|
| | ||
| ||||
| ||||
| ||||
| HOME | ABOUT US | CONTACT US | SUBSCRIBE | NEWSSTAND LOCATIONS | ||||
| ||||
|
|
| | |
Iowa regional news and notes Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Funds provided for watershed improvements
DES MOINES -- Iowa's Watershed Improvement Review Board has approved nine applications totaling more than $3.5 million in grants to support projects that will improve water quality.
The grant recipients will provide $12.29 million from the local communities to match the investment by the state, which means $15.79 million will be going to improve water quality throughout the state.
The projects will start after grant agreements are signed between the applicants and the Watershed Improvement Review Board.
Three projects in northern Iowa received funding. The Dickinson Soil and Water Conservation District received $386,000 for a three-year project on East Okoboji Lake in Dickinson County. The Allamakee County Soil and Water Conservation District received $496,300 for a three-year project on Ludlow Creek in Allamakee and Winneshiek counties. The Osceola Soil and Water Conservation District received $474,540 for work in Silver Lake Watershed in Osceola and Dickinson counties.
Iowa Green Corps is seeking recruits
DES MOINES -- Iowa Green Corps, in conjunction with AmeriCorps and the DNR, is looking for six people who want to lead Iowa's rebuilding green efforts for the next year.
Green Iowa AmeriCorps Program's mission will be to assess energy-saving needs in communities and provide energy-saving education and service through community outreach.
One Iowa Green Corps team will be located in Linn and Johnson counties. The other team will serve in Black Hawk, Bremer and Butler counties. These regions were targeted first, because of the still evident impacts of the 2008 disasters.
For more information and an application form, visit Iowa Green Corps at www.iowadnr.com/volunteer/americorps/index.html.
Farm safety and health forum planned
DAVENPORT, Iowa -- Iowa's Center for Agricultural Health and Safety and the Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health, both based in the University of Iowa College of Public Health, will host the Midwest Rural and Agricultural Safety and Health Forum Nov. 20 to 21 at the Radisson Quad City Plaza in Davenport.
The forum will provide updated information on agricultural health and safety and promotes collaboration among researchers, health-care professionals, agricultural producers and policy-makers. The meeting will include presentations on federal initiatives for health in rural areas; rural roadway safety; youth safety; personal protective equipment; agricultural injury and illness surveillance; and a field demonstration of I-CASH's Certified Safe Farm Program.
Registration discounts are available to farmers and students. For forum details and registration information, contact Eileen Fisher at (319) 335-4224.
Web site provides information on cover crops
AMES, Iowa -- The Midwest Cover Crops Council made up of eight Midwest states and the province of Ontario has launched their web site: http://www.mccc.msu.edu/.
The web site has a section titled "Cover Crop Resources,'' where you can add information about your cover crop experiences and also look up posted information.
This site will be continually updated as more information and research experiments become available.
Yellow River Forestry Field Day set
WATERVILLE, Iowa -- A Forestry Field Day is planned Oct. 2 at Yellow River State Forest from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration starts at 9 am.
Participants will learn how to get oak back on the landscape through direct seeding and mixed plantings. The new deer depredation program in existing woodlands will be discussed as well as timber appraisals and estate planning.
The field day program is designed for private woodland owners, public land managers, forestry consultants and service providers or anyone interested in forestry issues.
For more information, contact the ISU Extension office in Allamakee County at (563) 568-6345.
Harriman-Nielsen hosting Danish graduate student
HAMPTON, Iowa -- The Danish American Heritage Society is sponsoring an internship for the Harriman-Nielsen Historic Farm in Hampton.
The internship has been awarded to Nana Mikkelsen, a graduate student at the Institute of Aesthetics, Aarhus University, Denmark. She will be spending two months in Hampton working on exhibit planning at the Harriman-Nielsen House and Franklin County Historical Museum.
Nana will be arriving in time to attend the Fall Festival at the farm on Oct. 5.
Health, wealth focus of Algona workshop
ALGONA, Iowa -- "Small Steps to Health and Wealth'' is the title of a two-part workshop that will be offered Oct. 16 and Oct. 30 in the Extension office in Algona.
Each session is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Each session will include practical strategies and tips that can help you succeed. Workshop leaders will be Nancy Clark, Iowa State University nutrition and health specialist, and Jan Burk, ISU Extension family resource management specialist.
The cost is $5 and the registration deadline is Oct. 13.
For more information or to register, call the Kossuth County Extension office at (515) 295-2469.
Power Fund Board OKs funds for rebuilding
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- The Iowa Power Fund Board approved $7.5 million in funding last week to help Iowans affected by flooding and tornadoes. The money is intended to help people rebuild to higher energy efficiency standards and to emphasize renewable resources.
Iowa Office of Energy Independence director Roya Stanley says the measures are expected to provide long-term savings to residents and the state as a whole.
Stanley says homeowners will be able to apply for up to $10,000 for energy efficient equipment and materials in their disaster reconstruction process. Businesses will be eligible for up to $5,000.
Lewis named to lead ISU entomology department
AMES, Iowa -- Leslie Lewis, a graduate of Iowa State University, has become chairman of the Department of Entomology.
Lewis, who will serve a two-year term, replaces Joel Coats, who had been interim chairman.
Lewis has been a collaborator/professor at ISU since 1974. On Sept. 3, he retired as research leader and supervisory research entomologist with USDA's Agriculture Research Service. |
| | |
| |
Copyright 2008 Agri News
All Rights Reserved
