Drone Technology Slowly on the Rise in Iowa Farm Fields
Drone technology is increasingly becoming a valuable tool for growers. Drones are another option for selective post-emergence herbicide applications.
Leah Ten Napel is a field agronomist with the ISU Extension and Outreach in northwest Iowa, based in Plymouth Couny. Ten Napel says drones are being used for different applications.
Ten Napel added that drones are affording growers new opportunities they didn’t have before.
Ten Napel noted that there are different kinds of certifications that people need to have to use drones in the field, and that is not the only limitation to using the technology.
However, Ten Napel admits there are some field locations and circumstances that are uniquely suited to drone technology.
ISU Extension offers workshops and training to help farmers obtain their FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate, which is required for commercial drone use in agriculture, as well as Introductory Drone Workshops to provide foundational knowledge on drone technology, its applications, and how to get started,
For more information you can go to: https://crops.extension.iastate.edu/
Grassley Lauds Trump’s Signature on Fentanyl-Related Bill
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says President Trump’s signature on a bill that classifies fentanyl-related drugs as more dangerous substances will save lives.
The new federal law will require prison sentences for people convicted of making or selling synthetic drugs that are similar to fentanyl. Grassley says the law will prevent these deadly fentanyl knockoffs from making their way into Iowa communities.
Grassley attended the bill signing at the White House. Other elected officials from Iowa were there, too. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird says it’s a pivotal moment in the fight against fentanyl.
Congressman Randy Feenstra says too many families have lost loved ones to an overdose and this law will strengthen efforts to keep drugs out of our communities and away from our kids. Fentanyl is an opioid — and opioids and synthetic opioids are the leading cause of overdose deaths in the United States.
Rural Mainstreet Economy Expands Again in July;
Tariff Fears Continue
The overall Creighton University Rural Mainstreet Index climbed above the 50.0 growth neutral reading in July, marking the second time since July 2023 that the index has moved above growth neutral for two straight months. That’s according to the latest monthly survey of bank CEOs in rural areas of a 10-state region dependent on agriculture and/or energy.
This month, bankers were asked to rank the greatest threats to farm income for the next year. More than three of four, or 76.1%, named low farm commodity prices as the top threat, while 19.9%, or almost one of five, identified tariffs as the top risk for the farm economy over the next 12 months.
For the 14th time in the past 15 months, farmland prices sank below growth neutral. Iowa’s farmland price index for July increased to 46.3 from 39.3 in June. Iowa’s new hiring index for July dipped to 43.0 from 44.8 in June.
On average, bank CEOs expect farmland prices to decline by 2.9% over the next 12 months. Lower farm commodity prices pushed bank loans to a record high.
Ceremonial Tire Dipping in Minnesota on This Year’s RAGBRAI
Next week’s RAGBRAI — the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa — will cross into a neighboring state for the first time in the event’s 52 year history. This year, RAGBRAI begins in Orange City.
Monday’s route from Milford to Estherville includes a 15 mile stretch in Jackson County, Minnesota. Ryan Krosch the county’s administrator, has been in charge of planning to host over 10-thousand bicyclists.
Over 20 food and beverage vendors will be set up at a local park.
Krosch says riders will be invited to use Pearl Lake to carry a RAGBRAI tradition into another state.
Ceremonial tire dipping has been part of RAGBRAI for years. Many cyclists start the route on the western edge of Iowa by dipping a tire in the Missouri River and ending seven days later in eastern Iowa with a tire dip in the Mississippi. Krosch will be working with his staff and local law enforcement to make sure the bicyclists have a smooth ride through Jackson County
A spokesman for the Iowa Department of Public Safety says some troopers will have a radio tuned to a local music station, but Krull and a partner who’ve been directing RAGBRAI traffic for years develop their own play list.
