Carlton County Extension Connection
June 2025
Join the Carlton County Master Gardeners on Tuesday, July 15th from 4-7 pm for their annual garden tour. This year the self-guided tour will be in the Carlton/Wrenshall area.
The event highlights 6 area gardens featuring extensive ornamental gardens, a lake home landscape, vegetable gardens and more. New this year will be the "Wood City Quilters" group. They will bring many of their artistic quilts for participants to view at each location. Watch here for more details.
The purpose of this meeting is to gather feedback on natural resource conservation programs, and identify local priorities related to natural resources and agriculture which can be addressed through NRCS technical and financial assistance programs.
This meeting is open to the public. Local agricultural producers and forest landowners are encouraged to attend and provide feedback. Environmental agencies, local conservation groups, or anyone involved in agriculture and natural resource conservation is also welcome to attend and participate.
Location:
Carlton SWCD office
808 3rd St, Carlton, MN 55718
Time:
Tuesday, June 10th
1pm – 2pm
What is a Local Working Group?
From the NRCS website:
Local Working Groups assist the USDA in matters relating to the implementation and technical aspects of conservation programs under Title II of the Farm Bill Agricultural Act. The Local Working Group may be composed of the local Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), agricultural producers, private forest landowners, and other professionals representing relevant agricultural and conservation interests who are familiar with private land agricultural and natural resource issues in the local community.
The Peony tours are back! The Carlton County Extension Office is excited to welcome you to the 2nd Annual Peony Tour at the stunning Kavanaugh Peonies farm!
What to Expect:
- A fun & informative presentation on the many types of peonies, presented by Extension Educator Mercedes Moffett
- A blissful stroll through blooming fields bursting with color and fragrance
- Take home your very own bouquet of fresh peonies!
When: June 16 & 18, 6:00-7:30 PM (Rain or shine!)
Cost: $20- Cash or check at the door. Includes tour and a beautiful bouquet to take home.
Pre registration is required: Call Mandi at 218-384-8680 to reserve your spot. Limited to 25 participants per tour- don’t wait!
Join the Master Gardeners for a fun-filled camp where your child will learn how to plant and maintain vegetables and flowers! This free class will include crafts, a science lesson and snacks too. Dates are Tuesdays, June 10, 17, 24 and July 8 from 10-11:30 am at 320 14th St., Cloquet.
Geared for ages 6-10, call 218-879-1531 to register or email morgan.reardon@alslib.info The class is limited to 20 participants.
Carlton County is searching for applications for the 2025 Outstanding Senior Citizen Awards. This is an award honoring citizens within the county that go above and beyond to help others and organizations within the community. Applications are open, and due by July 11th.
Spring and summer are a great time of year to walk your pastures, monitor weed growth, and ensure a safe and healthy environment for your horse(s). Join University of Minnesota Extension Educators for a hands-on educational tour of a working horse pasture in Isanti County, which ranks fourth in the state of counties with the most horses and ponies, housing over 1,550 equines.
The June 17, 2025 workshop will be held at Rise & Shine Stable in Cambridge, Minnesota from
5 PM to 8 PM. This hands-on experience will help you learn more about grazing management,
reseeding and species selection, weed management, and soil testing.
Not only will you learn skills for managing weeds in horse pastures, but you will leave with a
variety of skills and resources. These skills include: being able to take a soil test, understanding
soil health related to grazing, managing your forage species, and ensuring your horses are getting
the most out of your grazing plan. Extension educators will also have related resources for you to
take home.
In addition to pasture management, there will be other agricultural organizations that will talk
about financial support and cost share programs for maintaining pastures, and a veterinarian who
will provide information about horse health.
This workshop is intended for all horse owners, enthusiasts, and farm managers who use pasture
for grazing or anyone hoping to learn about managing pastures for horses. Come to learn, and
leave with knowledge about the best management practices and how to grow and maintain
pasture forages. Horse owners can also connect with other horse enthusiasts and build
relationships with local agricultural professionals.
Get ready for this experience by dressing for the weather and wearing the appropriate footwear
for entering a pasture. Extension is here to answer your questions on pasture improvement!
Registration and more information about the Horse Pasture Walk can be found on the University
of Minnesota Extension website at z.umn.edu/HorsePastureWalk
The Minnesota Grazing Lands Conservation Association (MNGLCA) and University of Minnesota Extension, in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Specialists, are proud to host a new series of statewide educational events focused on the integration of soil health principles into livestock operations.
The Roots and Rotation series features two types of events tailored to graziers at different stages of their soil health journey:
- Integrating Soil Health Principles into Grazing Practices – Geared toward beginners, this event will provide foundational knowledge for graziers looking to enhance their pastures using soil health strategies.
- Integrating Livestock onto Cropland – A more advanced session intended for producers interested in incorporating livestock into crop systems for regenerative outcomes.
Event locations include: Detroit Lakes, Bemidji, Cologne, Eyota, Canby, Sleepy Eye, Faribault, Richmond, and Park Rapids. While each location will follow a similar structure, producers are encouraged to attend the event closest to them—or more than one—to connect with fellow graziers across the state.
Topics will cover:
- Soil health principles in perennial systems
- Improving pasture productivity
- Supporting animal health through better grazing
- Enhancing overall farm profitability
Speakers Jeff Duchene, Stephanie McLain, Morgan Kauth, Gabi Bolwerk, Jace Stallman, and more will bring soil health practices into perspective for livestock producers around the state.
To register, visit www.mnglca.org/events or contact Star Nelson directly at (507)383-0569 or star.nelson@mnglca.org
In 4-H all youth are welcome!
4-H is an out- of-school, hands-on learning program for anyone in Kindergarten through one year past high school (grade 13). You choose a project that's interesting to them and explore it with peers and caring adults. 4-H clubs are groups of youth who want to learn together and meet in every part of Minnesota.
What can I do in 4-H?
The sky's the limit! 4-H offers learning experiences in science, photography, agriculture, healthy living, civic engagement and much more. We have one-day events, year-long projects and everything in between. There are many ways to try 4-H.