TUESDAY, JULY 16, 2019  |  IN THIS ISSUE
Para1FarrPro's Haven wins nod from National Hog Farmer 
 
The Haven from FarrPro. CREDIT FARRPRO 
Iowa City agtech startup FarrPro and its Haven product have been recognized by National Hog Farmer as one of the best new products for hog producers.
 
Haven, which uses long-wave infrared energy to create a microclimate for piglets in farrowing pens, received the 2019 National Hog Farmer Producer's Choice Award, as the product receiving the most votes cast online by National Hog Farmer (NHF) readers. It was also named an overall finalist in the publication's New Product Tour, which features a panel of pork industry experts who select top products that will save producers money and improve efficiency.
 
According to FarrPro, winning the award was "quite an achievement" because many of the products entered into the annual competition were submitted by more established ag companies.
 
" As a startup, we don't have the name recognition or a catalog of other products known by NHF readers, so the fact that they voted for the Haven shows they understand what it's designed to do which is reduce pre-wean mortality and save energy," said Chris Hanson, FarrPro's co-founder and director of business development, in a release. "The Haven does both resulting in more healthy pigs being delivered to the nursery, using less energy, and that puts more money in the producer's pocket."
 
The award is the latest achievement for the fast-growing startup. FarrPro in January entered into an exclusive product representation agreement with Ag Environmental Resources, an established product representation company specializing in systems for barn-raised livestock, and last summer completed an investment seed round with Iowa-based Grinnell Mutual.
UUI breaks external funding record with $589M haul 
 
Grants and other funding that support University of Iowa research and scholarship reached an all-time high in FY19, UI officials announced this week, citing increased support from the Department of Defense (DOD) and the National Science Foundation (NSF).
 
Total external funding to the UI increased 6 percent, or $34.8 million, to $588.8 million.
 
External funding includes grants, contracts, gifts, and cooperative agreements from federal, state, and local governments, as well as from private industry, foundations, and other universities.
 
UI Vice President for Research Marty Scholtz credited the increases in DOD and NSF support to ongoing efforts by the university to diversify its research portfolio beyond funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NIH funding totaled $171.6 million in FY19, representing the majority of overall research funding.
 
"Our faculty and staff are some of the hardest-working people in academic research and scholarship," Mr. Scholtz said in a release. "Their success in spite of these challenging economic times is a testament to their dedication, vision, and hard work."
 
The FY19 funding data does not include a  $115 million award from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to Iowa physicist Craig Kletzing, the single largest externally funded research project in UI history. The university anticipates it will receive some of that funding in FY20 and will include it in that year's end-year report.
 
Funding data is tracked by the Division of Sponsored Programs, part of the Office of the Vice President for Research, which provides researchers and scholars with resources, guidance, and inspiration to secure funding, collaborate, innovate, and forge frontiers of discovery that benefit everyone. Learn more at research.uiowa.edu.
Para3Gene-editing technology: 'How do we get this right?'
 
Consumers who reach for decaffeinated coffee may not know how much of a carbon footprint their choice leaves behind, Kate Hayden of the Des Moines Business Record reports.
 
To decaffeinate, coffee beans are transported to a specialized plant and treated either by organic chemical solvents or by a steam and water process, then shipped again to be processed and packaged. What if producers could just grow decaffeinated coffee beans instead?
 
"Using gene editing, you can avoid all of that transport, all of that plant and labor, and decrease the carbon footprint and provide a more direct-to-consumer decaffeinated bean," said Cassie Edgar, chief IP and regulatory counsel at Tropic Biosciences.
 
Gene editing -- when a scientist makes a controlled change in the DNA of a living organism, which changes the organism's genome and can be passed on to new generations through selective breeding -- could have a massive impact on the future of agriculture.
 
"We've never had a time where new ideas and new technology offer so much promise," Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said on July 10, as he opened the session for a breakout audience at the Bio World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology in downtown Des Moines.
 
But as panelists noted, all that promise comes with challenging discussions.
 
Panelists Betsy Freese, executive editor of Successful Farming; Carmen Bain, associate professor at Iowa State University; Barb Glenn, CEO at the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture; and Ms. Edgar explored some of the uncertainty around the purpose of gene editing and how scientists, companies, advocates and consumers can accommodate a responsible discussion around the emerging technology.
 
