Agriculture

Chapter holds annual FFA Banquet

Published by admin on Wed, 03/29/2023 - 8:39am

4-H NEWS 3-29-23

Published by admin on Wed, 03/29/2023 - 8:37am

Prairie Hill

   The March meeting of the Prairie Hill 4-H Club was called to order at 6:18 p.m. by President Leah Koehler on Monday, March 20, 2023 at the Youth Development Center (YDC) in Monticello.

   The pledge to the American Flag was led by Roth Schnoor. The roll call was answered by 28 members.  Four guests and five leaders were present.

   Secretary Mace Schnoor read his report from the February meeting.  Eli Moestchen made a motion to approve the minutes.  Meghan Besler seconded the motion. Motion carried.

Beef Banquet '23: awards, scholarships and more

Published by admin on Wed, 03/22/2023 - 3:06pm

   A Hall of Fame Induction, scholarships, the annual auction, a speech from a participant in a bred heifer program, a ribeye steak meal, and a “Let’s Make a Deal” offshoot game were all part of the Jones County Beef Banquet Saturday, March 18 at the Berndes Center in Monticello.

     Larry Scharf of Monticello was inducted into the Jones County Cattlemen (JCC) Hall of Fame.

   Scharf graduated from Olin High School in 1957, briefly attended college, then returned to farm on his grandfather’s farm west of Olin.

COLUMN: 'Pulled Pork Madness' begins

Published by admin on Wed, 03/22/2023 - 3:03pm

   • Pulled Pork Madness, a competition among restaurants to see which makes the best pulled pork sandwich, is under way, sponsored by the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA).

   Drawn from the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, the competition follows a bracket-style narrowing process, according to an IPPA press release.

Boys land prize, magazine cover with display

Published by admin on Wed, 03/15/2023 - 1:01pm

   One of the greatest things about building a toy farm display, according to four Monticello and Anamosa-area boys who did it, is the satisfaction they feel when it’s done.

   The most fun, 10-year-old Luke Leytem said, was “laying it all out and seeing it come together.”

   “It looks really good once you get it laid out and see what you did,” 12-year-old Tucker Rahe said.

Hansen wins GJCF t-shirt design contest

Published by admin on Wed, 03/15/2023 - 12:58pm

     In December, the Great Jones County Fair released one of several new contests the fair is introducing this year: A t-shirt design competition.

   Each year, the fair sells t-shirts, identifying the theme for the summer.

   The 2023 GJCF theme is: “Rooted in Agriculture.”

   GJCF Office Manager Abby Jaeger said there really weren’t any rules associated with the t-shirt design competition, other than perhaps keeping the theme in mind.

   “We had 20 entries from a broad range of ages,” she said.

Budgeting is key to dairy goat profitability

Published by admin on Wed, 03/15/2023 - 12:56pm

   Can milking dairy goats be profitable?

   Larry Tranel believes so, but not without taking a closer look at financial budgeting.

   Tranel is a dairy field specialist for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. He offered his thoughts on dairy goat profitability during a January webinar, part of a year-long series.

   Tranel created a budgeting software program, Dairy Goat Trans, that enables producers to get a more accurate look at their operation’s finances.

Celebration of Agriculture event to feature Childress

Published by admin on Wed, 03/15/2023 - 12:54pm

   The 35th Annual Celebration of Agriculture Event will take place on Monday, March 27, at the DoubleTree in downtown Cedar Rapids.

   This event features keynote speaker Richard Childress, Chairman and CEO of Richard Childress Racing (RCR), one of the most successful organizations in NASCAR. While Childress is well known for his contributions to the sport of NASCAR, what many people may not realize is that he has deep ties to agriculture.

IDALS begins conservation partnership

Published by admin on Wed, 03/15/2023 - 12:54pm

   The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has announced a new partnership to expand the network of conservation agronomists working with Iowa farmers and landowners across the state.

   Conservation agronomists are professionals who assist farmers with agronomic production decisions while also providing expertise about incorporating conservation and water quality practices onto their land.

Report: large farms keep growing

Published by admin on Wed, 03/15/2023 - 12:53pm

   A recent farm trends publication from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach discusses changing farm trends between 2011 and 2021, including farm sizes, production values, net incomes and debt.

   In “Rural Iowa at a Glance, Farm Trends (2022 edition),” David Peters, professor and extension rural sociologist at Iowa State University, shares data that shows the way agriculture in the state is shifting.

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