Extension in Lyon County

U of M Extension, Lyon County
[email protected]

500 Fairgrounds Road
Marshall, MN 56258

Phone: 507-532-8219
Fax: 507-532-8216

Office hours

• Monday-Wednesday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
• Thursday, 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
• Friday, by appointment only

View all Lyon County contacts.

Sam Jens, Extension educator, 4-H Youth Development
[email protected] or 507-532-8219

Aimee Powers, Support Staff
[email protected] or 507-532-8219

Broderick Wright, SNAP-Ed educator
[email protected] or 507-532-8219

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

Ways to participate

4-H is an out-of-school, hands-on learning program for young people grades K-13. Youth choose a project that is interesting to them and explore it with peers and caring adults. 4-H clubs are groups of youth who want to learn together and meet in every part of Minnesota.

New to 4-H learn more about 4-H in Lyon county.

Lyon County has many active 4-H clubs.  To learn more, contact Lyon County 4-H staff at [email protected].

Follow us on social media @Lyon4H

• Lyon County 4-H Facebook page
• Lyon County 4-H YouTube Channel
• Lyon County 4-H Instagram page

Give to Lyon County 4-H

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

Give today

Guide #1: Welcome to Lyon County 4-H

What is 4-H, enrolling, choosing the right club for you and your 4-Hers, projects, and more!

Guide #2: Getting Involved.

Learn about events and all of the opportunities 4-H has to offer!

Guide #3: 4-H and Your Family.

Opportunities for the whole family, the judging experience, resources available, and deadlines.

Guide #4: Exploring the County Level

Learn about Federation & Council, officer roles, committees,  county fundraisers, scholarships, and more!

Guide #5: All About Livestock.

 Learn everything you need to know about identifying and showing livestock in 4-H.

Guide #6: Fair Time.

Everything you need to know for a successful fair season!

Guide #7: Reflecting on the Year...coming soon

Reflect on and receive recognition for your hard work and achievements throughout the year.

Lyon County Fair will take place Aug. 14-18, 2024. 

Premium book

Lyon County 4-H Fair Schedule

Project Ideas

Fair Registration (Registration will open May 15)

Fair tips for volunteers and 4-H'er's

One thing to keep in mind when you are planning your projects this year.  We have a new award called the Community Impact Award.  It will be awarded like any other ribbon for any project.  We can't wait to see what impact our amazing 
4-H'ers are making.  Here is a link for more information on the Community Impact Award.

4-H records

• Project record keeping
  • Cloverbud Records
  • Participation summary - basic
  • Participation summary - experienced
  • Project record -basic
  • Project record - experienced
  • Planning calendar
  • Financial statement
• 4-H civic engagement and leadership

Club leader/officer resources

• Leader Resource Guide
• President Script
• Secretary Book
• 4-H Meeting Minutes Worksheet
• Treasurer Training Workbook
• Committee Planning Worksheet

Volunteer resources

• Learn more about volunteering with 4-H
• Apply to become a 4-H volunteer

We have project resources available!

Want to learn a new project area we have printed resources available for checkout in the extension office for all the following areas:

• Animal science
  • 4-H animal ID
  • Animal lease form
  • Animal leasing information.
  • 4-H livestock Quality Assurance Training (LQA)
• Expressive arts and communication
• Science technology engineering and math
• Gardening and agriculture
• Family and consumer science
• Outdoor adventures
• Healthy living
• Civic engagement and leadership
• Environmental and earth science

View the library of resources.

Check out current and previous editions of our Lyon County 4-H newsletter.

Cloverbuds are youth in grades K-2. Cloverbuds explore and learn by doing fun age-appropriate activities guided by adult and teen volunteers.  

Cloverbud resources

• Cloverbud records 
• Cloverbuds project page

If you have any questions, please contact Sam Jens at [email protected] or 507-532-1310. 

