Nicollet & Sibley County Ag News

The University of Minnesota Extension and Minnesota Dairy Initiative are excited to announce two Dairy Producer Night Out events. This year’s events feature dynamic farmer and professional panels. With a focus on big-picture solutions, the panels will explore strategic financial strategies and innovative approaches to optimizing facilities and enhancing overall farm productivity.

Events will be held at the following dates and times:

• Tuesday, March 11, 7:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., at the Howard Lake American Legion (616 7th Ave, Howard Lake)

• Tuesday, March 18, 7:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., at Hahn’s Dining & Lounge in Winthrop (206 Main Street N, Winthrop)

Learn more

Pork Quality Assurance Plus (PQA+) provides improved animal wellbeing standards and relevant food safety standards to ensure producers can measure, track and continuously improve pig well-being.

Attendees will receive their PQA+ certification at the completion of the course after successfully passing the test. Producers need to be re-certified every three years to keep their certification current.

PQA In-Person

• Tuesday, March 4, 2025, 9:00 a.m. to noon at the Minnesota Pork Board Office, 151 St Andrews Court, Suite 810, Mankato

University of Minnesota Extension, McLeod SWCD, Wright SWCD, Meeker SWCD, and the North Fork Crow River Watershed are hosting Breaking ground: A conversation on compaction to discuss the challenge of dealing with compaction while reducing tillage. Join us for a discussion on how conservation tillage practices change a compaction profile and what management tools you can use to combat compaction.

This event will feature Jodi DeJong-Hughes, a Regional Educator with the University of Minnesota Extension, leading a discussion on solutions to soil compaction, particularly in soil health systems. Also hear from a farmer panel who will discuss their tillage operations and on-farm tactics for dealing with compaction. Come with your questions for our featured speaker and farmer panel! You will also learn about the cost-share programs available to farms in the North Fork Crow River Watershed who want to implement soil conservation practices.

This event is free to attend and lunch will be provided. RSVP by Wednesday, March 19 to the McLeod County Extension Office at 320-484-4302.

• Tuesday, March 25, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. - noon at Dassel History Center, 901 1st St N, Dassel

Extension Educator, Ag Production Systems

Nicollet County

Government Center 501 S Minnesota Ave St. Peter, MN 56082

507-934-7830

Sibley County

111 8th St. Gaylord, MN 55334

507-237-4100

Extension website: www.extension.umn.edu

Email: sschoenb@umn.edu

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ext.Nicollet.Sibley

© 2024 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.