Otter Tail County Extension Update

Happy May!

Our recent warmth and spring rains have really brought everything to life, and the trees will be full of leaves before we know it. However, our region is still in a moderate drought as of the end of April, so be sure to water wisely to support the health of your plants as planting season commences. It's not too late to take a soil test if you want to know more about your soil and fertilizer needs; testing forms are available online or in the Fergus Falls and New York Mills Extension offices.

As always, please reach out with any questions you may have, or topics you'd like to learn about - I always enjoy hearing your ideas.

Take care,

Olivia Olson

olso7655@umn.edu

office: (218) 998-8308

cell: (218) 282-5963

Planting trees and shrubs

Apple and grape pest management

Seed corn maggot forecasts

Agritourism newsletter

Beginning livestock production course

Library horticulture presentation series

Backyard and small flock poultry workshop

Strategic farming discussions

Sheep solar grazing farmer panel

Are you looking to plant or transplant a tree or shrub this spring? Take a look at this page from UMN Extension before you plant so that you can be well-informed and set your tree up for success.

Pest management strategies can vary widely depending on farm scale, production goals, and growing practices—whether organic, conventional, or somewhere in between. To help you stay informed and supported throughout the season, we’ve compiled a list of key resources that serve as practical tools and guides for managing pests in Minnesota’s apple and grape systems.

Overlap between how temperatures affect planting timing and pest development frequently affects management decisions, and that is beginning to show as we transition into May. Read here for this year's corn maggot forecasts and strategies for management.

Sign up for the new Minnesota Agritourism Quarterly Newsletter to stay connected with farm-based tourism efforts across the state. The newsletter includes best practices, regulatory updates, marketing tips, success stories, and news from statewide partners and programs.

Sign up here: https://forms.gle/PAivr1PmQ3xFKArB7

The self-paced beginning livestock production course will cover the animal science and husbandry topics of nutrition, housing and facilities, health, and handling with information specific to beef cattle, dairy cattle, goats, sheep, poultry and swine. The course will help beginning livestock producers decide which livestock species fits their system and goals. Participants will use this information to plan for the essential facilities, supplies and skills necessary to successfully raise livestock. Participants will be able to ask questions during bi-weekly office hours with the instructor. Course fee is $50.

Course opens May 12
Online
Register for beginning livestock production online course

Come enjoy free horticulture presentations at the New York Mills Library! There are still two dates left in this series, and they are open to anyone to attend. If you are interested in attending, please contact the library are 218-385-2436 or nympubliclibrary.org so they can plan accordingly.

Food Forests

Wednesday, May 7, 6:30 pm

Presented by Olivia Olson, UMN Extension Educator

Garden Trivia

Tuesday, May 13, 6:30 pm

Presented by Julie Adams, Master Gardener and NYM Library Director

Are you considering getting a flock of chickens? This workshop covers everything you need to know, including breed selection, starting baby chicks, nutrition, housing, biosecurity, health

and care of hens as well as city ordinances and the selling of eggs. Presented by the University of Minnesota Extension; Colleen Carlson has served as the Ag Production Systems Extension Educator in

Scott and Carver counties since 2016. Colleen teaches several poultry classes through UMN

Extension and has raised a variety of chickens, ducks, turkey, geese and peafowl.

There will be a follow-up webinar to this class in the fall of 2025, covering how to care for poultry in the winter. Attendees from this first session will be contacted with more information for the fall webinar.

When: Thursday, May 8 at 5 pm

Where: 2777 34 th St S, Moorhead, MN 56560, room 120

Cost: $29 per participant

Register at z.umn.edu/ClayPoultry

Field Notes is an interactive, discussion-based webinar for farmers and agricultural professionals to address crop-related concerns with experts as they arise during the growing season. Sessions run from 8:00 to 8:30 a.m. on Wednesdays from May 7 through August 13. For more information, visit https://z.umn.edu/Strategic-Farming. This program is brought to you by the UMN Extension Crops Team and is supported by the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council and the Minnesota Corn Research & Promotion Council.

Hear from a diverse group of sheep producers as they share their firsthand experiences with grazing sheep under solar panels, providing valuable insights into both the benefits and challenges they have encountered. These producers will discuss how this innovative practice impacts their operations, the environmental benefits, the economic considerations, and the practical challenges they face in managing livestock alongside renewable energy infrastructure.

May 20
7 p.m. CT
Online
Register for sheep solar grazing producer panel

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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