Update USDA conservation programs

Emory VanGerpen - Glad you are here to greet us!

Light Up Rotary - Keep Kids Warm

District Gov. John Ockenfels has Rotary partnering with Operation Warm that will supply 4000+ coats for kids in District 6000 with our per-capita donation of $16.50 -- one coat for every Rotarian in District 6000.  Our club has committed $500 to this effort and club president Susan Wellington is asking that individual Rotarians make a contribution, even $10. Pay in cash or by check, made out to "District 6000 HEF" and put "Washington Coats" in the memo line. This project will impact Washington and Washington County.
Check out John and Deb Ockenfels in their YouTube debut video on Keep Kids Warm. They will be here in person at our club meeting on September 18.

 Vernette & Chris Knapp flanked by growly Pattersons
Chris is Rotary District 6000 District Gov elect for 2016-17
Chris and Vernette are members of the Iowa City AM club
They showed up to be fined, apparently.

It was a packed house to see Larry Fishback's program
USDA NRCS' Tony Maxwell spoke about conservation programs

USDA NRCS Conservation Programs

Thanks to Larry Fishback for inviting Tony Maxwell to update the club on soil conservation programs. Tony works out of the Washington County USDA office on the east side of Washington.

USDA NRCS' Tony Maxwell

Maxwell said that Iowa has a voluntary participation water quality initiative that strives to increase water quality both locally and in the Gulf of Mexico.

He said the goals are to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus. Phosphorus runoff can be controlled by reducing erosion, since it binds to the soil.

Reducing nitrogen runoff takes other steps because nitrogen is water soluble. Many farmers in Washington County use no-till farming techniques. The big push now is through the use of winter cover crops, like rye and winter wheat, that take up the nitrogen in the soil and release it back slowly after they die in the spring.

The USDA CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) is very important in Washington County. In 2006, Washington County had 46,000 acres enrolled in the CRP program. In 2013 that had dropped to 40,000 acres. Even with the pressure to farm more acres due to high crop prices, most CRP land remained enrolled in the program, which helps to control erosion, and nitrogen runoff.

In contrast, Woodbury County (Sioux City), which is physically a very large County in Iowa, had 60,000 acres of CRP in 2006, but that dropped to just 12,000 in 2013. Very different land stewardship principals at work.

Maxwell also spoke about initiatives to help in pheasant population recovery.

Participation Award

John Moenck finally received his "Brothers of the Brush"
"Participation Award" for the Washington 175th in June
Not sure he would even get the Participation award today.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

August 28: Nancy Rash - Turkey Dinner Planning

September 4: Rob Negrete

September 11: Michelle Redlinger

September 15: ROTARY TURKEY DINNER @ UM Church

September 18: DG John & Deb Ockenfels

Schindler talks RYLA & Turkey Dinner Work Assignments

There were some great guests at Rotary this week.

Grandpa Jim and Sam Gorham

Gary Murphy and Jess Menzia (Gary's son-in-law)

Kevin Dunbar of CB Solar, guest of Tsalika Drown

Thanks to the Schindlers for being a family host for our 2013-14 exchange student, Hannah Purner.

Hannah Purner

Kayla, Greg and Dawn Schindler

Rotary selected Kayla Schindler as our RYLA student this summer. She went to the week-long leadership experience hosted at Grinnell College this summer. Kayla will be a senior at Washington High School this year.

Thanks, Kayla for the great presentation about what you did, what you learned, and for encouraging us to try after lunch backrubs.

If you'd like to make your own on-line, zoom-in/zoom-out presentation like Kayla, check out Prezi.

Dr. Ann Harris presents Kayla Schindler with her official RYLA participation certificate

Rotary doing RYLA after-lunch backrubs. A new tradition?

ROTARY TURKEY DINNER COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS

Rotary's annual Turkey Dinner is coming up on September 15, 2014 at the Washington United Methodist Church. Chairperson Nancy Rash has made these work assignments. Take note.

Remember, the funds from feeding 600+ at the Turkey Dinner help us fund student scholarships next Spring! (Sell your tickets...)

