Nicollet & Sibley County Ag News
February 2026
Private Pesticide Applicator Trainings
Private applicators apply restricted-use pesticides (RUPs) to lands or sites they own, rent or manage for the production of an agricultural commodity. Farmers and their families who apply RUPs to their land can apply for a private applicator certification.
Registration is open for the online exam, in-person and Zoom workshops, and the self-paced online course.
Online registration for the 2026 recertification workshops allows you to pay in advance by credit card. Walk-in registration for in-person workshops is still available and payable by check only (no cash).
Upcoming area in person workshops are:
- February 2 - 5:30 - 9:00 p.m. @ Belle Plain Vets Club
- February 9 - 5:30 - 9:00 p.m. @ McLeod County Fairgrounds
- February 26 - 12:30 - 4:00 p.m. @ Ag Management Solutions in Mankato
Cow-Calf Days - Le Sueur, MN
This year’s event will feature information on herd health, mineral and general nutrition, industry updates, and a beef research update. Speakers include: Dr. Angela Varnum-U of M Extension Veterinarian, Alisha Klemme-U of M Extension, Eric Mousel-U of M Extension, and representatives from the MN State Cattlemen’s Association and MN Beef Council. The corresponding tradeshow will feature vendors with new information, technology, financial opportunities, and products with a wide-array of practical uses for the operators in the cow-calf sector.
Friday, February 13, 2026
9:30 a.m. to 1:00 P.M.
Ag Partners Headquarters,
901 N 4th Street, Le Sueur, MN 56058
Registration fee of $10 per person (to be paid at the door via cash or check) will include a meal, proceedings book, and program materials.
If you have any questions about the event please contact Colleen Carlson at the Scott County Extension Office at 952-466-5300. RSVP’s are appreciated for meal count, all walk-ins are welcome.
Carver County Dairy & Beef Expo
Grain Marketing, Machinery Pete, Calf Rearing, Trade Tariffs and Cattle Respiratory Diseases
February 16, 2026
9:00 a.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Central High School, NYA
Schedule of events
9:00 a.m. - Registration and trade show begins
9:45 a.m. - Beef Quality Assurance Training
10:15 a.m. - Early bird drawing in Trade Show Arena
10:30 a.m. - Morning sessions
Grain Marketing-Ed Usset, Economist, U of M
Respiratory Diseases - Jeremy Schefers, DVM, Merck Animal Health
The Five Hard Truths of Calf Rearing - Bethany Sado-Senn, Technical Specialist, Vita Plus
11:30 a.m. - Keynote address - Greg Peterson, Machinery Pete
12:30 p.m. - Enjoy lunch and trade show
2 p.m. - Afternoon sessions
Trade, Tariffs and Supply - Megan Roberts, Economist, Compeer
Respiratory Diseases - Jeremy Schefers, DVM, Merck Animal Health
The Five Hard Truths of Calf Rearing - Bethany Sado-Senn, Technical Specialist, Vita Plus
Visit with Ed Usset, Ed Usset, Economist, U of M
3 p.m. - Trade show closes
3:15 p.m. - Door prize drawing in Trade Show Arena
Find all the details at https://z.umn.edu/26DairyBeefExpo
Small Grains Update Meeting - Le Center, MN
Oat production in Minnesota is experiencing a modest renaissance. Just four years ago, oat acreage had declined to a record low, with only 77,000 acres harvested, according to NASS. This season, 165,000 acres were harvested for grain. Despite the rebound, current acreage remains small compared with historical levels, which peaked at roughly 5 million acres annually in the decade following World War II.
Wednesday February 18, 2026.
Le Center: 4H Family Center,
Le Sueur County Fairgrounds, 320 S Plut Ave, Le Center, MN 56057,
10:00 am - 12:00 pm with lunch following the meeting
(Contact Colleen Carlson at 952-466-5300, please register at z.umn.edu/smallgrainsupdate by February 17 for meal count)
https://extension.umn.edu/event/small-grains-update-lecenter
These free workshops are sponsored by the Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council. Please register online to ensure that there is coffee, cookies, and food for everyone.
Annie's Project 101 On-line Wbinar Series
Annie's Project is a series of workshops for women involved in management and decision-making processes in the complex, dynamic world of agriculture. Annie's Project is designed to empower farm women to be better business partners.
