Sawbridge: January 20th is the registration deadline for distance learning programs beginning February 1st. Her SowBridge of 12 sessions is aimed at those involved in the management or care of sows and/or their litters and boars. manager and technical service provider. Online registration at z.umn.edu/SowBridgeRegistration.
Women in Agriculture Network Conference: February 7, 8:30pm-3:00pm Willmar Conference Center $75, early bird until January 16, $100 after that, $25 for students, register at z.umn.edu/WAGNconf please. The theme is ‘Building Farm and Family Resilience’ and includes keynote speaker Monica McConkie and her three breakout tracks, closing panel her discussion.
Farmland rental: The rate is the largest input cost a farmer has. Determining a fair farm rental agreement is always difficult. This year we will be hosting both in-person and webinar sessions. Participants will receive several informative worksheets and fact sheets to help determine fair farmland rents for 2023. The rest of the conferences set up for this area are:
- Wilmer’s webinars: Zoom Presentation on January 12th at 9:30am or 1:30pm
- Hutchinson webinars: Zoom presentation on Jan. 26 at 9:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m.
Strategic Farming: Let’s Talk Crops webinar series. This free, live online program provides the latest research-based information to help you optimize your crop management strategy for 2023. It begins with a brief presentation by the discussion leader for the day, followed by a discussion centered around farmer/participant questions on this topic. For the full program series, register at z.umn.edu/strategic-farming Please give me. The session will be recorded and posted for later viewing. The next three sessions are:
- January 11th: Seasonal forecasts — weather, economy, supply chain. Ed Usset, Extension Grain Marketing Economist, University of Minnesota; Pete Boulay, Assistant State Climatologist, Department of Natural Resources;
- January 18th: What’s bothering my corn? Prospects such as corn rootworms. Anthony Hanson, Integrated Pest Management Extension Educator, and other his IPM Specialists.
- January 25th: Climate Factors and Nitrogen Management; Dan Kaiser, Extension Nutrition Management Specialist, and Brad Carlson, Extension Educator for Water Resources.
Continue reading for more information on this week’s calendar items under Related Content.
Create your own pollinator habitat: January 31-February 2, 1:30-2:30 pm, free, pre-registration required. Contact Tarahy@umn.edu or 218-384-3511. In this three-part webinar series, he explains how to create a pollinator-friendly garden on January 31st, a bee lawn on February 1st, and a pocket prairie on February 2nd. .
Gardening from scratch: February 20-24, 1-2:30 pm, free, online. Educators at the University of Minnesota Extension host their fourth annual webinar series. His free virtual workshop focuses on trees and shrubs in the home landscape. Webinars will cover topics for curious novice gardeners and garden owners, from tree establishment to proper pruning techniques to pest management. A recording of the webinar will be sent at the end of the series.
“Prairie Yard and Garden”: The 36th season of “Prairie Yards and Gardens” begins January 19 on Pioneer PBS. All shows will be available online at www.pioneer.org after the first show.
- January 19th: Repeat on Thursday, January 19 at 7:30 PM, Saturday, January 21 at 4:00 PM, and Monday, January 23 at 1:00 PM. “Growing Bedding Plants with Dan and Jerry’s”
- January 26th: Repeat on Thursday, January 26 at 7:30 PM, Saturday, January 28 at 4:00 PM, and Monday, January 30 at 1:00 PM. South Dakota State University in Brookings makes local food a field of study to help students understand how to produce safe, healthy, and sustainable food for their communities.
Hawk Creek Basin Project: The 21st Annual Meeting will be held on Friday, January 27 from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon at the Renville Community Center. Presenters include his Doug Lovander, one of Pheasants Forever’s original founders and a longtime resident of Eagle Lake. He talks about his life at Eagle Lake and how the changes and observations he saw motivated him to become a founding member of his Pheasants Forever. Lee Gansuke of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency talks about water quality trends in Minnesota, with a focus on Hawke’s Creek and the Minnesota River Basin. Hawk Creek Watershed Project Coordinator Heidi Rauenhorst will provide an annual update and share best management her practice projects, water quality monitoring, aquatic invasive species, and other activities the organization has accomplished in the last year. The full agenda is available at hawkcreekwatershed.org. Lunch will follow a presentation for those who have registered by January 20th at 320-523-3666 or jordan@hawkcreekwatershed.org.
Sibley Provincial Park: Vehicle permits are required to enter the park and are available online. Sibley Provincial Park is located just off Route 71 west of New London. For more information, visit the State Department of Natural Resources website at www.dnr.state.mn.us. Cross-country ski and snowmobile trail states available at dnr.state.mn.us/snow_depth/index.html.
- Luminary Hike: Enjoy the evening with a lantern-lit self-guided hike on the Pondview Interpretive Trail, a 0.7-mile loop with a gradient of up to 7% at 190 feet from 5:00pm to 7:00pm on January 21st let’s Please dress appropriately for the weather. Before or after your hike, stop by the campfire at the amphitheater to socialize and warm up.
- Number of wonderful backyard birds: February 18th from 11am to noon. Meet at the Interpretive Center and work with the Pondview Trail staff to identify and count as many birds as possible. If you have binoculars, please bring them. If you don’t have binoculars, contact Savannah at the Sibley Interpretive Center (320-354-2055) to borrow one from the park. The number is limited. If you can’t make the trail, stop by the Interpretive Center to check out your birding kit and turn in your count at the end of the day.
- Snowshoe hike: February 25, 11am-12:30pm Meet at the Interpretive Center for a snowshoe hike on the Pondview Trail. If you don’t have enough snow, do a winter hike instead. Please contact the Sibley Interpretive Center for updates one week in advance. Pre-registration is required as equipment is limited. To reserve a place, please contact the Sibley Interpretive Center at Savannah, 320-354-2055.
Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center: The trails at the rural Spicer Center are free during the day. Check the www.prariewoodselc.org website for trail conditions. Adjacent to the pavilion is a bathroom with a composting toilet. Please keep pets on a leash. Pre-registration required for all classes. All equipment rentals (fat tire bikes, cross country skis, snowshoes, kick sleds) are processed based on bookings made at least 24 hours in advance. To reserve equipment for the weekend, please call by noon on Friday. Two-hour equipment rentals are $20 for adults, $10 for members, and $5 for all youth. Call 320-354-5894.
“Prairie Sportsman”: The 14th season of “Prairie Sportsman” begins January 22 on Pioneer PBS. All shows will be available online at www.pioneer.org after the first show.
- January 22nd: Repeats on Sunday, January 22nd at 7:30 PM, Monday, January 23rd at 12:30 PM, and Saturday, January 28th at 7:30 PM. Tournament, Restoration of Lake Marsh and Mussels of the Pomme de Terre revisited.
- January 29th: Continues Sunday, January 29 at 7:30 PM, Monday, January 30 at 12:30 PM, and Saturday, February 4 at 7:30 PM. Host Brett Amundson presents the rainbow trout and ice-fishing “Coldwater His Trout” at the southeastern Minnesota Trout Hatchery.