt, Cerro Gordo; Donna Rayhons, Hancock; (middle row, from left) Bill Kennedy, Cerro Gordo; Larry Foley, Worth; Jack Cox, Winnebago; and (sitting, from left) legislators Rep. Henry Rayhons, Sen. Merlin Bartz, Rep. Linda Upmeyer, Sen. Amanda Ragan and Rep. Josh Byrnes. PHOTO COURTESY OF CERRO GORDO, HANCOCK, WINNEBAGO AND WORTH COUNTIES.

Legislators visit with Farm Bureau leaders

SUBMITTED BY CERRO GORDO, HANCOCK, WINNEBAGO, WORTH

On Thursday, Dec. 30, the Cerro Gordo County Farm Bureau of-fi ce was host to about a dozen area Farm Bureau leaders as they met with their elected offi cials to dis-cuss Farm Bureau policy positions.

One of the major issues ad-

dressed was a state budget reform, which Farm Bureau is very much in favor of, including full state fund-ing of local education costs. Last year the legislature and governor chose to shift $230 million of edu-cation costs to property tax payers and Farm Bureau wishes to see that rectifi ed.

A second major issue was Farm

Bureau’s opposition to state regu-latory agencies making rules unin-tended by the legislature, such as on-farm electrical inspections and the apparent requirement of DOT numbers on farm trucks.

The county Farm Bureau leaders appreciated the legislators taking time to sit and visit with them about their concerns.

OAs attend accounting meeting

Mary Thomas, senior staff accountant with Iowa Farm Bureau, recently met with Region 4 offi ce assistants to review year-end accounting pro-cedures, tax law changes and upcoming deadlines for submitting year-end reports. The meeting was held on Thursday, Jan. 6, at the Kossuth County Farm Bureau offi ce. Offi ce assistants in attendance were (front row, from left) Teresa Stehn, Worth; Sandy Wellman, Kossuth; Mindy Griffi th, Emmet; (back row) Carol Follmuth, Cerro Gordo; Thomas; and Kim Norstrud, Winnebago County. PHOTO COURTESY OF CERRO GORDO, KOSSUTH, WIN-

NEBAGO AND WORTH COUNTIES.

SUBMITTED BY HARDIN, HUM-BOLDT, WEBSTER, WRIGHT

Women involved in or affected by agriculture are invited to attend the seventh annual Overall Women Con-ference, Feb. 10-11. The conference, coordinated by Iowa State University Extension, will be held at the Isle Ca-sino & Hotel in Bettendorf.

The conference provides today’s rural women with the unique oppor-tunity to come together, network and learn from each other and industry

experts. Attendees will leave with information to meet challenges and reap success in their work.

Workshop sessions will be offered covering such topics as farm busi-ness, value-added agriculture, tax help, ag safety and family communi-cation. In making time for the “over-all” woman, attendees will benefi ts themselves, their families, farms and communities.

The conference provides oppor-tunities for women to connect and

interact with speakers and fellow attendees. There will be many op-portunities for networking. The pro-grams are geared to those who work in agribusiness as well as farm part-ners working on farms. To view the entire program, visit www.extension.iastate.edu/scott/news/overallwomen or contact your local county Exten-sion offi ce for information. Cost is $100 if registered by Jan. 28 and $125 after that date. Register by mail, online or by calling (563) 359-7577.

Women, don’t miss the Overall Women Conference

SUBMITTED BY FRANKLINThe Iowa Learning Farms is offer-

ing another avenue of learning in 2011, hosting a series of webinars on the third Wednesday of each month, be-ginning in January. The webinars will be held over the noon hour through Adobe Connect. All that is needed to participate is a computer with Internet access.The topics discussed will be benefi cial for technical service provid-ers, watershed project coordinators, Extension specialists and anyone else interested in the topic of the month.

