Nicollet County Office Closure June 3rd - June 14th
Due to remodeling, the Nicollet County Extension Office will be closed Monday, June 3rd - Friday, June 14th. Staff will be available by email and their regular phone numbers.
Contact us at:
LuAnn Schloesser, Administrative Assistant - schlo041@umn.edu - 507-934-7828
Kelsey Brandt, 4-H Educator - brand785@umn.edu - 507-934-7831
Sam Schoenbauer, Ag Educator - sschoenb@umn.edu - 507-934-7830
Happy June!
June is the month where we recognize dairy farmers and the industry! Did you know that it is recommended to get 3 servings of dairy in everyday? Dairy products are a great source of nutrients like calcium, protein and vitamin D. Minnesota is the seventh largest milk-producing state in the U.S.
Be sure to support farmers this month and year round!
Best wishes!
- Samantha
Summer is upon us!
Hello! My name is Jessica Willegal and I am the new Agricultural and Natural Resource Summer Intern for Nicollet and Sibley Counties.
I live on a farm in Gibbon, MN where I have a flock of Polypay sheep and help my dad with our crop operation. In high school, I was very involved in 4-H and FFA. I was a proud member of the Blazin’ West Stars 4-H club out of Sibley County. Showing livestock was certainly one of my favorite things about the program. At different times throughout my involvement, I exhibited sheep, goats, beef, poultry, and rabbits while also participating in the round robin showmanship competition multiple times. My last two years in 4-H were spent as a Minnesota 4-H State Ambassador which gave me the opportunity to travel across the state and country. In FFA, I was a part of the GFW Pioneer Express FFA Chapter and competed in contests like livestock judging, meats, floriculture, and extemporaneous speaking. Most notably, I was a Minnesota Star Farmer Finalist with my Sheep Production Entrepreneurship SAE.
This fall, I will be a junior at South Dakota State University where I am majoring in Ag Education with a minor in Animal Science. I have stayed active in college with the SDSU Dairy Club as well as my employment at the SDSU Dairy Training and Research Facility. My experience on the dairy unit, has given me the opportunity to see the really cool research taking place on land grant universities like SDSU and U of MN! This summer I am excited to witness the “end-result” of this research as I share the findings of it for farmers to use to their advantage on their own operations. I have always wanted to help farmers maximize their profits in any way possible to their operation so I am really excited to see where that takes me this summer! I am really looking forward to working with the people of both counties, please don’t hesitate to email me with any questions or thoughts!
Jessica Willegal
Pork Quality Assurance and Transport Quality Assurance Trainings- Lafayette
Wednesday, June 12th at the Lafayette Community Center
PQA- 9:00am - Noon
TQA- 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Pork Quality Assurance Plus (PQA+) provides improved animal wellbeing standards and relevant food safety standards to ensure producers can measure, track and continuously improve pig well-being. Attendees will receive their PQA+ certification at the completion of the course after successfully passing the test. Producers need to be re-certified every three years to keep their certification current.
Transport Quality Assurance (TQA) helps swine transporters, producers and handlers understand how to handle, move and transport pigs and the potential impacts those actions have on pig wellbeing and pork quality. Attendees will earn TQA certification by successfully passing the test at the end of the training session. Swine haulers, producers and handlers need to be recertified every three years to keep their certification current.
Pre-registration is required by June 11. To pre-register, contact colleen@mnpork.com or 1-800-537-7675.
Southern MN Small Grain Plot Tours
The small grain summer plot tours provide farmers and crop consultants with the tools to make small grain production successful and profitable. Learn how to manage wheat, barley, rye, triticale, and oats at these in-person, free events across the state. Farmers will get to see up to 180 varieties in the field, participate in hands-on demonstrations, and ask questions of UMN experts.
- Monday, June 17 – Rochester, 12:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. with a boxed lunch served before the tour.
Lawler Farms (GPS: 44.023910, -92.341220) - Wednesday, June 19 – Le Center, 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. with lunch at the farm shop after tour.
Ruth Hoefs/Ron Pomije Farm (GPS: 44.457107, -93.679389) - Wednesday, June 19 – Benson, 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. with brats served after the tour.
Lee’s Seed Farm (GPS: 45.38939, -95.52145)
Visit z.umn.edu/SGfielddays or contact Jochum Wiersma (wiers002@umn.edu).
Save the Date: Farm Safety Experience
Save the date for the Farm Safety Experience event happening Wednesday, July 10th from 5:00pm - 8:00pm! This educational event is for kids and adults of all ages. Come experience safety related to equipment, grain bins, animals and more! Additional information will be available soon.
Women in Ag Network Summer Tour
Tuesday, July 16th
Looking for ways to diversify the marketing of your farm products? Whether you produce food, fiber or fuel, thinking about where and how you plan to sell, as well as additional choices you make for selling your products, matters. On this tour, hear from entrepreneurial farmers and agribusinesses on brand development, customer relationships and marketing planning.
Agenda
- Stop 1: Compart Family Farms, 44796 400th St., Nicollet, MN 56074
- Stop 2: Tour at Stormy Creek Farm, 41114 581st Ave., New Ulm, MN 56073
Stop 3: Schell’s Brewery, 1860 Schell's Rd., New Ulm, MN 56073
You must provide your own transportation between stops.
This program was created in partnership with Great River Greening and we thank them for sponsoring the keynote speaker, Ben Penner, and the evening meal.
Samantha Schoenbauer
Government Center 501 S Minnesota Ave St. Peter, MN 56082
507-934-7830
111 8th St. Gaylord, MN 55334
507-237-4100
Extension website: www.extension.umn.edu
Email: sschoenb@umn.edu