Kudos to the Allamakee County Fair Board, 4-H, FFA, Extension staff, Master Gardeners, buyers at the auctions and all the other volunteers who helped make the 2021 Allamakee County Fair a success. The flowers and well-groomed grounds were a tip-off that the fair was well planned and would be well executed. Many activities kept young and old involved nearly all the time (or at least the opportunity was there!).
In this difficult time of divisiveness and rancor, the event felt like a time for community building and a celebration of our shared agricultural heritage, as it was meant to be. Thanks to all who worked so hard to bring us together in a healthy, youth-focused venue!
It seems that the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has adopted an unusual method - you could call it - to manage one of the state’s gems, Yellow River State Forest in Allamakee County. This ideology is being called “passive management.” The rationale for this change is their decision to take the full-time park ranger down to only 25% presence. The rest of his time is to be spent at the Volga River Recreational Area.
A black-footed ferret
Is secretive, nocturnal, and solitary. So, am I.
Undomesticated. I don’t cook either.
I was a predator, too, of the warm and fuzzy,
The prairie dogs of the world, the little beloveds
Of the grassland colonies. The fat ones,
The juiciest. Back when there were colonies.
Black-footed ferrets, like me, are
Endangered, but not critically.
It’s true, black-footed ferrets suffer
From a loss of habitat. It is fairly difficult
For us to live in just a cornfield,
Or a hayfield, or a beanfield
That runs all the way to either horizon.
These last couple years,
I found that became difficult.
We seemed to be so close in May and June to getting our lives back. To do so, we need to get as many people vaccinated as qualify for the vaccine. Public health experts estimate that the average person who gets infected with Delta spreads it to three or four other people as compared with one or two other people with the original virus.
The American people owe heartfelt thanks to Republicans Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for their moral and political courage in their willingness to serve on the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 attempt to subvert democracy and overturn the results of a fair and free election. Unlike Senator Chuck Grassley, Senator Joni Ernst and Representative Ashley Hinson (who have shown the political courage of church mice), Cheney and Kinzinger are putting country over party and are willing to jeopardize their political careers to uphold their oaths to defend the Constitution and the rule of law.
Their bravery will likely result in their defeats in future primaries, but their sense of duty overrides such concerns. Although I disagree with them on most policy issues, I salute and thank them for their courage and sense of duty to the country.
Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
August 6: CRP Continuous Signup
September 17: Pandemic Livestock Indemnity Program (PLIP)
Pandemic Livestock Indemnity Program (PLIP)
PLIP provides financial assistance for losses of poultry and livestock depopulated between March 1, 2020 and December 26, 2020 due to insufficient processing access during the COVID pandemic. Animals sold at a reduced price are not eligible. Eligible livestock includes swine, chickens, and turkeys. Sign-up runs through September 17. Contract growers, live poultry dealers, and packers are ineligible for this program. You’ll need to provide documentation to substantiate the numbers you report on your application. This can include vet records, feeding records, rendering receipts, etc.
Two northeast Iowa dairy farms will be featured on tours
The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Dairy Team is hosting a field day focused on dairy technology on the farm. The Aug. 16 field day will feature two farm visits where attendees can see heifer facilities utilizing activity monitoring systems and the use of a sand separating system.
The first farm visit will be from 10:30 a.m. to noon at Foresight Farms heifer facility, located at 1574 Big Canoe Road, Decorah. From Big Canoe Road go south on Sattre Ridge Road (gravel). The facility is on the east side of the gravel road. The dairy recently constructed the steel frame monoslope heifer facility and utilize an activity monitoring system on cows and heifers. Owner Dave Wise will be on hand to answer questions about the facilities and equipment.
Learn about opportunities and challenges of carbon credit markets
Renewed interest in carbon markets and carbon credit trading is quickly finding its way to the farm. In an effort to provide updates and answer questions, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will hold a public webinar August 11 from 1-3 p.m.
A group of specialists will discuss the basics of what a carbon market is, how people can participate, the benefits and consequences of participating and the things landowners and tenants should consider.
“Some farmers are already being asked to join marketing agreements,” said Chad Hart, professor in economics and extension grain markets specialist at Iowa State University. “Over the last six to eight months in particular, we have seen a lot of private companies starting to set up their carbon trading mechanisms and some are reaching out to landowners.”
Members of the Kee baseball team stand with the State Runner-Up trophy and banner they were presented after having a late comeback rally end up a bit shy for a 7-5 loss to second-seeded and fourth-rated Council Bluffs St. Albert in the Class 1A State Tournament Championship game played Thursday, July 29 at Merchants Park in Carroll. Having been unranked and awarded a number-four seed heading into their first State Tournament appearance since the 2011 season, the baseball Hawks opened the tournament with a 4-3 opening-round win over fifth-seeded and seventh-rated New London Monday, July 26 before upsetting top-seeded and third-rated Remsen-St. Mary’s, 5-3, in a nine-inning marathon in the semifinal round Wednesday, July 28 for a state of Iowa record 17th trip to a summer State Tournament championship game, where the Hawks had a four-run sixth inning rally end up short of a complete comeback to claim another state of Iowa best eighth State Tournament Runner-Up finish.
On track for success ... Waukon teenager Carson Johanningmeier is pictured at left above on his motocross dirt bike and at right above holding some recent motocross award winnings that are the result of the work he has put in on the dirt track over the years. Johanningmeier is competing this week at the 2021 Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn Ranch in Tennessee. Submitted photos.
Soaring to even greater heights ... Waukon teenager Carson Johanningmeier sails his motorcycle over a pick-up truck and UTV in a jump stunt he performed as part of his enjoyment of riding motorcycles and competing in motocross. Johanningmeier is competing this week at the 2021 Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn Ranch in Tennessee, where he hopes to take another step forward in the pursuit of his dream of becoming a professional motocross racer. Submitted photo.
by Lissa Blake
Waukon teenager Carson Johanningmeier has one goal in mind: to become a professional motocross racer.
He is well on his way to achieving that goal, having recently qualified for the 2021 Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn Ranch - the world’s biggest amateur motocross race - currently taking place this week in Hurricane Mills, TN. Johanningmeier has qualified in both the 250cc and 450cc races for this year’s national grand finale. Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, the national championship event has been hosted since 1982 at the ranch home of country music legend Loretta Lynn and has served as a career launch pad for some of the biggest names in professional motocross and supercross racing, including Ricky Carmichael, James Stewart, Ryan Villopoto and Ryan Dungey.
