Otter Tail County Extension Update
Agriculture and Horticulture: September 2025
Notes from your Educator
The start of fall and the back to school seasons sure felt like they arrived quickly this year - summer really flew by! In addition to the harvest, this season offers opportunities to join the Master Gardener program, learn about invasive tree insects or growing ginseng, and celebrating our region's local food with the Deep Roots Festival. You can also expand your horticultural knowledge through the Tri-County Winter Webinar Series, or attend the Annie's Project retreat for a deeper dive on farm management topics with other farmers.
Additionally, please take a few minutes to fill out the 2 minute Otter Tail County Extension's needs assessment survey to help shape future programming in the area - the survey is still open, and your feedback is important and greatly appreciated!
Take care,
Olivia Olson
office: (218) 998-8308
cell: (218) 282-5963
Guide to harvesting and storing melons, squash, and pumpkins
Melons are one of the trickiest plants to grow, because the guidelines around harvest are confusing and often contradictory. I often hear growers express frustration because their melons seem ripe but don’t have much flavor, or because they spoil faster than they should. This article presents an overview of ripening, as well as harvest and storage tips for melons, watermelons, squash, and pumpkins. Read the rest of the article here.
Planning for a pollinator-friendly habitat installation
Successful pollination is key for quality fruit production anywhere in the world. Some growers have noted 2025 as a growing season with less activity from wild pollinators than average years. For growers who rent or care for their own honeybee hives, having honeybees on site could have helped. Whereas sites that depend on wild bees may have benefited when on-site resources like water, environments suitable for nesting, and diverse pollinator-friendly plants were available. This is where creating a pollinator habitat installation can be extremely beneficial. Read about how to build pollinator habitat here.
Honeybee care guidebook
Are you a beekeeper, or looking to get into beekeeping? In collaboration with Minnesota beekeepers and with funding from a USDA NIFA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) grant, the University of Minnesota Bee Lab team developed a new tool in the form of a guidebook to support beekeepers across the north central region of the U.S. This resource is designed to help beekeepers monitor colony health and manage their colonies throughout the seasons. Access this resource here.
How to identify and manage lawn diseases
Recent weather patterns have been promoting favorable disease conditions for our lawns here in Minnesota. Conditions of warmth and moisture generally increase lawn diseases, which have symptoms that can range from obvious brown spots or patches to less obvious rust-colored spores on otherwise healthy-looking turf. Some diseases may just be visually distracting, whereas others could mean death of plants or an entire lawn, so it is important to pay attention anytime a lawn may look different than expected. In many cases, the symptoms may resemble other stresses to turf, so looking at the conditions and other clues can help diagnose the lawn problem. Read more about lawncare here.
The mission of the University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener volunteer program is to share research-based horticultural knowledge and practices, cultivate diverse collaborations, support project-based volunteer activities and inspire change to promote healthy people, healthy communities and a healthy planet. Applications are now open and will close on October 1st. Learn more and find the application here.
Have questions about the program? We can put you in touch with one of our current volunteers to share about their experiences.
Join local U of M Extension Educator to learn about what's happening in Otter Tail County, including updates on local concerns like the emerald ash borer, two-lined chestnut borer, and bronze birch borer. These invasive insect pests are impacting trees in the area, and we’ll share what you need to know to spot and manage them.
Wednesday, September 10 from 10:30-11:30am at New York Mills Public Library
An Annie’s Project weekend retreat for farmers and ranchers will focus on farm management topics, including financials, legal issues, human resources, production, and marketing. All farmers are welcome —urban, rural, experienced, or just starting out. It’s a wonderful time to gather with others involved in farming.
The cost is $199, which includes overnight accommodations and meals at the retreat center at Lakeside Camp, 32393 Rendova Circle NE, Cambridge, MN 55008. Capacity is limited for a small group experience.
October 3 - 5
Cambridge
Learn more and register for Annie's Project Retreat
Minnesota irrigators, we want to hear from you! Take the Minnesota Irrigator Program improvement survey found at z.umn.edu/MIP_2026.
MN Farm and Rural Stress Support
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 898211Email: farmstress@state.mn.us
Crisis Text Line:
Text: MN to 741 741