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Clayton County Extension News Aug. 20, 2026

  • 47 minutes ago
  • 8 min read

Download PDF of this week's packet HERE


Aug 30 2:00PM 4-H Citizenship Tri-County Meeting Elkader, IA

Sep 1`5:00PM Beef Quality Assurance Guttenberg, IA

Sep 1`7:00PM Post Fair Meeting Elkader, IA



CLAYTON COUNTY FAIR AUCTION TOTALS $344,753

     

     Clayton County 4-H and FFA members sold a total of $344,753.40 worth of livestock at the county fair auction on Monday, August 10. The sale was under the direction of auctioneers, Jerry Maker, Strawberry Point, Mike Monroe, Postville and Calb Kruse, Dyersville. Representatives from Luana Savings Bank helped clerk the sale. Free destination hauling was provided by Ryan Rose, Turner Brothers Trucking, and Edgewood Locker.

     The top three buyers were Allen Real Estate Company, Monona; Silveredge Co-op, Edgewood; and CJ Monya and Sons, Elkader.

     The average price of 61 head of market beef was $2.98 per pound. Marshall Thompson, Monona had the top selling animal at $3.50 per pound to CJ Monya & Sons, Elkader.

     83 head of swine sold for an average price of $2.31 per pound. The top selling pigs were sold by Jack Meyer, Monona for $6.75 per pound to Wikner Custom Pumping, Monona and Ethan Zuercher, Titan Machinery, Waverly.

     31 head of sheep averaged $3.68 per pound. William Goedken, Guttenberg sold the top selling lamb to SilverEdge Coop, Edgewood for $5.00 per pound.

     27 meat goats averaged $4.53 per pound. Maverick Bentien, Monona sold the top two meat goats for $6.50 per pound to Boehm Ag, Wadena.

     In addition to the beef, hogs, goats, and lambs, the exhibitors also sold meat rabbits and poultry at the county fair auction. The top selling rabbit lot was $500 sold by Colleen Romig, Edgewood to Jim Romig, Edgewood. The top poultry lot was sold by Crystal Goodrich, St. Olaf for $800 to Travis Priem, New Vienna.

2026 auction buyers included:

Allen Real Estate Company, Monona

Andy Bentien, Monona

Beth Bries, Guttenberg

Birdnow Chevrolet, Monona

Bloomington Livestock, Bloomington, WI

Bodensteiner Implement, Elkader

Boehm Ag, Wadena

Bond's Tax Service, Wadena

Brandon Stannard, Elkader

Brian Kann, Channel Seed, Guttenberg

Citizen's State Bank, Monticello

CJ Moyna & Sons, Elkader

Clayton County 4-H Foundation, Elkader

Community Savings Bank, Edgewood

Daryl Henkes, Monona

DJ Keehner Farms, Monona

Echard Farms, Farmersburg

Edgewood Livestock Commission, Edgewood

Edgewood Locker, Edgewood

Edgy Meg's, Edgewood

Evan Claycamp, Guttenberg

Farmer's Savings Bank, Colesburg

Final Electric, Edgewood

Four Scoops & More, Colesburg

FreedomBank, Elkader

Gary Hatcher, Gutenberg

Gaul Ag Services, Strawberry Point

Harold Schilling, Colesburg

Jim Romig, Edgewood

Joe Shirbroun - Pioneer Seed, Farmersburg

Kendrick Forest Products, Edgewood

Larry Gaul, Strawberry Point

Lil' Bit Of Country, Strawberry Point

Luana Savings Bank, Luana

Mark Short Concrete, Greeley

Meuser Lumber, Guttenberg

Meyer Collision & Service Center, Guttenberg

Michael Denning, McGregor

Mike Donlon, Elkader

Mulgrew Oil & Propane, Dubuque

Nancy Appleton, Greeley

Nicks Family Grocery, Winthrop

Oberbroeckling Enterprises, Garnavillo

Peoples State Bank, Guttenberg

Postville Livestock Commission, Postville

Progressive Structures LLC, Luxemburg

R & K Enterprises, Strawberry Point

Randy Lenth, St. Olaf

Reicksview Farms, Lawler

Richard Bente, Postville

Silver Edge Co-op, Edgewood

Smith Insurance LLC, Lamont

St. Croix Hospice, St. Olaf

Steve Gray, Elkader

T & K Cahoon Inc, Monona

T-A Cattle Covers, Garnavillo

The Sweet Spot, Edgewood

Tim Walz, Elkader

Titan Machinery, Waverly

Tom Smith, Manchester

Tony Schlee, Elgin

Tony Schwarck, Riceville

Travis Priem, New Vienna

Wikner Custom Pumping, Monona

Zuercher Trucking, Postville


For more information on 4-H & Youth programs, contact Clayton County ISU Extension office at 563-245-1451.