Read the full story here.
Para4Corridor agency to spread the word about work-based learning
 
A Corridor creative agency will help the state promote work-based learning opportunities, as part of Gov. Kim Reynolds' Future Ready Iowa Initiative.
 
Vinton-based Monkeythis was recently awarded a contract by the Iowa Intermediary Network to help with outreach to high school students, educators, parents and Iowa businesses. The goal is to improve student awareness of career opportunities and to offer work-based learning explorations.
 
The Iowa Intermediary Network partners with school districts and employers to facilitate career exploration by students and educators, workplace tours, job shadows and internships. Organized in alignment with Iowa's 15 community colleges, the network of professional work-based learning intermediaries is also responsible for work-based learning related to STEM occupations, as well as occupations related to critical infrastructure, commercial and residential construction, and targeted industries including advanced manufacturing, biosciences and information technology.
 
"We are extremely pleased to be part of the work-based learning initiative and with the opportunity to work closely with the dedicated staff members of the Iowa Intermediary Network," Monkeythis founder Kurt Karr said in a release. "Helping the Iowa Intermediary Network reach students, parents and businesses fits well with our work in both economic development and education. We believe work-based learning has the power to acquaint students with the amazingly wide variety of opportunities for them in our state, and that helping Iowa's Intermediary Network of professionals reach their goals will benefit all Iowans."
 
Monkeythis has extensive marketing and communications experience in the fields of technology, economic development, education and health care. It currently serves clients in six states, including Iowa and Colorado.
Para5Rantizo gets first approval for drone ag spraying in state
           
One of Rantizo's spraying drones in action. PHOTO RANTIZO
Iowa City ag-tech startup Rantizo has became the first company in Iowa legally authorized to use drones for the aerial application of agrochemicals.
 
In order to legally operate in the state of Iowa, Rantizo needed their Part 107 and Part 137 certifications from the FAA, which included Section 44807 waivers to operate a drone for agricultural application of materials. The company received those certifications in May. The final component needed was a licensure for pesticide application from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.
 
The first applications will be for fungicide in corn and spreading cover crop seeds to wet areas, according to the company.
 
"Our drone technology had been ready for a few months; we just needed the regulatory landscape to get sorted out," Rantizo CEO Michael Ott said in a release. "Building the technology is the easy part."
He added that the approval comes at a good time for Iowa farmers, whose planting was delayed significantly by rain this season, potentially affecting crop yields.
 
In April, Rantizo made its first drone sale and has begun to gain interest from growers and ag retailers all over the country.
 
"Our drone technology offers new improvements to agricultural crop applications such as increased field access, reduced headcount and ability to spot apply," Mr. Ott said. "In other words, we can get in the fields to treat pests faster, with less people and in more effective ways that require less chemicals."
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stockCorridor Stocks

NAME
SYM PRICE CHG %CHG
AEGON AEG 5.08 -0.03 -0.59%
Alliant Energy LNT 49.95 -0.05 -0.10%
Casey's General Stores CASY 160.25 0.71 0.45%
Deere & Company DE 166.15 0.15 0.09%
Dow Jones ^DJI 27,335.63 -23.53 -0.09%
General Mills GIS 52.86 -0.26 -0.49%
GoDaddy GDDY 73.62 0.55 0.75%
Great Western Bank GWB 35.01 0.10 0.29%
Heartland Express HTLD 18.88 0.30 1.61%
KemPharm KMPH 1.51 -0.01 -0.66%
Marsh & McLennan MMC 102.59 -0.43 -0.42%
MidWestOne MOFG 27.19 -0.23 -0.84%
Pearson PSO 11.00 0.24 2.23%
Pepsico PEP 133.80 -0.35 -0.26%
Principal Financial PFG 58.99 0.30 0.51%
QCR Holdings QCRH 33.75 -0.09 -0.27%
S&P 500 ^GSPC 3,004.04 -10.26 -0.34%
Procter & Gamble PG 115.87 0.39 0.34%
United Fire Group UFCS 48.42 -0.16 -0.33%
U.S. Bank USB 53.04 -0.08 -0.15%
United Technologies UTX 133.19 -0.04 -0.03%
Wells Fargo WFC 45.30 -1.41 -3.02%
West Bank WTBA 21.24 -0.14 -0.65%
Whirlpool WHR 148.56 4.66 3.24%
Short-Term Event Planner
       
July 16
Ribbon Cutting: Riverview Plaza, by Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce, 4-5 p.m., Riverview Plaza, 306 First Ave., Coralville. Free. For information, visit bit.ly/2RwXly6.
 
