Extension in Hubbard County

Office hours

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

Educators' days and hours will vary. 

U of M Extension, Hubbard County
[email protected]

201 Fair Avenue
Park Rapids, MN  56470

Phone: 218-732-3391

Extension brings Minnesotans together to build a better future through University science-based knowledge, expertise and training. Learn more about Extension by visiting our about page and by browsing this website. 

Interested in learning more about 4-H?

• Contact our 4-H staff to learn more, including how to get started in 4-H. 

Ready to join or re-enroll?

• Join 4-H or re-enroll

Follow us on social media @ Hubbard 4H

• Facebook
• Instagram

Gifts support 4-H youth development in Hubbard County, and local programming coordinated by the Hubbard County 4-H Council. 

Give today

4-H Youth Development is a hands-on learning program for Minnesota youth. We offer online, small group and independent learning experiences for youth of all ages. In 4-H, youth choose the topic they find interesting and caring adults support their learning and leadership. From agronomy to space exploration and creative arts to outdoor adventures, 4-H has just the right learning experience for young people.

There are many ways to participate in 4-H!

There are also many ways adults (anyone age 18+) can support youth learning and leading in 4-H. 

• Want to learn about volunteering with the 4-H Youth Development Program?

  • Visit the Volunteering with 4-H page to learn more about how volunteers positively impact youth and community

  • Contact your 4-H Extension Educator to learn about specific roles available in your community

• Ready to become a screened Minnesota 4-H volunteer?

  • Visit the Apply to become a 4-H volunteer page to begin the application and screening process

All about the upcoming 2026 Hubbard County 4-H Showcase Season

Summer is right around the corner, and that means it is also time to begin thinking about showcasing a year of learning at our 4-H Showcase opportunities in Hubbard County! To help your household prepare for the upcoming showcase season, please review and use the resources below, including the schedule of events, rules, and other important information, to prepare and register your 4-H youth for their showcase experience. 

The Hubbard County 4-H Showcases will all take place within Park Rapids over the course of the following dates:

• June 29, 2026 - "Pre-Fair" Judging Experience held at Calvary Church (112 Park Ave, Park Rapids, MN 56470). Classes included in the Pre-Fair Judging: Foods, Nutrition, Food Preservation, Food Revue, Clothing and Textiles, Fashion Revue, Performing Arts, Public Presentations (including Cloverbud Public Presentations but excluding Livestock Demonstrations).
• July 13-19, 2026 - Multiple Judging Experiences at the Hubbard County Fairgrounds (201 Fair Ave, Park Rapids, MN 56470)
• August 1, 2026 - Hubbard County 4-H Dog Show at the Hubbard County Fairgrounds (201 Fair Ave, Park Rapids, MN 56470)

These showcase experiences are great opportunities for 4-H members to share what they have learned in their project areas of interest over the course of the past year. All projects being exhibited must have been completed since last year's showcase. 

If you have questions about showcasing with 4-H this summer, please review information and resources in our Family Resource Folder or contact the Hubbard County Extension Office by calling 218-732-3391 or by emailing [email protected]. 

Fair Entry Registration

Starting June 1, 2026, registration for the 2026 Hubbard County 4-H Showcases will open! Similar to previous years, registration for all 4-H showcases can be completed online on FairEntry. Remember that enrolling in 4-H and identifying animals in 4-H Online is NOT the same as registering to exhibit at the fair. For more information on how to register your 4-H exhibits for the fair on FairEntry, check out this quickstart guide or the detailed guide. We ask that your household makes every effort to use the FairEntry online system to register exhibits, but we do acknowledge that there may be some who may need assistance with this process. If you would like to set up a time to meet with Extension staff to receive registration assistance, please do so by contacting our office at 218-732-3391 or [email protected] to set up an appointment to work alongside an Extension staff member to complete your household's registration.

For club exhibits, please us the Club Exhibit SignUp Genius to let Extension and 4-H staff know what exhibits your club plans to bring to the 4-H Showcase.

The deadline to register exhibits is June 15, 2026 at 11:59pm if completing registration online through FairEntry, or 2:00pm if completing registration with the assistance of Extension staff at the Hubbard County Extension Office. Do not wait until the deadline to register. You may begin your registration, log out, and return to log into FairEntry to make edits until the registration deadline. If you miss this deadline, please refer to the Hubbard County Competitive Events: Deadlines, Consequences, and Exemptions document as to how your youth can still participate in the county showcases with limitations, unless your 4-H youth opts to use their one-time member exemption, if they have not done so already in their 4-H career.

