Forty-two intermediate 4-H members from Clayton, Buchanan, Butler, Bremer, and Fayette counties recently enjoyed a summer adventure trip to the Amana Colonies, Boone, Ames, and Story City. The trip was co-coordinated by Barb Cunningham, Buchanan County Youth Coordinator, and Tammy Muller, Clayton County Youth Coordinator.

The trip began with a tour of the historic Amana Colonies, where participants learned about the area’s rich heritage, strong sense of community, and enduring craftsmanship rooted in its communal way of life. The group also enjoyed a family-style meal at the Ox Yoke Inn.

The next stop was Story City, where the youth rode the 1913 antique carousel. They also spent time at South Park, enjoying the swinging bridge and playing volleyball. Overnight accommodation was in Ames. The evening activities included pizza, bowling, laser tag, arcade games, and swimming—providing plenty of fun and opportunities for socializing.

Day two began with a visit to Harris Racing in Boone. Coty Mallicoat of the Boone Speedway shared insights about the racetrack and the sport of racing, while Chaz Baca of Harris Racing discussed race cars and the safety equipment drivers use. After the rain subsided, the group was able to take a limited tour of the Boone Speedway.

The adventure continued with a train ride on the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad. The excursion began at the depot in Boone and traveled through the scenic Des Moines River Valley to the historic mining community of Fraser. A highlight of the journey was crossing the 156-foot-tall Bass Point Creek High Bridge. The group also visited the James H. Andrew Railroad Museum & History Center, rounding out an educational and memorable experience.

Participants included Emma Jones, Ella Juhl, Paisley Liddle, Alana Nixt, Abrah McKenzie, June Adams, Nova Liebau, Violet Bergmann, and Corbin Liddle from Bremer County.

Kinnley Gallup, Kennly Happel, Grace Peyton, Greta Weber, and Cole Reiling, from Buchanan County.

Jaycee Kiewiet, Aubrey West, Katelynn Aissen, Mark Boelman, and Carter Deuell from Butler County.

Josie Bockenstedt, Jayda Werger, Ciera Gray, Brooke Wessels, Elsie Lincoln, Denise Keppler, Lane Cherne, Levi Parker, Cade Hansel, Gannen Fritz, Connor Bailey, Josiah Whitford, and James Whitford from Clayton County.

Destinee Opperman, Ava Miller, Lily Vance, Emma Cannon, Aurora Staley, Jared Dean, Wyatt Schmitt, Gabe Holthaus, Noah Schissel, and Christian Young from Fayette County.

Adult chaperones were Neil and Julie Lansing, Fayette County; Andrea Hobson, Bulter County; Barb Cunningham, Buchanan County; and Tammy Muller, Clayton County.

For more information about the 4-H program, contact your local ISU Extension and Outreach Office.

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Clayton County 4-H’ers enjoy a summer adventure trip to the Amana Colonies, Boone, Ames, and Story City.

Coty Mallicoat of the Boone Speedway shared insights about the racetrack and the sport of racing with the 4-H members.

Forty-two intermediate 4-H members from Clayton, Buchanan, Butler, Bremer, and Fayette counties recently enjoyed a summer adventure trip

Registration Open for 2026 Iowa Master Woodland Steward Program

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach in Clayton and Delaware Counties is now accepting registrations for the 2026 Iowa Master Woodland Steward Program, a seven-week educational program designed to help woodland owners and conservation-minded individuals better understand and care for Iowa's forest resources.

The Master Woodland Steward Program provides participants with practical, research-based information on woodland ecology, tree identification, invasive species management, wildlife habitat improvement, timber stand improvement, and long-term woodland stewardship practices. The program combines classroom instruction with hands-on outdoor learning experiences led by forestry professionals and natural resource experts.

The program will meet Thursdays from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on August 13, August 20, August 27, September 3, September 10, September 17, and September 24.

Whether participants own a few wooded acres, manage family timberland, or simply have an interest in Iowa's natural resources, the program offers valuable knowledge and tools to help them become better stewards of the land.

The registration fee is $125 per participant. Registration includes educational materials and program resources. Payment should be submitted to the local Extension office, and registration is not considered complete until payment has been received.

Participants should be prepared for regular outdoor activity and walking in weather conditions typical for Iowa. Field experiences are an important component of the program and allow participants to apply concepts learned in the classroom.

Registration is available online at:https://tinyurl.com/2026MasterWoodland

For additional information about the Iowa Master Woodland Steward Program and its curriculum, visit:https://naturalresources.extension.iastate.edu/programs/forestry/education/woodlandmgr

For questions about the local program, contact Delaware County Extension and Outreach at 563-927-4201 or jadeh@iastate.edu, or Clayton County Extension and Outreach at 563-245-1451 or hloan@iastate.edu. Questions regarding program content may be directed to Emma Kerns at 515-294-0714.

