Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
In June, Meadowbrook Golf & Country Club hosted the Junior Golf Academy with 29 junior golfers participating during four Wednesdays. After three weeks of instruction and practice, a three-hole tournament was held for ages 8-9, 10-11 and 12-15. Winners in each age group received medals for first, second and third places. More than 20 volunteers helped with golf instruction, snacks and coordination of the academy, which helped make it a successful and fun event.
Field Agronomist joins ISU Extension and Outreach
New ISU Extension and Outreach field agronomist Gentry Sorenson comes from a farming background that includes years of experience helping other farmers.
Sorenson will serve Region 2, which serves nine counties including Clay and Dickinson. He succeeds Paul Kassel, who retired last month.
Sorenson grew up in Hancock County on his family's corn and soybean farm near Crystal Lake. He earned his Bachelor's Degree in Agricultural Studies at Iowa State in 1997, with a minor in Agronomy.
He earned a Master's Degree in Professional Agriculture from Iowa State in 2018. He spent 10 years with DuPont Pioneer (Corteva Agriscience) as a crop research associate and most recently was an agronomist for Landus Cooperative.
"I really have a passion for helping people and I really love agronomy and transferring that information on to people who are looking for that information," he said in a news release.
OCEDC encourages exploration during 'Family Week'
O'Brien County Economic Development Corporation (OCEDC) is encouraging families to use a week-long moratorium on high school sports and activities from July 25-August 1 to plan an end-of-summer family vacation.
The Iowa High School Athletic Association, the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union, the Iowa High School Music Association and the Iowa High School Speech Association announced the pause earlier this year and dubbed it "Family Week."
"O'Brien County has so much to offer in family-friendly activities," said Kiana Johnson, executive director of OCEDC, in a news release. "Visit our website at http://www.tourobriencounty.org for day trip and self-guided tour ideas, and to explore the outdoor fun that awaits your family."
This initiative follows the launch of Travel Iowa's Fuel Your Road Trip on July 1, which offers anyone who plans their road trip using the Build a Trip tool available at traveliowa.com a chance to win a $200 gift card each week through Aug. 31.
As an additional incentive, participants will receive a confirmation email including hashtags for use along their road trip. Those who engage via social media during their visit will have the chance to win additional gift cards.
Tourism in Iowa generates nearly $9 billion in expenditures and $517.5 million in state taxes while employing 70,200 people statewide. In 2019, the latest year for which the economic impact of travel figures are available, O'Brien County generated $24.64 million in expenditures, $1.67 million in state taxes and $3,150,000 in local taxes.
Conservation funding available to O'Brien County farmers
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is offering cost share funding for in-field management practices including planting cover crops, transitioning acres to no-till/strip-till soil management or applying a nitrification inhibitor.
According to the O'Brien County Soil and Water Conservation District, farmers who are planting cover crops for the first time are eligible for $25 per acre and previous users of cover crops can receive $15 per acre.
Producers using no-till or strip-till for the first time are eligible for $10 per acre. First time users may also apply for $3 per acre for applying fall fertilizer using a nitrapyrin-based nitrification inhibitor.
Cost share funding through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is limited to 160 acres per farmer or landowner. O'Brien County farmers and landowners should contact the SWCD by calling (712) 757-4855, Ext. 3 to sign up now.
