Readers’ Photos: Life on the Farm

GOODHUE, Minn. — The Minnesota Dairy Initiative will be hosting three farm couple retreats available to dairy farmers across the state of Minnesota. These farm couple retreats will also be open for other farming entity types such as beef, hog, crop, etc.

The retreats will take place on Jan. 20-21 in Detroit Lakes, Minn.; Jan. 27-28 in St. Cloud, Minn.; and Feb. 10-11 in Mankato, Minn.

The retreat is an opportunity for couples to enjoy a mini vacation away from the farm. The focuses of the retreat will include communication with your partner, communication with family, relationship building, handling stress, managing personalities, problem solving, action planning, and learning about additional resources. The retreat will also include opportunities to network with other farming couples, short lecture, group activities, and partner exercises.

Facilitating the retreats will be Monica Kramer McConkey, Rural Mental Health Specialist with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.

Farm couple retreats are limited to the first 10 couples who sign up per location. All lodging, meals, refreshments, and materials are included in registration.

To register or for more information, contact Emily Mollenhauer at emmollenhauer@gmail.com or (651) 764-0309.

This article was submitted by University of Minnesota Extension. v

Rose Wurtzberger of New Ulm, Minn. sent these snowy photos recently. The out buildings stand against the blue sky and white landscape.

Hawks are easy to spot in the bare trees this time of year. Al Batt of Hartland, Minn. sent this photo of a rough-legged hawk. “Rough-legged refers to the feathering that extends to the base of the toes, which conserves heat in frigid weather,” Batt writes. “ I called them Christmas hawks when I was a boy because I saw them in winter. They hover while facing into the wind as they hunt.”

Jan. 20 - VIRTUAL MEETING | 9:00 AM Jan. 23 Royalton, MN | 11:30 AM Jan. 24 Pierz, MN | 11:30 AM Jan. 26 Sauk Centre, MN | 11:30 AM Jan. 27 Greenwald, MN | 11:30 AM Jan. 30 Frost, MN | 9:00 AM Jan. 31 Austin, MN | 11:00 AM Feb. 1 Madelia, MN | 9:00 AM Feb. 2 Storden, MN | 9:00 AM Feb. 3 Mankato, MN | 9:00 AM Feb. 4 - VIRTUAL MEETING | 9:00 AM Feb. 16 - VIRTUAL MEETING | 6:30 PM Mar. 2 - VIRTUAL MEETING | 9:00 AM

AM – Optimum® AcreMax® insect protection system with YGCB, HX1, LL, RR2. Contains a single-bag integrated refuge solution for above-ground insects. In EPA-designated cotton-growing counties, a 20% separate corn borer refuge must be planted with Optimum AcreMax products. AMT – Optimum® AcreMax® TRIsect® insect protection system with RW,YGCB,HX1,LL,RR2. Contains a single-bag refuge solution for above- and below-ground insects. The major component contains the Agrisure® RW trait, the Bt trait, and the Herculex® I gene. In EPA-designated cotton-growing counties, a 20% separate corn borer refuge must be planted with Optimum AcreMax TRIsect products. AMX – Optimum® AcreMax® Xtra insect protection system with YGCB, HXX, LL, RR2. Contains a single-bag integrated refuge solution for above- and below-ground insects. In EPAdesignated cotton-growing counties, a 20% separate corn borer refuge must be planted with Optimum AcreMax Xtra products. AMXT (Optimum® AcreMax® XTreme) – Contains a single-bag integrated refuge solution for above- and below-ground insects. The major component contains the Agrisure® RW trait, the Bt trait and the Herculex® XTRA gene. In EPA-designated cotton-growing counties, a 20% separate corn borer refuge must be planted with Optimum AcreMax XTreme products. Q (Qrome®) – Contains a single-bag integrated refuge solution for above- and below-ground insects. The major component contains the Agrisure® RW trait, the Bt trait, and the Herculex® XTRA gene. In EPA-designated cotton-growing counties, a 20% separate corn borer refuge must be planted with Qrome products. Qrome products are approved for cultivation in the U.S. and Canada. They have also received approval in a number of importing countries, most recently China. For additional information about the status of regulatory authorizations, visit http://www.biotradestatus.com/. YGCB,HX1,LL,RR2 (Optimum® Intrasect®) – Contains the Bt trait and Herculex® I gene for resistance to corn borer. RW,HX1,LL,RR2 (Optimum® TRIsect®) – Contains the Herculex® I gene for above-ground pests and the Agrisure® RW trait for resistance to corn rootworm. AML – Optimum® AcreMax® Leptra® products with AVBL, YGCB, HX1, LL, RR2. Contains a single-bag integrated refuge solution for above-ground insects. In EPA-designated cotton-growing counties, a 20% separate corn borer refuge must be planted with Optimum AcreMax Leptra products. AVBL,YGCB,HX1,LL,RR2 (Optimum® Leptra®) – Contains the Agrisure Viptera® trait, the Bt trait, the Herculex® I gene, the LibertyLink® gene and the Roundup Ready® Corn 2 trait. HX1 – Contains the Herculex® I insect protection gene which provides protection against European corn borer, southwestern corn borer, black cutworm, fall armyworm, lesser corn stalk borer, southern corn stalk borer, and sugarcane borer; and suppresses corn earworm. HXX – Herculex® XTRA contains the Herculex® I and Herculex® RW gene. YGCB – The Bt trait offers a high level of resistance to European corn borer, southwestern corn borer and southern cornstalk borer; moderate resistance to corn earworm and common stalk borer; and above average resistance to fall armyworm. LL – Contains the LibertyLink® gene for resistance to Liberty® herbicide. RR2 – Contains the Roundup Ready® Corn 2 trait that provides crop safety for over-the-top applications of labeled glyphosate herbicides when applied according to label directions. Roundup Ready® is a registered trademark used under license from Monsanto Company. Liberty®, LibertyLink® and the Water Droplet Design are registered trademarks of BASF. Agrisure® and Agrisure Viptera® are registered trademarks of, and used under license from, a Syngenta Group Company. Agrisure® technology incorporated into these seeds is commercialized under a license from Syngenta Crop Protection AG.