The topics and speakers for the fi rst few months are:

• Jan. 19 — “The Culture of Con-servation,” Jacqueline Comito, ILF program manager and anthropologist

• Feb. 16 — “Will the Rain Ever Stop,” Christopher Anderson, ISU Climate Science Program

• March 16 — “Cover Crop Man-agement,” Jeremy Singer, research agronomist with the National Labora-tory for Agriculture and the Environ-ment

• April 20 — “Nitrogen Manage-ment and Water Quality,” Matt Helm-ers, ISU associate professor, ISU Ex-tension water quality engineer

• May 18 — “Bioreactors: Ben-

efi ts and Potential Challenges,” Laura Christianson, graduate student, ISU Agriculture and Biosystems Engi-neering

• June 15 — “Impacts of Bacteria on Water Quality,” Michelle Soupir, ISU Agriculture and Biosystems En-gineering assistant professor

To connect to the webinars, go to: http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/ilf/. Visit the ILF Web site to download a PDF fi le with detailed instructions.

Also, watch the ILF Web site for topics and speakers throughout 2011, www.extension.iastate.edu/ilf, as well as archived sessions to view.

Iowa Learning Farms offers webinar series in 2011

NORTH EAST IOWA


WINNESHIEK . ALLAMAKEE . FAYETTE . CLAYTON . BUCHANAN . DELAWARE . DUBUQUE



1 package (16 ounces) frozen corn (or 3-1/3 cups fresh corn)

1 Tbsp. olive oil1 plum tomato (chopped)


In a large non-stick skillet, sauté corn in olive oil until tender. Reduce heat to medium-low; add the tomato, lime juice, salt and cumin. Cook and stir for 3-4 minutes or until heated thoroughly. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.



1/4 c. flour2 c. chicken broth2 c. cooked wild rice3/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese2 Tbsp. chopped Italian parsley

In a large pot, heat butter over medium heat. Add onions, mushrooms and carrots. Sautè onions until they are soft, about 10 minutes. In a medium saucepan, whisk milk and fl our over medium heat, stirring frequently until milk starts to boil. Whisk constantly for one minute or until milk thickens. Pour into onion mixture and cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken broth, shredded cheese and cooked rice. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until carrots are soft.

The Spokesman is in need of your favorite recipes to share with Farm Bureau members. We would like to have your meat, casserole, soup and crock pot recipes as well as any dessert and other favorite family dishes. You may either e-mail them to [email protected] or send them to: Communications Division, Spokesman Recipes, 5400 University Ave., West Des Moines, IA 50266.

Northeast Iowa Funders Network honored at Iowa Nonprofi t SummitSUBMITTED BY ALLAMAKEE, FAYETTE

The Northeast Iowa Funders Network, an emerging collab-orative of six county community foundations recently received the Nonprofi t Collaboration Award at the Iowa Nonprofi t Summit in No-vember.

The summit brought together more than 600 leaders of nonprofi t organizations from across the state to discuss management, fundrais-ing, training, governance and other issues. As part of the Summit, or-ganizers also presented fi ve indi-viduals and non-profi t organiza-tions with awards honoring their work.

The Funders Network received the award for organizations with revenues less than $500,000. The Network comes together to iden-tify and support strategic needs in

the region that includes Allama-kee, Clayton, Chickasaw, Fayette, Howard and Winneshiek counties.

In 2010, the Funders Network leveraged both leadership contri-butions and fi nancial contributions to assist the Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative and the cre-ation of the Farm to School Cross-Age Teaching Folios promoting local foods. The Funder’s Network grant of $9,720 impacted more than 1,400 children and families in school communities across a six-county region, and leveraged more than $18K. The return on invest-ment for the inaugural project was 2:1; and will be followed by other grants to projects which benefi t the six counties and leverage state, federal or private dollars.

Community Foundation leaders, who provide representatives on the Funders Network, include Tom

Ridout and Craig Mosher, Win-neshiek County, Roger Halvorson, Clayton County, Matt Erickson, Allamakee County, Peggy Kit-telson, Fayette County, Cindy Lantow, Chickasaw County, and Elaine Govern, Howard County. They are assisted by Mindy Gress, of the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa, and M.J. Smith of the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque.

