Carlton County Extension Connection

What a challenging year it has been for forage production. The season began with well‑timed rains, giving many producers hope for a strong and productive harvest. Unfortunately, as summer progressed, conditions shifted dramatically. Much of our region slipped into drought, and by late summer several areas even reached the “extreme drought” category according to the USDA Drought Monitor. These conditions created significant stress on forage crops and made it clear how essential consistent fertility management truly is.

Producers who have put off fertility plans experienced noticeable impacts this year, though in reality, everyone felt the strain. Fields that have been neglected over time showed markedly lower yields compared to those managed with a stable and intentional fertility program. The difference in productivity was evident across the region, highlighting the importance of maintaining soil health year after year.

Now that fall is here, it’s the ideal time to start planning for the upcoming growing season. Our forage crops endured prolonged periods of heat and dryness, which impacted the biology that released nutrients and left many stands in need of recovery. Understanding those nutrient deficits and addressing them through thoughtful supplementation will give your forages the best opportunity to rebound next year. If fertility plans continue to be lax, producers should be prepared for reduced yields and increased weed pressure, as weeds quickly take advantage of weakened forage stands.

One of the most cost‑effective steps you can take right now is soil sampling. A soil test remains the cheapest and most reliable investment in your forage operation. Receiving your results now will allow you to make informed decisions about fertilizer needs and ensure you are neither over‑ nor under‑applying nutrients. Forages require a balance of essential elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, and there are many options available to help meet these needs.

Soil sample kits are available at no cost through your local Extension office, and several businesses offer professional sampling services as well. Taking time to sample this fall will set your operation up for greater success in the season ahead.

NEFGC is headed to Wisconsin! Join us for this year’s tour featuring many exciting highlights and stops along the way. This tour is open to everyone - you do NOT have to be a member to attend!

Destinations:

River Falls, Chippewa Falls,

La Crosse, and More!

Dairy Farms

Rotational Grazing

Meat Plant

Seeds & Forages

Manufacturing

Research Farms

When: October 14 and 15

Cost: TBD estimate around $170 per person

Pre-register with Deena ASAP

218-384-8680

Hotel: Country Inn & Suites La Crosse Call 608-394-3674

Block under Northeast Forage & Grassland Council. Reservations need to be made by Oct 1

Due to cost of fuel we will need to have a minimum of 25 participants to make this work this year. Sign up ASAP!

Uncork the charm of wine and horses! Relax with a beverage of your choice over dinner while gaining equine insights from University of Minnesota experts and educators to support your horse’s health and nutrition for your horse operation. Everything Equine and Wine is open to anyone but is geared toward horse owners ages 18+.

Date

• East Central MN - November 5, 2026

Times: 5:30 - 8:30 PM

Cost: $30.00 (includes a meal)

Prepare your garden for a healthy start next spring with practical, research‑based fall tasks. Join Extension Horticulture Educator Laura Irish‑Hanson for an overview of winterizing your gardens.

When: October 15th

Time: 4:00 P.M.

Where: Via Zoom (Link will be sent after Registration)

Call Deena at 218-384-8680 to Register.

Connect with fellow farmers in your region and develop an adaptive whole-farm management

strategy that builds on your experience and expertise during a two-day cohort hosted University of

Minnesota (UMN) Climate Adaptation Partnership, UMN Extension, Regional Sustainable

Development Partnerships, and Land Stewardship Project. Over the course of the cohort, you will:

➢ Learn more about the potential impacts of increasing climate variability and change on

your agricultural operation.

➢ Evaluate climate risk management options that best support your farm and family goals by

reducing risks and capturing new opportunities associated with changing climate

conditions.

➢ Make a plan to implement selected climate resilience strategies and evaluate their

effectiveness over time.

Cloquet - November 9-10

Schedule Overview:

❖ Day 1 (9:30 am - 3:30 pm): Learning, discussion & beginning your farm's resilience plan.

❖ Day 2 (8:30 am - 2:30 pm): Developing your comprehensive plan, connecting with

regional partners, and learning about resources to support your next steps.

