Iowa News

• Wetland bank up and running in Iowa

  MANKATO, Minn. -- Iowa's wetland mitigation bank is up and running.

• Speak up for industry, new IPPA president says

  

  DES MOINES -- The 2012 president of the Iowa Pork Producers Association wants all producers to speak up for the industry. "We need to get our message out," Tentinger said during an interview at last week's Iowa Pork Congress. "All our producers need to step up to the plate. They know that as an association we're doing it right, but a lot of producers aren't willing to speak up. They think someone else will do it. That's one thing we need to improve on."

• Lower Morse Lake is for the birds and so much more

  

  CLARION, Iowa -- When the Lower Morse Lake Grasslands Bird Conservation Area was created in Wright County in 2009, nothing changed as far as how the land was managed, said Charlie Bray, Wright County Conservation naturalist. "There was a public meeting, and once everyone found out that there were no new regulations for land owners and that hunting didn't change, I think people thought it was pretty neat," Bray said. The Lower Morse Lake Bird Conservation Area, which consists of nearly 20,000 acres of land between Clarion and Belmond, is one of Iowa's most important grassland/wetland complexes, said Bruce Ehresman, DNR wildlife diversity program biologist.

• Industry outlook is positive, says outgoing IPPA president

  

  DES MOINES -- Outgoing Iowa Pork Producers Association president Leon Sheets of Ionia said the outlook is positive for Iowa's pork industry. "The prices we receive for our product are on the upper end of what we receive," said Sheets during an interview at last week's IPPA annual meeting. "Last summer prices got to a little over $1 and right now summer futures are in the upper $0.90's. We're moving product. Exports are up with record numbers. We've had the opportunity to purchase lower priced feed inputs."

• Miller organizing unique Urban-Ag Academy for lawmakers

  

  FORT DODGE, Iowa -- After organizing an event last year to teach Iowa's urban legislators about agriculture issues, Rep. Helen Miller, D-Fort Dodge, plans to take her approach to a national level.