The annual Bulman Family Reunion originally scheduled for the third Sunday in July has been canceled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Family members should make plans to attend next year, July 18, 2021 at the Eitzen Community Center.
I would like to share a little information about the Freedom Rock. It all started when Ray “Bubba” Sorensen painted a 12-foot tall, 60-ton boulder near Menlo in Iowa honoring the military men and women. People liked what he was doing and so the Iowa Freedom Rock Tour was created. Each county in Iowa was to have a big rock on which Mr. Sorensen would paint something military honoring our veterans. So far, he has painted about 87 Freedom Rocks in Iowa. To view the Freedom Rocks, go to Freedom Rock Iowa on your computer. Mr. Sorensen has three goals with The Freedom Rock Tour, and those are to honor America’s Veterans, promote Iowa tourism and provide for his family.
During this pandemic crisis, with the importance of lung health well established, the current administration is working against us. They are doing favors for polluters, weakening health safeguards that could lessen air pollution. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning a rollback on protections against mercury in our environment. There is no crackdown on industrial soot. They are gutting clean-car standards, increasing air pollution and fuel costs. The EPA is inviting industrial facilities to stop monitoring and reporting dangerous air and water pollution during the pandemic.
Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
May 15 – August 1: Primary Nesting Season – No MCM work on CRP acres
May 26 – August 28: Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) Signup
June 30: 2020 ARCPLC Election
July 15: Crop Certification
September 30: PLC Yield Update
Allamakee USDA Service Center Now in Phase 2 of Re-Opening
Starting June 24, the Allamakee USDA Service Center is in Phase 2 of the re-opening plan. While our doors are still locked, we can allow two producers in at a time, after they are screened for COVID-related symptoms. We have protective shields in place and wipe down the counter frequently. Masks are also available. We can still meet with you over the phone and in the parking lot. We’ve placed a picnic table in the parking lot that allows us to work outside with you as well.
Interseeding cover crops ... Mark Stock, who farms near Waukon, is pictured above with an air seeder custom built to plant a four species mix into V5 corn. Stock intends to also use the seeder as part of a relay crop system where he plans to fall seed rye then plant soybeans between in the spring. Submitted photo.
Earlier this year the Allamakee County Soil and Water Conservation District was awarded $235,907.00, for a three-year project, that involves interseeding cover crops into V4-V7 Corn. The funding for this project came from the USDA Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) program. Short planting windows after commodity crop harvest has some producers frustrated and looking at other methods of getting cover crops established. One option is interseeding cover crops into corn between the V4-V7 growth stages. Doing this allows cover crops to get established prior to corn canopy. After canopy the cover crop will go dormant from being shaded out and then restart growth once the corn is harvested. The overall goal of this project is to get more producers to try interseeding as an option for cover crop establishment.
Entomologists with ISU Extension and Outreach offer resources to help farmers scout for ECB
Corn growers may need to be on the lookout for a common insect pest this year, especially if they’re no longer using a transgenic Bt seed that is resistant.
In 2019, about 15% of corn grown in Iowa and 17% grown in the United States did not contain a Bt trait, according to an article by Ashley Dean and Erin Hodgson, extension entomologists with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
Not using a Bt trait makes the crop susceptible to certain insects, especially European corn borer. The European corn borer, often referred to as ECB, is an invasive insect that feeds on almost the entire corn plant except the roots. European corn borer can result in significant yield reductions caused by poor ear development, broken stalks and dropped ears.
The Allamakee County Fair Board is finalizing plans for the 2020 Allamakee County Fair, an event that has been modified this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigation guidelines put in place as a result of that virus. Still being planned for its original timeframe of next week, many of the same fair events are still being held as planned but with modifications to either schedules or format, beginning next Tuesday, July 7 with the first 4-H animal show and lasting through Sunday, July 12. A full schedule of this year’s Allamakee County Fair events can also be found on Page 24 in the July 1, 2020 edition of The Standard.
Despite many larger Fourth of July events being canceled this year due to COVID-19, many area communities will still be offering their fireworks displays. Those attending are reminded to maintain social distancing and keep other mitigation guidelines in mind. The following most local fireworks shows are all planned for this Saturday, July 4:
• Harpers Ferry at dusk
• Lansing at 10 p.m.
• Marquette at 9 p.m.
• Monona at dusk
• Eitzen, MN at dusk
Allamakee County residents are being reminded that each community’s Severe Weather Warning Sirens will normally be tested the first Thursday of every month in the morning around 10 a.m. The next scheduled test is for this Thursday, July 2.
Allamakee County Emergency Management Coordinator Corey Snitker says the purpose is to test the County’s remote siren activation system operated from the Allamakee County E911 Dispatch Center located at the Sheriff’s Office north of Waukon. This system allows the dispatcher on duty to remotely activate any community warning siren in the event of threatening weather from their location, thereby expediting siren activation in an emergency.
