Quad County Crops Newsletter

Happy February, everyone!

On February 2nd, 2026, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, predicting 6 more weeks of winter. While I look forward to warmer weather and fields greening up, there are many things to cherish about winter, including the severe cold that helps reduce insect pests in the summer.

This edition’s spotlight is on frost seeding. If your forages are less productive than they used to be, reseeding is one tool to improve performance. Looking ahead, a Livestock Integration Workshop, Winter Agronomy Meeting, Organic Crops Day, and many other Extension events are coming to the area in February and March. Make sure to participate in the Crops Needs Assessment before the survey closes to encourage Extension programming that suits your farm.

Don’t forget about the other newsletters serving the quad counties, including “Get Growing,” a horticulture newsletter, and “Word from the Herd,” a livestock newsletter. Click the button below to manage your quad county newsletter and report preferences, including your interest in Hay Auction Reports and Alfalfa Harvest Alerts.

Happy growing,

Jackie Estrem

Sustainable Agriculture / Soil Health / Water Quality

Stearns, Benton, Morrison, and Sherburne Counties

estre060@umn.edu | 763-515-1023

When forage stands in your hay field or pasture become weedy, patchy, or less productive, renovation is one tool to improve forage productivity. Production can be maximized by careful management practices, including weed control, rotational grazing or harvest timing, or soil fertility amendments informed by soil testing. While good management can extend the life of a forage stand, most stands will become less productive as they age, requiring rotation, renovation, or reseeding.

While fall is generally the optimum time for pasture renovation, there are some spring seeding practices that can be helpful, too. Frost-seeding and overseeding are practices that can be used to improve stand composition with minimal soil disturbance and rest period. Frost seedings can be broadcasted over small amounts of snow or bare soil in February and March, when soils are freezing and thawing. Rain and freeze-thaw action will help the seeds enter the soil. To prevent seeds from getting caught in residues from the previous year’s forage, grazing close to the ground in the fall or spring can reduce residue amounts, and hoof action can help incorporate seeds.

Overseeding usually occurs later, around March to May, depending on the optimum conditions for the seeded forage. Seed is planted with a no-till drill into existing sod. Similar to frost seeding, spring growth should be managed with grazing or mowing to prevent the new seeding from being shaded out by the existing stand. Short-interval grazing starting at 10 inches and going to 4 inches until the new seeding is established should allow sufficient light to enter the canopy.

Legume species that seem to perform well with frost seeding include red clover and birdsfoot trefoil. Don’t frost seed alfalfa into existing alfalfa that is more than one year old. Grass species to consider include perennial ryegrass, orchardgrass, and smooth bromegrass. Overseeding tends to be more successful with most forage species, as drilled seeds tend to establish more reliably than broadcasted seeds.

Join us 9 to 10 a.m. on Wednesdays, now through March 25th for up-to-date, research-based information in an informal webinar format; please bring questions. The live Zoom sessions can be accessed from almost anywhere, and if you miss any, a recording will be posted online. Register for Strategic Farming once, and you'll have access to all of the sessions.

Tuesdays in February, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.

Feeling the squeeze from soil compaction? Learn how to protect your yields. NDSU.AG/NSCC2026

Soil compaction is a growing concern for farmers and land managers, especially across the northern United States and southern Canada. To address these challenges, University of Minnesota Extension, Manitoba Ag, North Dakota State University, Iowa State University, and Ontario Ag are proud to present the Northern Soil Compaction Conference (NSCC)— an international virtual event designed to help producers understand, manage, and prevent compaction.

Every pass of heavy equipment increases the risk of soil compaction. Compaction can restrict root and crop growth, reduce water infiltration, limit nutrient access, increase crop disease pressure, and lower overall yields. The good news? There are effective strategies to fix existing compaction issues and prevent them in the future. These strategies include using cover crops, adjusting tillage practices, managing traffic patterns, properly inflating tires, and lowering axle loads.

This year’s NSCC provides a unique chance to explore the latest research and practical solutions from top experts in the United States and Canada. Attendees will gain actionable insights to address current compaction issues, develop long-term management strategies, and learn about the benefits of these practices for productivity and profitability.

A total of 12 CEUs for CCAs will be available over the four days of the conference. Registration costs $75 for the full four-day event. A limited number of scholarships are available. Recorded presentations will be accessible if you're unable to attend a session. For more information and to register, visit ndsu.ag/nscc2026.

Now is a good time to check your pesticide applicator’s license; does the recertify by date say 2026? If you need to recertify this winter, you can attend a recertification workshop, pass the mail-in or online exam, or complete the online course.

