Over 37,000 individuals in the United Way of East Central Iowa’s six county service area are food insecure which represents 12% of the total population.  Food security is defined as having access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

More than 50% of food insecure individuals in the UWECI service area are at or above 185% of the Federal Poverty Line.  For example, a family of four earning $39,113 or more may simply not have enough income to meet their basic needs.  Recession may be the primary factor in food insecurity, as wages and poverty are intertwined with the problem.

Some of the federal programs such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP-formerly known as food stamps- free and reduced-price school lunches and the Emergency Food Assistance Program that provide food assistance are at risk of being cut.

In Iowa, more than 1,160 local and regional emergency feeding organizations distribute food to those in need.

Political dynamics in Washington will likely challenge efforts to maintain adequate funding for food programs when the 2012 Farm Bill is written.  Faith-based and nonprofit organizations cannot completely fill the gap.  Federal programs are an integral part of assistance.

ISU Extension, Benton County

News Release

DATE              November 21, 2011

CONTACT     Greg Walston, Benton County Extension Service, phone:  319-472-4739

Kill date:  December 5, 2011

Applications for ISU Extension Master Gardener Being Accepted

Are you an avid gardener, but would like to know more about gardening, plants and horticulture?  Would you like to meet people who share your interest in gardening?  If so, you may be interested in becoming a MASTER GARDENER.

What is a MASTER GARDENER?  Master Gardeners are individuals who have an interest in horticulture, have taken the Master Gardener training offered by the extension service and share their time and expertise with other gardeners.  It is the acquisition of knowledge, their skill in gardening and giving back to the community that distinguishes a Master Gardener from other gardeners.

The purpose of the Iowa Master Gardener Program is to provide unbiased, scientific-based horticultural information to the citizens of Iowa through the volunteer efforts of Master Gardeners.  Master Gardeners are residents of a community who take an active interest in horticulture.  They receive training in horticulture through the ISU Extension.  In return for their training, Master Gardeners volunteer in extension horticulture programs and projects, which enhance the community.

The requirements to become a Master Gardener include a $150 fee to cover the cost of educational materials and a commitment to do 40 hours of extension service.  Individuals receive instruction in a wide range of horticulture and related areas:  houseplants, herbaceous ornamentals, turf grass, vegetables, woody landscape plants, plant propagation, fruits, soils, wildlife management, pesticide safety, integrated pest management, plant pathology, entomology and garden design.

Training will be offered for Benton County this spring.  Training sessions last for three hours and are held once a week. You would also be expected to attend one Saturday on-campus session. The instructors are state and local extension specialists as well as knowledgeable, local gardeners.  After completion of the training program, individuals become Master Gardener Interns.  They are promoted to the title of Master Gardener upon completion of their 40-hour service commitment.  Master Gardeners can remain active members in following years by attending six or more hours of in-service education and contributing twelve or more hours of community service.

Training for the Spring 2012 Master Gardener class is being offered jointly by the Benton and Black Hawk County Extension Offices in January, February and March on Tuesdays at 6:30 pm.  If you are interested in becoming an Iowa Master Gardener, contact the Benton County Extension Office at phone: 319-472-4739 for an application or to find out more information.    Applications will be accepted until December 20 and interviews will be scheduled later in December to select participants for classes that begin in January.

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Notice is hereby given that considerations of a proposed ordinance shall be held as follows:

                 1st consideration – December 1, 2011 at 9:15 a.m.

                 2nd consideration – December 8, 2011 at 9:15 a.m.

                 3rd consideration – December 13, 2011 at 9:15 a.m.

in the Boardroom on the second floor of the Benton County Courthouse, Vinton, Iowa.  

Title:  Ordinance #65 Amending Benton County Ordinance No. 24, Benton County, Iowa, Agricultural Land Preservation Ordinance, and Amending Ordinance #63, Benton County Code Of Ordinances, Chapter 4, Section 4.1

Summary:   The purpose of this ordinance is to amend Ordinance No. 24, Benton County, Iowa, Agricultural Land Preservation Ordinance, to add to Article II, Section 2. Definitions and to amend Article VI, Section 2, Paragraph 2.1 Permission Approval Procedures Required.  It is also the purpose of this ordinance to amend Ordinance #63, the Benton County Code of Ordinances, to include Ordinance #65 in Chapter 4, Section 4.1.

Copies of the full ordinance are available at the office of the County Auditor.