The Iowa Nonprofi t Summit was hosted by the following collabora-tive partners: Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, Iowa Council of Foundations (including the Iowa Community Foundations Initia-tive), United Ways of Iowa, Grant Enterprise Management, Larned A. Waterman Iowa Nonprofi t Re-source Center, Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service and Campus Compact.

IDOT regulations and farming operations

SUBMITTED BY BUCHANAN, CLAYTON, DUBUQUE

Are you confused with the truck and trailers regulations that are now being enforced? The Buchan-an County Farm Bureau and the Buchanan County Corn Growers would like to invite you to attend a free information session on Wednes-day, Feb. 2, at 10 a.m. at Heartland Acres Event Center in Indepen-dence. Iowa DOT Offi cer Chris Boswell will be the featured speaker and will shed some light on the new requirements.

Currently the Iowa DOT has ad-

opted the federal requirement for putting U.S. DOT numbers on all commercial trucks, which includes pickups for farm use that have a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of more than 10,000 pounds. This affects some 3/4-ton and all 1-ton pickups. The fi ne for having no DOT number is $127.50.

If the combined GVWR of a pickup and livestock or grain trailer for intrastate commerce exceeds 26,000 pounds, that’s considered a commercial vehicle. So is a vehicle transporting hazardous materials placards, like an anhydrous ammo-

nia tank.Did you know all commercial ve-

hicles need a yearly inspection and they are required to carry emergen-cy triangles and a fi re extinguisher? Each one of those missing items could result in a fi ne. In some in-stances, farmers may have to keep a log book and carry a medical card.

This informational meeting is free and open to the public but reserva-tions are required to adequately plan for the lunch and materials. Please call Chris at the Buchanan County Farm Bureau offi ce at (319) 334-2561 by Jan. 31.

Tri-State Beef Day set for Jan. 27SUBMITTED BY CLAYTON

Local beef producers will have the opportunity to receive the latest beef industry informa-tion at the 2011 Tri-State Beef Day on Jan. 27. The meeting will be offered at two different times and locations: the Craw-ford County Administration Building in Prairie du Chien and the Postville Community Room in Postville.

The Prairie du Chien session will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the Postville session will run from 4-9 p.m. Registration will start one half hour before each meeting.

This year, producers will en-joy three general sessions fea-turing timely topics. Denise Schwab, beef program special-

ist from ISU Extension, will discuss the results of the 2010 Iowa Beef Center forage test-ing project and issues related to forage quality. Dr. Amy Radunz, UW Extension beef specialist, will discuss strategies to combat the high corn prices. Dr. Brenda Boetel, UW Extension livestock specialist, will provide her out-look on cattle prices into 2011.

Two breakout tracks will give producers the choice of several topics. Cow-calf producers will learn how to extend the grazing season from Jim Munsch, and managing health issues from Dr. Larry Moore, DVM. Feedlot pro-ducers will learn about decision-making tools available from the University of Wisconsin, and strategies for feeding Holsteins

from Dr. Dan Loy, ISU. Registration includes a meal

and materials and is $25 per per-son and $15 per additional per-son from the farm if received by Jan. 24. After that date, add $5 per person. Walk-ins will be wel-come the day of the event, but meals will not be guaranteed.

Tri-State Beef Day is an an-nual event sponsored by Iowa State University Extension and University of Wisconsin Ex-tension. Together, the planning team strives to deliver the latest in research-based information regarding the beef cattle indus-try. For more information or to receive a brochure, contact ISU Extension in Allamakee County at (563) 568-6345 or Denise Schwab at (319) 721-9624.

ISU Crop Advantage Conference planned for Jan. 26

SUBMITTED BY DELAWARESudden death syndrome (SDS)

was widespread in Iowa during the 2010 growing season. Dr. Alison Robertson, ISU Extension plant pa-thologist, will “kick off” the 2011 Crop Conference with a keynote presentation addressing SDS issues in soybean production. A dozen ad-ditional crop management topics also offered at the conference.