This six-week virtual risk management education series covers the business of farming and ranching including the five key areas of risk management: financial, human resources, legal, marketing and production risks. There's plenty of time for questions, sharing, reacting and connecting with presenters and fellow participants. It's a relaxed, fun and dynamic way to learn, grow and meet other farm/ranch women.
Dates: Monday Evenings - February 23, March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, 2026
Time: 6:30 pm - 9 pm
Registration Fee $99.00
Zoom sessions links and further instructions will be sent after the registration deadline of February 9, 2026.
For registration and information visit z.umn.edu/MNPrairietoPinesVirtual
Beef Quality Assurance Trainings to be Offered
On-Line Beef Quality Assurance
University of Minnesota Extension, in partnership with the Minnesota Beef Council, will host multiple Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) virtual training sessions this winter. Producers attending any of the free workshops will receive a three-year BQA certification.
The following virtual BQA training sessions will all be offered from 7:00 to 9:00 PM CST:
Thursday, February 19, 2026: z.umn.edu/BQAFeb19
Thursday, March 19, 2026: z.umn.edu/BQAMarch19
Tuesday, April 7, 2026: z.umn.edu/BQAApril7
Learn more about these virtual BQA opportunities and register.
In-Person Beef Quality Assurance
Monday February 16, 2026
9:45 am to 11:30 am
Carver County Dairy and Beef Expo
Central High School Norwood Young America, MN
Fee is $15.00 as this is part of the Carver County Dairy and Beef Expo and will include milk and coffee break along with lunch. https://z.umn.edu/26DairyBeefExpo
UMN Extension to Host Lambing & Kidding Workshops
The University of Minnesota Extension will present four in-person lambing & kidding workshops in early 2026. The workshops will offer a combination of classroom training in what to expect, plus hands-on practice with a lambing and kidding simulator. Anyone who is expecting lambs or kids in the spring should attend.
Dates and locations for the 2026 events include:
Saturday, February 21: Buffalo at the Wright County Government Center, Room 1103. Link to register: https://z.umn.edu/lambing_wright.
Saturday, March 7: Jordan at the Scott County Extension Office. Link to register: https://z.umn.edu/lambing_scott.
Registration fee $10.00 via online registration or cash/check at the door
Getting Started with Backyard and Small Flock Chicken Workshop
The Backyard and small scale poultry workshop agenda is filled with multiple topics geared toward the needs of the backyard, hobbyist and small scale poultry keepers.
this informative class that will offer practical guidance on
poultry husbandry, breeds of chickens, nutrition, housing, city ordinances, biosecurity, getting started raising baby chicks, maintaining a chicken coop and run, all the fundamentals of Backyard chicken rearing.
Saturday, March 7, 2026
1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Scott County Extension Office
7151 190th St W, #100
Jordan, MN 55352
This is a free, in-person workshop offering.
Protect Silver Creek and other Watershed
Use less acetochlor and follow best management practices
Silver Creek is contaminated with high levels of acetochlor, an herbicide commonly used to control weeds on corn and soybeans. The creek flows through the southern part of Carver County and drains into the Minnesota River. Most acetochlor runoff happens from early May to early June, shortly after early-season herbicide applications and heavy rainfall. That’s why it is so important to consider alternative herbicides and take steps to reduce runoff.
If you have a weed management plan for crops in this area, you can help by switching from acetochlor products to non-acetochlor options. See lists below. Talk with your dealer or agronomist to find the best non-acetochlor products for your farm. Your choices for next season can make a real difference in protecting Silver Creek and may help avoid potential future restrictions on acetochlor use in the area.
Acetochlor products: Harness, Tripleflex, SureStart, Resicore, and Warrant
Non-acetochlor products: Dimethenamid-P (Outlook), S-metolachlor (Dual Magnum), or Pyroxasulfone (Zidua). These alternatives belong to the same Group 15 herbicide class and could provide similar weed control.
If you still plan to use acetochlor products, follow the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Acetochlor Best Management Practices. (link)
If you rent your land, share this information with your tenants.
For questions or assistance, contact Minnesota Department of Agriculture at ptu.mda@state.mn.us or 651-201-6029
Join us for “Strategic Farming: Let's talk crops!”
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 University of Minnesota Extension “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 2026.
Learn more about how you can join these strategic farming conversations.
Connect with us!
Government Center 501 S Minnesota Ave St. Peter, MN 56082
507-934-7830
111 8th St. Gaylord, MN 55334
507-237-4100
Extension website: www.extension.umn.edu
Email: mnext-sibley@umn.edu