Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
May 26 - August 28: Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) Signup
September 30: PLC Yield Update
Soil Organic Matter is Key to Soil Water Capacity
by LuAnn Rolling - NRCS District Conservationist
One benefit of increasing soil organic matter is to store more water in your soil because soil organic matter creates pores in a range of sizes. Exactly how much more water is stored due to soil organic matter will depend on soil texture.
Submitted by Eric Novey, Project Coordinator, Allamakee SWCD
A local farmer is breaking up his rotation, reducing erosion, and providing additional forage benefits for his cattle by planting cover crops.
Erik Helgerson, who farms near Lansing, tried a unique sequence of cover crops this year on 11 acres near his home. Helgerson has been no tilling for 8 years now. Last year he started to experiment with different cover crop species such as Japanese millet and turnips. He had experienced positive results so this year he decided to take it a step further.
The farming community is used to the stress that comes from the unpredictable and uncontrollable challenges that jeopardize their production and livelihood. Agricultural resilience is about equipping farmers with strategies and information that will enable them to absorb and recover from these stresses. Resilience is the ability to bounce back when things do not go as planned.
Following an initial announcement in mid-July of planning to return to in-person learning to start the 2020-2021 school year, the Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) Board of Directors and administration met in a July 29 work session to discuss details and scenarios of the district’s approach to the new school year. That discussion included reviewing such materials as reopening survey results from schools within the Keystone Area Education Agency (AEA) and legal guidance from the district’s law firm of Ahlers & Cooney out of Des Moines in helping formulate the district’s plan to bring students back to the classroom.
The ACSD Learning Plan details were announced early last week, with the complete learning plan for the new school year now being made available to student households and also available on the school district website at www.allamakee.k12.ia.us.
Another single-digit increase in confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 for Allamakee County this past week bounced back and forth on the State of Iowa daily updated website a bit before settling in at four additional confirmed cases over the past seven days. That increase brings the Allamakee County case total to 155, with 137 of those listed as being recovered as of Monday, August 10.
After two consecutive days of no new cases early last week, the State of Iowa website listed back-to-back days for Allamakee County of two new cases each Thursday and Friday, August 6 and 7, but one of those new cases was removed from the Allamakee County total by Saturday, August 8. However, an additional case was added right back in Sunday, August 9, with no new confirmed cases reported Monday, August 10 to leave Allamakee County at its 155 total cases.
The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, August 10 to address a full agenda of items including the consideration of signing a grant application for the 2020 Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding Program, consideration of an outdoor display at the Allamakee County Historical Society Museum and consideration of an agreement relating to the restructuring of the current Iowa Workforce Development region.
The Waukon Police Department had several of its members officially sworn into new positions prior to the start of the Monday, August 3 meeting of the Waukon City Council. In the top photo, Dustin Harrington (left) is sworn in by Waukon Mayor Pat Stone (right). Harrington is a 2012 graduate of Waukon High School. He will be attending the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy starting August 31 with a return date of December 18 before taking part in the Field Training Officer program.
“Bus-eum” presentations link modern day issues to 100 years ago ... This museum on wheels will offer presentations on similarities between today’s headline issues of COVID-19 and social injustice, and the “Spanish” flu and the Ku Klux Klan from 100 years ago. Presentations will take place this Thursday, August 13 in Decorah and this Friday, August 14 in Prairie du Chien, WI. Submitted photo.
A “museum on wheels” presentation featuring the foundations of and comparisons between modern day issues and their similarities to events and issues from 100 years ago will be taking place this Thursday and Friday, August 13 and 14 in neighboring communities. “Hidden or Forbidden No More: Prequels to the ‘Greatest Generation,’ 1914-39” examines, among other topics, how Midwesterners reacted to two “plagues” - one viral, the other social.
One of the featured presentations and tours is scheduled to take place Thursday, August 13 from 12 noon to 8 p.m. in the parking lot behind Oneota Food Co-op, located at 312 West Water Street in Decorah. Another showing is scheduled for Friday, August 14 in Prairie du Chien, WI from 12 noon to 6 p.m. at Lawler Park, located at 430 North Water Street at the north shelter.
The Allamakee County Conservation Foundation (ACCF) recently awarded 2020 Waukon High School graduate Shara Cota with its 2020 Conservation Scholarship in the amount of $500. One of the Foundation’s many goals is to support area youth who are interested in careers in conservation. Cota is planning on attending Iowa State University in the fall where she intends to major in Biology. Pictured above at the scholarship presentation are, left to right: Allamakee County Conservation Foundation Board members Jeanie Carroll and Jesse Delaney, scholarship recipient Shara Cota, Allamakee County Conservation Foundation Board member Gary Krapfl and Allamakee County Conservation Board Naturalist Ross Geerdes.
The U.S. Census Mobile will be at Meehan Memorial Lansing Public Library in Lansing every Tuesday in August answering questions about completing the Census and also assisting people in completing it. The dates and times are Tuesdays from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. August 11, 18 and 25.
This operation, known as the Mobile Questionnaire Assistance (MQA) program, is a separate activity from census takers going door to door to count households that have not yet responded. The local census response representatives will help people complete the census on a 2020 Census tablet or on their own device, while practicing state and local social distancing protocols.
Lansing is currently at 49.5% response rate to the 2020 U.S. Census. Allamakee County is currently at a 55.8% response rate, the second lowest response rate in the entire state of Iowa, according to U.S. Census information.
