Wednesday was a difficult day for The American Independent News Network, which is the larger entity that operates The Iowa Independent. Our chief executive and founder announced two of our sister sites would close and their content would be moved to The American Independent.
A recently introduced bill could have far-reaching impact on the U.S. sugar industry, including American Crystal Sugar, a farmer-owned cooperative that locked out 1,300 Midwest workers on Aug. 1.
The chairman for Herman Cain’s Iowa effort says the campaign “relied more on the word of farmers than Washington regulators” in deciding to run an ad containing claims the Environmental Protection Agency says are false.
The Iowa Senate will remain under the control of a slim 26-25 Democratic majority when it reconvenes in January 2012.
BILL NORTHEY RELEASE — Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today commented on the Iowa Crops and Weather report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistical Service. The report is released weekly from April through October.
“With the dry weather harvest continued to advance rapidly and many farmers are starting to move onto fall field work, such as tillage, installing conservation practices and fertilizer applications,” Northey said.
The weekly report is also available on the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s website at www.IowaAgriculture.gov or on USDA’s site at www.nass.usda.gov/ia. The report follows here:
CROP REPORT
Dry weather prevailed across the State with only light showers delaying harvest across southwestern Iowa on Saturday afternoon and evening. The dry weather aided harvest progress and allowed tillage, terracing, tiling, and fertilizer applications to continue with few delays. However, soil moisture shortages increased. Warm day time temperatures and mostly gentle breezes promoted grain dry-down. The average moisture content of standing corn is estimated at 17 percent and the moisture content of standing corn is estimated at an average of 16 percent.
There were 6.6 days suitable for fieldwork statewide during the past week. Topsoil moisture levels rated 35 percent very short, 37 percent short, 27 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture rated 29 percent very short, 40 percent short, 30 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus. Grain movement continued at a busy pace, with 54 percent of the State seeing moderate to heavy grain movement from farm to elevator. As the harvest season approaches the home stretch, 93 percent of the State reports adequate or surplus off-farm storage capacity and 87 percent of the State reports adequate or surplus on-farm storage capacity.
Seventy-one percent of the corn crop has been harvested for grain or seed, 4 days behind 2010 but 2 Weeks ahead of the five-year average. Corn condition stands at 5 percent very poor, 9 percent poor, 27 percent fair, 46 percent good, and 13 percent excellent. Soybean harvest advanced to 95 percent complete, behind last year’s 97 percent but over 2 weeks ahead of the average pace. More than 90 percent of the soybeans are harvested in every district except the East Central and Southeast, where harvest is at 88 percent and 89 percent, respectively.
Pasture and range condition rated 20 percent very poor, 27 percent poor, 33 percent fair, 19 percent good, and 1 percent excellent. Hay supplies are considered short across 22 percent of Iowa. Livestock producers continued moving cattle to stalk fields.
IOWA PRELIMINARY WEATHER SUMMARY
By Harry Hillaker, State Climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
The past reporting week began with temperatures well below normal. Daytime highs were only in the 50s on Monday (17th) and Thursday (20th), mid 40s to mid 50s on Tuesday and mostly 40s on Wednesday. Overnight lows fell to 19 degrees at Sheldon on Wednesday morning and to 18 degrees at Battle Creek on Friday morning. A hard freeze was reported over parts of northern Iowa each day from Monday morning through Thursday morning with a statewide freeze on Friday morning. A warming trend began on Friday afternoon with high temperatures mostly in the 70s by Sunday (23rd). Onawa, Shenandoah and Sidney reported the week’s highest temperatures with 78 degree readings on Sunday. Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged 3.2 degrees below normal. Light rain fell over the southwest one-third of the state on both Monday (17th) and Saturday night into Sunday morning. Weekly rain totals varied from none over much of the northeast two-thirds of Iowa to 0.22 inch at Underwood (Pottawattamie Co.). The statewide average precipitation was only 0.03 inch while normal for the week is 0.53 inch. Soil temperatures as of Sunday (23rd) averaged from the low 50s northeast to mid 50s southwest.
(Editor’s note: This release is being reprinted as a courtesy to our readers.)
Do you know where to vote on Election Day? Do you know what to bring with you? Get comprehensive voter information for your state here.
Sign up for our email newsletter