HACKENSACK — Nearly 200 Minnesota FFA members gathered for two sessions of the State Leadership Conference for Chapter Leaders (SLCCL) at Deep Portage Conservation Reserve near Hackensack from June 26-28 and June 30- July 2 to develop leadership skills for their communities and home ...
Women in Ag Network summer tour on July 18 in New London The University of Minnesota Extension Women in Ag Network’s summer tour is scheduled for July 18 in the New London area. The day will feature lunch at Model Citizen Restaurant, tours of Lettuce Abound Farms and Rustic Designs Flower Farms, a discussion at Goat Ridge Brewing Company, and opportunities for networking. The tour is from noon to 4:30 p.m. July 18. Bus transportation to the local farms will depart from, and return to, the lunch location; participants should meet and park near Model Citizen Restaurant (17 Central ...
Peony plants are a wonderful addition to the garden. There are some residents who don’t like how ants seem to be attracted to them but generally speaking, it will depend on the year when you may see a lot of ants on these beautiful plants. I am fortunate that I have several peony plants in my perennial gardens. They are so easy to take care of and there are so many colors to choose from. There are some peony cultivars that can live up to 100+ years. I have one plant that has been on our farm for 50 years — a beautiful deep pink. I have also been given a very, bright yellow peony. ...
Gardening can be tricky as it is but we can help out our odds by raising plants that work well with our growing conditions. We first have to consider what growing zone we are in (Zone 4 or 4b for our area) and go from there. There are some folks who have microclimates in their backyards and can sometimes grow Zone 5 plants. These are the lucky gardening folks in our area. We sometimes can raise plants in a certain area until the growing conditions change, like the soil stays super saturated with water, then we end up losing those plants. It is also important to match plants to what ...
Excessive precipitation and persistently wet conditions have prevented the planting of corn and soybean in some fields and led to ponding and drown-out areas in others. On acres where “prevent plant” is claimed for insurance, the USDA-Risk Management Agency (RMA) requires protection from erosion and control of noxious weeds. Planting a cover crop to these areas can help control weeds and prevent erosion, while enhancing soil structure and preventing “fallow syndrome.” Fallow syndrome, which can hurt crop yield the following year, can occur when there is not enough living root ...
If you have had ash trees dropping their leaves like rain drops in your yard, do not panic. It is more than likely caused by anthracnose. Anthracnose is a fungus that causes some problems in all sorts of trees. In our area, it seems to bother ash trees the most. It can cause some of the same symptoms in other types of trees too which are: maples, ash, birch, black walnut, butternut, buckeye, elm, hornbeam, and oak. If you pick up the fallen leaves you will see brown, sunken edges of the leaves. You will also see leaf drop where the leaves fall from the trees (don’t worry! Most trees ...