The conference will be held Wednesday, Jan. 26, at the Hawkeye Community College near Waterloo. The conference will focus on major issues facing agriculture and provide producers and agri-business profes-sionals with research-based informa-tion to assist in their decision making for the coming year and beyond.

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. in Tama Hall with the morning key-note sessions scheduled from 9 to 10 a.m. For the rest of the day, four concurrent sessions per hour allow

participants to choose from a dozen different topics what best interests them. Topics include: grain market outlook, products enhancing N use, corn diseases, deep ripping, weed management, P and K management, farm energy issues, corn yield issues and more.

Program and registration informa-tion is available online at www.aep.iastate.edu/cas/. Pre-registration is $35, or you can register at the door for $45. Refreshments, a noon meal and proceedings are included in the registration fee. Up to six Certifi ed Crop Advisor credits can be earned for an additional $25. Private pes-ticide applicator recertifi cation can also be earned by attending an addi-tional session from 3:45 to 4:30 p.m. and paying the standard $20 recerti-fi cation fee.

For additional information, contact Brian Lang, ISU Extension agrono-mist, at (563) 382-2949.

NORTH WEST IOWA


LYON . OSCEOLA . DICKINSON . EMMET . SIOUX . O’BRIEN . CLAY . PALO ALTO . PLYMOUTH . CHEROKEEBUENA VISTA . POCAHONTAS . WOODBURY . IDA . SAC . CALHOUN . MONONA . CRAWFORD . CARROLL . GREENE











4-H’ers attend FSQA training

Kris Keene, O’Brien County youth coordinator, led a training session of Food Safety and Quality Assurance to a room full of 4-H’ers on Dec. 30. FSQA certifi cation is required for exhibitors of livestock at the O’Brien County Fair. Junior members are required to attend a training program and intermediate and senior 4-H’ers can attend the training session or take a test to receive their certifi cate. The goal of the program is help youth and their par-ents better understand what they can do to produce the safest food possible. While we may assume the food we eat is safe to eat, there are rules and regulations which need to be followed to ensure safe food. It is encouraging to see our 4-H’ers being educated to be responsible food providers. PHOTO COURTESY OF O’BRIEN COUNTY.

Feedlot Forum 2011 features Doud and Good

SUBMITTED BY O’BRIEN, PLYM-OUTH, POCAHONTAS, SIOUX

The 2010 year may be history, but the issues in 2010 still linger — environmental rules, high feed costs, legislative issues, restora-tion of exports and consumer de-mand. This is the focus of Feedlot Forum 2011 on Jan. 25 at the Cor-porate Center in Sioux Center.

This year’s Feedlot Forum fea-tures two nationally recognized speakers — Gregg Doud and Kevin Good — discussing current and highly debated issues in the beef industry. The meeting, be-ginning at 8:45 a.m., also includes the District 1 Iowa Cattlemen’s Association (ICA) meeting and a trade show displaying the latest cattle products and services from

15 agri-businesses.Gregg Doud, chief economist

for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, will visit about leg-islative issues that impact cattle-men, such as the proposed Grain Inspection Packers and Stock-yards Administration rule, etha-nol policy and taxes, antibiotic regulations and re-establishment of lost beef export markets.

Will beef demand be able to outpace the increased cost of feed-lot inputs? Kevin Good, market analyst for Cattle Fax, will pres-ent market situation and outlook. Kevin will share his insight on what is happening to the supply and cost of feeder cattle and corn. He will also discuss beef demand and explain what is strengthening

live cattle prices. Duane Gangwish, ICA execu-

tive director, and Shawn Shouse, ISU Extension ag engineer pro-gram specialist, will discuss en-vironmental issues and proposed regulations surrounding medium-sized feedlots that range in size from 300 to 999 head. Round-ing out the program will be Beth Doran, ISU Extension beef pro-gram specialist, sharing an update on the tri-state air quality research project.