Sam Jens, Extension educator, 4-H Youth Development
[email protected] or 507-532-8219

Aimee Powers, support staff
[email protected]  or 507-532-1309 

Renae Jenniges, Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development, Lyon County
[email protected] or 507-532-8219

Office Hours

• Monday-Wednesday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
• Thursday, 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
• Friday, by appointment only

The Lyon County Master Gardeners are a team of dedicated and trained volunteers accredited by the University of Minnesota. We provide free, unbiased horticultural best practices at no cost.

Lyon County Master Gardeners:

• Conduct annual Garden Day presentations
• Present to groups on request
• Visit homes to evaluate, analyze or assist in landscape planning
• Hold an annual plant sale
• Staff a booth at the Marshall Home Show
• Assist with the Lyon County Fair
• Host annual seminars on various gardening topics

Find us on Facebook

Gifts support local programming coordinated by Lyon County Master Gardener volunteers.

Make a gift on the University of Minnesota giving page.

• Ask a Master Gardener Have a garden question?  Get researched-based answers from local Master Gardener volunteers
  • Minnesota Master Gardener Hotline is available year-round to help with questions  612-301-7590
• Yard and garden - information for backyard and community gardeners
  • Planting and growing guides
  • Vegetables Expert advice from University of Minnesota horticulturalists to help you grow healthy vegetables that enjoy our climate and soil conditions.
  • What's wrong with my plant?
  • What insect is this?
• Soil Testing Laboratory

Jumping worms

• Jumping worms are an invasive species. 
• As their name implies, they jump, wiggle and are very active.
• Jumping worms live in the leaf litter and the top few inches of soil on the forest floor.
• They change the soil texture to appear like coffee grounds, strip the soil of nutrients and can kill plants.
• Prevention is the only known way to manage them.
• Jumping worms should be disposed of in the garbage. Do not release them into the environment.

For additional information, check these websites:

• MN Department of Natural Resources 
• WI Department of Natural Resources 
• Jumping worm reporting and management 

Emerald ash borer

• Signs and symptoms
  • Thinning of canopy – leaves are lighter and smaller than normal.
  • Shoots near the base and lower canopy.
  • Suckers at the base of the tree.
  • Vertical splits on the trunk or large branches.
  • Dead area underneath when bark is pulled back.
  • Powder-filled serpentine galleries. Larvae are a true sign of infestation.
  • Woodpecker activity.
  • D-shaped holes on the trunk indicate the tree is dead.
• Can treat at the first stage of infestation.
• Cold can reduce numbers but needs to stay at a given temp for several days to reach interior of tree to kill bugs.
• 25% of trees on public property are ash trees.
• Start treating when confirmed in Lyon County or within 15 miles.
• Treatment lasts 2 years while the infection takes about 4 years to kill a tree.

Master Gardeners are University of MN Extension-trained volunteers who educate the public about a variety of horticulture subjects using current research-based resources. This educational effort is designed to enhance the quality of life and promote good stewardship of the environment.

Extension Master Gardeners may not necessarily know all the answers, but they hold a wealth of information to offer advice and direct you to available resources that help resolve gardening issues.

• About Master Gardener 
• Become a Master Gardener volunteer
• Become a Minnesota Master Naturalist volunteer

Extension offers a variety of educational programs about nutrition and health in Lyon county. These programs are open to families and individuals of all ages who are eligible for benefits through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or who meet Extension’s program income guidelines.

Programs are offered in community settings such as food shelves, schools, community centers and public housing sites. The programs are free to all individuals and families who meet income guidelines, and may be offered in multiple languages, depending on the audience needs and availability of educators.

Use the Real Life, Good Food website to find recipes, cooking tips and physical activity ideas for a healthier life.

Broderick Wright, SNAP-Ed educator
[email protected] or 507-532-8219

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.

Minnesota is a great place to explore, understand and conserve the natural landscape. Extension education, volunteer and community 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.

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.