Pioneer® brand products are provided subject to the terms and conditions of purchase which are part of the labeling and purchase documents. ™ ® Trademarks and service marks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies. © 2023 Corteva. ST. PAUL — Applications are now being accepted for a new grant program to support Minnesotans purchasing their first farm. The Down Payment Assistance Grant Program is managed by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and offers dollar-for-dollar matching up to $15,000 for qualified small farmers to purchase farmland.

The MDA’s Rural Finance Authority is awarding this funding using a first-come, first-served application process. Applications has begun being accepted on Jan. 4.

The Minnesota Legislature appropriated $500,000 in Fiscal Year 2023 for these grants. The RFA expects to award between 30 and 40 grants in this cycle, depending on the size of requests. A second cycle of $750,000 in funding has been secured and will be made available on July 1, 2023.

Farmers must be Minnesota residents who will earn less than $250,000 annually in gross agricultural sales and plan on providing the majority of the day-to-day physical labor on the farm for at least five years. Applicants must not have previous direct or indirect farmland ownership.

Applications will continue to be accepted until a waitlist of 100 applicants forms, or May 15, 2023, whichever comes first. Approved applications will remain valid for purchases closing within 90 days of approval or until May 15, 2023, whichever comes first.

The application and more information on the Down Payment Assistance Grant can be found at https:// www.mda.state.mn.us/down-payment-assistancegrant-program.

This article was submitted by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. v

Many farmers and land managers are thinking about ways to improve the resilience of their operations and become more nimble in responding to difficult conditions.

Moving livestock to available grazing is one way to S:9.916" T:10.166" B:10.666" be nimble. Adding cover crops and livestock to row cropping systems helps improve soil health and is one way to build resiliency. Trouble is, many livestock farmers don’t own or rent land in multiple locations – and many crop farmers don’t own or manage livestock.

Midwest Grazing Exchange is a matchmaking website for livestock and grazing opportunities. The website lets users search listings, including through an interactive map with filters for criteria like season, land or livestock type. Farmers can create listings of what land or livestock they have to offer. A free account can be created to save listings of interest, add new listings, see contact details and send messages to other users. Examples of grazing lease agreements and contracts are available.

The Midwest Grazing Exchange now covers Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin. State-level and multi-state grazing exchanges for more parts of the United States are linked on the website as well. Visit https://midwestgrazingexchange.com/.