June events for northeast Iowa beef producers

Now that planting and first cutting hay is done, Iowa State University extension beef specialist Denise Schwab invites northeast Iowa producers to a variety of beef and forage programs happening in June. For more information about any of the events, contact her at dschwab@iastate.edu or call 319-721-9624.

Open class carcass contestsThree counties offer open class carcass contests in June for producers to learn more about the carcass merit of the steers they raise. All are open to any producers, with cattle harvested at Tyson Fresh Meats in Joslin, Il. Pay is based on actual carcass weight, yield and quality grade, and the daily Tyson price grids. Some counties have added prize money. Contact the county coordinator for entry details, prices, and deadlines.

June 17, Dubuque County, weigh in 4-5PM, Cascade Livestock Auction. Contact Terry Harder 563-590-5934.
June 24, Jackson County, weigh in 4-5PM, Maquoketa Livestock Exchange. Contact Peyton River 563-219-5920.
June 25, Benton County, weigh in 6:30-7:30 AM, Benton County Fairgrounds. Contact Ben Olson 319-640-5574.

Forage eventsUNL Silage Conference - June 18, 8 a.m. to noonAgain this year, we will be offering the morning session of the UNL Silage Conference livestream at the Delaware County Extension office in Manchester, free of charge. Speakers for the morning session include:

Busting Three Myths Around Developing an Effective Agriculture Safety Program: Mike Keenan, Keenan Safety Consulting
Silage Safety, Planning, Pile Design: Renato Schmidt, PhD, Technical Services, Lallemand Animal Nutrition
Mycotoxins and Lab Analysis: Katie Raver, MS, Animal Nutrition Technical Services Director at Rock River Laboratory, Inc.

To register for the Iowa site contact the Delaware County Extension office at 563-927-4201. If you are interested in attending the full conference at Mead, NE, registration details and the full agenda are available on the conference website.

Jones County Pasture Walk - June 23, 9 to 11 a.m. at the Monck/Vernon farm, in the pasture just east of 18702 175th St, Monticello.Focus is on incorporating annual forages into a grazing system. Jeff & Shielly Monck and Nicole & Jon Vernon wanted to expand the cow herd but had limited pasture available. So they incorporated annual forages into their grazing plan using oats, cow peas, rye, turnips and various other annual species to increase grazing acres from crop ground. They are also hoping to add virtual fencing collars to the grazing rotation this summer. By rotating between the pasture and the annual forages, they can provide more rest to the permanent pasture increasing its productivity. If the annual forages grow too fast or get ahead of the cows, they can chop it for stored winter feed. Parking will be dependent on weather conditions and grazing rotation, so watch for signs along the driveway and road. Snacks will be provided by the Jones County Extension office. For more information contact the Jones County Extension office at 319-465-3224.

Clayton County Pasture Herbicide Field Day - June 30, 6 to 8 p.m. at the Scott Cherne farm in the pasture located at 28639 Miners Creek Rd, Guttenberg.Focus is on pasture weed management, fertility and interseeding. Ryan Hegland, Corteva Pasture and Land Management Specialist, will discuss weed suppression and highlight differences in several herbicide demonstration plots. Josh Michel, ISU Extension Field Agronomist, will discuss fertility management, interseeding and species selection. A brief introduction about the rotational grazing system and cow-calf operation will be held and then hay racks will transport participants to the pastures. A light dinner will be served following the pasture walk. For more information and to preregister contact the Clayton County Extension office at xclayton@iastate.edu or 563-245-1451.

Beef production eventsBeef 365. Jackson County Extension and Jackson County Cattlemen are cooperating to host this new year-long program for beef producers. It consists of four programs held throughout the year focused on beef cattle management. Cattle producers may attend one or all. Registration is $15 per session or $50 for all 4. Contact Hannah at the Jackson County Extension office, hannahdr@iastate.edu or 563-652-4923 to register. All session begin at 6 p.m.with dinner at the Jackson County Extension office in Maquoketa.

The first Beef 365 program will be June 30 with Dr. Mike Slattery from Risius Family Veterinary Clinic discussing summer cow and calf health management and planning for weaning. Denise Schwab, ISU Extension beef specialist, will discuss pasture management and rotational grazing.

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Additional Stories Published Online

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

Iowa 4-H Youth Put Their Knowledge to the Test at 2026 Dairy Quiz BowlPublished: June 17, 2026

Iowa 4-H youth from northeast Iowa competed in the 2026 Iowa 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl in Arlington, with top teams named in junior, intermediate and senior divisions and seniors advancing toward national competition.

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach To Host Battery Energy WorkshopPublished: June 15, 2026

Residents of Hardin County will have a chance to learn more about battery energy storage systems during Fundamentals of Siting, Permitting and Planning Battery Energy Storage Systems, set for June 29 in Radcliffe.