“Our farm is not only about growing food. It’s about growing people & preserving culture.” @hennepin.bsky.social and the @umnextension.bsky.social are proud to recognize the Sudanese Farming Group as the Farm Family of the Year for their leadership in sustainable agriculture, education, & community

Minnesota’s Tamarack region, known also as the “wild rice basket,” contains some of the most abundant wild rice (manoomin) waters in the world. 🌾 A community-University partnership brings new light to this vulnerable but sacred resource through maps and real voices. z.umn.edu/awp3

🍂 As Minnesota’s woods turn red and gold, some plants stay stubbornly green, and that’s a red flag. Learn how to spot and manage invasive buckthorn and honeysuckle this fall.

Join UMN Extension and @umn-midb.bsky.social on Oct. 30 for an onsite ECHO event and listening session at the North Central Research and Outreach Center in Grand Rapids. Providers, educators, social workers and other professionals are encouraged to attend!

📆‼️Deadline next week! Apply by October 1 to join the 2026 Master Gardener Volunteer Program cohort. Details: z.umn.edu/MGInfo.

Headed to the State Fair? 🎡🌽 Stop by the Agriculture-Horticulture Building (CFANS wing) to talk plants with Master Gardener volunteers! They’re here daily to answer your gardening questions and share how you can become a volunteer.

Learn and grow with the Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program! Applications for the 2026 cohort are now open. 🌱 Apply by October 1 at z.umn.edu/am3k

When disaster strikes, it can be hard to know how to respond. Extension’s weather and climate resources help you prepare for, respond to and recover from events like storms, flooding, drought and extreme heat. From your home to your finances, we have resources to support recovery. buff.ly/evJEVgz

Join us in celebrating the Farm Families of the Year! 👏 Since 1979, the U of M Farm Family Recognition Program has honored Minnesota farm families for their contributions to the agriculture industry and their local communities. This year, 86 families will be honored at MN Farmfest. buff.ly/l0IDKOk

The July garden checklist is here! ✅ Learn how to take care of houseplants at this stage of summer, and be on the lookout for garden pests. Remember to tend to your trees and shrubs, especially after harsh weather.

Earlier this month, around 100 honeyberry enthusiasts joined us for the first-ever Honeyberry Academy, held in partnership with Extension at UW-Madison. Honeyberries, also known as Haskap, are a delicious cold-hardy fruit with a small, but expanding grower community.

Master Gardener Chidi Chidozie is building connections with communities through traditional plants with the U of M's Community Plant Breeding Team. Research fields adjacent to the St. Paul campus are home to a global garden, where crops like Ethiopian mustard, fluted pumpkin and African basil grow.

This #MensHealthMonth, Extension #SNAPEd health and wellness coordinators Michael Stratten, Thao Pham and Jonah Udall led by example and shared their personal stories in hopes of inspiring other men and fathers to do the same. Watch the full-length videos: z.umn.edu/RealTalkMensHealth

My @umnextension.bsky.social colleague, Angie, was interviewed on the Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture podcast, Smarty Plants, recently to talk about her cool work around invasive species participatory science! #InvasiveSpecies open.spotify.com/episode/2F9H...

The summer of 2025 has already been a wild ride—from unseasonal cold snaps to blistering heat and powerful storms. ⛈️ Gardens are resilient, and so are gardeners. With a little care and know-how, storm damage can be the first step toward a stronger, smarter growing season ahead.

Acrylic paint and pipe cleaners aren’t typical tools of the trade for Extension Educator Marissa Schuh, who specializes in integrated pest management (IPM). Learn how decorative craft models and art supplies are preparing farmers for food crop pest scouting.🥬 🐛 buff.ly/kfLzjfv

Side by Side season 2 is here! In this week's episode, David McCollough talks about the transformative power of the American Exchange Project, which aims to bridge cultural and socioeconomic divides for high school students through urban, rural and suburban exchange programs. z.umn.edu/SideBySide

Food brings families together. Our @umnextension.bsky.social Cooking Matters series helps parents build skills, try new foods, and gain confidence in the kitchen. It’s hands-on, joyful, & full of connection. Bon appétit! 🔗 waytogrow.org/blog Photo credit: John Gwinn