Registration for the meeting ($20 per person) is due Jan. 19 and includes a $10 beef certifi -cate for all participants. For more information or to register, con-tact Doran at (712) 737-4230 or [email protected].

Overall Women Conference slatedSUBMITTED BY CLAY, OSCEOLA, POCAHONTAS, SIOUX, WOOD-BURY

Women involved in or affected by agriculture are invited to at-tend the seventh annual Overall Women Conference, Feb. 10-11. The conference, coordinated by Iowa State University Extension, will be held at the Isle Casino & Hotel in Bettendorf.

The conference provides to-day’s rural women with the unique opportunity to come together, net-work and learn from each other

and industry experts. Attendees will leave with information to meet challenges and reap success in their work.

Workshop sessions will be of-fered covering such topics as farm business, value-added ag-riculture, tax help, ag safety and family communication. In mak-ing time for the “overall” woman, attendees will benefi t themselves, their families, farms and commu-nities.

The conference provides oppor-tunities for women to connect and

interact with speakers and fellow attendees. There will be many op-portunities for networking. The programs are geared to those who work in agribusiness as well as farm partners working on farms.

To view the entire program, visit www.extension.iastate.edu/scott/news/overallwomen or contact your local county Exten-sion offi ce for information. Early bird registration will be offered through Jan. 28. Register by mail, online or by calling (563) 359-7577.

Iowa Pork Congress next week

SUBMITTED BY GREENEThe largest winter swine trade-

show and conference in the United States will be held in Des Moines Jan. 26-27.

The 2011 Iowa Pork Congress will be held in Hy-Vee Hall at the Iowa Events Center, as well as the Polk County Convention Complex.

Pork Congress hours will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 26, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 27.

“This is one of the largest and best swine events of the year, and if you’re involved in pork production in any way, shape or form in Iowa or any other Mid-west state, you really need to at-

tend,” said IPPA President John Weber, a producer from Dysart.

“While the tradeshow and its 300 exhibitors is a major draw for many of the nearly 5,000 an-nual attendees, the seminars that are offered at no additional cost also are a key attraction.

Some of the seminar topics in-clude environmental regulations and nuisance cases, legislative issues, foreign trade, genetics and PRRS.

Iowan Jolene Brown will pres-ent the keynote address titled “When Pigs Fly.” Producers also can attend PQA Plus and TQA certifi cation sessions.

For more information, visit www.iowaporkcongress.org.

SOUTH EAST IOWA

MAHASKA . KEOKUK . WASHINGTON . LOUISA . MUSCATINE . MONROE . WAPELLO . JEFFERSON . HENRY . DES MOINES . APPANOOSE . DAVIS . VAN BUREN . LEE









1/4 c. fl our2 c. chicken broth2 c. cooked wild rice3/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese2 Tbsp. chopped Italian parsley

In a large pot, heat butter over medium heat. Add onions, mushrooms and carrots. Sautè onions until they are soft, about 10 minutes. In a medium saucepan, whisk milk and fl our over medium heat, stirring frequently until milk starts to boil. Whisk constantly for one minute or until milk thickens. Pour into onion mixture and cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken broth, shredded cheese and cooked rice. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until carrots are soft.


Local food projects receive boost with mini-grant awardsSUBMITTED BY APPANOOSE, DAVIS, WAPELLO

Winter is not necessarily known as a time when much farming goes on, but many gardeners and vegetable farmers might say that winter is the most important time of the year. Win-ter is the time when gardening plans are drawn up and seed is ordered for the coming harvests.

In the same spirit of planning and planting, three special projects are taking shape on area farms for 2011. These projects will help cultivate the growing network of local food enter-prises throughout southeast Iowa and run the gamut from on-farm cold stor-age facilities to new crop plantings to a new agritourism venture. All three projects have a niche to fi ll in local food production, which strengthen local rural communities and econo-mies. As part of an ongoing mission to develop the local food system, Hometown Harvest of Southeast

Iowa is helping to fund these projects with grants totaling $900.

