Extension News and Highlights

This spring brings heightened threat of flooding. Extension's family toolkit provides a way to be ready.

U of M Extension Master Gardeners train public housing residents to beautify their surroundings, grow their own food and make their high-rise apartments and town homes feel more like home. The residents do this by becoming Garden Mentors. They take on leadership and facilitation responsibilities in their neighborhood community garden. Garden Mentors currently work the gardens at six high-rises and one town home development.

Annie Klodd provides education and applied research to grape growers on the most effective ways to successfully grow high-quality Minnesota wine grapes in our climate. The U of M Extension educator in fruit and vegetable production is funded by the  Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Tech Transfer program (AGREETT).

In Minnesota, about 680,000 households have horse enthusiasts, whereas about 29,000 own a horse. The direct economic impact of the horse industry here is $541 million, with a creation of 15,113 jobs. However, the total economic impact of the horse industry in Minnesota is $1 billion, with a creation of 21,039 jobs. 

Extension Master Gardeners announce their favorites from a selection of more than 200 plants.

The Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) honored two Minnesota 4-H projects for their contributions and service to communities. These projects, driven by youth across Minnesota, truly make a big difference and respond to real community needs in the state.   

Sixteen years ago, Wendy Wustenberg’s daughter, Lauren, and her mother, the late Ruth Wiberg, created a University of Minnesota Extension 4-H project using wool from rare Leicester Longwool sheep the family raises at Windswept Hill Farm, in Farmington, Minn. The first round of wool angels were Lauren’s 4-H demonstration project for the Dakota County Fair when she was 10 years old. 

University of Minnesota Extension and the Carver County Core Dairy Team drew together 300 members of the dairy community from 20 counties on Feb. 18 at Central High School in Norwood Young America. Now a 27-year tradition, the Carver County Dairy Expo is known as a day of camaraderie in the dairy industry, with a goal of learning and networking.

Federal grant to University builds partnerships in Aitkin, Itasca, Pine and northern St. Louis counties, and Mille Lacs and Bois Forte Band of Ojibwa.

Some best practices for feeding your cattle in the winter months and how you can minimize costs.