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Midwest Composting School Scheduled for July 24-26

NEVADA, Iowa—The 2012 Midwest Composting School will be held July 24-26 and promises to be an intensive three-day program. This year’s school will provide training in the science of composting; handling challenging feedstocks, specifically food waste; enhancing compost quality and use; using compost in construction projects; understanding compost sampling; environmental regulations; and effective management of the composting process. All three days includes a combination of hands-on training, lecture, discussion and problem solving.

Kapil Arora, agricultural engineer with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, is the school coordinator. “Participants will receive hands-on experiences and hear from composting facility managers and other experts about techniques that will give them a competitive edge.”

The school will be held on July 24-26 at the Iowa State Dairy Farm and Iowa State University Composting Facility. The 2012 Midwest Composting School is a collaborative effort between Iowa State University, Illinois State University, University of Minnesota, University of Wisconsin, and Texas A&M University. The 2012 School is funded, in part, by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources SWAP Program.

The early registration fee is $395 and must be made prior to midnight, July 10. Late registration fee is $445. Registrations must be made prior to July 17; registrations will not be accepted at the school. Enrollment is limited to 40 participants. Online registration, directions and program details are available online.

 

Pest Scouting Update

Pests currently scouted across the state include:

Black cutworm larvae
Cucumber beetles
Colorado potato beetles
Flea beetles
Aphids
Grape phylloxera

There may be others, but these are the pests I currently have reports on.

For control methods for each of these pests, see the production guides on the left of this page under "Essential Publications".

 

IowaProduce.org Newsletter

The new issue of IowaProduce.org was sent out. Read the May 2012 Issue and Sign Up Here Today! to recieve it in your inbox once a month. Each newsletter addresses in-season production issues, coming events, and other stories of interest for Iowa's commercial fruit and vegetable industry.

 

High Tunnel Rainwater Catchment Video

This program describes how to build a system to catch, store and reuse the rainwater for irrigation in a high tunnel. The cost of installing rain gutters, rainwater storage tanks, and an electric pump is estimated at $1,200. A solar-powered pumping system will add approximately $700 to that cost. You can also download the bulletin Rainwater Catchment from a High Tunnel for Irrigation Use for details and schematics.

Rainwater Catchment from a High Tunnel for Irrigation Use from Iowa State University Extension on Vimeo.

 

Review and Quiz Modules for Iowa Commercial Pesticide Applicator Core Manual Now Available

AMES, Iowa — A new CD, the Iowa Core Companion, now is available to assist those preparing for the commercial pesticide applicator core exam. It provides review and practice quizzes for a better understanding of the material covered in the Iowa Core Manual. “County extension offices and the Pest Management and the Environment (PME) office frequently get requests for practice exams to use as a study aide for pesticide applicator exams,” said Betsy Buffington, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach PME specialist.

Buffington developed the Iowa Core Companion review and quiz modules based on information needed to pass the Iowa Core examination for commercial pesticide applicators. The modules were reviewed by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, PME extension specialists and extension field agronomists.

The review module contains the learning objectives from each chapter of the core manual, case studies and more than 100 review questions. The practice quiz module contains more than 100 multiple-choice, true/false and matching questions. The training should be used in association with the Iowa Core Manual, IC 445.

To meet the needs of all Iowans, the material is made available on CD. “Because some applicators do not have access to Internet or have slow Internet connections, the modules are offered on CD,” Buffington said. The Iowa Core Companion can be purchased as a set with the Iowa Core Manual or alone from the ISU Extension Online Store or calling 515-294-5247. It also is available for digital download from the online store.

 

Upcoming Events

On Farm Food Safety Workshop

We have all learned why we should have a GAPs plan. Now, build your GAPS plan at the On-Farm Food Safety Workshop. Each participant will leave with a nearly completed GAPs plan for their own farm! Dates are May 14th in Ames and May 21st in Cedar Rapids. Download the Registration Form.