Notes from your Educator
We've reached the end of another busy and eventful year, and it's a great time to reflect on the past season and how to care for the land and livestock during the cold months ahead. With the growing season behind us, many opportunities will arise in the coming months to attend a variety of educational workshops pertaining to agriculture, horticulture, local foods, and more. The first ones are kicking off this month, with information listed below, and more will follow in 2025.
We hope you stay warm, safe, and healthy during the upcoming holiday season!
Take care,
Olivia Olson
office: (218) 998-8308
cell: (218) 282-5963
Trees for Climate-Ready Woodlands
Climate change will stress the trees, plants and animals in Minnesota’s forests. Our lists of climate-ready trees and plants can help landowners make informed planting decisions to help whole forest ecosystems adapt.
Trees live a long time, and we want to plant trees that will thrive 50 to 100 years from now. Using climate projections for each region in our state, Extension forestry researchers have created recommendation lists that offer options for native tree species predicted to be resilient to the changing climate.
Much of Otter Tail County is located in region 5, and specific trees for our area can be found here.
Oak Tree Pruning
If you have an oak tree that needs pruning, now is the time to do it. The cold winter months, from later November through mid March, are the ideal time to prune your oak tree to avoid the spread of the oak wilt fungus and keep your tree safe.
Read more about oak wilt here.
The oak wilt risk status for your specific location can be found here.
Wondering how to prune your tree? This UMN Extension page is a great place to start.
2024 MN Field Crop Trials
The Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station (MAES) and the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) have published the 2024 Minnesota Field Crop Trials. Visit varietytrials.umn.edu/2024 to see variety trials for 8 different Minnesota crops.
Year-End Analysis for Direct-to-Consumer Farm Operators
Are you a farmer who sells at farmers markets, via CSA, at a farm stand, or directly to an end customer?
Ryan Pesch, Extension educator in ag business management, will lead you through activities to reflect on your year as we wrap up 2024 and set some goals for 2025.
Ryan will also introduce My Market Profit, a new financial analysis tool to help with end-of-year financial analysis for those who direct market.
Date: Wednesday, December 11
6-7:30 pm
Online
Private Pesticide Applicator Recertification
If you hold a license to apply restricted use pesticides that expires in 2025, several options for recertification will become available in January of 2025. The online exam opens January 3, and paper copies of the exam will be available to pick up from your local Extension office around the first of the year as well. Recertification workshops will be held across the state in January and February, with two in Otter Tail County. Online registration for workshops opens January 3, and walk-in registration is allowed.
Save the date:
Fergus Falls: Friday, January 17 from 1-4:30
New York Mills: Tuesday, January 28 from 10:30-2:30
MN Farm and Rural Stress Support
Looking for help in coping with business, family, or mental health issues? This resource list from the MN Department of Agriculture has a list of trained professionals to assist in a variety of ways.
MN Farm and Rural Helpline:
Phone: 833-600-2670
Text: FARMSTRESS to 898211Email: farmstress@state.mn.us
Crisis Text Line:
Text: MN to 741 741