Otter Tail County Extension Update

Happy New Year!

We've wrapped up 2024, and it has been a very full year for many. The new year is starting off with a bang in the Extension world with an abundance of learning opportunities coming your way. Be sure to scroll through this and the upcoming monthly emails to see what would be valuable to you and your land, garden, and/or farm. I know this is a longer email than normal, but I encourage you to take a minute and check out the many upcoming events.

I'm grateful for the chance to work with many of you this past year, and look forward to what 2025 brings. As always, please don't hesitate to reach out if you have questions or ideas for programming.

Take care,

Olivia Olson

olso7655@umn.edu

office: (218) 998-8308

cell: (218) 282-5963

SWCD Tree Sales

MN Woodland Steward program

Strategic Farming - Let's Talk Crops webinar series

Food Safety University for Produce Farmers

Alliance to Advance Climate Smart Agriculture

Winter Garden College

Agritourism: Creating a Business Plan for your Farm

Private Pesticide Applicator recertification workshops

Weather Impacts on Crude Protein for Livestock

Soil Management Summit

Women in Agriculture Conference

Climate-Resilient Pollinator Habitats Across MN Landscapes

Looking to order bundles of saplings for your property? Look no further than your local SWCD. Trees are sold in bundles of 25, and can be purchased via paper form (WOT SWCD) or online (EOT SWCD).

Link to East Otter Tail tree store can be found here.

West Otter Tail tree form is found below.

Holiday greenery and Christmas trees bring joy throughout the season, but they can also hide dangerous pests. Diseases and invasive species can make their way into our landscapes on trees and boughs brought into Minnesota from other states. To protect our environment, the State of Minnesota is asking residents to take these steps to properly dispose of greenery and trees after the holiday season:

• Use a curbside tree collection or bring trees to a drop-off site
• Don't toss greenery into your backyard woods or residential compost
• Place wreaths and decorative greens into trash cans

For more information on proper disposal and pests/diseases of concern, click here.

Registration for Minnesota Woodland Steward in the Hardwood Hills region (that's us!) of west-central Minnesota is now open. Minnesota Woodland Steward is a comprehensive education program that teaches family forest owners and forest caretakers the ins and outs of forest health, timber harvesting, management for recreation and wildlife, estate planning, tax incentive programs and more. Registration costs are waived for woodland owners in the Hardwood Hills region (see a map here) and for Tribal members. Learn more and apply at z.umn.edu/MWSHH.

Pull up a chair and join in or bring the conversation with you as you go about your day. Whatever works best for you, join us this winter to discuss some of the key issues and questions around commodity crop production facing Minnesota farmers today through the “Strategic Farming: Let’s Talk Crops” webinar series. This live, online program will provide up-to-date, research-based information to help optimize your crop management strategies for 2025. Sessions will be held over Zoom, which can be accessed via your computer, phone, or other mobile device, and will run from 9:00 to 10:00 am Wednesdays, January 8 through March 26, 2025.

z.umn.edu/strategic-farming

Kick-off 2025 with a series of training opportunities to learn practical strategies to improve both the food safety and product quality of your fruits and vegetables. If you attended a farm food safety training in the past but want to sharpen your skills and learn more about specific topics, or want a refresher, these webinars are for you. Sessions begin January 17 and are held from 9:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. via Zoom.

Click here to learn more and register.

The Alliance to Advance Climate-Smart Agriculture pilot program will open a second application period from January 2 through February 14. Landowners and operators in East Otter Tail and Wadena counties can apply for the opportunity to receive $100 per acre or animal unit for adopting specific conservation practices. Applicants are randomly selected. Landowners should contact the East Otter Tail or Wadena Soil and Water Conservation Districts to discuss the program and schedule an appointment with technical staff to apply. See the Alliance website for details regarding the program and application process.

Winter Garden College is a two-hour deep dive into backyard gardening and small-scale farming topics. In this course, you will learn how cover crops improve soil health by preventing erosion, providing nutrients, building organic matter, and feeding beneficial microbes. This course is split into two 45-minute presentations along with a 30-minute hands-on session. These free workshops will be held six times across the state, with the dates and locations as follows:

Thursday, January 23 – Hutchinson, 6-8 pm

McLeod County Extension Office, 840 Century Ave SW, Hutchinson, MN 55350

Thursday, February 6 – St. Cloud, 6-8 pm

Stearns County Service Center, 3301 Co Rd 138, Waite Park, MN 56387

Thursday, February 13 – Alexandria, 6-8 pm

Douglas County Public Works Meeting Room, 526 Willow Drive, Alexandria, MN 56308

Tuesday, February 25 – Moorhead, 5-7 pm

Clay County Family Service Building, 715 11th St N, Moorhead, MN 56560, Meeting Room 4

Monday, March 3 – Fergus Falls, 5-7 pm

Fergus Falls Public Library, 205 E Hampden Ave, Fergus Falls, MN 56537

Tuesday, March 11 – Park Rapids, 5-7 pm

The Event Room, 1104 Park Ave S Suite 2, Park Rapids, MN 56470

Click here for more information and to register

Do you have an agritourism business idea but are unsure how to make it successful? Do you want to add value to your farming operation but are unsure where to begin? Writing a business plan can dramatically increase the success of implementing your business ideas and goals. Using the free AgPlan online business planning software, this workshop will guide you in creating a business plan to bring your agritourism vision to life.

