Iowa specialty crops, including hazelnuts, melons and cold-hardy red wine, got a boost this week with $300K in federal money awarded by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.
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Articles Tagged: Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
Farmers have harvested 91 percent of corn for grain, which is four days ahead of the five-year average, and 97 percent of the soybean crop, according to the USDA.
Warmer than average conditions continued across Iowa with a statewide average of 65.2 degrees, 11.7 degrees above normal. The statewide weekly average precipitation was 0.26 inch while the normal is 0.66 inch.
Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig said he expects 2021 to be “another year where you’re going to have a lot of variability, but I think generally we can say things look better than we might have expected.”
Iowa meat lockers that make in-demand specialty products often struggle to get enough skilled workers. Which is why the Iowa Legislature created a task force to study whether the state should start an artisanal butchery program at a state community college or university.
But more timely precipitation still needed, experts say, before drought conditions can be eliminated.
Des Moines has become an extreme example of the conflict over clean water between agriculture and cities in farm states with minimal regulation.
Farmers reported many crops benefited from much-needed rain but more moisture is needed, especially in the northern two-thirds of the state. At the same time, other parts of the state got too much rain.
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Come hail or high water, there are parts of Iowa still badly in need of more rain.
A majority of four justices agreed to reverse a district court decision and dismiss a lawsuit challenging whether provisions of Iowa’s nutrient reduction strategy are adequate to protect the Raccoon River from agricultural pollution.
Iowa’s corn condition rated 63 percent as good to excellent —14 percentage points below the week before. Soybean condition rated 61 percent as good to excellent — 12 points worse than last week.
The heat is on in Iowa with most of the state experiencing some degree of drought
Need for food skyrocketed as Iowans lost jobs
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