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Ag and Extension

Keeping weeds under control

The drought continues to roll on in our area. It is becoming the haves versus the have-nots. Meaning, some places get the rain while others have seen little to no rain. The conversation around whether or not someone was able to see some rain from the latest go around has now started with being lucky for what you may have received even if it was just a few tenths. The drought has even has some hardy Minnesotans saying, “Hopefully, it will snow this winter” to help ease the drought. You know it has to be getting bad when people start wishing for snow! As the summer keeps turning on, ...

Ag & Extension Briefs

Attend ‘Cover Crops: Setting up for Success’ Aug. 17 in Lamberton Plan to attend “Cover Crops: Setting up for Success” on Aug. 17, at the Southwest Research and Outreach Center, Lamberton. Check-in starts at 8:30 a.m., and the program will run 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with lunch included. Plan to arrive on time as a field tour of cover crop research trials will commence promptly at the start of the event, weather permitting. The event will be held, rain or shine. While cover crops have the potential to provide many benefits, they are currently planted on a limited number of ...

What to do during hot spells

Minnesotans like to talk about the weather. If we think how hot it will be in July and compare it to January — there is almost a difference of 160 degrees between the two months. The hot weather, besides causing problems with just trying to keep up with watering, will cause poor pollination in many of our plants. This means different things to different plants and causes we gardeners to think we have diseases in the garden. In fact, right now, most of our problems are caused by the high temperatures. There is little to nothing that we can do for some of the stranger things that ...

USDA to provide pandemic assistance to livestock producers for animal losses

Livestock and poultry producers who suffered losses during the pandemic due to insufficient access to processing can apply for assistance for those losses and the cost of depopulation and disposal of the animals. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the Pandemic Livestock Indemnity Program (PLIP) in (recorded) remarks at the National Pork Industry Conference in Wisconsin Dells, WI. The announcement is part of USDA’s Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative. Livestock and poultry producers can apply for assistance through USDA’s Farm Service ...

Good news and bad news

The heat and lack of rain are a concern not only for our lawns, gardens and fields but it could also affect the insects in our area as well. There are some insects that prefer cooler weather and then there are those that prefer the hot weather. The good news is that the insects that cause certain problems such as cutworms in our tomatoes or seedcorn or onion maggots do not do well in the heat. The bad news is that aphids, thrips and spider mites love the hot weather. We may even see a tick up on grasshoppers as well but they like weather that is hot and dry. The bad news about ...

2021Minnesota State Cattleman’s Summer Beef Tour and Trade Show

The Rock-Nobles Cattlemen’s Association will host the 2021 Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association Summer Beef Tour & Trade Show on Tuesday, July 13. Rock and Nobles counties are located in extreme southwest Minnesota along the Buffalo Ridge, the wind corridor of the upper Midwest, with the largest towns in the counties being Worthington (Nobles) and Luverne (Rock). The trade show and tour headquarters will span the spacious and well-equipped Worthington Arena. The arena is located on the Nobles County Fairgrounds, just off of Interstate 90 near U.S. 59 and Minnesota 60. The tour ...