Better pasture management keeps horses safer
Hosted on a working horse farm — Rise and Shine Stable near Cambridge — Extension’s summer Horse Pasture Walk workshop provided horse owners with the hands-on experience and education they need to maintain pasture health and productivity. Attendees learned from Extension educators about ideal plant species selection, seeding, weed management, soil testing and more.
That included Krishona Martinson (pictured), Extension program leader and equine specialist, who explained the ideal length of pasture grass on a sun-dappled section of abundant summer grasses.
Hosting this workshop on a working horse farm helped participants experience real scenarios for pasture management. Summer is an ideal time to teach learners how to identify common weeds and monitor their growth, such as the hoary alyssum. Participants left with skills they can use to help ensure a safe and healthy environment for their own horses.
Highlights
- The Isanti County Extension Seed Library, established by 4-H, provides 1,000+ packets annually of free vegetable, herb, annual flower and perennial seeds to the public at the Extension office in the Isanti Government Center, and at the Cambridge Public Library.
- A 4-H team partnered with Travis Gienger, a former world record pumpkin grower, who spoke at a county 4-H event and contributed to the 2024 Minnesota 4-H Pumpkin Growing Challenge.
- Extension’s Master Gardener Volunteer Program is thriving in Isanti County with educational seminars for the public, Ask a Master Gardener tables at community events, an annual plant sale and a variety of projects at the Cambridge Community Garden, including donations to the local food shelf.
- Staff at the Isanti County Extension office distribute well-water testing kits, a critical service for private well owners to monitor contaminants such as bacteria and nitrates, a common pollutant in rural wells.
- U of M Farm Family of the Year: The Streed family farm’s Red Pine Winery features five cold-hardy grape varieties grown for wine that is made and bottled on the farm and sold in the farm’s tasting room and at local stores.
- In collaboration with the Initiative Foundation, the Climate Adaptation Partnership created a new staff position focused on community preparedness and resilience across central Minnesota.
Isanti County office
Extension has 14 regional offices supporting all 87 counties in Minnesota.
Isanti County partners with Extension to deliver practical education and research you can use at home, at work and in your community. More about Extension in our county.
About the Minnesota 87 project
Spend time in any Minnesota county, and you will almost certainly encounter University of Minnesota Extension. Our faculty and staff, volunteers, participants, alumni and partners are woven into the fabric of rural, urban and suburban Minnesota life. This project showcases Extension in action through photos, stories and a sampling of the many ways Extension has touched the lives of people in every county.