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Ag and Extension

Ag and Extension Briefs

Managing market hogs destined for local meat lockers With pig harvest at commercial packing plants currently disrupted, consumers have an opportunity to purchase market hogs directly from the farm. These pigs destined for local custom processing facilities may have to wait until they can be harvested. Lee Johnston, Pedro Urriola and Sarah Schieck Boelke have put together a fact sheet detailing how consumers can keep market hogs in anticipation of their harvest at local meat lockers. Pig diets, housing, feed and water equipment, the pigsí environmental needs, and health and ...

Raised gardens

This past week there has been a huge increase in phone calls regarding raised gardens. The time spent at home along with the need to be able to do something positive for our families is driving this interesting increase. There are several different kinds of raised garden beds that you can make. There are simple raised ground garden beds, supported raised gardens and containerized raise beds. You will need to choose one that best fits your needs and gardening abilities. The first raised garden is very simple. You do not need anything more than extra soil. The simplest form of raised ...

Upcoming webinars

While it seems like our world is turning upside down lately, there are still many positive things that we can do for ourselves and our families. It has been an exciting time for me as a Master Gardener because so many people are finding the positive in gardening in some form. I am also excited because the U of M Extension has been able to step up to the plate and provide some very interesting educational pieces for just about everyone including gardeners. If you go to the U of M Extension website to courses and events, you will find a ton of webinars to watch from the comfort of your ...

What to do if your pork packing plant is closed

Are you impacted by a pork packing plant closure due to COVID-19 and have pigs scheduled to ship in the near future and wondering what to do? Below is a list of strategies for you to consider. It is important to note that the strategies outlined below are meant to be temporary for emergency situations. The wellbeing of the pigs should be your number one priority when considering how best to manage pork packing plant closure. Additional pig observation is recommended when implementing any of these options. Communicate with your buyer When facing a plant closure challenge, contact ...

Ag Briefs

Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage Enrollment for 2020 USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) encourages agricultural producers to enroll now in the Agriculture Risk Loss (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs. The deadline to enroll for the 2020 crop year is June 30, 2020. By enrolling soon, producers can beat the rush as the deadline nears. FSA offices have multiple programs competing for the time and attention of our staff.  Because of the importance and complexities of the ARC and PLC programs; and to ensure FSA meets your program delivery expectations, please ...

Geranium seeds

Generally speaking, it is about now that we can begin to gather our equipment and start planting seeds for the growing season. The most important thing to do is to make sure to follow the packet guidelines to help ensure that you know how exactly each individual seed likes to be raised. A good example of this is geranium seeds. Geranium seeds have a hard coat on them and need to be scuffed up a bit in order for the new plant to emerge. There are a few things to consider as you get going with this fun project. Remember to use soil that is meant for starting seeds. This is because using ...