Nicollet & Sibley County Ag News
June 2022
Your Ag Educator- Notes from Emma Severns
As I drive around the county, I see many fields of corn that have started to emerge, streaking the black fields with green. I am thankful that many farmers have gotten their crops in the field between the wet weather. For those who haven't been so lucky, the decision to prevent plant may be a hard one to make so check out this article to help in making that decision.
For gardeners who have planted or who are starting to plant gardens, be sure to make the Extension Yard and Garden page your go-to place for answering your growing questions. I am also here as a resources for your agriculture, horticulture and natural resource needs. Feel free to contact me at my office anytime for assistance.
Best,
Emma
Extension Events
2022 Minnesota Summer Beef Tour
The University of Minnesota Extension Beef Team and the Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association will host the 2022 Minnesota Summer Tour, a fun and educational event where attendees will have the opportunity to visit the UMN St. Paul Campus and the Minnesota Zoo.
Strategic Farming: Field Notes
The growing season is filled with a host of challenges, including insect, disease, and weed pests, resistance concerns, agronomic issues, and soil fertility questions. The Strategic Farming: Field Notes program is designed for farmers and agricultural professionals as a weekly webinar program addressing all your crop-related questions in real-time in an interactive, discussion-based format. Register here
Pork Quality Assurance Plus (PQA+)
PQA provides improved animal well-being standards and relevant food safety standards to ensure producers can measure, track and continuously improve pig well-being. Attendees will receive their PQA+ certification at the completion of the course after successfully passing the test. Producers need to be re-certified every three years to keep their certification current.
Hot Topics in Agriculture
Tree care after a storm
Homeowners may have experienced tree damage due to the recent severe storms. Extension has web resources that may be helpful in managing tree damage on your property.
Pruning, wound repair, and staking are all common practices after a storm. Make sure you use the proper technique for treating storm-damaged trees. Most importantly, be safe!
Prevent plant: Considerations for corn and soybean
The elusive "hydrangea cane borer"
University Resources for You
UMN Soil Testing Laboratory
The Soil Testing Laboratory is part of the Department of Soil, Water, and Climate in the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resources.
Soil testing takes the guesswork out of fertilizer recommendations, ensures fertile soil without pollution of the environment, and makes good economic sense. Our recommendations are based on laboratory results, soil characteristics, crop history, crop nutrient requirements and are specific to Minnesota locations and conditions.
Please email us at soiltest@umn.edu, or call 612-625-3101 for more information. (Email messages often result in the fastest response.)
Farm Information Line
Contact the Farm Information Line for reliable, research-based answers from Extension agriculture and natural resources experts. It is a statewide service backed by a network of local educators, so you'll get information to meet your needs.
Call: 1-800-232-9077
Hours: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Monday through Thursday.Afterhours: Leave a voicemail and we'll return your call the next business day.
Anytime: Email us at fil@umn.edu.
Horticulture/Gardening Questions
For answers to your horticulture or gardening questions, call 218-733-2870 and press 2 to leave a message on our help line. Please leave a detailed message with your name and contact information, and one of our educators will contact you with answers!
Connect With Us
Email: sever575@umn.edu
Website: extension.umn.edu
Location: 501 South Minnesota Avenue, St Peter, MN 56082, USA
Phone: 507-934-7828
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UMN-Extension-Nicollet-Sibley-County-296711563757356
Twitter: @UMNExt