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Ag and Extension

CERTs Seed Grant funding for MN clean energy projects is available

Do you and your community need funding to get an energy efficiency or renewable energy project off the ground? The Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) can help! CERTs seeks to provide Seed Grants to support the labor costs for clean energy projects that spur community development in Minnesota. Project proposals should be for community-based energy efficiency and renewable energy projects that also provide forums for community education about the technologies and their economic, ecological, and community benefits. “Since 2006, CERTs has awarded more than $1.2 million to over 355 ...

A list of tree varieties

Emerald Ash Borer will eventually show up in our area. While many of us have a love affair with ash trees (after all, they are beautiful trees!) we need to start thinking about growing other varieties of trees for our groves and yards. While we mostly think of spring as the best time to plant trees and perennials, fall time is a very good choice too. The heat of summer has passed which means less stress for those plants we are trying to get growing in our gardens. The U of M Extension staff has recently put together a few good choices for gardeners to choose from that work well in our ...

Sudden Oak Death Disease

It may seem that every time a gardener turns around, there is some other disease to worry about. Gardeners, pay attention, because there is another new one but it is NOT in Minnesota at this time. Resident gardeners will need to pay attention to any rhododendrons that you may have purchased this year, according to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. We generally deal with new problems in the garden via insects but this time it is a pathogen that causes Sudden Oak Death Disease. According to the U of M and the MDA, “the rhododendron plant is a carrier of this invasive plant ...

Ag and Extension Briefs

Life in the Pits: A look at soil management and crop health University of Minnesota Extension, Renville, Yellow Medicine and Swift SWCD offices, and Hawk Creek Watershed invite farmers and crop consultants to an up-coming field day to learn about soil health on Sept. 10, in Granite Falls. The event will be from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the American Legion, 60 6th Ave, Granite Falls. This is a unique, small-group field day which will equip participants with the ability to identify different levels of soil structure and help them understand management strategies to improve the soil. ...

Preserving the harvest

The garden is in the zone of just keeping up with weeding and then picking all of the wonderful vegetables that are coming. Cucumbers, green beans, and yes, some tomatoes are all starting to come at once and so keeping up with all of the harvest is a challenge. If you would like more information on Preserving the Harvest, please attend my presentation 6:30 p.m. today at the Marshall-Lyon County Library on just that-preserving the harvest. If you are like me and have been canning a good long while, this is for you too. There are many advancements in the world of canning and other ...

Becoming a master gardener

Think globally, act locally. It’s a phrase that applies so well to University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardeners in Lyon County. We are the University of Minnesota, on the ground — often literally — delivering science-based practices to our communities. As volunteers, Master Gardeners learn not only from scientific research, but from one another and the communities we serve. And sometimes we surprise people. Many are familiar with Master Gardeners as reliable resources for questions about flowers or grass because horticulture skills are a cornerstone of our work. But did you ...