Month: July 2024

On July 19, 2024, at approximately 8:41p.m. Des Moines County Sheriff’s Deputies stopped a vehicle near Beaverdale Rd. and Washington Rd. for an equipment violation. A passenger in the vehicle was identified as Rachael Marie Brown, age 34, of Burlington, IA. Brown had two warrants for her arrest for possession of a controlled substance 3rd or subsequent offense and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was placed under arrest and transported to the Des Moines County Correctional Center.

While at the Des Moines County Correctional Center, Brown was found in possession of a bag of pills identified as Alprazolam. Brown was then charged with possession of a controlled substance 3rd or subsequent offense (D felony) and possession of contraband in a correctional facility (D felony).

Road maintenance has been announced on New London Road, between Penn Avenue and 285^th Street, southwest of the Deerwood Golf Course.

Road maintenance will include one lane road closure with stop lights, please use caution.

This work will start Wednesday, July 24^th and last the rest of the week, weather permitting.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly April through November. Additionally, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship provides a weather summary each week during this time.

“Severe thunderstorms early last week gave way to a cooler and quieter string of days as corn pollination is underway across the state,” said Secretary Naig. “Temperatures look to warm up through the week for county fairgoers.”

The weekly report is also available on the USDA’s website at nass.usda.gov.

Crop Report
Most of the State received little rainfall and experienced below average temperatures. These conditions allowed Iowa farmers 5.9 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending July 21, 2024, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Field activities included harvesting oats for grain, cutting and baling hay, and applying fungicides.

Topsoil moisture condition rated 1 percent very short, 10 percent short, 81 percent adequate and 8 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 1 percent very short, 10 percent short, 80 percent adequate and 9 percent surplus.

Corn silking reached 68 percent, 1 day behind last year but 2 days ahead of the five-year average. Corn crop at the dough stage reached 18 percent, 2 days ahead of last year and 5 days ahead of the five-year average. Corn condition was rated at 75 percent good to excellent. Soybean crop blooming reached 69 percent, 5 days behind last year but equal to the five-year average. Soybeans setting pods reached 25 percent, 2 days behind last year and 1 day behind the five-year average. Soybean condition was 74 percent good to excellent. Oats turning color reached 89 percent, 2 days behind last year but 3 days ahead of the five-year average. The oat harvest for grain reached 44 percent complete, 5 days ahead of last year and the five-year average. Oat condition was 76 percent good to excellent.

The state’s second cutting of alfalfa hay reached 75 percent complete, 5 days behind last year but 2 days ahead of the five-year average. The third cutting of alfalfa hay began at 6 percent, 4 days behind last year but 1 day ahead of the five-year average. Hay condition rated 78 percent good to excellent. Pasture condition rated 71 percent good to excellent.

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) are collaborating on a series of cover crop fact sheets for Iowa farmers interested in adopting the practice or trying new cover crops to achieve specific goals on their operation.

Thousands of Iowa farmers plant cover crops annually to help reduce soil erosion, increase soil organic matter, suppress weeds, minimize soil compaction, scavenge excess nutrients, or provide supplemental livestock grazing. A large percentage of Iowa farmers use cereal rye, oats, wheat, radishes and turnips. However, there are many other cover crop options available.

The collection of fact sheets includes legumes like hairy vetch and cowpeas, broadleaves like flax and buckwheat, grasses such as millets and triticale, and brassicas like camelina and rapeseed.

“We feel these fact sheets are a good introduction to cover crops for producers who haven’t tried them yet,” said Mark Licht, associate professor and cropping systems specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach. “There are also species that a more seasoned cover crop user might be interested in learning more about.”

More than 25 fact sheets are currently available on the Iowa NRCS website, with 33 fact sheets by the end of August and the potential to add additional species as interest develops. Each fact sheet includes sections on: Identifying Features, Cultural Traits, Planting Information, Performance Ratings, and pictures that highlight various features and growth patterns.

“The collaboration between ISU Extension and Outreach and NRCS on the fact sheets is important,” said Iowa NRCS State Soil Health Specialist Hillary Olson. “We are on the same page in the belief that all Iowa crop producers can find a way to make cover crops work on their farms. We feel these fact sheets will be a valuable learning tool for producers.”

For more information about conservation programs and practices to help you treat natural resource concerns on your farm, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/ia. To connect with ISU Extension and Outreach, visit www.extension.iastate.edu/.