This article was submitted by the Midwest Grazing Exchange. v

Registration is now open for SowBridge, the distance education series for people involved in managing or caring for sows, and/or their litters, and boars — including operation owners, caretakers, technicians, managers and technical service providers. The series will be provided online through Zoom, although participants will be able to use a call-in option if they prefer.

Sessions are generally scheduled for the first Wednesday of the month from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. The fifth session is moved up one week to May 31 to avoid conflicts with World Pork Expo.

Each registration provides a link to participate via Zoom and all program materials provided by presenters. During each session, participants can ask questions directly to the presenter.

SowBridge 2023 session dates and topics are as follows: Feb. 1. — Why the concern with feral pigs?; March 1 — Identifying ASF at barn level; April 5 — FAD frontline response battles; May 3 — Managing heat check boars; May 31 — Antimicrobial use and resistance; July 5 — Scours management and mitigation; Aug. 2 — Managing fevers post farrowing; Sept. 6 — Sustainability of my farm: What can I do?; Oct. 4 — Identifying sick sows early; Nov. 1 — Farrowing assistance practices; Dec. 6 — Importance of record keeping; and Jan. 3, 2024 — Can we predict sow mortality?

Cost for the series is $200 for the first registration from an entity and half the amount for each subsequent registration from the same entity.

For more information on the sessions or registration, contact Sarah Schieck Boelke at schi0466@ umn.edu or (320) 235-0726 ext. 2004.

This article was submitted by Sarah Schieck Boelke,University of Minnesota Extension. v

The Land Correspondent

The therapeutic value of animals for nursing home residents is well-documented. Having animals visit nursing homes has become quite common. Yet Jessica Merrill, activities director at Avera Sunrise Manor in Tyler, Minn. has taken that idea to a new level.

Merrill and her husband, Brandon, live on a 10-acre farm site just outside of Tyler. They wanted animals. Their only experience with farming is Brandon’s visits to his grandfather’s farm when he was young. In addition to their love of animals, they had a threeyear-old and figured — correctly — it would be a great life for him.

“We started getting animals to see what we would like,” Merrill said. “We did a lot of reading, viewing on You Tube, and talking with local farmers.”

Merrill knew she wanted alpacas so she could learn to spin wool. They purchased reproducing pairs of Jessica Merrill goats, lambs, rabbits, peacocks and other fowl; but not every animal was purchased. When people heard about the farm, they were dropping off chickens after the Tyler City Code disallowed keeping chickens in town.

“We would come home and there would be new chickens in our yard with a bag of feed and no note,” Merrill said.

She told of a woman who was moving up north and

ON THE COVER: Les Sanderson holding a baby bunny

Farm toys; cars; trucks & various collectibles Concessions by Nancy to be available For More Information Call: Wendy: 507-381-8234 • Jim: 507-381-8235

Photos submitted Isabelle Merrill holds Rachel the lamb to Delores Speh. Duane Gregor watches a a little television with Oliver the pig. Coincidently, Gregor was the owner of the farm the Merrills purchased.

needed a home for her two pigs. The woman had sold one, only to have the people come out and butcher it. She gave the Merrills the other one with the promise they allow it to have at least one litter of pigs.

By a recent count they had 89 critters: Nigerian dwarf goats, Babydoll sheep, Yorkshire pigs, holstein/ angus cows, New Zealand rabbits, along with alpacas, peacocks, chickens, ducks and geese. They were also gifted with a barn cat.

After some volunteer work at the nursing home and getting her certification, she was hired as activities director in July of 2020. She began to bring some of their baby animals for residents to pet and hold — lambs, bunnies, pigs, goats. The nursing home also has an enclosed courtyard where residents can sit outside and watch the animals roam.

Merrill was quick to discover that some of the best animal advice she could get came from the residents. That was not just the men who farmed or grew up doing chores on a farm.

“I have so many widows who were housewives on farms, helping out, side-byside with their husbands,” she said. “They have a wealth of knowledge.”

The Merrills castrated their first litter of pigs by following the advice of the residents.

Jessica sees the therapeutic value, such as the resident who was having a rough day that was made smoother by spending an hour-and-a-half with a little pig he loved. It goes beyond that, though, to their having an outside interest that perks up their lives. The residents feel a part of raising the animals.

