Nicollet & Sibley County Ag News
May 2023
Strategic Farming: Field Notes is back for 2023
Crop producers and agricultural professionals face a host of challenges, including pests and pest resistance concerns, agronomic issues, and soil fertility questions. The Strategic Farming program will address your crop-related concerns in a weekly, research-based webinar with specialists in the field. Field Notes features a live webinar with interactive discussions addressing in-season cropping issues as they arise. It begins Wednesday, May 10, 2023, and continues through August 23 on Wednesday mornings from 8 to 8:30 a.m. Weekly topics will be announced on the week of the program, and may include topics related to soil fertility, agronomics, pest management, equipment, and more.
Can’t make the live session? No problem. The discussion-based series will be recorded and available at strategicfarming.transistor.fm.
You need to register only once and may attend any or all of the webinars. Register at z.umn.edu/strategic-farming.
May 10 - Field Notes talks weather
May 17 - Field Notes talks corn & soybean planting
May 24 - Field Notes talks alfalfa and early season insects
May 31 - Field Notes talks cover crop termination
Beef Quality Assurance Training On-line
Wednesday May 3, 2023
7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. via Zoom
Pre- Registration required, z.umn.edu/GSParasite
Scott Bowdridge, West Virginia University, will provide timely and important insight on managing parasites with your sheep/goat operation. His research is focused on immune function and response to overcome parasite infection impacts on our animals.
Real-world application that highlights:
genetic selection tools such as estimated breeding values.
fecal egg count and parasite control
relationship to overall immune health
Wild Foraging Workshop
Wednesday, May 10, 2023
1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Ney Nature Center
Register to reserve your spot at https://z.umn.edu/foragingLSC
Minnesota’s woodlands (and even our own yards) provide a diversity of natural resources throughout the year. Many of these resources, such as berries, fungi, and plants, can be harvested for decoration, jam, or dinner.
Join Extension to learn about responsible harvesting and understand the biology and ecology of harvested plants and fungi. The workshops cost $20/person and include a hardcopy of the Minnesota Harvester Handbook.
Precision Dairy Conference: Partnering with tech to improve dairy farm profitability and sustainability
June 20-21, 2023
Bloomington, MN
Early Registration $255 dollars by June 13, 2023
https://www.precisiondairy.org/
A ‘boots-on-the-ground’ event to hear from dairy producer panelists on how tech has affected their bottom line. In addition, short talks from industry leaders and student researchers on precision dairy topics, and a showcase of startup companies. Moreover, time for discussion and Q&A throughout the event.
Alfalfa Scissor Cuts
A cooperative effort, dubbed the Alfalfa Scissor-cut and PEAQ stick Project, has a long history in Central Minnesota of helping farmers manage first cutting alfalfa harvests. The main goal of the project is to encourage timely alfalfa harvests to balance the intersection of greatest Relative Feed Value (hereafter referred to as RFV) and maximum dry matter yield. In partnership with the Central Minnesota Forage Council and regional agribusiness, Extension staff, cooperating farmers and others will be collecting alfalfa samples twice-weekly beginning mid-May through first cutting. To date, arrangements have been made to collect samples and report resulting forage quality analyses for multiple counties.
The very first samples will be taken when the alfalfa is approximately 16 inches tall. Samples will be taken on Mondays and Thursdays until the field is harvested. Updates will be shared through at z.umn.edu/MNCropNews and z.umn.edu/AlfalfaHarvestAlert.
Connect with us!
Nicollet County Extension Office
Sibley County Extension Office
Email: mnext-sibley@umn.edu
Website: https://extension.umn.edu/local/sibley
Location: 111 8th Street, Gaylord, MN, USA
Phone: 507-237-4100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064563436926