Recertification Workshops

Workshop options are available on the Private Pesticide Recertification Website. The cost for each workshop is $100. Pre-Registration is payable by credit card only, while walk-in registration is payable by check, made to the University Minnesota, only. Please bring your applicator's license and photo ID.

Upcoming Recertification Workshops in the Quad Counties:

Feb 16, 12:30 to 4:00 pm, Sauk Centre City Hall Council Chambers

320 Oak St S, Sauk Centre, MN 56378

Feb 26, 9:00 am to 12:30 pm, Palmer Township Hall

4180 105th Ave, Clear Lake, MN 55319

Tuesday, February 17, 2026, St. Cloud

Holiday Inn and Suites, 75 37th Ave S, St. Cloud, MN 56301

University of Minnesota Extension and the Minnesota Agricultural Water Resource Center’s Nitrogen Conference brings experts together to focus on this valuable input. Current topics in crop production and environmental stewardship will be relevant and informative for today's agricultural producers and professionals and anyone else who appreciates high-quality, research-based information. Certified crop advisers (CCA) can earn continuing education credits (CEUs) in soil and water and nutrient management by attending the conference.

Register for the Nitrogen Conference

February 23 - 24, 2026 | McLeod County Extension Office

840 Century Ave SW, Hutchinson, MN 55350

Take your nitrogen management to a higher level by attending one or several of the Advanced Nitrogen Smart trainings at Nitrogen College. There is no cost to attend thanks to the generous support of Minnesota corn farmers and their checkoff. CEU's are available for Certified Crop Advisors. More information is available at z.umn.edu/nitrogensmart.

Thursday, February 26, 2026, 5 - 8 p.m.

Dassel History Center and Ergot Museum

901 1st St, Dassel, MN 55325

In this interactive workshop, farmers will learn about important soil, finance, crop, and livestock concepts related to crop and livestock integration. In addition to presentations by Extension educators, participants will engage in activities to put their newfound knowledge to the test.

Cost: $10, Register for Making the Most of Each Acre

Dr. Matthew Helmers, ISU Extension -- Relay Cropping Strategies for Success

Brad Carlson, UMN Extension -- Nitrogen Management

Dr. Anthony Hanson, UMN Extension -- IPM and Greenbridging

Jim Mages, Nutrien -- Herbicide Planning for Diverse Cropping Systems

Please register by Sunday, March 1, 2026!

The University of Minnesota uses needs assessment surveys to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities in programming and research. These surveys help us gauge the relevancy of our programming and identify gaps between our services and the communities we serve. Whether you work with Extension a lot, or not at all, consider taking at least one to support Extension programming that matters to you. -- Click the images to go to the survey --

The Great Lakes Cover Crop Project is recruiting farmers to participate for the 2025-26 season! This community science effort brings together farmers from across the upper Midwest to build a regional database of cover crop performance, which then allows for identifying what cover crops and management practices work best across different farming conditions. Partnering farmers collect cover crop photos and height measurements from their fields in the spring, and in return receive a personalized report with cover crop biomass and nutrient estimates, along with $50 per field for up to three fields. Anyone growing overwintering cover crops this season in MI, OH, IN, IL, WI, or MN is eligible. Enroll fields.

Thinking about replanting a hay field or pasture, but want to try a different forage species? With all of the options available, seed selection can be overwhelming. The perennial forage selector tool weighs things like the conditions in your field, your forage quality goals, and your level of management to provide a short list of forage species that might work well in your system.

February 16th - Pesticide Applicator Training - Sauk Centre

February 17th - Nitrogen Conference

February 17th - Small Grains Tour - Cold Spring

February 23rd & 24th - Nitrogen College

February 26th - Making the Most of Each Acre

February 26th - Pesticide Applicator Training - Palmer

February 27th - Winter Agronomy Meeting

March 10th - Organic Crops Day - Clearwater

March 10th - Benton SWCD Tuesday Talks

March 13th & 14th - Minnesota Family Woodlands Conference

Jackie Estrem

Extension Educator, Sustainable Agriculture, Soil Health, and Water Quality

Email: estre060@umn.edu

Cell: 763-515-1023

Stearns County - 3301 Co Rd 138, Waite Park, MN 56387

Benton County - 531 Dewey St, Foley, MN 56329

Morrison County - 213 1st Ave SE, Little Falls, MN 56345

Sherburne County - 13880 Business Center Dr NW, Ste 100, Elk River, MN 55330

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