Free to attend • Meals provided • Registration Deadline: Thursday, October 22

Register at z.umn.edu/cohort-NE

•Participate in removal and treatment techniques

•Connect with others outdoors and get exercise

Dress for the weather, wear long-sleeved clothing and sturdy shoes. Bring water, a lunch, gloves, and safety goggles if you have them! Tools will be provided.

You can pre-register here: Battling Buckthorn at Pine Valley. Questions? Email Ross Biebl at rbiebl@cloquetmn.gov

October 1, 2026

5 to 8 pm

Salem Lutheran Church (4715 Hermantown Rd)

The program will feature a review of the 2026 gardening season with its many highlights and challenges, including:

• Strategies for dealing with drought and weather extremes
• Techniques for improving tomato yields
• Organic controls and methods of managing Colorado and Japanese beetles
• Performance of some new and outstanding vegetables and flowers
• Potato varieties and keys to growing success

The gardening discussion will be followed by the 2026 Potato Fest, where a professional chef will discuss methods of preparing potato dishes. This chef will prepare 10 potato dishes with the able assistance of U of M/St. Louis County Master Gardeners. The public will then have the opportunity to sample these dishes and vote on their favorites.

All of the recipes will be included in the "2026 Potato Fest Recipe Book and Resource Guide" published for this event.

The cost of the program is $25, which includes the program, potato sampling, and recipe book. Space is limited to the first 75 people who register.

Reserve your spot online!

Join the University of Minnesota at the Modern Homesteading Conference. Designed for everyday people interested in practical self‑reliance, the event features hands‑on sessions on food preservation, livestock care, equipment maintenance, gardening, and more. Keynote speaker Stephanie Thurow, author of Small‑Scale Homesteading, will share approachable strategies for bringing homegrown food and DIY skills into busy modern life.

When: November 21, 2026

Where: Park Rapids High School

Registration will be closed November 13th at 11:55 p.m.

Spots are limited.

For more additional information and registration visit z.umn.edu/homestead

University of Minnesota Extension and The Ohio State University Extension have partnered with Purina Animal Nutrition to provide a sheep and goat nutrition focused webinar. Dr. Patrick Gunn, who serves as Senior Nutritionist, R&D, and Technical Solutions for Purina Animal Health, will be leading the discussion evaluating how we can strive to manage our small ruminant females as pregnancy progresses through the fall season. Subpar precipitation across a majority of America makes nutrition a key component of fall management planning for ewes and does.

Date/time: October 14, 2026 at 7PM Central

Link: Registration is required and is available at z.umn.edu/GSNutrition.

Farmers in Aitkin, Carlton, Pine, and St. Louis Counties are eligible for Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) payments through FSA due to a minimum of 4 weeks at a D2 category of the USDA Drought Monitor. The Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP), administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA), provides financial support to eligible livestock producers who experience grazing losses due to qualifying drought or fire conditions. Qualifying fire losses are limited to fires that occur on federally managed land. The program helps producers recover from significant forage losses and address increased feed costs resulting from disasters.To apply, producers must submit the following to their local FSA office.

• Form CCC-853, Livestock Forage Disaster Program Application
• FSA-578, Report of Acreage
• Form AD-2047, Customer Data Worksheet
• Form CCC-901, Member Information for Legal Entities (if applicable)
• Form CCC-902I (if applicable), Farm Operating Plan for an Individual
• Form CCC-902E (if applicable), Farm Operating Plan for an entity
• Form CCC-941, Average Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) Certification and Consent to Disclosure of Tax Information
• AD-1026, Highly Erodible Land Conservation (HELC) and Wetland Conservation (WC) Certification
• SF-3881, ACH Vendor/ Miscellaneous Payment Enrollment Form (Direct Deposit)

Additional supporting documentation is required including proof of grazing losses as of the date of designated drought, grazing leases or permits, proof of land ownership, and livestock inventory information. All enrollment instructions and deadlines are available through the local FSA office. Please reach out to our local Duluth office with questions (218-720-5353).

Save the date for a hands on lambing and kidding workshop being held on Thursday December 10th from 6-8pm at the Cloquet Library. More information to come!

