Pine & Isanti County Ext. Update
Agriculture, Horticulture, & Natural Resources
After fall harvest is completed, it is a great time to plan for winter management and emergencies on the farm. Livestock producers should have a plan in place if an animal dies, birthing happens on a cold winter night, or an animal slips on the ice.
When it comes to deceased livestock, do you have a plan for that? There are five legal ways of disposing of livestock, but winter may be hard to carry out some of those options. For example, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health lists burying, composting, rendering, landfilling, or incinerating as legal methods of disposal. As a livestock producer myself, I know how difficult and expensive some of these options can be, especially depending on the size of the animal. That's why it is important to have a plan in place besides burial when the ground is too frozen to dig. I encourage you to look into options in October, because it's not too late to dig a hole yet.
In addition, do you have a shelter or quarantine space for animals that are injured or birthing during inclement weather? These spaces don't have to be completely indoor, yet they should be separate. Birthing accidents sometimes happen or you might prefer winter birthing, but have your toolkits ready and a dry, warm space for that new baby. Also, it's important to have a separate space for injured or sick livestock that may need treatment and rest. Keeping them away from the herd and younger livestock will help keep all of them healthy.
Find all this information and more on our website to be best prepared for winter emergencies.
~Katie Hagen
Create Your Own Bug Hotel!
Where & When: Hinckley Elementary School in Hinckley, MN on October 22 at 3:15 PM
Cost: $10/hotel
About: Open to all ages, to learn about where bugs go in the winter and build a bug hotel to take home. Bug hotels support insects and spiders, such as lacewings, lady beetles, mayflies, and many more! Provide a winter home for these creatures in your own backyard!
Tree Seed Collection Workshops
Where & When: Cambridge, MN on October 3 & Willow River, MN on October 24 from 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Cost: Free
About: Join University of Minnesota Extension, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and other partners to learn more about how to predict, collect, and sell tree seeds. These are interactive, in-person workshops. By the end of a workshop, you will be able to identify key tree species and ripe seeds, collect high-quality tree seed, understand how to process seeds to sell to the state nursery or other vendors.
Pesticide Safety A/E Recertification
Where: Cloquet Forestry Center in Cloquet, MN
When: October 27, 2026 from 8:00 AM - 2:30 PM
Cost: $145
About: This workshop is for licensed pesticide applicators who need to recertify in 2026 in the area of A (Core) & E (Turf & Ornamental).
Everything Equine and Wine - Save the Dates!
Where: Northwest, East Central, and Southwest Metro, MN
When: October 29 (NW), November 5 (EC) at North Ridge Winery in North Branch, and November 12 (SWM), 2026
Cost: $30
About: Uncork the charm of horses! Relax with a beverage of your choice over dinner while gaining equine insights from University of Minnesota experts and educators to support your horse’s health and nutrition. Everything Equine and Wine is open to anyone but is geared toward horse owners ages 18+.
Third Annual Agritourism Exchange
Where: Keepsake Cidery in Dundas, MN
When: November 19, 2026 from 1:00 - 5:00 PM
Cost: Free
About: Join Minnesota's annual gathering of agritourism operators and the organizations that support them. Connect with fellow farm hosts, hear real-world experiences from experienced operators, participate in engaging discussions, and discover resources to help grow your agritourism business. Whether you're just getting started or have years of experience, you'll leave with new ideas, valuable connections, and practical takeaways.
Soil Management Summit
Where: Park Event Center in Waite Park, MN
When: January 27-28, 2027 starting at 9 AM
Cost: $150 (early bird), $190 (after January 12), or $210 (walk-ins)
About: Engage in presentation, connect with attendees, and interact with vendors that work in the areas of cover crops, tillage, livestock integration, nutrient management, economics, and more!
Midwest Bumble Bee Identification, Ecology, & Conservation
Where: Online at your own pace
Cost: $80
About: This self-guided course will cover 25 common and uncommon bumble bee species, including the endangered rusty patched bumble bee. Color morphs common in the upper Midwest and cover species common throughout eastern North America will be the focus. Anyone who wants to reliably identify bumble bees to species in the field, including conservation professionals, students performing research on bumble bees, and volunteers who want to take their identification skills to the next level.
Mounds of Trouble Controlling Pocket Gophers in Yards & Gardens
If you’ve noticed fresh mounds, wilting plants, or collapsing turf, you may be dealing with one of Minnesota’s most persistent underground pests, pocket gophers.
Reports from homeowners across Minnesota suggest gopher activity has been higher than usual this year, likely influenced by extended drought, warmer-than-average temperatures, and a decreased food supply. These factors cause gophers to expand their tunnel systems more aggressively, which leads to increased damage.
Effective control requires understanding their seasonal activity, applying evidence-based measures, and knowing when to hire a professional.
Identify the Culprit
Pocket gophers create fan-shaped or crescent-shaped mounds with a plugged entrance off to one side. Moles, by contrast, leave symmetrical volcano-shaped mounds.
When are pocket gophers most active?
Pocket gopher activity follows clear seasonal patterns:
- Spring (March–May): Peak mound formation in moist soil. Fresh mounds may appear daily, making this the best time to trap.
- Summer (June–August): In drought or heat, gophers retreat deeper underground, often beyond 24 inches, making trapping less successful.
- Fall (September–October): A second peak of activity as soil softens, another prime trapping window.
- Winter: Activity slows but continues below frost depth in unfrozen soils.
Begin control measures within 48 hours of new mound formation, as gophers revisit feeding tunnels every 1 to 3 days. Waiting more than 72 hours reduces success by up to 40%.
Control Measures
Trapping is the most reliable method. Probe for the main tunnel 8 to 12 inches from the mound’s plug, set two traps facing opposite directions, cover the opening, and check daily.
Baiting can work but poses risks to pets and wildlife. Effectiveness depends on soil moisture and tunnel accessibility.
Exclusion with hardware cloth buried 18 to 24 inches, raised beds lined with mesh, or root-guard baskets can protect plants but do not reduce pocket gopher populations.
When to hire a professional
Professional wildlife control is often the best option when multiple mounds appear, DIY trapping fails, or reinvasion is constant. Professionals use advanced probing techniques, place traps precisely, and monitor activity over several visits.
Author: Robin Trott, Extension Educator
Contact Me
Katie Hagen
Ag Production, Hort & Natural Resources Extension Educator
Email: hagen@umn.edu
UM Ext Isanti County
555 18th Ave. SW
Cambridge, MN 55008
763-689-8254
UM Ext Pine County, County Courthouse
635 Northridge Dr NW #280
Pine City, MN 55063
320-591-1662