Clayton County Extension and Outreach Information for March 12th
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Clayton County ISU Extension & Outreach Media Packet for 3/12/26
March 24
12:00PM Money Smart: Prioritizing Bills, Credit, and Debt Online
5:30PM Estate and Succession Planning for the Farm Elkader
March 28
9:00AM Clover Kid Day Elkader, IA
March 31
12:00PM Money Smart: Prioritizing Bills, Credit, and Debt Online
April 4
8:30 AM Derby Swine Weigh In Elkader
April 8
7:30 PM Clayton County Extension Council Meeting Elkader
4-H Citizenship Group Travels to State Capitol
The Northeast Iowa 4-H Citizenship group traveled to Des Moines to enhance their learning and see government in action. The group of 38 youths and 12 adults from Clayton, Delaware, and Fayette counties made the trip as part of their 4-H Citizenship program on Tuesday, March 10.
The Northeast Iowa 4-H Citizenship program is open to 4-H youth in grades 7-11. Active members participate in a ten-session program focused on the qualities of good citizenship, developing leadership skills, and learning how to serve their community and counties.
Youth departed from West Union, Elkader, and Manchester to first visit the State Historical Museum of Iowa. Inside the museum, youth were greeted by a replica of a woolly mammoth and had the opportunity to explore several exhibits on Iowa’s early history. The Civil War exhibit explained why more than 76,000 Iowans chose to fight for the Union during the war. The RAGBRAI exhibit highlighted how the ride began with only 120 cyclists in 1973. Youth also learned about movies filmed in Iowa through Hollywood in the Heartland exhibit.
The afternoon was spent at the Iowa State Capitol. 4-H youth and adult chaperones toured the historic building and learned that construction began when Iowa was only 25 years old. It took thirty-six years to complete and required the work of skilled craftsmen to create a Capitol that Iowans are proud of today. Interesting fact shared was that twelve types of wood were used in the building; all are native to Iowa except mahogany.
During their visit 4-H youth had the opportunity to speak with their state legislatures and senators to learn what they are currently working on and ask several other questions. The highlight of trip was the photo opportunity with Kim Reynolds, the Goveneror of Iowa.
For more information on joining 4-H or to learn more about the 4-H Citizenship program visit the Clayton County Extension and Outreach webpage at www.extension.iastate.edu/clayton
Pictured
G overnor Kim Reynolds and the 2026-27 Northeast Iowa 4-H Citizenship Group from Clayton, Fayette, and Delaware Counties.
Clayton County 4-H Citizenship group. (Front row) Rylie Kuhse and Emersyn Wiley. (Second row) Mason Bonert, Reid Hansel, Nathan Friedlein. (Third row) Bentley Gaul, Patrick Schulte, Conner Meyer, Ty Berns. (Fourth row) Lukeas Friedlein, Mason Hinzman, and Cade Zittergruen. Not pictured Olivia Thein
4 -H youth holding discussions with their area representatives, Michael Bergan, Chad Ingels, and Jason Gearhart.
J ason Gearhart talking to 4-H Citizenship participants about the current bills being voted upon.
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Farm Planning: Estate and Succession Planning Program Offered in Clayton County
Farm families are invited to attend an upcoming Estate and Succession Planning program, designed specifically for farm planning and helping families prepare for the future of their operations. The program will be held on March 24 at 5:30 p.m. at Keystone AEA in Elkader.
This three-hour educational session, presented by ISU Extension and Outreach, will cover important estate and succession planning considerations, including:
Prioritizing farm goals
Improving communication among family members
Building a comprehensive farm estate and succession plan
Participants will also receive guidance on how to use the ISU Estate and Succession Planning Portal, a helpful tool for managing and organizing their plans.
Registration includes:
Light meal
Estate & Succession Planning Workbook ($10 value)
Free lifetime subscription to the ISU Estate and Succession Planning Portal ($75 value)
Materials for the program are provided by the ISU Center for Agricultural Law and Taxation.
Pre-registration is required by March 20 to ensure materials are available. Seating is limited.
To register, individuals should call the Clayton County Extension Office at 563-245-1451 or register online at https://tinyurl.com/ClaytonEstate2026.
Registration fees:
$75 per individual
$125 per couple
$200 per family (up to four people)
Farm families interested in planning for the future of their operations are encouraged to register early to secure a spot in this limited-capacity program. To learn more about this or other Extension programs visit our website at www.extension.iastate.edu/clayton or call our office at 563-245-1451.