“The residents know who is pregnant and what’s going on at the farm at all times,” Merrill said. “We talk about it during announcements before lunch. A lot of them keep very, very involved.” This involvement helps them to be alert to the world outside of the nursing home. There is life beyond their room and the dining room. “It gives them something to think about, something to look forward to, something to talk about with their family,” she said. “It gives them something exciting to talk about.” And talk they do. She runs into family members who ask her how animals are doing. This involvement is more than visits from animals. Sunrise Manor

has a cart pulled by a donated UTV that is used for rides around town in pleasant weather. With permission from the home and the families, the residents are able to visit the farm. The farm has a U-shaped driveway, and her husband has it set up for animals to be along the drive. Since passengers sit facing the center, Merrill drives through one way, then turns around and goes back so everyone has a chance to see.

She parks in the shade of large black walnut trees. The residents can feed ducks and geese and hold some animals. Brandon has built a low “table” for feed; and when the animals are called, they respond and eat around the table, giving residents a close-up view without leaving the cart.

On one visit, Merrill had chased Alfie, a friendly bottle-fed goat, off the cart a couple of times during the visit. He jumped on again when she wasn’t looking and hid behind a wheelchair. All the folks knew it, but kept it as their joke. She didn’t find out until

they got back to the nursing home and the goat jumped off in the parking lot. We’re never too old for a little mischief. “We get out to the farm twice a week when the weather is nice,” she said. “They love it.” It takes three trips each day to accommodate everyone who wants to go. (The trip includes a stop downtown for ice cream.) Merrill said that the only thing better than animals for residents is children, so Merrill plans events to draw families. “We had a kids carnival in July and Joan Stuefen getting a visit from I brought baby alpacas. The residents Rachel the lamb are outside with the families. At Easter we had bunnies and lambs.” While the stories Merrill could tell are endless, one heartwarming experience happened this past fall. A 107-year-old resident who had always been alert had been placed on hospice. She had reached the point of being lethargic and not her usual responsive self — sleeping mostly. One of the last good days to get

AMES, Iowa — Specialists with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach are teaming up with Iowa State Ag and Biosystems Engineering specialists to bring planter equipment expertise to farms across the state Feb. 6-10.

The training will be offered at five locations.

Feb. 6 — Northwest Research and Demonstration Farm, Sutherland.

Feb. 7 — Northeast Research Farm – Borlaug Learning Center, Nashua.

Feb. 8 — Southeast Research and Demonstration Farm, Crawfordsville.

Feb. 9 — Agriland FS, Woodbine.

Feb. 10 – CNH Industrial Ag Information Center, Nevada.

Each workshop will begin with check-in and refreshments at 8:30 a.m. and adjourn at approximately 2:30 p.m.

The workshops are an opportunity for farmers, agricultural service providers, equipment and precision ag dealers, and others to gain insight into how planters function, optimize settings for individual seed, field, and equipment needs, and improve understanding of planter wear and calibration.

Specialists from the Iowa State Digital Ag group will lead each workshop and focus on small-group, hands-on learning with row units representing a variety of technologies currently available for planters. The Digital Ag group is renowned for their key industry partnerships and unique expertise in equipment and precision agriculture. Meetings will also offer continuing education credits for Certified Crop Advisers.

“We are going to help attendees better understand the physics behind traditional and high-speed planters and how to evaluate planting performance,” said Levi Powell, Iowa State ag and biosystems engineering program specialist.

“Every planter, operator and operation is different; one setting doesn’t work for everyone. This event will focus on how to dial in the right settings for you and your operation,” added Ben Covington, Iowa State ag and biosystems engineering program specialist.

Attendance will be limited to maintain small group sizes and allow for hands-on activities. Registration for each location is $85 and closes seven days ahead of each meeting.

Register online at https://www.aep.iastate.edu/ planter/. Registration includes lunch, refreshments, reference materials, seed depth tool, closing wheel hold up bracket, and CCA credits.

For questions, contact ANR Program Services at 515-294-6429, or anr@iastate.edu, or contact your regional ISU Extension and Outreach field agronomist.

This article was submitted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. v outside, Merrill leaned over to her ear and asked if she wanted to go to the farm. She said, “Sure,” and sat up. Her surprised daughter and son-in-law were present and rode along. She was holding the pigs and bunnies and had a great day.

“It was her last ‘awake’ day,” Merrill said. “After that she didn’t get out of bed, and died a few days later.”