November 23, 2011.

Jill Marlow, Benton County Auditor

Upcoming Events:

Saturday, December 17thfrom 2-3 pm our residents will be opening their Christmas gifts.  Please have your gifts here on or before this time.  Light refreshments will be served.  Families are welcome to join us.

Thursday, December 22nd @ 5:30 pm our residents will enjoy the annual candlelight supper with music by Rita Michalek.  Families are welcome to join us at no charge.  Please call by December 20th.

If you have questions, please ask Deanna.

It’s a pretty Saturday morning as I drive from the very south edge of town toward my destination of the grocery store.  As I look to my right, I see Dick Wells,  Bob Hermsen and a large stack of lumber in the field just north of the new “Welcome to Belle Plaine” sign that was put up this past spring.  Being my nosy self, I pulled in to see what was up. Bob and Dick were nice enough to humor me and explained what they were doing.

Partners for Beautification had purchased the field we were standing in from Greg Peck with grant money the organization had applied for and won.  These two men had come early, before the rest of the crew was to be there, to get the layout of the fence in place so things would  go smoothly in the afternoon.  Unfortunately, it never occurred to me to get some pictures.  (I’m afraid I had a grocery list on my mind).  Lucky for me, however, as I was driving by a second time,  Bob and Dick were still there, along with several other people, standing around this great looking snake rail fence.  The fence is a cedar split rail that will fade to a silver-gray color over time.  It is referred to as a snake rail  do to the layout.  It is a nice looking fence that zig-zags along the fence line.  Once the rest of the volunteers arrived at 1 pm, the fence was completed within 1/2 hour.

The piece of land that they fenced off today is planned to be a prairie park.  The Partners for Beautification plan on planting the wild flowers and grasses next year.  They were hoping to get the planting in this fall, but they did not receive the seeds in time.  Along with the native prairie plantings there will be a path through the field for people to walk and enjoy their surroundings.  The Partners also plan to plant patches of saturated species in the triangles along the fence.  These plantings will be signed with the name of the plant or grass that is planted there. This will make  the different species in the natural prairie setting easier to identify as you walk along the paths. They are also planning to install a large boulder etched with “Beautiful Plaines Prairie Park” .

Bob Hermsen took on the initial planning and information gathering for this fencing project, and Bob Ulch is working on the boulder project.  The people who are part of the Partners for Beautification come from different backgrounds and different stages in their lives.  (Some are retired, some are close to retirement, some work full time).  What they all have in common, is a love for Belle Plaine and a willingness to volunteer to make  it better.

Those who were able to help with Saturday, November 12th’s, project were Bob Hermsen, Dick Wells, Vicki Schwab, Scott Frank, Dan and Debbie Drahos, and Bob Ulch.  The park will make a great addition to our community.  I can’t wait to see it in all of its glory!

Senator Grassley Speaks Out for Veterans

A difficult job market is challenging the soldiers, sailors and airmen who have protected America’s interests by serving in the Armed Forces. The unemployment rate for veterans is higher than for non-veterans nationwide. These men and women are extremely capable. They have valuable skills to offer the workplace. They need job opportunities. This week, the United States Senate took action to help by passing legislation to encourage employers to hire veterans.

The legislative proposal that passed builds on previous legislation put forward by Senator Max Baucus and me, as part of our bipartisan work on the Senate’s tax policy committee. That law expired at the end of 2010. What’s now been renewed and passed by the Senate would increase the reward for employers for hiring qualified veterans who have recently completed their service in the military. The new version of the tax credit also would make it easier for veterans and small businesses to use.

Veterans – including those men and women who were activated by their states as members of the National Guard – will be helped by this tax incentive. It was passed by the Senate as our nation pauses for Veterans Day.

The eleventh day of the eleventh month is designated as Veterans Day to celebrate as a national community and honor America’s living veterans for their courage, patriotism and sacrifice. America’s veterans put their lives on the line to defend freedom, protect national security and secure the safety of loved ones here at home. Like all those uniformed men and women in whose footsteps they follow, members of the Armed Forces continue to make the words “land of the free and home of the brave” ring true. We owe our liberty and our way of life to them.

So — to all of those who have answered the call of duty and served — I thank you for defending my freedom and the freedom of all Americans. Those words cannot be said enough. It’s our duty and our privilege to honor all American veterans for their outstanding service and tremendous sacrifices on Veterans Day and every day.