One of the funded projects will help bring new diversity in crops to southeast Iowa. Tim Blair and Kim Steele-Blair run Bloom and Bark Farm and Dog Bakery in Keosauqua. They have been selling fresh produce to schools, restaurants and assisted living centers in Van Buren, Jeffer-son, Mahaska and Wapello counties, and have noticed that blueberries, one of their favorite foods, were not being grown in any quantity on area farms. The Blairs took the initiative to draw up plans for incorporating blueberries into their diversifi ed fruit and vegetable farm and learned how to take care of the plants, which re-quire special considerations in order to thrive and bear full harvests of blueberries. With the help of funds from Hometown Harvest, they will be able to add 144 blueberry plants to their farm this spring and in a few

years will be sharing the bounty. These extremely healthy berries will fi nd their way to restaurants, schools and assisted living centers as Bloom and Bark continues to expand their farm enterprise.

A different farm project will assist Blooming Prairie Acres proprietors Steve and Kim Keller of Fairfi eld to improve their storage capacity and post-harvest handling capabilities through installation of an on-farm cold storage facility. Kim Keller re-marks, “Right now we are using three old refrigerators that really consume a lot of electricity, tend to freeze the produce, and don’t have enough holding space when we have abun-dant crops like we have in a normal growing year. By having a cooler on our farm we would be able to harvest anytime and be able to store produce at the correct temperature until it is sold or delivered.”

In addition to selling produce at

the Fairfi eld Farmers Market, the Kellers sell produce to schools, res-taurants and assisted living centers. They strongly support local food enterprises, and recognized that a controlled-temperature environment is lacking but necessary to aggregate locally-raised food for distribution to larger-scale buyers.

“We plan to have cooler space large enough for storing our produce as well as having available space to share with the network of local food enterprises,” Kim Keller explains.

Cary Spray of Nature’s Way in Packwood will receive grant funds to help her farm build a farm stand. The farm stand will attract visitors to her farm, a newly emerging form of tourism based around farms and agri-culture called “agritourism.”

“We are hoping that by inviting customers to our farm they will get a better idea of what we do and the quality of our products,” says Spray.

“We live in between Packwood and Richland. Very rarely do I see these neighbors at the farmers market in Fairfi eld. We are hoping that by be-ing closer to them, they will be en-couraged to shop locally when they can see exactly where their food is coming from.” All three projects will be completed in 2011.

Grant funds were made available to Hometown Harvest of Southeast Iowa through the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. Hometown Harvest is dedicated to working with farms and farmers in southeast Iowa to revitalize and rebuild rural local communities and economies through local food system development. For more information, contact the Path-fi nders RC&D offi ce at (641) 472-6177. Pathfi nders RC&D works in partnership with the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service. The USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

lead Out loud!with Troy & Stacy Hadrick

Their incredible story will captivate and inspire you to find

the everyday opportunities in your life to tell agriculture’s story.

Advocates for

Agriculture

Troy and Stacy Hadrick are ranchers from South Dakota who turned a media nightmare into a grass-

roots campaign to tell America’s agricultural story. They know the best way to combat negativity toward

agriculture is to stand up and tell your story, rather than let someone else do the talking for you. Their

inspiring presentation will provide you with the motivation and everyday tools you need to stand up

and tell your own story.

All sessions are FREE and will begin at 6:00 p.m. with a meal, followed by the program. Please register

one week in advance by contacting your county Farm Bureau office.