Sue Basten	4-7 PM Window Server - Beans
Dick Colby	4-7 PM Window Server - Rolls
Kent Dallmeyer	4-7 Dining Room – Reset Tables
Craig Davis	4-7 PM Shift Captain/Chair, Coffee at 3PM
Gene Driscoll	4-7 PM  Milk/Coffee/Water
Tsalika Drown	4-7 PM Window Server - Coleslaw
Jim Dunn	8-10 AM Set-up - Bag Rolls    653-4433
Terry Engelkin	4-7 PM Window Server - Turkey, Pick –up Pies @ bakery, Order pies @ bakery
Denise Erpelding	7-10 AM Beans, 3 PM pies, 4-7 PM Dessert Manager
Larry Fishback	4-7  PM Carry out - Turkey
Jim Gorham	4-7 PM Dining Room- Wash Tables
Myron Graber	8-11 AM Set –Up, Pick-up Pies from Ione @ noon
Becky Harkema	2-5 PM Pies
Ann Harris	2-5 PM Coleslaw, Friday Groceries
Brent Hinson	8-11 AM Set-up – Out of Town
Harvey Holden	8-11 AM Set-up - Wrap Silver
Paul Horak	7-10 AM Beans
Dennis Hunger	6-9 PM Final Dining Room Clean-up, Vac Carpet, Turkey Sales, etc.
Emily Johnson	Friday Groceries,  2-5 PM Pies
Mike Jorgensen	4-7 PM Dining Room – Milk/Coffee/Water
Mark Kendall	5-8 PM Kitchen Clean-up
Bob Kennedy	5-8 PM Kitchen Clean-up
Kenneth Kitchen	5-8 PM Kitchen Clean-up
Cheryl Kurtz	7-10 AM Day Shift Captain/Chair, BBQ Sauce
Ryan Koller	4-7 PM Dining Room – Re-Set Tables
Ed Lins	4-7 PM Shift Captain with Craig Davis
Chris Marshall	2-5 PM Pies
Matt Miller	5-8 PM Kitchen Clean-up
John Moenck	4-7 PM Dining Room Director
Jim Mostek	(Rotarian of the Year) 5-8 PM Kitchen Clean-up
Gary Murphy	2-5 PM Coleslaw
Rob Negrete	6-9 PM Final Clean-up Dining Room – Vac Carpet, Turkey Sales, etc.
Steve Olson	4-7 PM Dining Room – Re-Set tables
Becky Patterson	2-5 PM Pies, 4-7 PM Dessert Manager
Don Patterson	8-11 AM Set-up Tables, etc.,  4-7 PM Dessert Manager
Kierstan Peck	4-7 PM Carry-out - Coleslaw
Michelle Redlinger	2-5 PM Coleslaw
Ray Poe	8-11 AM Set-up Tables, etc
Ed Raber	4-7 PM Dining Room – Clear Tables:  ?? Meredith Raber  4-7 PM Carry-out
Phil Rabinowitz	5-8 PM Kitchen Clean-up
Nancy Rash	Chair, Order Groceries, 1 PM Start Beans, 2-5 PM Pies
Ed Rustioni	2-5 PM Coleslaw
Bob Ruppert	4-7 PM Dining Room – Wash Tables
Kathy Salazar	4-7 PM Carry-out
Steve Slaubaugh	4-7 PM Carry-out - Beans
John Thorne	5-8 PM Kitchen Clean-up
Eric Turner	6-9 PM Final Clean-up Dining Room – Vac Carpet, Turkey Sales, etc.
Emory VanGerpen	8-11 AM Set –Up – Bag Rolls
Don Vitttetoe	4-7 PM Dining Room – Clear Tables
Ryan Walker	6-9 PM Final Clean-up Dining Room - Vac Carpet, Turkey Sales, etc.
Susan Wellington	4-7 PM Tickets, Final Ticket Count, Ticket Sales
John Winga	8-11 AM Set-up - Wrap Silver
Bob Wollenberg	5-8 PM Kitchen Clean-up

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

August 21: 7:00am - Rotary Board Meeting at WCHC
August 21: Larry Fishback - Tony Maxwell of the Washington Co USDA NRCS

August 28: Nancy Rash - Turkey Dinner Planning

Sept. 4: Rob Negrete

Sept. 11:  Michelle Redlinger

Sept. 15:  ROTARY TURKEY DINNER!

Sept. 18: District Gov. JOHN OCKENFELS!

Check out John & Deb Ockenfels YouTube video about his district project Light Up Rotary - Keep Kids Warm, partnering with Operation Warm that will supply 4000 coats for kids with our per-capita donation of $16.50. One coat for every Rotarian in District 6000.