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Clayton County Extension and Outreach

3 days ago5 min read

Clayton County ISU Extension & Outreach Media Packet for 3/27/25

Saturday, April 5

Wednesday, April 9



Sunday, April 13


5:00PM Clayton County YQCA Training Edgewood, IA


Friday, April 18



Sunday, April 27



Thursday, May 1



Boots in the Barn Event: Empowering Women in Agriculture

On March 14th, 40 women in agriculture gathered in Edgewood for the Boots in the Barn program, an informative and hands-on experience designed to empower women in the dairy and beef industries. The event, hosted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach – Clayton & Delaware Counties, along with Dairy Extension Team Specialist Jenn Bentley and Iowa Beef Center Specialist Denise Schwab, offered valuable educational content on direct beef marketing, financial recordkeeping, and calf care.

Event Highlights:

  • Edgewood Locker Tour: Participants received a tour of the newly expanded Edgewood Locker facility, gaining insights into direct beef marketing and how to meet customer demand. Many attendees also took advantage of the opportunity to purchase local meats and other agricultural products, supporting regional producers.

  • Lunch & Learn: The event continued with a luncheon at Woods Edge Golf Course, where Andrew and Carter from Farm Credit Services of America, Manchester Office, presented essential strategies on financial recordkeeping, profitability, and cash flow management. Their session provided attendees with critical tools to enhance the financial sustainability of their farming operations.

  • Calf Care & Troubleshooting: At the Edgewood Veterinary Clinic, Dr. Sami Kemp and Dr. Allison Vander Plaats from the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine conducted an interactive session on calf health, focusing on colostrum management, fluid therapy, and esophageal feeding techniques. Participants gained hands-on experience, strengthening their understanding of best practices in calf care.

The event successfully brought together women in agriculture, offering them the opportunity to enhance their skills, expand their knowledge, and build valuable connections within the industry.

We would like to express our gratitude to all attendees, the expert speakers, and our sponsors—Delaware County Farm Bureau and Clayton County Dairy Promotion—for their contributions to the event's success. Boots in the Barn remains dedicated to empowering women in dairy and beef production through practical education, expert knowledge, and a supportive community.

We look forward to continuing this important work in the future, supporting the growth and success of women in agriculture. If you would like to learn more about ISU Extension and Outreach programs like Boots in the Barn, contact your local Extension office.




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DERBY PIG WEIGH-IN SET FOR APRIL 5

Clayton County 4-H and FFA members who intend to participate in the swine derby division at the 2025 Clayton County Fair are required to weigh and tag their animals at the weigh-in on Saturday, April 5 from 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. at the Central Community School, Elkader. 

The pigs will be weighed and ear-tagged at the site. All pigs must be farrowed after January 1, 2025 and not weigh more than 60 pounds at the time of the weigh- in to be eligible. Recommended weights are 30-50 pounds. 

The swine derby contest is part of the county fair competition where rate-of-gain and lean-gain-per-day are used to evaluate the projects along with visual appraisal by the judge. The swine derby show at the Clayton County Fair is set for Thursday, July 31 at 5:00 pm.

There is a non-derby division in which 4-H and FFA members can participate in Clayton County. Those pigs are not weighed in April but do need to be identified with official ear tags. The tags are available at the Extension Office in Elkader.

For more information on the 4-H program contact the Clayton County Extension Office at 563-245-1451.

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Additional Stories Published Online

The following news releases have been published on the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach website.

Logan McCrea is Iowa State University Extension and Outreach’s newest field agronomist, serving nine counties in south-central Iowa out of the Mahaska County office. A native of Monroe County, McCrea started his new role in early March of this year.


People new to crop scouting as well as those wanting to refresh their knowledge and skills are invited to the Crop Scout School on May 22 at the Southeast Research and Demonstration Farm, Crawfordsville. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is offering this educational program.


The national Pork Quality Assurance Plus program works on a continuous improvement three-year cycle, which allows for new research and collected data from site assessments to help shape focus areas for the next version. The next version of the program, PQA Plus 6.0, will be released at the 2025 World Pork Expo in June.


The unpredictable and sometimes violent nature of wind, rain and lighting can make people feel vulnerable and uncertain, especially as the spring storm season begins. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach educators offer suggestions and resources for dealing with stress and the impact on mental health and Iowans’ sense of safety.


To help beef producers gear up for a successful breeding season, the Iowa Beef Center at Iowa State University, ISU Extension and Outreach Shelby County, and Farm Service Cooperative are partnering on a breeding season workshop focused on nutrition set for April 29 in west central Iowa.


Five Iowa communities have been chosen to participate in the 2025 First Impressions program, an initiative designed to boost tourism, attract residents and workforce talent, and improve overall quality of life. This year’s selected communities are Independence, Manning, Perry, Washington and Webster City.


Using an esophageal feeder is an integral part of raising cattle, yet many producers are not completely comfortable using them. A new publication from Iowa Beef Center, "Proper Use of an Esophageal Feeder," provides step-by-step instructions on properly preparing, inserting and removing the feeder tube.


Iowa Learning Farms, in partnership with the Floyd and Mitchell County Soil and Water Conservation Districts, will host a wetland field day on Thursday, April 10, from 12-2 p.m. at the New Haven Mennonite Community Center near Osage.





Iowa State University Extension and Outreach news releases are available from our website at https://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/.



 

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