Learn more about exhibiting as a 4-H'er at local county fairs.

4-H youth showcased their best at the 2026 Hubbard County Fair.

The 2026 4-H Premium Auction Fundraiser brought in record-making funds to support Hubbard County 4-H.

Learn what is going on in Hubbard County 4-H. "The Fourcast" is a newsletter that is emailed every two weeks to 4-H families and volunteers to keep everyone informed of important events, reminders, and deadlines.

• April 20, 2026
• March 30, 2026
• March 9, 2026
• February 23, 2026
• February 9, 2026
• January 26, 2026
• January 12, 2026

The Hubbard County 4-H Family Resources folder is the main hub of information for our 4-H members, families, volunteers and community.  The Family Resource folder includes:

• new member resources
• meeting minutes
• newsletters
• educational information on projects
• AND SO MUCH MORE

The Farm Family Recognition Program has existed for over 30 years and honors farm families from throughout Minnesota for their contributions to the agriculture industry and their local communities.

Each year, a family from Hubbard County is recognized as the Farm Families of the Year.  

We are currently seeking nominations for Hubbard County, indicating the individuals, couples, or families whom you feel would be deserving of this honor. 

Nomination Criteria

Please nominate an individual or family, using the criteria below.  Farm Families should:

• Be Minnesota food producers actively involved in agricultural production with one or more agricultural enterprises.  Beyond the usual agricultural endeavors, please also include these production areas for consideration:  potato, vegetable, fruits, berries, aquaculture, agroforestry, and renewable energy supplies.  

OR

• Have made significant short‐term progress and/or innovative contributions with their agricultural enterprises.  For example, consider producers who are relatively new to this country, someone who has developed an innovative method for a particular environmental problem, adopted a rotational grazing system, added alternative or value‐added crops, etc.  

All nominees should also:  

• Have demonstrated a commitment to enhancing and supporting the fields of agriculture and production.
• Have some involvement in their communities and/or related organizations.
• Not have been previously recognized by the Farm Family Program.

Use the Hubbard County Farm Family Nomination Form to make and submit a nomination or contact Tarah Young at: [email protected] to share your nomination and thoughts.

Past Hubbard County Farm Family of the Year Recipients

Crop-specific nutrient needs Find crop-specific nutrient needs for Minnesota, including guidelines for nitrogen, phosphate, potash and other fertilizers, as well as strategies for ensuring your crops get the nutrients they need.

Download the free 2025 Farm Resource Guide This guide includes useful forms and farm business management information including:

• Custom rates: What to charge for planting, etc.
• Average farmland rental rates by county with current projections.
• Flexible rental agreements and how they work. Lease forms for cash rent and share rent arrangements.
• Farmland sales information for all Minnesota counties.
• Charges for custom feeding, commodity storage, leasing buildings and bin rental rates.
• Pasture rental rates, tree timber values.
• Commodity price probabilities for corn, soybeans, alfalfa hay, straw, grass hay, hogs and cattle.
• Corn and soybean yields by county; used to calculate USDA farm bill payments.
• Feedlot rules for manure agreements and easements. Manure spreading lease examples and land application agreement forms.

Midwest Vegetable Production Guide The Midwest Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial Growers is a collaboration of land-grant universities from eight states. It provides vegetable production information that is valid in the participating states for the current year. This includes fertility, variety, cultural, and pest management recommendations.

Our lists of recommended trees for climate-ready woodlands can help landowners make informed planting decisions to help whole forest ecosystems adapt.

Follow us on social media 

Become a Master Gardener volunteer 

What do Hubbard County Master Gardeners do? 

What’s wrong with my plant?  Diagnose problems in the yard and garden caused by insects, diseases and nonliving factors.

Plant Elements of Design Plant Selection Tool Create a healthy, long-lived yard and garden by choosing plants with growing needs that match your site conditions.

Read Yard and Garden News. Gardening tips and emerging issues affecting Minnesota.

Listen to the Smart Gardens podcast and radio show.