Jessica Merrill said the hardest part of bringing in the baby animals is that residents holding them don’t want to give them up. The way Merrill has involved the residents, they probably feel like these are their animals, too. That’s fine with Merrill. When they get their first calves, she’ll be looking for all the advice they can give. v

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By WHITNEY NESSE The Land Correspondent

When looking back at the historical photographs of Brownton, Minn., which was founded in 1877, the earliest pictures of what is considered the main street contain a storefront meat market which is still in business today. Current owner Andrew Dammann, who purchased the business from his grandfather Dale Ewald in 2009, said the building’s cornerstone reads 1904. “Brownton has always had a meat market,” said Joan Ewald, wife of Dale and grandmother of Andrew. “Good Germans had to have a meat market!”

In 1939, William (Bill) Pinske, fatherin-law of former owner Dale Ewald and great grandfather to current owner Andrew Dammann, purchased the City had worked at the 3M factory in neigh- recalled Dale. Although Ewald took Meat Market and Locker on the corner boring Hutchinson for almost 20 years. ownership of the shop in 1977, Pinske of Division St. in Brownton. After World “In 1976, I quit [3M] in July. Bill didn’t continued to come in, teach Dale how to War II, Pinske added on to the building have any sons. He just had one daugh- cut meat and help until 1990. “You just which included adding a slaughter ter and he asked if I wanted to try it. I don’t quit cold. Just like this grandpa,” room and smoke room. In the years remember taking a week’s vacation laughed Dale. “I still like to come in prior to WWII, all slaughtering was from 3M and coming over and stuffing and help out!” done offsite. “They used to have to slaughter them at Rickert’s farm and bring the quarters in. They actually never slaughtered there to start with. Then [Bill] added on the sausage room and the slaughter room,” said Ewald. hamburger and working up front. I ended up working for Bill for a year and took it over myself in 1977,” Andrew first started helping out at the meat market right after high school and continued working there during his college breaks. Although Dammann went to college with an intent of being a physical education teacher, the meat

During the years that Pinske market was drawing him in. ran the meat market, they were During his last years of college, open seven days a week. Dammann knew that he was “Saturday night was a big going to take over the meat night,” explained Joan. “That’s market; so he started taking what they did in those days. more business management Farmers came to town on classes, which ended up being Saturday nights. That was a his minor. long time ago!” she laughed. In July of 2009, after graduat-

Ewald, who had married ing from college, Dammann took Pinske’s only daughter, Joan, over the meat market. “Right out of college I bought a house and a meat market!” he chuckled. Andrew said he learned how to cut meat by watching his grandpa and some of the other meat cutters who worked at the shop. “You can’t learn everything in a day or even a year,” said Dammann. “I’m still learning different things to do and ways to do things that are more efficient.” “In the early years,” recalled Dale, “there was a farm every half a mile and everybody milked and had cattle, hogs and chickens. We did a lot more slaughtering. There was a period when we slaughtered two and three times a

Photos by Whitney Nesse City Meat Market and Locker has been a fixture of the Brownton, Minn. area for over a century. Dale Ewald (left) and Andrew Dammann. week. In those early years, we did more custom work. The retail counter was adequate, but not like it is now,” Ewald said.

Now, Dammann said that many producers are driving a half hour or more to bring in animals for processing. “Within the last five years there have been three meat markets that have either closed or stopped doing custom processing. That has helped us a lot. Our split is about 70/30. 70 percent custom and 30 percent retail,” said Andrew.

During the war and the post war era, the meat locker was a very important part of business. Dale said many people did not have freezers for storing goods so they relied on the lockers. “Every locker is still full,” said Andrew. Some of the lockers have been removed or are used for the retail goods, but every available locker is currently used.

Brownton’s City Meat Market is famous for its home-smoked sausage. The market still uses Bill Pinske’s recipe which earned him a prize in Kansas City.

“In the older days we had the stock truck,” Ewald shared. “We hauled in a lot of cattle. We hired guys just to haul cattle. That was a big part of the business.”

Ewald said he could remember a time when his father-in-law, Bill, who drove the stock truck during his last few working years, forgot to put the truck in gear and Dale watched it roll down a

By LAURA COLE The Land Staff Writer

Even before Sophia Thommes thought about teaching, she was teaching. In the third grade, Thommes used her Show and Tell spotlight to educate her classmates about butchering chickens. “I explained the whole process. I might have traumatized a few kids,” Thommes recalled with a laugh.