July 17
1 Million Cups, by 1MC Cedar Rapids, 8:15-9:15 a.m., Geonetric, 415 12th Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids. Join for community connections, free coffee, and presentations by entrepreneurs, established companies, experts and more. Free. For more information, visit facebook.com/1MCICR.
 
1 Million Cups, by 1MC Iowa City, 9-10 a.m., MERGE, 136 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City. Join for community connections, free coffee, and presentations by entrepreneurs, established companies, experts and more . Free. For more information, visit facebook.com/1MillionCupsIC/ .
 
North Liberty Roundtable, by Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce, noon-1 p.m., Sugapeach Chicken & Fish Fry, 650 Pacha Parkway Suite 1, North Liberty. Use this social hour to network and keep up-to-date with chamber and community events. Free. For more information, visit bit.ly/32jOjtu.
 
July 18
Giving and Receiving Feedback, by Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, 8-9:15 a.m., Economic Alliance, 501 First St. SE. Learn the importance of honest feedback and how to improve listening skills. Free. To register, visit bit.ly/2WN7uwy.
 
Workforce Solutions: Affordable Childcare, by Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce and the Iowa Women's Foundation, 9-11 a.m., Kirkwood Regional Center at the University of Iowa, 2301 Oakdale Blvd., Coralville, Iowa. Area business leaders will discuss access to affordable, high-quality childcare, and Johnson County's challenges. Free. RSVP by July 16. To register, visit bit.ly/2KDs9Nk.
 
Ignite ICR: Send-Off Party, by Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, ICR IOWA and the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce, 3-5 p.m., Big Grove Brewery & Taproom, 1225 S. Gilbert St., Iowa City. Wind down your summer in ICR by hanging out with other interns in the region one last time. For more information, visit igniteICR.org.
 
Understanding Financial Statements, by SCORE of East Central Iowa, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Hills Bank, 3204 Seventh Ave., Marion. This workshop will explore financial statements, what financial data belongs in each statement and how to use the numbers to spot problems. Free. To register, visit conta.cc/2S3nYv3.
Headlines from CBS2/FOX 28 
These news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28 
Fifty years ago today, Neil Armstrong and his crew walked onto their Saturn V rocket to embark on what would become one of the most important moments in mankind's history. "As a very young child watching on an old black and white TV launches of the Apollo program, it lit a fire beneath me and launched my rocket into the heavens for my passion in aviation and aerospace," said David Wendell, the curator for the new Iowa Apollo XI 50th Anniversary Celebration exhibit at the Eastern Iowa Observatory. Mr. Wendell's exhibit includes important artifacts celebrating the Apollo missions. Visitors will get to see models of spacecraft that led the way throughout the Apollo program before Mr. Armstrong set foot on the moon. A chronological timeline also shows the people involved with the different missions and tells the story of those who paved the way for astronauts to be able to travel to space. "I hope through exhibits just like this one that young people will be inspired to reach for Mars and ultimately beyond," Mr. Wendell said. "I want to make sure the efforts they made are remembered by future generations." Read the full story here.

Bender Pool in Cedar Rapids is closing on Friday for more than a month. The Cedar Rapids Parks and Rec Department says the indoor pool is closing for extensive remodeling to bring it into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Improvements include upgrading restroom fixtures, partitions, baby changing areas, changing floors and decks to proper slopes, replacing the floor tile throughout the building and redesigning the front entry. The outside of the building will see modified sidewalks to conform slope requirements, adding extra steps and taking out some trees and parking strips. The construction should be completed by Sept. 2 with the pool being reopened by Sept. 3.
  
T hese news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28 
CBS2 Chief Meteorologist Terry Swails' Weather First Forecast
 
It will be warm and humid today. The remnants of Barry, along with systems coming in from the north and west, will lead to increased moisture and more cloud cover. There is the chance for an isolated thunderstorm this afternoon with higher chances later this evening. Storms wind down early tonight and it will be another warm night. An excessive heat watch is posted for Wednesday afternoon through Saturday. Heat index values will approach dangerous levels of 105-110 degrees. It is going to be hot and humid for the rest of the week with temperatures in the 90s each day.