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Free Tax Prep Available for Qualified Taxpayers
VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program) and Northeast Iowa RSVP offer tax preparation help for seniors, low-income and disabled citizens. Filing federal and state income tax forms can be expensive and complicated. But with the help of a group of local tax-specialist volunteers, you can submit your 2025 tax forms hassle-free, eliminating both the cost and the worry.
Who qualifies
The local Northeast Iowa RSVP program cooperates with VITA to provide free tax preparation and filing services to low-income, senior, and disabled members of the community.
Guidelines to qualify for VITA assistance are:
● Persons with income of $69,000 or less,
● Persons with disabilities
● Persons with limited English-language fluency
How to get started
Call the VITA appointment line at telephone number 563-277-7246 and a VITA volunteer will help you determine if you are eligible for tax preparation services and the best method for submission of your materials. Each eligible client will receive assistance from a VITA volunteer to process and submit their tax filing information
There is no charge for VITA tax-filing services; however, RSVP and VITA recommend that you call soon. The last date to call for an appointment is March 31st.
Services available
VITA volunteers offer four types of client service:
Face-to-Face – taxpayer client (and spouse) meets with two tax-law certified volunteers who will prepare your return while you wait.
Drop-off – taxpayer client meets with a tax-law certified volunteer, discusses client’s tax documents and an intake form, then leaves. At a later scheduled time, the client picks up the completed tax returns.
Virtual – client scans all the required tax documents and intake form to the tax-law certified volunteers who prepare the tax return. When completed, the volunteer sends the completed returns to the client online.
FREE software to do it yourself– VITA provides free software access for both federal and state returns to anyone making less than $89,000 adjusted gross income. The taxpayer completes his or her own return. VITA volunteers are available to answer any tax-law questions you might have as you prepare your return.
Appointments are needed at all locations. Call 563-277-7246 or email NEIVITA.Assist.@gmail.com to make an appointment.
The regional VITA sites include:
Decorah ISU Extension office
2316 Sweet Parkway Road, Decorah
Decorah Public Library
202 Winnebago Street, Decorah
Waukon ISU Extension office
218 7th Avenue SE, Suite 102, Waukon
Howard County Farm Bureau
124 1st Ave W, Cresco
Postville Public Library
235 W Tilden Street, Postville
Elkader ISU Extension Office
120 S. Main St., Elkader
VITA has provided tax filing assistance for more than 50 years and is a reliable and trusted service. All VITA volunteers who prepare returns must take and pass tax law training that meets or exceeds IRS standards. This training includes maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of all taxpayer information.
In addition to requiring volunteers to certify their knowledge of the tax laws, the IRS requires a quality review check for every return prepared at a VITA site prior to filing. Each filing season, tens of thousands of dedicated VITA volunteers prepare millions of federal and state returns.
The RSVP Volunteer program matches people who are age 55 & older with needs in their community. Volunteers choose where they would like to volunteer and how much time they will spend volunteering.
For more information about the RSVP volunteer program and to learn about other volunteer opportunities in your community, contact Deana at the Decorah Public Library 563-277-5181 or rsvp@decorahlibrary.org
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Additional Stories Published Online
The following news releases have been published on the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach website.
A new series of publications from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach provides brewers with practical guidance for identifying, understanding and preventing common beer faults that can affect flavor, aroma and overall product quality.
The Iowa Independent Grocer Network with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Farm, Food and Enterprise Development will continue its spring webinar series on March 17 with a session on Business and Finance. The initiative has also announced a new Independent Grocer Self-Audit Tool and individualized technical assistance, now available at no cost to support Iowa’s independent grocery stores.
3/9/2026 Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Releases New Guide on Urban, Community-Scale Composting
As urban farms and community gardens work to improve productivity, reduce food waste and build healthy soils, on-site composting is becoming more essential. The Iowa State University Urban Agriculture Program has released a new publication, “The ABCs of Urban Composting,” to help communities and urban growers compost safely, effectively and in compliance with state and local regulations.
Mushroom gatherers who wish to sell wild-harvested mushrooms can attend certification workshops held in Ames on March 28 and April 11. The Iowa Wild-Harvested Mushroom Certification is required for those selling any of the eight state-regulated mushrooms in Iowa, and participants will learn how to distinguish those eight from look-alikes that could be poisonous.