Thommes is the instructor of the brand-new meat cutting course at Ridgewater College in Willmar, Minn., and certainly brings experience to the table.

“I grew up on a hobby farm in Wisconsin where we had a small beef herd, sheep, chickens, feeder hogs. My parents taught me how to butcher chickens when I was three years old,” Thommes stated.

Having a natural and early interest in animal science, Thommes became a 4-H member in second grade and later, involved in FFA. Her FFA advisor and ag teacher, Rachel Sauvola, aided Thommes and a high school classmate in presenting a request of using 20 acres of land for a school farm to area school boards and city council. They were successful. Today, the SOAR educational center continues its operation. Produce and meat from the farm go directly toward area school lunches.

After high school, Thommes majored in Animal Science at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. While attending school, she worked for RJ’s Meats — starting off as a machine cleaner and retail counter worker. She served on the UWRF Livestock and Carcass Evaluation Team, and took on an internship working in quality assurance with American Foods Group at its Long Prairie Packing location.

“After my internship I was offered a position with Long Prairie Packing as the plant’s SFQ (Safe Food Quality) Practitioner, where I oversaw all animal welfare practices and followed food safety regulations,” Thommes stated.

When she began to consider a career in teaching, she reached out to her former FFA advisor who pro-

Jesse Weseman (left) and Sophia Thommes

Photo submitted

vided encouragement. Thommes accepted a position with Pipestone Area schools as the middle school/ high school ag teacher and FFA advisor. That job “assured me that I chose the right career in teaching,” Thommes said. “I started my Ag Ed Master’s program at South Dakota State University in the summer of 2021 and will be completing the program this spring semester of ‘23.”

This December, Thommes finished her first semester as the instructor for Ridgewater’s meat cutting course.

Ridgewater College and Central Lakes College are the only Minnesota colleges offering a meat cutting course. With campuses both in Willmar, Minn. and Hutchinson, Minn., Ridgewater began this program in response to the demand for meat processing workers. “The need is everywhere,” Thommes expressed, referencing butcher shops, grocery store meat departments and processing plants.

“The program is a semester in length and is 18 credits,” Thommes explained. “All classes are in fourweek blocks, one being offered one after the other.” Students not seeking the certificate have the option to take courses a la carte style.

“The majority of my students are non-traditional and working full-time,” Thommes remarked. In order to make attendance possible, Ridgewater developed a curriculum which can work for many situations.

“Classes are all online, and are asynchronous.” Thommes stated. She makes the coursework available to students one week at a time. Lectures are recorded and there are corresponding assignments and lab work. Traditional grading is implemented. 10-15 hours a week of hands-on experience at a facility placement is required. Scheduling those hours is worked out with the facility.

Facility placement plays an integral part of the program. “The facility 100 percent has a role. The student has a mentor essentially with the facility,” Thommes explained. Thommes can work with students to find placement and make suggestions through the American Association of Meat Processors, but emphasized the importance of the student making the first contact with a potential facility to establish a relationship and ensure it’s a good match.

Carlson Meat in Grove City, Minn. is one of the facilities Ridgewater students have worked with. Jesse Weseman, a mentor at the facility, sees the value in what the college provides. “Meat cutting is a dying art and so having programs like Ridgewater’s will help the interest and art live on,” he stated.

Because some of the course’s students are out of state, Thommes does utilize Zoom calls throughout the semester in order to connect with the facility and student.

In the first semester, enrollment included one student from Florida and another from Iowa. Students from Texas and Utah are set to attend the second semester beginning in January.

Thommes emphasized that this program is for any-

$3,092230 bushel $5,270.00

Visit www.TheLandOnline.com to view our complete calendar and enter your own events, or send an e-mail with your event’s details to editor@thelandonline.com.

Workshop— Preston, Minn. —These workshops will provide guidance on proper pruning methods and focus on hands-on practice pruning trees at apple orchards. Contact your local Extension office with questions/registration assistance.

Other Dates and Locations:

Jan. 26 — Montgomery, Minn.

Feb. 8 — St Joseph, Minn.

Feb. 27 — Watertown, Minn.

Feb. 28 — Buffalo, Minn.

Mar. 13 — Hinckley, Minn.

Mar. 14 — Duluth, Minn.

Online —This is an opportunity for non-operating landowners who would like to learn about how to build soil health on their land in partnership with the farmer they rent to. Contact Robin Moore at rmoore@landstewardshipproject.org.