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The Clayton County GDUs captured first-place honors at the 2026 Iowa Youth Crop Scouting Competition held July 27 in Boone. The winning team will advance to represent Iowa at the Regional Crop Scouting Competition in September.

Teams from Clayton and Washington Counties Win 2026 Iowa Crop Scouting Competition

Twelve teams of Iowa youth in grades 7-12 competed in the Iowa Youth Crop Scouting Competition on July 27 at the Field Extension Education Laboratory in Boone, testing their knowledge of integrated pest management and crop production through hands-on field challenges.

The Clayton County GDUs captured first-place honors at the 2026 Iowa Youth Crop Scouting Competition held July 27 in Boone. The winning team will advance to represent Iowa at the Regional Crop Scouting Competition in September.

Hosted by the Iowa State University Integrated Pest Management Program and Iowa 4-H Youth Development, the event provided participants with opportunities to learn from agronomists and professionals working in crop-related careers. Teams spent months preparing for the competition, competing for cash prizes and the opportunity to represent Iowa at the Regional Crop Scouting Competition on Sept. 12 at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. There, Iowa teams will compete against youth teams from Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kentucky and Indiana.

Iowa State University faculty and staff, along with industry professionals, served as judges at eight field stations focused on corn and soybean crop management. Topics included insects, weeds, diseases, abiotic injury, pesticide use and sprayer calibration, cover crops, crop growth stages and modern scouting tools. At each station, participants completed hands-on tasks and answered questions related to crop management. Judges not only evaluated teams' knowledge but also took time to engage with participants and answer questions.

The competition is designed to strengthen youth understanding of pest identification, IPM principles and crop production while highlighting the wide range of career opportunities available in agriculture. Through hands-on learning experiences, participants gain practical knowledge about the importance of IPM and its role in improving economic outcomes while reducing unintended environmental impacts. In addition to the competition, youth enjoyed lunch and learned about educational opportunities available through the Iowa State University Department of Agronomy.

“It’s a super fun experience, and you learn a lot,” said a team member from the Kelley Green Agronomy Team of Mitchell County, a first-time participant. “It’s great to connect with different people in the community and the agronomy field, especially if that’s something you’re interested in as a future career.”

“I think it is very educational and a lot of fun,” said another participant. “At each station, the judges and leaders are eager to ask questions, see what you know and teach you something new.”

The Clayton County GDUs earned first-place honors in this year’s competition, followed by the Clayton County Crop Doctors in second place. Washington County Team #1, led by Clara Tapken and Clint Whetstine, placed third, while the Clayton County Tarspotters finished fourth.

Clayton County teams were coached by Joe and Suzanne Shirbroun, Karlee and Cole Deitchler, Cassidy Penrod and Robert Schilling. The top four teams received cash prizes for their accomplishments, and the top two teams from Clayton County will advance to the regional competition.

“We are in our 16th year now, and I love seeing participants come back year after year,” said Maya Hayslett, crop science youth education specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach and coordinator of the Iowa Youth Crop Scouting Competition. “I’ve even seen former competitors return as team coaches. This is a group of people who love learning, and it is a joy to watch them grow.”

Awards, lunch and other event support were made possible through sponsorships from Corteva Agriscience, Iowa 4-H Foundation, Bayer, Syngenta, Nutrien, Farm Credit Services of America, Wyffels Hybrids, the Iowa Independent Crop Consultants Association, the Iowa Soybean Research Center, the Crop Protection Network and Environmental Tillage Systems.