Transplanting in the fall can sometimes feel a little lackluster. Plants transition from putting their energy into new shoots, leaves, and flowers, to storing energy underground in their root system. In the fall, the plants are now going dormant, and reserving energy to survive the winter.

What gardeners are often transplanting are bare roots, or a plant that has been dug up from the ground and its roots washed clean of dirt and debris. Because the plants have stopped putting energy into its leaves it will often look a bit yellow or wilted by the time you pick it up for transplanting. Often, bare root plants will be cut back, so you will be getting the roots, the crown or trunk, and some dormant stems or branches.

Despite its pitiful appearance, planting bare roots now will give you a leg up in the spring! When the weather warms again, the plant will acclimate more quickly to your garden soil, which often means faster, healthier growth.

You don’t need to just focus on bare roots, however. Many plants, such as larger trees and shrubs, grasses, and young perennials benefit from remaining in their soil. When purchasing these plants in the fall, they’ll be preparing for dormancy. Their leaves may be yellowing and flowers may be absent, but the plant itself is still healthy.

Transplanting tips:

• Plant in a permanent location as soon as possible.

• Plant with the crown at the soil surface.

• Spread out the roots as much as possible, do not bend or fold the roots. You can trim roots back to prevent this, if needed.

• Water thoroughly.

• Apply mulch - but not fertilizer.

Here is more information from the U of MN Extension on Planting and Transplanting Trees and Shrubs and Prairie Moon has excellent photos and information on transplanting bare root plants in their brochure Installing Bare Root Plants.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is now accepting applications for the Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) Sustainable Agriculture Demonstration Grant. The grant supports innovative on-farm research and demonstrations of practices that could help make farming more profitable or resource-efficient.

The MDA anticipates awarding up to $350,000 through the grant program. Applicants may request up to $50,000 per project. No match is required for the first $25,000, but a dollar-for-dollar match is required for any amount requested above $25,000.

“Since 2019, the Walz-Flanagan Administration has invested more than $1.8 million in 67 research and demonstration projects through this grant,” said MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen. “These investments help turn ideas tested on Minnesota farms into practical knowledge that benefits producers statewide and keeps Minnesota at the forefront of sustainable agriculture research.”

Eligible applicants include Minnesota farmers, sovereign Tribal Nations, Tribal organizations, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and local units of government. Projects must take place on Minnesota farms and be conducted over two to three years. Priority will be given to farmer-led projects.

Previous grantees have explored practices such as trialing new table grape varieties, incorporating cover crops and crop rotations, optimizing on-farm composting, and using livestock grazing to manage invasive plants. Proposed practices do not need to be entirely new, but they should be innovative in Minnesota or uncommon in the region where the project will take place. Visit the AGRI Sustainable Agriculture Demonstration Grant webpage to explore past projects.

Grant recipients share what they learn through outreach activities and final reports published in the MDA’s annual Greenbook. The Greenbook highlights the results of grant funded projects and provides practical information that other farmers can use when considering sustainable practices for their own operations.

Applications are due by 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29. Visit the AGRI Sustainable Agriculture Demonstration Grant webpage for application details and complete eligibility requirements.

Funding for the Sustainable Agriculture Demonstration Grant is made available through the MDA’s AGRI Program, which administers grants to farmers, agribusinesses, schools, and more throughout Minnesota to advance the state’s agricultural and renewable energy sectors.

The office will be closed on Friday, October 16th. Please plan accordingly.

For assistance with registration or printing of information please contact the Extension Office at

218-384-3511. A computer is also available for public use.

Mercedes Mills, Agriculture Educator, moffett029@umn.edu, 218-384-8681

Katie Diggs, 4-H Youth Development Educator, silta006@umn.edu, 218-384-8682

Deena Olson, Office Administration Assistant, olso7219@umn.edu, 218-384-8680

Stacey Achterhoff, Master Gardener Program Coordinator, seacht@umn.edu, 218-384-8684

317 Chestnut Ave

P.O. Box 307 Carlton, MN 55718

218-384-3511

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