News Center newsletter

To the Editor:

What a country we live in! I’m proud to be an American and always will be. But I’ve been “lukewarm,” as have been many Republicans. And I thank Biden for waking me up by pointing that out to me.

Revelation 3:15-16 states, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, I will spit you out of My mouth.” I feel that God is calling us to turn back to Him, as we have fallen into lukewarm waters.  Psalm 33:12, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage.”  That is where my loyalty is, with God.

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
May 15-August 1: Primary Nesting Season
June 15: COC Election Ballots Mailed to Producers in LAA 3
July 15: Crop Certification

Cover Crops Promote Beneficial Insects
by LuAnn Rolling, District Conservationist

As we launch into the crop growing season producers are beginning to think about crop pests like insects. All good producers will use an integrated pest management system, IPM, that includes a variety of tactics to control pests. One control method that may go unnoticed is the introduction of cover crops.  

Learn the latest information in dairy nutrition and management by attending the virtual 2021 Four-State Dairy Nutrition and Management Conference June 9-10. The new format is designed to improve the participant experience.

June 9 and 10 will feature live morning sessions designed to promote interaction and discussion between participants and the speakers. All presentations will be pre-recorded and will be made available to participants for viewing before the conference and for 60 days after the conference.

submitted by Eric Novey, Project Coordinator, Allamakee SWCD

Producing a profit over the past several growing seasons has been a challenge for most farmers. According to Iowa State University’s Department of Economics, “The financial situation of farm proprietors has been erratic over the past decade yielding both historic highs and historic lows. Volatility has been the most striking feature of Iowa agricultural sector performance.” The recent climb in commodity prices has been a welcome sight. However, producers should still seek to protect themselves from market volatility by finding innovative practices that add to their bottom line. Cover crops might be the answer.

Some benefits of cover crops include erosion control, weed suppression, improved soil structure, increased water infiltration, and nutrient capture from leaching. Many producers are aware of the benefits however, the added cost is still enough to deter many producers.

At its Monday, May 3 regular meeting, the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to adopt a new comprehensive plan for the County, called “All in Allamakee”, or the “All-In Plan” for short. The plan’s origins lie in 2018, when Allamakee County contracted with Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission (UERPC) to develop a completely new plan and vision for the County - the previous plan having been completed in 2002. UERPC Senior Transportation Planner Aaron Detter, AICP was project manager for the new planning effort.

The 2021 Allamakee County Dairy Banquet is scheduled to be held Saturday, June 12 at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon. The meal will be served from 7-8:30 p.m. with the program starting at 8 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at the door.

The event is traditionally held in March each year, but the Allamakee County Dairy Promotion Board decided to wait and see what developed with the COVID-19 pandemic this year, with vaccinations and lower positive case numbers leading to the decision to hold the in-person event in June. The banquet was called off entirely last year as the pandemic reared its head locally just before the event’s scheduled March date.

Roll of Honor display seeks photos of local veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty

Remodeling of the former Vets Club Building on Allamakee Street in Waukon will be completed this summer for use as a Veterans Museum. Designing and setting up of displays and exhibits will follow as time and resources permit.

Help is needed in preserving the memories and stories of Allamakee County’s military veterans from all conflicts and service. One special project is to collect photos of all county service members who died in the line of duty for use in a Roll of Honor display.

Anyone who has any photos, stories, letters, documents, posters, maps, uniforms, equipment or memorabilia to share or donate should contact Jim Garrett at 563-568-7606, John Bauercamper at 563-568-7526 or johnbauercamper@gmail.com, or the Allamakee Historical Society at P.O. Box 95, Waukon, IA 52172.

Children and families are encouraged to participate in Robey Memorial Library’s program series, Summer Explorers, to be held every other Wednesday from June 2 through August 11 from 10:30-11:30 a.m. The schedule for this year’s program series is as follows, with participants advised to dress appropriately as some of the programs can be very hands-on:

The Allamakee Community Players will be presenting “Theatre in the Park” each Saturday at 2 p.m. during the month of June at the Waukon City Park Amphitheater. Members of the Allamakee Community Players will be performing various skits and monologues, both humorous and dramatic, each Saturday afternoon, June 5, 12, 19 and 26.

All ages are welcome to attend. No admission will be charged, but donations are gratefully accepted.

Anyone near the Waukon Wellness Center Saturday, May 15 was sure to see bubbles floating over the roof. Clover Kids experimented with store-bought bubbles and homemade bubbles made out of dish soap, water and glycerin. They made their own unique bubble blowers out of pipe cleaners, including small, large, round and heart-shaped. Outside, they were challenged to test each solution (as evident in the photo at left above) and see which one produced the toughest, largest and highest flying bubbles.

Clover Kids also made elephant’s toothpaste. Using a mix of hydrogen peroxide, dish soap, yeast and water, they learned about chemical reactions. The hydrogen peroxide is broken down into water and oxygen. The extra water and oxygen mixes with the dish soap to create foam. It looks like foamy toothpaste being squeezed from a tube, but so big it’s fit for an elephant (as evident in the photo at right above).