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Ag and Extension

Water quality and plants

Water quality affects many different things in our world and this includes plants. In particular, houseplants can suffer from poor water quality or from substances added into the water that we are using to provide a drink for those houseplants. There are some houseplants that are not affected very much by water quality while others are greatly affected. We might not see how they are affected, but over time, it adds up in the soil that our houseplants sit in. The two biggest challenges that houseplants try to overcome are chlorine and fluoride in the drinking water that we may use to ...

If your trees have EAB

As we slowly creep our way into spring, I have been fielding quite a few questions from area residents about Emerald Ash Borer. As many of you probably know, Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is now in Redwood County and so it is time that this summer we should be looking for this pest in our ash trees. The problem with ash trees is that there are several diseases that may cause you to think that your tree has EAB. In the spring Ash trees are susceptible to a disease called Ash Anthracnose, which causes them to lose their leaves. This is something that happens when it is particularly wet outside ...

Ag Briefs

USDA extends deadline for Spot Market Hog Pandemic Program  Hog producers who sold hogs through a spot market sale during the COVID-19 pandemic now have until April 15 to submit their applications for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Spot Market Hog Pandemic Program (SMHPP). SMHPP, which is part of USDA’s Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative, originally had a deadline to submit applications by Feb. 25.    SMHPP assists hog producers who sold hogs through a spot market sale from April 16, 2020, through Sept. 1, 2020, the period during which ...

USDA announces Conservation Reserve Program sign-ups for 2022  

Agricultural producers and landowners can sign up for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), a cornerstone conservation program offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and a key tool in the Biden-Harris Administration effort to address climate change and achieve other natural resource benefits. The General CRP sign-up will run from Jan. 31 to March 11, and the Grassland CRP sign-up will run from April 4 to May 13.  “We highly encourage farmers, ranchers and private landowners to consider the enrollment options available through CRP,” said Farm ...

Houseplant care

My grandmother was the queen of growing African Violets. I think that they need a light and gentle touch and that would certainly describe my grandmother’s touch! I am more suited toward the succulent plants because they are more forgiving. I also like that there are so many different kinds of succulents out there. Hens and chicks remain my favorite. I think that when it comes to houseplants we either ignore them a bit too much or we spend excessively too much time paying attention to them and neither is a good thing to do. The U of M Extension has a great webpage dedicated to the ...

Ag and Extension Briefs

Small grain workshops scheduled throughout Minnesota University of Minnesota Extension is offering 10 small grain workshops across Minnesota in January and February to address successful small grain management. “Whether you are a farmer or crop consultant already producing small grains, or a farmer looking for another crop to add to the rotation, these workshops are for you,” says Jared Goplen, Extension educator in Crops. “Workshops will focus on production agronomics, variety selection, and economics, and include an open-forum discussion for related topics and on-farm ...