Page 14 - Clear Lake Mirror Reporter E-Edition 4-27-2016

Ag./BusinessPage 14 • April 27, 2016
Chamber holds ribbon cutting at United Way
United Way CEO Jodie O’Brien, Marketing and Campaign Director Brandi Evers, Community Impact Director Jen
Butler, and Administrative Assistant Michelle Crooks, along with Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce First Mates
held a ribbon cutting to welcome United Way as nes members to the Clear Lake Chamber. -Submitted photo
LUCY BRUNNER
CENTURY 21 Preferred receives
production and service awards
CENTURY 21 Preferred was
awarded the Quality Service Pinna-
cle Award for 2015. The award was
presented by Century 21 Real Estate
LLC. The annual award is based on
results from the CENTURY 21 Qual-
ity Service Survey which is e-mailed
to consumers immediately after the
purchase or sale of a home. To earn
the CENTURY 21 Quality Service
Pinnacle Award, an office must receive time-only award reflects those offices
completed customer surveys with an
average survey score of at least 95
percent or better for two consecutive
years.
The office also received the Presi-
dent’s Award and the President’s Hall
of Fame Award. The annual award is
bestowed upon those CENTURY 21
System offices that earn the CENTU-
RY 21 CENTURION award and the
CENTURY 21 Quality Service Pin-
DODIE WILKINS
nacle award in the same calendar year.
The CENTURION Award is present-
ed to CENTURY 21 System offices
that achieve or surpass sales produc-
tion of 436 closed transaction sides
within a calendar year. The President’s Oklahoma. The company writes $380
Hall of Fame award recognizes those
offices who achieve the President’s
Award for 10 out of 12 years, includ-
ing the current awards year. This one-
who, year after year, deliver outstand- vides quality and affordable insurance their YouTube channel, which can be
ing quality service along with CEN-
TURION level production.
CENTURY 21 Preferred is a full
service office located in Mason City
with a branch office in Clear Lake
and Northwood. There are 22 real-
tors managed by broker/owners, Lucy
Brunner and Dodie Wilkins. In Clear
Lake the office is located at 417 Main
Ave. and can be reached at 357-9400.
MBT
Insurance
receives
Star Award
MBT Insurance, in Forest City,
Iowa, was awarded a Star Award for
exceptional performance on behalf of
North Star Mutual Insurance Com-
pany in 2015.
MBT Insurance joins a list of
eight agencies from Iowa who re-
ceived a Star Award from North Star
Mutual. Agencies receiving this award
are leaders in the area of production. ers successfully use no-till and strip-till in Perry, Iowa. The institute provides
MBT Insurance has been representing
North Star Mutual since 2010.
North Star Mutual Insurance
Company is a Midwest property-
casualty insurance company serving
the states of Minnesota, Iowa, North
Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and
million in premium annually and is
rated “A+” Superior for financial sta- till operations athttps://www.youtube. demonstrate their involvement in the
bility by A.M. Best.
MBT Insurance is a local inde-
pendent insurance agency and pro-
options to several north-central Iowa
communities.
For more information about
MBT Insurance, please visit www.mb-
tbank.com. For more information on
North Star Mutual Insurance Compa-
ny, visit www.northstarmutual.com.
Clear Lake Mirror-Reporter
Resources available for no-till and strip-till farming
Farmers in Iowa continue to ex- “With tight margins and variable ban stormwater runoff, to address these
pand usage of no-till or strip-till to lim- spring weather impacting usual field issues.
it runoff, improve water quality and re- work, no-till or strip-till may be an op- The initiative seeks to harness the
duce production costs. Iowa Secretary tion for farmers interested in reducing collective ability of both private and
of Agriculture Bill Northey shared a list costs and at the same time reducing public resources and organizations to
of recommendations and resources that surface runoff, erosion, and improving deliver a clear and consistent message
are valuable for experienced no-/strip- soil health. Adding cover crops in the to stakeholders to reduce nutrient loss
tillers and those new to the practice. fall adds an additional layer of protec- and improve water quality.