Watch Hort Shorts on YouTube.

Minnesota is a great place to explore, understand and conserve the natural landscape. Extension education, volunteer and participatory science programs encourage people to become stewards of Minnesota’s public and private lands.

Volunteer. Natural resources volunteers track invasive species, detect forest pests and count native bees, among many other activities. You can also study to become a Minnesota Master Naturalist.

Phone apps

• Merlin Bird ID app: Free, instant bird identification of birds you see & hear.  Identify, record & share your findings.
• iNaturalist app: Free, discover nature around you. Identify, record & share your findings.

Woodlands

• Emerald Ash Borer
• Bronze Birch Borer and Twolined Chestnut Borer
• Recommended Trees for Climate-Ready Woodlands
• My Minnesota Woods Newsletter- Find out how to take care of your trees and enjoy Minnesota's beautiful woodlands.
• Natural Resources News Blog- From preserving our wetlands to combating invasive species, read about protecting and enjoying nature.

Aquatic

• Aquatic Invasive Species Detector Program

Sign up for the Hubbard County Ag, Horticulture & Natural Resources newsletter for local information on small farms, gardening, and natural resources.

Extension provides health, nutrition and community education across Minnesota. 

• COMET helps anyone start conversations around mental health.
• SuperShelf transforms local food shelves into dignified shopping experiences.
• Real Life, Good Food offers recipes, cooking tips and healthy activities.
• Rusty’s Cooking Club for preschool-aged children and their caregivers.

• Hubbard County Food Shelf: 308 Pleasant Ave S, Park Rapids, MN.  Monday, Wednesday & Friday 10:00a - 3:30p.  Call (218) 732-1282 for information.
• Akeley/Nevis Community Food Shelf-Food Distribution Center: 6 Broadway St W, Akeley, MN. Tuesday, 9:00a - 11:00a, Friday & Saturday, 10:00a - 4:00p. Call (218) 652-2388 for information.
• Laporte Food Shelf: 150 2nd St NE, Laporte, MN.  Tuesday, 5:00p - 6:00p.  Call (218) 224-2417 for information.
• Second Harvest Heartland  Call or text 1-866-844-3663 for information.
• North Country Food Bank, Inc. Call 218-399-7356 for information.

Hubbard County is home to a wonderful selection of Farmer's Markets. Shopping at a Farmer's Market is a wonderful way to support local farmers, producers, artisans and ensure you are getting the freshest products possible!

• Park Rapids Farmer's Market: Saturdays 9:00am -1:00pm, May 23rd - September 19th, Hwy 34 across from Thielen Motors
• Nevis Farmer's Market: Fridays 4:00pm - 7:00pm, June 5th - September 4th, behind Muskie Waters 118 Bunyan Trails Rd
• Menahga Farmer's Market: Fridays 2:00pm - 6:00pm, Menahga Elementary School parking lot
• Hubbard Prairie Farmer's Market: Fridays 10:00am - 4:00pm, May 29th - September 4th, outside of Hubbard Community Center 12141 Lake St
• Walker Farmer's Market: Thursdays 9:00am - 2:00pm, June 4th - September 24th, 617 Michigan Ave W 
• Akeley Farmer's Market: Fridays 10:00am - 2:00pm, May 22nd - September 25th, located at Paul's Patio next to the world's largest Paul Bunyan on Hwy 34 in Akeley

Extension engages Minnesotans to strengthen the social, civic, economic and technological capacity of their communities. We help create vibrant communities and enhance skills and knowledge in economics, leadership and civic engagement, and tourism.

Check our community research page for reports on county and community-focused topics relating to local economics, retaining businesses, growing retail markets, developing tourism, and more.

Local programs can be offered in collaboration with local community organizations and government agencies. Current programs include Minnesota Agricultural and Rural Leadership (MARL).

Contact an educator in your area for consultation, guidance and conversation about your community.

Extension's Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships (RSDP) connect Greater Minnesota communities and University of Minnesota knowledge and resources to support local sustainability projects. Working in partnership, RSDP supports community-driven projects in four focus areas: agriculture and food systems, clean energy, natural resources and resilient communities. Projects are supported by boards made up of local community members and University faculty and staff. Learn more about RSDP’s recent work in your county and neighboring communities, and how to submit a project idea.