Congress — Des Moines, Iowa — This will be the 50th pork congress that involves a trade show, educational sessions, and the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) annual meeting, which will be held Jan. 24. Contact IPPA at (800) 372-7675 or visit www. iowaporkcongress.org.

Future — Little Falls, Minn. —Session is “How Do I Get from Here to There” (Goal Setting and Business Planning). Begin thinking about your farm’s goals and plan for future farm success. Contact Dana Adams at adam1744@umn.edu or (320) 255-6169, ext. 3.

Agreement —Online — Attendees will receive several informative worksheets and factsheets that will help to determine what a fair 2023 farmland rental rate is. For more information, please visit https://z.umn.edu/landrentworkshops.

Farm Women — St. Cloud, Minn. — Course topics will include financial reporting, human resources, legal, market risk, and production metrics. Contact Anthony A. or Dana Adams at (320) 255-6169.

— Online — This course presented by the Land Stewardship Project provides an opportunity to dig into important topics and learn from experienced farmers and professionals. Contact Karen Stettler at stettler@landstewardshipproject.org or (612) 767-9885.

Meeting— Renville, Minn. — Presenters include Doug Lovander, one of the original founders of Pheasants Forever, Lee Ganske with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and Heidi Rauenhorst, HCWP Coordinator. Contact jordan@hawkcreekwatershed.org or (320) 523-3666.

Webinar Series — Online — This threepart series covers how to create a pollinator-friendly garden, bee lawn & prairie planting. Contact your local Extension office with questions and/or for help with registration. Contact for residents of Stearns, Benton, Morrison and Sherburne counties: quincy@ umn.edu or (320) 255-6169 x 1.

Annual Meeting — Ankeny, Iowa — This two-day meeting is targeted to agricultural professionals. Attendees do not need to be members of the association. For more information, visit www.asfmra. org/education-calendar.

Hampton, Iowa — Topics to be covered include: Personal protective equipment, Safe handling, Storage of pesticides, and Pests, pest management and pesticides. Contact Traci Kloetzer at tkloetze@ iastate.edu or (641) 456-4811.

Mankato, Minn. — Current topics in crop production and environmental stewardship will be discussed. For more information, please visit https://mawrc.org/ events.

Conference — Willmar, Minn. — The conference’s theme is “Building Resilience on your Farm and in your Family.” This event will be a day of learning and networking for women involved in agriculture. Contact Besty Wieland at eliza003@umn.edu or (612) 624-7119.

Iowa — This workshop meets manure applicator certification requirements for both confinement site manure applicators and commercial manure applicators who primarily apply dry or solid manure. Contact 515-832-9597.

Other Dates and Locations:

Feb. 9 — Clarion, Iowa Contact 515532-3453.

Feb. 10 — Greenfield, Iowa Contact 641-743-8412.

Feb. 14 — Washington, Iowa Contact 319-653-4811.

Feb. 15 — Storm Lake, Iowa Contact 712-732-5056.

Feb. 16 — Orange City, Iowa Contact 712-737-4230.

Getaways — Dubuque, Iowa — This event is aimed at farmers wanting to take advantage of activities to improve farm family communication, work on farm or family goal setting, farm transitions or looking for a weekend away to discuss farm and family issues. Contact Fred Hall at fredhall@iastate.edu or (712) 737-4230.

Other Dates and Locations:

March 3-4 — Holstein, Iowa

Conference — St. Cloud, Minn. — Current topics in crop production and environmental stewardship will be discussed. For more information, please visit https://mawrc.org/events.

ST. PAUL — Applications are now open for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s new Soil Health Financial Assistance Pilot Program soil health equipment grants.

These grants are available to individual producers, producer groups, and local governments to purchase or retrofit soil health equipment. Grant awards will provide up to 50 percent costshare, with a minimum award of $500 and a maximum award of $50,000. A total of $475,000 is available for the Soil Health Financial Assistance Pilot Program soil health equipment grants.

Examples of eligible new or used equipment include, but are not limited to, no-till drills, air seeders, highboys, variable-rate equipment, retrofit projects to allow no-till planting, and more. Parts and materials used to retrofit existing equipment are also eligible.

The Request for Proposals and application link can be found at www.mda. state.mn.us/soil-health-grant. Applications are due March 20.

This article was submitted by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.v