“We are in the midst of spring tion from what Mother Nature dishes As part of the initiative, last fall
planting and continue to see significant out, particularly reducing nitrogen 1,800 farmers committed $3.5 million
growth in no-till and strip-till adoption losses,” Northey said. in cost share funds to install nutrient
across the state. New technologies and No-till, as the name suggest is reduction practices in each of Iowa’s 99
tools continue to provide additional when no tillage is done to the soil fol- counties. The practices that were eli-
options for farmers using or consider- lowing harvest. Strip-till is when a gible for this funding are cover crops,
ing reduced or no tillage systems. There narrow, residue-free strip of soil about no-till or strip till, or using a nitrifica-
are a wide variety of resources available six inches wide is tilled to prepare the tion inhibitor when applying fall fertil-
to help farmers successfully transition seedbed for planting. The soil surface izer. Participants include 980 farmers
their tillage system to help protect wa- between tilled strips is undisturbed as using a practice for the first time and
ter quality and maintain crop produc- in no-till. more than 830 past users that are trying
tion,” Northey said. cover crops again and are receiving a re-
Farmers in Iowa have made tre- duced-rate of cost share. Farmers using
mendous progress in managing residue Background on Iowa Water cost share funding contribute 50% or
to reduce soil erosion. Surveys by the Quality Initiative more to the total cost of the practice.
USDA National Agriculture Statistics More than $325 million in state
Service (NASS) show an increase in The Iowa Water Quality Initiative and federal funds have been directed
acres under no-till from about 800,000 was established in 2013 to help imple- to programs with water quality ben-
acres in 1987 to over 7 million acres in ment the Nutrient Reduction Strategy, efits in Iowa last year. This total does
2012. Conservation tillage is used on which is a science and technology based not include the cost share amount that
an additional 8.76 million acres. These approach to achieving a 45 percent re- farmers pay to match state and federal
changes are a result of many factors in- duction in nitrogen and phosphorus programs and funds spent to build
cluding advances in seed and herbicide losses to our waters. The strategy brings practices built without government as-
technology and planter advancements together both point sources, such as sistance.
designed to manage high residue envi- municipal wastewater treatment plants
ronments. and industrial facilities, and non-point
sources, including farm fields and ur-
Patton graduates from Iowa The Iowa Department of Agri-
culture and Land Stewardship, in con-
Tourism Leadership Institutejunction with Iowa Learning Farms
and Iowa State University Extension
and Outreach, have put together infor- Libbey Patton, Director of Tour-
mation to help farmers. The fact-sheet ism at the Clear Lake Area Chamber
has information on planter settings, of Commerce, is a graduate of the
fertilizer considerations, weed control Iowa Tourism Leadership Institute
and other considerations to help farm- held April 6 and 7 at the Hotel Pattee
in their operation. The information Iowa tourism professionals an op-
can be found at www.cleanwateriowa. portunity to expand their leadership
org/nostrip-till. knowledge and skills.
Many of the resources are benefi- Institute attendees included 15
cial regardless of tillage system, but can first-year graduates and 12 graduates
be even more critical in high residue who returned for second year of mas-
operations. ters-level training. Industry members
IowaLearningFarmsalsohasaYou- apply to attend the Institute and as
Tube video on planter settings for no- part of the application process must
com/watch?v=2KAf-wf6WZ8#t=26. tourism industry and leadership qual-
Additional videos on other aspects of ities.
planter settings are available through Curriculum for the Institute in- LIBBEY PATTON
cludes core courses in marketing and The institute was coordinated
found at www.youtube.com/channel/ branding, board/staff partnerships, by the Central Iowa Tourism Region
UCsQIxjljgWdg59nSrual_4A. strategic planning and leadership in- with funding from the Iowa Tourism
Finally, work with the manufac- fluence. Electives featured sessions in Office.
turer of your planter or strip-till bar as signage, social media, meeting facilita- “Attendees came from all parts
they would also have addition infor- tion skills, public speaking, network- of the state and we were pleased to
mation that would help with proper ing and employee management and provide an outstanding professional
calibration and settings for efficient use legal issues. Speakers for the Institute development and networking oppor-
of your specific planter and planter at- were professionals with expertise in tunity to existing and emerging lead-
tachments. leadership and various disciplines re- ers within the tourism industry,” said
Ann Vogelbacher, Executive Director
lated to tourism. of the Central Iowa Tourism Region.