I recently had the privilege of working at the Winneshiek County 4-H dog show. In fact, I have helped out numerous times, even as a judge.
This past week, I was immediately impressed with the COVID-19 precautions that were taken that enabled this senior to feel safe: everyone in the Show Barn wore masks; social distancing was practiced for six hours; hand sanitizer and hand washing stations were readily available; one adult per exhibitor was allowed; check-in was required to access the grounds.
I especially noted how these young people followed all precautions taken in showing their dogs in performance events. I witnessed that mask wearing can be done in the best interest of all involved. In fact, when I saw photos of the dog show in the Decorah newspaper, all exhibitors wore masks and they were socially distanced.
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
September 30: PLC Yield Update
Consider Fall Cover Crops Now! Submitted by LuAnn Rolling, District Conservationist
According to Dr. Jerry Hatfield, formerly with the USDA Agricultural Research Service in Iowa, we’ve lost half of our topsoil. We’ve lost half of the carbon in the remaining soil leaving us with 25% of our original “filter”. We’ve also lost 50% of the inherent Nitrogen fertility in our soil. Due to climate change and loss of aggregation (soil structure) we are projected to lose the rest of our topsoil in 80 to 100 years.
The overall profitability of a livestock production operation greatly depends on the age of the buildings.
“Maintenance of the buildings is critical for their continued use. Techniques that can help improve the usable life of roofs, concrete, slats and trusses need to be considered and implemented,” notes Kapil Arora, agricultural engineering specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach.
ISU Extension and Outreach is joining industry partners to offer a five-part webinar series on the maintenance issues faced by facility managers and maintenance crews. The sessions are geared toward livestock producers, livestock building owners and contractors, facility managers, maintenance crew members, engineers, designers and others interested in swine building maintenance.
Specialists to offer weekly information as state battles excessively dry conditions
With most of western Iowa experiencing some form of drought, specialists with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach are partnering with the United States Department of Agriculture and Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship to offer a series of webinars on Thursdays.
Beginning July 30, the group will kick off an initiative to help answer key questions regarding the development of drought in western Iowa, the expectation for continued hot and dry weather and impacts on row crops and forages. Attendees will be able to better manage livestock and drought-stressed forages, prepare for use of alternative forages, understand important crop insurance and marketing decisions, and plan for harvest of a drought-stressed crop.
School year is scheduled to begin August 24, with registration beginning next week
by Brianne Eilers
As the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year approaches, parents and students are wondering what the new school year will look like. While the Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) has not made a firm declaration as to how learning will take place yet, the district did have to submit a Return to Learn plan to the State of Iowa by the beginning of the month of July addressing on-site learning, continuous (or virtual/online) learning and a hybrid of both.
Allamakee County continued to see a slow increase in new confirmed cases of COVID-19 this past week, according to information gathered from both the Iowa Department of Public Health and Allamakee County Public Health as of Monday, July 27. That slower increase in this past week’s timeframe from Tuesday, July 21 through Monday, July 27 saw five new cases reported in the county.
The past week began with three cases reported early in the week, including two new cases Tuesday, July 21 and one more the following day. One more case was reported near the end of last week’s work week, Friday, July 24, with the State of Iowa adding one more new case to the county total Monday, July 27.
This past week’s slower increase leaves Allamakee County with 145 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since those numbers first began being reported in mid-March this year. Allamakee County Public Health officials say that as of Monday, July 27 seven of those cases remain in isolation.
A late Saturday morning, July 25 motorcycle accident near Harpers Ferry claimed the life of a Minnesota man. At approximately 11:38 a.m. Saturday, the Allamakee County Sheriff’s 911 Dispatch Center received a report of a single-occupant motorcycle crash on County Road X52 (Great River Road) approximately three miles north of Harpers Ferry.
An accident report released by the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office explains that Gary Lee Thomforde, age 69, of Red Wing, MN was traveling southbound on County Road X52 and failed to negotiate a curve in the road. Thomforde was thrown from the motorcycle at the time of the accident.
Thomforde was transported to a La Crosse, WI hospital by ambulance. He died of injuries he sustained in the crash.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) investigated and continues to assess a fish kill in a tributary of Paint Creek south of Waukon which was found to be the result of a pair of incidents that took place in succession Monday, July 20, according to an initial media release from the DNR.
Shortly after 11 a.m. that Monday, operators at the City of Waukon Wastewater Treatment Plant on the southeast edge of Waukon reported to the DNR that Aveka Nutra Processing in north Waukon spilled approximately 76,000 pounds of yeast, which was running into the treatment plant through the City’s sanitary sewer system. Normally, the treatment plant routes such spills into a lagoon before being treated in the plant.
Allamakee County Farm Bureau Vice President Melissa Wedo (left) presents the second donation of Allamakee County Farm Bureau’s three-year donation commitment to the Allamakee County Fair to Fair Board President Tyler Plein (right). The donated funding from Allamakee County Farm Bureau has been used for improvements to the dairy barn and 4-H food stand expenses at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds in Waukon. Submitted photo.
Friday, July 24, the new Dollar Fresh store in Waukon distributed more than 3,800 free apples during a contactless, drive-thru giveaway event. During the event, apples were loaded directly into customer vehicles to minimize physical contact and maintain social distancing. The giveaway was made possible thanks to Dollar Fresh’s fruit supplier, who donated the apples in light of the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In total, 380 customers received 10 apples for a donation equaling approximately 1,150 pounds.
“It’s a privilege to partner with our longtime friends at Dollar Fresh to share nutritious Stemilt apples with Dollar Fresh customers during these unprecedented times,” said West Mathison, president for Stemilt.
