Extension Connection

A big thank you to the garden tour folks that opened up their yards to the public on a beautiful July 18th evening. Esko residents Julie and Ron Envall, Linda Gunderson, Gladys and Loren Bergstedt, Phil and Julie Aili, Randy and Martha Francour, Kathy Rahkola, Deb Carlson and Eileen Schantz-Hansen put on quite the show for all to see. You can see more photos of the tour on the Carlton County Master Gardener Facebook page.

It's that time of year again! August 17-20 are the dates for the Carlton County fair. The 4H building will feature a "Ask a Master Gardener" booth, all of the 4H general exhibits, and interactive agriculture learning opportunities. Hope to see you there!

Come join us August 18th at 12pm at the Pavilion at the Carlton County Fairgrounds as we have our annual celebration to recognize Carlton County's Finest! There will be coffee and treats beforehand to sweeten the ceremony as we honor Carlton County's 2023 Farm Family Happy Critters Farm, Honorable Senior Citizens Sharon Zelazny & Harold Ankrum, and recognize this years recipients of the Century Farm Award; Mike & Jen Olesiak and Lawrence Dahl Family Farm. All are welcome!

If you have an interest in plants and gardening and would enjoy sharing that interest with others, apply to become a University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener volunteer. Applications are being accepted for the Carlton County Extension Master Gardener Program now until October 1, 2023.

Individuals selected for the program begin an internship that starts with the Master Gardener core course training on January 2024. The course is taught online through the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Instructors are University of Minnesota Extension educators and faculty.

For an application or more information please call Ann Rust at the Extension Office 218-384-8684.

Come join us for the NEFGC annual field day. This year we will be busing up to Orr Minnesota to experience Wes Johnson's ranch. The field day will be held on September 12, 2023 with registration beginning at 9am and the event starting at 9:30am at the ranch. The cost of the event is $10. Topics for the day include:

• History of the Ranch and Ranch overview
• Comparison of annual forage seeding methods for late season grazing
• Helicopter herbicide application on young aspen
• Use of Drones in Agriculture – Live Demo
• Successfully overcoming Wolf/Livestock Conflicts
• Demonstration of Root/Brush Rake for land clearing
• Solar Ranch Power

We will have a bus up to the event! For all interested in attending the event registration is required. Please follow this link to indicate if you would like to ride the bus or let us know if you are driving yourself. The bus stops are:

1st stop: Cromwell Pavilion leaving promptly at 6am

2nd stop: Floodwood Rideshare next to Little Store, leaving promptly at 6:30am

3rd stop: Virginia Wayside rest stop on Laurentian Hill, leaving promptly at 7:45am

If you have any issues registering, please contact the Virginia Extension office at 218-749-7120.

NEFGC is excited to announce their 2023 fall bus tour on October 12-13 in Northwest MN. Learn about the different grazing opportunities available to farmers in the area, industry tours, and the wide variety of agriculture present in that part of the state. Tours are being scheduled now and a final trip itinerary will be released soon.

The Extension Office has been receiving calls regarding possible herbicide drift damage in their yards and gardens and how to detect and prevent it from happening. U of M Extension has a great article that can help residents decipher whether it is true herbicide damage or other problems that can be mistaken for it.

Herbicide drift happens when herbicides move through the air in droplets or vapor during an application, causing injury to nearby sensitive plants that they land on. Many fruit, vegetable and ornamental plants are sensitive to popular lawn and crop herbicides. Drift is most likely to occur during very windy, or very still (less than 3 mph) conditions. Any herbicide is prone to drifting if applied under the wrong conditions.

A 4-session gardening camp was held at the Cloquet library this June/July. Each session had 15-20 participants ranging in age from 6-10. Each participant had their own garden spot with 2 vegetables and a ornamental plant. Skills learned were planting, tending, pest management and harvesting. Most of the kids had never gardened before and were amazed at the results! Thanks to Marco Polo Enterprises for supplying the tomato plants.

As summer begins to come to a close, it's a great time to start thinking about liming applications for fields. Fall is often a better time for working a field without having to be so pressed for time and less competition with wet ground. Contact Mercedes if interested in liming materials.

4-H is an out-of-school, hands-on learning program for anyone in Kindergarten through one year past high school (grade 13). Youth choose a project that’s interesting to them and explore it with peers and caring adults. 4-H clubs are groups of youth who want to learn together and meet in every part of Minnesota.

What can I do in 4-H?

The sky’s the limit! 4-H offers learning experiences in science, photography, agriculture, healthy living, civic engagement and much more. We have one-day events, year-long projects and everything in between. There are many ways to try 4-H.

Read this months 4-H newsletter to explore the opportunities waiting for you and to stay up to date on all 4-H happenings!

Keri Cavitt, Regional Director cavit005@umn.edu

Mercedes Moffett, Agriculture Educator, moffe029@umn.edu

Ann Rust, Vol Coord & Horticulture Assist rustx048@umn.edu

Katie Siltanen, 4-H Educator silta006@umn.edu

Email: mnext-Carlton@umn.edu
Website: https://local.extension.umn.edu/local/carlton
Location: 317 Chestnut Avenue, Carlton, MN, USA
Phone: 218-384-3511
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UMNExtensionCarltonAg/