YOUNG FARMERS

Sponsored by:

Monday, February 7 - The Hotel at Kirkwood Center

7725 Kirkwood Blvd. S.W., Cedar Rapids, IA

Tuesday, February 8 - FFA Enrichment Center

DMACC Campus, Ankeny, IA

Wednesday, February 9 - Siebens Forum

Buena Vista University, Storm Lake, IA

Advocates for Ag coming to IowaSUBMITTED BY HENRY, VAN BUREN, WAPELLO

We all know how important it is for farmers to talk about what they do to help others become familiar with agriculture. Now, more than ever, people are curious about where their food comes from and how it is raised. As Charlie Arnot said at the annual meeting, this is an opportunity to help others understand what we do every day on the farm. We are pleased to an-nounce that Advocates for Ag, Troy and Stacy Hadrick, are coming back to Iowa to help us learn how to “Lead Out Loud.” The Hadricks are young

farmers from South Dakota who have been traveling the countryside, help-ing farmers and ranchers understand the need to connect with consumers. The Young Farmer Advisory Com-mittee and the Iowa Soybean Asso-ciation are sponsoring three sessions with the Hadricks. They spoke last year at the Young Farmer Conference and the Western Iowa Presidents Con-ference - and members continue to talk about the valuable presentations. The sessions will be held in three lo-cations and will begin at 6 p.m. with a meal, followed by the program, free of charge.

• Monday, Feb. 7 - The Hotel at Kirkwood Center, Cedar Rapids

• Tuesday, Feb. 8 - FFA Enrichment Center, Ankeny

• Wednesday, Feb. 9 - Buena Vista University, Siebens Forum, Storm Lake

This program is for Farm Bureau members who have an interest in building their skills to speak more ef-fectively about agriculture. The pro-gram is open to all members, with a special emphasis on young farmers. If you have any questions, please call the county offi ce of your member-ship.

SOUTH WEST IOWA


HARRISON . SHELBY . AUDUBON . GUTHRIE . ADAIR . CASS . WEST POTTAWATTAMIE . EAST POTTAWATTAMIE . MILLS . MONTGOMERYADAMS . UNION . CLARKE . LUCAS . FREMONT . PAGE . TAYLOR . RINGGOLD . DECATUR . WAYNE









In a large pot, heat butter over medium heat. Add onions, mushrooms and carrots. Sauté onions until they are soft, about 10 minutes. In a medium saucepan, whisk milk and fl our over medium heat, stirring frequently until milk starts to boil. Whisk constantly for one minute or until milk thickens. Pour into onion mixture and cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken broth, shredded cheese and cooked rice. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until carrots are soft.


Chase Blazek, Alec Paup, Sarah Jennett and Chelsea Ekeler are among some of the more than 258 toys collected for the distribution during the holidays. The chapter, working with the CHS student body, purchased Christmas presents for needy area children in “Secret Santa” and collected canned goods in “Santa Can” for the Neighborhood Center. PHOTO COURTESY OF UNION COUNTY.

FFA project promotes the Christmas spirit of givingSUBMITTED BY UNION

Toys, toys, toys and more toys! Cans, cans and more cans! Presents, presents and more pres-ents! Sounds repetitive

but that’s exactly what could be found in Room 408 prior to the win-ter holidays at CHS in December. The Creston FFA members, work-ing with the CHS student body and teachers, sponsored several Christ-mas giving-related activities.

The 500 member CHS student body participated in Santa’s Toy Box, Project Santa Can and Secret Santa. Secret Santa involved CHS seminars selecting needy families, collecting the funds necessary to purchase gifts and delivering them to MATURA for distribution. Eigh-teen seminars and school staff ad-opted 24 families, then purchased and wrapped $1,000 worth of pres-ents for 40 area needy children.

Santa’s Toy Box saw 258 toys collected by CHS students. These toys are then used for the Creston

community’s Toy Table. The Toy Table is a place where needy fami-lies can secure gifts for their chil-dren over the holidays. This year’s Toy Table event serviced more than 75 local families.

Santa Can saw the CHS student body collect 738 canned goods that were donated to the Creston Neigh-borhood Center for distribution to needy residents prior to and dur-ing the holidays. “Although giving away used toys or several cans of food doesn’t seem like much, I’m sure there are a lot of people in our community who appreciated receiving them over the holidays,” said FFA member Lanae Ramaeker. “It is a good feeling to know that we helped needy families have a Merry Christmas,” added FFA President Haley Stalcup.