A roadshow of free, in-person workshops will be offered across the state on business planning for your agritourism business or business idea.

Nearby workshops:

January 22, Pelican Rapids, 4-6 pm

January 28, online webinar, 6-7:30 pm

Register here for any of the workshops around the state.

If you hold a license to apply restricted use pesticides that expires in 2025, several options for recertification will become available in January of 2025. The online exam opens January 3, and paper copies of the exam will be available to pick up from your local Extension office around the first of the year as well. Recertification workshops will be held across the state in January and February, with two in Otter Tail County. Online registration for workshops opens January 3, and walk-in registration is allowed.

Save the date:

Fergus Falls: Friday, January 17 from 1-4:30

New York Mills: Tuesday, January 28 from 10:30-2:30

Livestock producers across the state are encouraged to attend an

upcoming webinar: Weather Impacts on Crude Protein for Livestock Health and Vitality. This

online webinar hosted by the University of Minnesota Extension will be held on Thursday,

January 16th from 7-8:30pm.

Join us for this webinar to better understand how a decrease in crude protein developed, what the impacts will be if we don’t correct the deficiencies, and what options we have to ensure adequate nutrition is supplied to our herds in the respective stages of production. Please understand the urgency of this topic and join us in developing a plan.

Registration is required. Please register at z.umn.edu/WeatherimpactsonCP.

The Soil Management Summit is a farmer-oriented event dedicated to practical soil management in Minnesota. Learn from experienced farmers, researchers and advisors about a variety of soil management topics like cover crops, tillage, nutrient management, soil biology, and more. Whether you prefer to get your information from presentations, panels, small group discussions, or in casual conversations, the Soil Management Summit has something for everyone.

Join us at the 20th annual Soil Management Summit on January 29-30, 2025 at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in Mankato, MN.

For more information and to register, visit: z.umn.edu/SMSinfo

Registration is now open for the 2025 Extension Women in Ag Network Conference! Invite friends and colleagues for a great day of learning and networking in the heart of Minnesota.

This year’s theme, “Farming Your Way, Finding Balance” reflects how every farm and role is unique and that finding your place means discovering the balance that works best for you, your farm, your family, and your goals. This conference will help you explore and define what agriculture means to you, finding ways to navigate your family and the operation, and making your distinct mark in agriculture.
Register through January 27, for the early-bird registration rate of $85 for adults, or $55 for students. View the conference website, agenda, session descriptions, speakers and hotel booking information HERE.

Tuesday, February 11, 2025
8:45 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
The Park Event Center | Waite Park, MN

Curious about how climate change is impacting pollinators? Wondering how Minnesota’s diverse ecosystems contribute to supporting their habitats? Join us for this engaging webinar series to learn how you can support pollinators in any space—big or small—and help build resilient ecosystems in the face of climate change. University of Minnesota Extension educators are excited to bring you this webinar series on learning more about our pollinators. This four-part series will cover how the changing climate affects pollinators, the role of pollinators in food production, ideas for establishing pollinator habitat in small spaces and how woodlands can serve as another pollinator habitat.

January 27, 28, 29 & 30, 2025
1 - 2:30 p.m. CST (each afternoon)
Online

Register for Climate-resilient pollinator habitats program

Looking for help in coping with business, family, or mental health issues? This resource list from the MN Department of Agriculture has a list of trained professionals to assist in a variety of ways.

MN Farm and Rural Helpline:

Phone: 833-600-2670

Text: FARMSTRESS to 898211
Email: farmstress@state.mn.us

Crisis Text Line:

Text: MN to 741 741

Are you a beginning farmer looking to rent or purchase working farmland in the Midwest? Or are you an established farmer/landowner in the Midwest who is seeking a beginning farmer to purchase or rent your working farmland, or to work with in a partnership situation? The Land Stewardship Project's Farm Beginnings project has simple application forms available for people seeking farmland or farmers. More information and the forms can be found at this link.

Email: olso7655@umn.edu

Phone: office (218) 998-8303 cell (218) 282-5963
Website: extension.umn.edu
Location: 118 N Main Ave, New York Mills, MN 56567

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