For more information about the Iowa Youth Crop Scouting Competition, visit the ISU Integrated Pest Management website or contact Maya Hayslett at hayslett@iastate.edu.

Shareable Photos

  • Crop-Scouting-Station.jpg: Ava Amstutz and Chloe Tharp from the Davis County Crop Scouting Team identify insects during the Iowa Youth Crop Scouting Competition. 

  • Clayton County First Place Team.jpg: The GDUs of Clayton County, first-place team: (left to right) Karlee Deitchler (Coach), Cora Keehner, Brooke Donlon, Haylee Hillers and Tyler Hoeger.

  • Clayton County Second Place.jpg: The Crop Doctors of Clayton County, 2026 Iowa Crop Scouting Competition second-place team: (left to right) Robert Schilling, Owen Walz, Garrett Burns, Caleb Zuercher and Henry Reimer. 

  • Washington-County-CSC-Team.jpg: Washington County #1 third-place team: (left to right) Clint Whetstine (coach), Stella Janecek, Tate Bombei, Allie Whetstine, Presley Hora and Blake Sheetz. 

  • Clayton County Fourth Place.jpg: The Tarspotters' fourth-place team: (left to right) Tyce Zittergruen, Breckon Holst, Wyatt Parker, Derek Deitchler and Cassidy Koehn (coach).

Additional Stories Published Online

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


Published: August 18, 2026

City and county staff, elected officials and economic development professionals can learn about local planning and permitting considerations associated with utility-scale renewable energy projects during a Sept. 24 workshop in Marshalltown.


Published: August 18, 2026

Planners, analysts, community leaders and other data users can learn how to turn local information into maps and visualizations during two hands-on workshops Sept. 23-24.

 


Published: August 17, 2026

As global demand for bio-based products continues to rise, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach’s Ag Decision Maker has released a new resource to help Iowa producers evaluate their role in this emerging market.


Published: August 17, 2026

Community development professionals, nonprofit staff, public-sector employees, researchers and students can learn to use data to better understand communities during a hands-on R workshop on Sept. 22 in Ames.


Published: August 17, 2026

Local leaders and public-serving professionals can strengthen their ability to lead productive meetings and involve more people in community decisions through two virtual workshops offered Sept. 15.

 


The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Food Systems Team is accepting registrations for Virtual Local Food Leader 101. The online course will run from Sept. 30 to Dec. 16


As August progresses and gardens across Iowa reach their peak, home gardeners face an important task: harvesting vegetables at the right stage of maturity, says Aaron Steil, consumer horticulture specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.


Farmers, ag retailers, crop advisors and conservation professionals can explore current Iowa State University research at the upcoming Fall Field Day at the Southeast Research and Demonstration Farm on Sept. 10.


Thanks to funding from the Iowa Cancer Consortium, caregivers of Iowa cancer survivors may participate in Powerful Tools for Caregivers at no cost. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach offers the program.


The Iowa State University Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm will celebrate its 50th anniversary with an open house on Sept. 10, from 2 to 7 p.m.



Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Farm, Food and Enterprise Development invites local farm and food businesses and community and student organizations to participate in the ISU Local Food Festival.


Beef and forage producers interested in strengthening their fall management plans are invited to a Sept. 9 pasture walk hosted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.


This past weekend, a severe hailstorm ravaged parts of eastern Iowa, destroying what was expected to be a record-contending corn crop. Garland Dahlke, research scientist with ISU Extension and Outreach, discusses how to salvage it for feeding livestock.


Lauryn Smidt is based in the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Sioux County office in Orange City and looks forward to working with producers and the beef community.



Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and the Digital Ag Innovation Lab at Iowa State will offer Combine University on three dates.


What’s Next When Employment Stops?Published: August 7, 2026

The recent fire at the Agri Star Meat and Poultry processing plant in Postville forced the entire plant to shut down. When unexpectedly unemployed, it is important to focus on what you can control, like your spending choices or efforts to increase your income, says Jeannette Mukayisire, a health and human sciences educator with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.



Twelve teams of Iowa youth in grades 7-12 competed in the Iowa Youth Crop Scouting Competition on July 27 at the Field Extension Education Laboratory in Boone, testing their knowledge of integrated pest management and crop production through hands-on field challenges.



 
 
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