The chapter collects clothes, coats and shoes in the spring. Any used coats or shoes that are in good shape can be dropped off at the local high school. The coats and clothing will be laundered and shoes refur-

bished before being delivered to the Neighborhood Center.

Firewood labeling rule implementedSUBMITTED BY CASS

Movement of fi rewood is the number one means of transport for the emerald ash borer (EAB) and several other damaging plant pests. As a result of EAB infestations in Iowa and around the country, a new Administrative Rule requires spe-cifi c labeling on fi rewood sold in Iowa.

Effective Jan. 1, 2011, all pack-aged fi rewood offered for sale, sold or distributed in Iowa must include the harvest location of the wood by county and state. The labeling re-quirement also applies to bulk fi re-wood, requiring the harvest location to be included on the delivery ticket. This rule applies to any length of tree that has been cut and intended

for burning. It is important to note that fi re-

wood originating from areas quar-antined for EAB must be produced under the supervision of USDA and state department of agriculture com-pliance agreements.

The Web site http://emeraldash-borer.info/files/MultiState_EAB-pos.pdf provides the current map of EAB quarantine areas. A seal, with the specifi c individual compliance agreement identifi cation number, must also be present on the label. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) re-ceives reports of fi rewood of suspi-cious origin, and works through the complaints in cooperation with the USDA, sometimes issuing stop sale

orders and occasionally returning the fi rewood to its place of origin. They will continue to utilize stop sale or-ders as fi rewood is found lacking the appropriate origin labeling.

EAB is a signifi cant threat to the millions of ash trees that line Iowa’s streets, provide shade for our homes and fl ourish in our woodlands. While eradication of this insect is not pos-sible, we do hope to slow its spread, allowing private landowners and communities’ time to prepare and respond to dead and dying trees.

Other damaging plant pests may also hitchhike on fi rewood, such as the gypsy moth, Asian longhorn beetle, thousand canker of walnut, Sirex woodwasp and mountain pine beetle — to name a few.

Iowa Learning Farms offering webinarsSUBMITTED BY WEST POT-TAWATTAMIE

The Iowa Learning Farms is of-fering another avenue of learning in 2011, hosting a series of webinars on the third Wednesday of each month, beginning in January. The webinars will be held over the noon hour through Adobe Connect. All that is needed to participate is a computer with Internet access.

The topics discussed will be bene-fi cial for technical service providers, watershed project coordinators, Ex-tension specialists and anyone else interested in the topic of the month.

The topics and speakers for the fi rst few months are:

• Jan. 19 - “The Culture of Con-servation,” Jacqueline Comito, ILF program manager and anthropolo-

gist • Feb. 16 - “Will the rain ever

stop?” Christopher Anderson, ISU Climate Science Program

• March 16 - “Cover Crop Man-agement,” Jeremy Singer, research agronomist with the National Labo-ratory for Agriculture and the Envi-ronment

• April 20 - “Nitrogen Manage-ment and Water Quality,” Matt Hel-mers, ISU associate professor, ISU Extension water quality engineer

• May 18 - “Bioreactors: Benefi ts and Potential Challenges,” Laura Christianson, graduate student, ISU Agriculture and Biosystems Engi-neering

• June 15 - “Impacts of Bacteria on Water Quality,” Michelle Soupir, ISU Agriculture and Biosystems

Engineering assistant professorTo connect to the webinars, go

to: http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/ilf/. Visit the ILF Web site to download a PDF fi le with detailed instructions.

Also, watch the ILF Web site for topics and speakers throughout 2011, www.extension.iastate.edu/ilf, as well as archived sessions to view.

Iowa Learning Farms is a partner-ship between the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Steward-ship, Iowa State University Exten-sion, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Iowa Natural Resourc-es Conservation Service and Iowa Department of Natural Resources, in cooperation with Conservation Districts of Iowa and the Iowa Farm Bureau.

iowa farm bureau area news january 19, 2011

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