Extension Connection

Happy November! Don't let the colder weather keep you inside. We have lots happening around the county this month. We have a wide variety of classes going on that we would love to see you at.

Also, please feel free to stop in the office and visit with us!

Best,

Mercedes

Join Margie Menzies of the Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory in Duluth for a presentation on basic birding. She will cover equipment needed, birding etiquette, bird ID, and how to prepare your yard for bird visitors in the winter.

The event will take place on Thursday, November 17, 2022 from 1:00-2:30 pm at the Carlton County Transportation Building, 1630 County Rd. 61, Carlton. The cost is $5 at the door. 18 and under are free. Admission includes: hand-outs. Please call 218-384-8684 or email rustx048@umn.edu to register.

In partnership with the City of Cloquet and Carlton SWCD, the public is invited to a Biochar Demonstration on Thursday, November 3 from 9:00 am to noon at the Cloquet Public Works Gravel Yard, 410 Armory Rd. Cloquet.

We will be using our Oregon Kilns to make biochar from the buckthorn collected at the Pine Valley Park event, scheduled for October 29th (contact Carlton SWCD to register) Landowners and gardeners are welcome to come see how biochar is made and used to improve our soils. Participants are encouraged to bring a bucket to collect some biochar to use at their properties. If you are interested in learning more about biochar and how it can improve your soils, come check out this demonstration. No registration is required. For more information, contact Mercedes at 218-384-3511 or Carlton SWCD at (218) 384-3891.

Join us November 22, 2022 from 6:30-8:30pm for an online webinar to discuss latest rules and changes to be expecting for the upcoming tax year for your Ag operation. Extension Ag Business Specialist Rob Holcomb will discuss a variety of topics including: charitable gifting, borrowing and lending tax issues, newly acquired farm assets, farm rental property, and more.

Registration is required.

Register online: https://z.umn.edu/2022AgFallTax

Farming affects everyone's life. From the farms to suppliers, markets to our tables, farmers care for us even when we may not even know them.

Even without the added stress of the COVID-19 pandemic, farmers and farm workers experience high levels of anxiety, depression, substance use and death by suicide. Most farmers face factors that are completely out of their control, and that can’t be fixed by just working harder. Farm families may feel like they don’t know where to go. A shift in gears and a new way of seeing the situation might be the key to farming success for years to come.

Extension is offering training for those that work with or know farm families experiencing stress, loss or tough decisions for their family or business.

“A Changing Way of Life: Ambiguous loss and farming” helps farm families understand and name ambiguous loss, and to provide strategies for moving forward. In the changing farm and rural landscape, loss of land, livestock, changing markets, and even relationships can be ambiguous losses that lead many to feel “stuck.” Ambiguous loss is an unclear loss without closure.

Join us at the Cloquet Forestry Center on November 11 from 9-3. Registration is required https://umn.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bdXJtXhrhcNAnrw

The University of Minnesota Extension is excited to host a three-part webinar series

entitled: “Essentials for the Cattle Owner with a Day Job” Zoom meetings will be held on Thursday, November 3, 10, and 17 from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. CST. The webinar series will focus on topics designed to help cattle owners that have obligations other than cattle such as an off the farm job or crop farming. Farmers, 4-H members, ag business professionals who work with farmers, and those interested in beef cows are invited to attend. These presentations will include,

Thursday, November 3: Grazing strategies to reduce annual costs

Topics to be discussed: Grazing strategies and pasture set up to keep annual cost down with the overall goal of keeping things simple to maximize efficiency and save time.

Thursday, November 10: How to choose your calving season

Topics to be discussed: What should influence when you calve and how will that influence your marketing strategy? Considerations include scours, labor, time, and space.

Thursday, November 17: Winter housing – space requirements, feeding strategies, and spring scours

Topics to be discussed: The different options for housing cows in the winter and the

considerations you should make when setting up your system.

Pre-registration is required. Please register by visiting z.umn.edu/BeefOwner. You will receive a Zoom link following registration. You only have to register once, and you will be registered for all subsequent webinars. If you are unable to attend the live sessions, you will receive the recordings for all the sessions via email at the end of the series. Any questions please contact Brenda Miller at nels4220@umn.edu.

Chilly mornings and shorter days signal to humans an impending winter. Bugs get the same message, and they head out to figure out where they're going to tuck in for the winter. Some bury themselves in soil, some in leaves, while others just die. Minnesota is home to a few species of insects with a very specific place they want to spend the winter-in our homes.

Click on the link for the complete article. https://z.umn.edu/85p8

Author: Marissa Schuh

Since 1982, Master Gardeners Volunteers have trialed selected annual vegetable and flower seeds in their home gardens across the state. Volunteers compare varieties and share their growing experiences, providing valuable information for home gardeners in Minnesota and the upper Midwest.

Carlton County Master Gardeners have been involved with this project for several years and are excited to share their findings. Click on the link to view the winners from 1982 to 2020. https://z.umn.edu/85vw

Trumpeter Swans have been spotted around the county this month. This bids well with the upward trend in swan numbers. Trumpeter swans originally called wetlands across North America home. As North America was developed in the 1700 and 1800s, swans were hunted to near extinction. These large striking birds were hunted for meat, skin, and feathers. By the 1880s swans were completely extinct in Minnesota. As the years progressed, by 1930 only 69 Trumpeter Swans were still remaining in North America.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has spent nearly a century working on repairing swan numbers. In the 1930's the Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge was established as a sanctuary for swans. The first breeding pairs were introduced in the 60's to help repopulate numbers.

As of 2020 it was estimated that there over 30,000 swans across the state of Minnesota. With such progress being seen to swan numbers, keep an eye out for migrating swans this fall!

-Information provided by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Be on the lookout this month for Carlton County 4Hers as they are selling Butter Braids as a fundraiser for the Federation. This fundraiser will help support youth going to county, regional, and state events. The fundraiser starts November 11, and runs through November 29. Please reach out to Katie for more information: 218-384-8682.

The Extension office is looking to start fresh with a new system to organize current soil sample results. Throughout the years, samples have been filed and held on hand for reference. We are archiving this data, but wish to extend the opportunity for community members to retrieve their information. If you know you have soil samples on file with us, and would like this information, please contact the office at mnext-Carlton@umn.edu or call our office at 218-384-3511.

The Carlton County Extension office will be closed on Friday, November 11 in observance of Veterans Day. The office will also be closed on Thursday, November 24 and Friday, November 25 in observance of the Thanksgiving Holiday. If you are needing assistance, please reach out and our educators will get back to you as soon as regular staffing resumes.

Our Carlton County 4-H newsletter is jammed full of upcoming events, County Fair details and and all things Carlton 4-H! Read our latest email newsletter and consider signing up for future newsletters or forward to anyone interested in finding out how you can get involved. Participants are Kindergarten through grade 13 and adults volunteers are needed. Contact our office with questions and learn more about how you can get involved today!

Keri Cavitt, Regional Director cavit005@umn.edu

Tracey Hartung, Administrative Specialist thartung@umn.edu

Katie Siltanen, 4-H Educator silta006@umn.edu

Mercedes Moffett, Agriculture Educator, moffe029@umn.edu

Ann Rust, Vol Coord & Horticulture Assist rustx048@umn.edu

Email: mnext-Carlton@umn.edu
Website: https://local.extension.umn.edu/local/carlton
Location: 317 Chestnut Avenue, Carlton, MN, USA
Phone: 218-384-3511
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UofMNExt

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