Farming
Beef Quality Assurance certification: April 25, 7 p.m., free, online via Zoom by the University of Minnesota Extension and the Minnesota Beef Council. Advance registration required at z.umn.edu/BQAApril25 . BQA certification is being required by many major industry buyers and processors. It is still voluntary for producers to complete; however, when a producer does not have current BQA certification, the result is that many packers and feedlots simply cannot purchase those cattle because their company cannot source cattle from a producer who does not meet their certification requirements. If unable to attend the Zoom session, earn free certification online, anytime, at www.bqa.org .
Sheep and goat parasite webinar: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 3, free online via Zoom by the University of Minnesota Extension, for farmers, 4-H’ers and ag business professionals who work with farmers. Register at z.umn.edu/GSParasite. The link will be emailed. Dr. Scott Bowdridge, West Virginia University, will speak on managing parasites in a sheep/goat operation. His research is focused on immune function and response to overcome parasite infection impacts. If you are unable to attend the live session, you will receive the recording via email. Any questions please contact: Brenda Miller at nels4220@umn.edu or Travis Hoffman at Travis.W.Hoffman@ndsu.edu .
Strategic farming: Field Notes: Back for 2023 starting May 10 and continuing through Aug. 23. University of Minnesota Extension webinar over Zoom for farmers and ag professionals on Wednesdays, 8 a.m., free, 30-minute. The program will feature a live webinar with interactive discussion with attendees, addressing in-season cropping issues as they arise. Weekly topics will be announced on the week of the program, maintaining the flexibility to react to issues that come up in 2022.
For those unable to attend live, the discussion-based series will be recorded and available at strategicfarming.transistor.fm . You need to register only once and may attend any or all of the webinars. Register at z.umn.edu/strategic-farming .
Session topics set in May are as follows:
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- May 10: Weather
- May 17: Corn and soybean planting
- May 24: Alfalfa and early season insects
- May 31: Cover crop termination
Keep reading for more of this week's calendar items below the related content.
Outdoors
Tree sale: The Kandiyohi Soil and Water Conservation District has trees and shrubs for purchase. Staff can assist with a tree plan. Order at www.kandiyohiswcd.org or at the district office as a lot of species are sold out already. Pickup from the district shed will be from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, April 27, and Friday, April 28, at 1005 High Ave. S.E. in Willmar. Call 320-235-3540, extension 3, for questions.
Sibley State Park: A vehicle permit is required to enter the park and is available online. Sibley State Park is west of New London just off U.S. Highway 71. The Interpretive Center is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday-Sunday; call
320-354-2055
. For more information, visit the state Department of Natural Resources website at
www.dnr.state.mn.us
.
- Morning mindfulness hike: April 22, 10 to 11 a.m., meet at Interpretive Center. Join an interpreter to take a deep breath and enjoy the natural world during 0.7-mile hike on Pondview Trail: Please dress for weather.
- Scats and tracks: April 22, 2 to 3 p.m., at the Interpretive Center. Learn about the scats and tracks of resident wildlife and how to identify them.
Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center: Trails at the rural Spicer center may be used during daylight hours at no cost. For trail conditions, check the website at
www.prairiewoodselc.org
. A bathroom with composting toilets is open by the pavilion. Pets should be on a leash. Advance registration required for all classes. All equipment rentals (fat-tire bikes, cross-country skies, snowshoes and kicksleds) will be handled on a reservation basis, made at least 24 hours in advance. To reserve equipment for the weekend, please call by noon Friday. Two-hour equipment rental is $20 for adults, $10 for members and $5 for all youth. Call
320-354-5894
.
- Earth Day 2023: April 22, 1 to 4:30 p.m., free, no registration required. Recycled outdoor gear sale, climbing wall, four half-hour classes on ponds, birds, mammals and insects. The Meadow Adventures puppet show will be at 1 and 3 p.m. with audience participation. Wood duck box building, nitrate testing, rain barrels for sale, adopt-a-drain and a food truck on site.
The Trust Project