The current outbreak of spruce budworm across northeast Minnesota has led to widespread mortality of balsam fir, dramatically increasing the risk of wildfire. Learn how spruce budworm impacts trees and forests, and management recommendations for before, during and after an outbreak. buff.ly/orz8KC8

As ecosystems are anticipated to shift in northern Minnesota, future forests may look different. To address this, Extension volunteers are at work planting, monitoring and preserving trees expected to thrive in the decades ahead. 🌲 buff.ly/3ZM9LzG

🏙️🏡 Season two of Side by Side launches June 11! Join Extension Educator Ellen Wolter as she explores the interdependent relationship between rural and urban spaces and why this complex and necessary relationship matters. Catch up on season one ⬇️ z.umn.edu/SideBySide

A new @climatecentral.org report shows plant hardiness zones—which determine where plants can thrive—have shifted north in most of the United States. eos.org/articles/as-...

🍀 Minnesota 4-H is expanding accessibility so youth with disabilities can participate more fully and thrive. Quieter judging spaces, inclusive camps and volunteer training opportunities are just a few ways that 4-H is making programs more welcoming for all.

🔎 You don't need to need to venture far to find the tiny ecological marvels known as lichens. Found in urban, rural and in-between spaces, Minnesota Master Naturalist Tanner Barnharst shares about his fascination with lichens, their unique beauty and his favorite spots to find them. buff.ly/fKdGPHb

For many cottage food producers, farmers market season is underway. Brush up on food safety tips for farmers markets in the latest Cottage Foods Connection article. buff.ly/6cX6QzX

Hot off the press🔥The spring issue of Source magazine is here! Dive into stories about flower farming, accessibility in 4-H, rural grocery store resilience, the future of our northern woodlands, and more ⬇️ buff.ly/LwA8yDh.

From data-backed research to boots-on-the-ground organizing, Extension is helping rural communities across the state become places where entrepreneurship thrives and families flourish.

✅ Have you read the May garden checklist yet? This is a good time to plant woody shrubs and establish good practices for keeping your garden pest and disease-free. Read the full checklist at

Minnesota's only salt lake, located along the South Dakota border, is a magnet for birds and bird watchers. Master Naturalist's Amy Rager, involved in this year's Salt Lake birding weekend remarked “The prairie is just as exciting as the North Shore, you just don’t know it yet.” buff.ly/JPn02GY

Being a Master Gardener is about more than tending plants — it's about growing connections. Master Gardener Mary Pettit brings nature indoors to the Crow River Senior Center through a program that helps participants connect with long-term memories through gardening activities. buff.ly/ItuGfUE

@educationmn.bsky.social @umnextension.bsky.social

Volunteers in our AIS Detectors program do some awesome work! Check out this @umnextension.bsky.social article about Bob, who took some AWESOME rusty crayfish photos for us, traps rusty crayfish, and shares his favorite way to prepare them. extension.umn.edu/natural-reso...

🌻 From sunflowers to snapdragons, Extension Educator Robin Trott shares plant variety recommendations and market considerations for cut flower farms ⬇️

Tourism Center Director Xinyi Qian joined Bill von Bank of @experiencerochmn.bsky.social on the Growing Destinations Podcast to talk about how the UMN Tourism Center is helping communities build capacity and create sustainable, vibrant destinations. 🎧 Listen now: z.umn.edu/afat

Still time to register for tomorrow's webinar about rusty crayfish management around wild rice! umn.zoom.us/webinar/regi... 📸: Bob McNamara

Woodland stewards can help improve the biodiversity of forests by leaving behind cavity trees, dead standing trees and downed dead trees. Learn more about the positive impact of of maintaining these trees from Extension Forester Anna Stockstad 🌳 ⬇️ buff.ly/1skM0wW

🌍 In honor of Earth Week, Extension Educator Amy Rager joined Minnesota Live to share what the Master Naturalist program is all about. Want to connect with nature, help your community, and meet fellow nature nerds? 🤓 Watch the interview to find out how you can join the #NerdHerd! buff.ly/q3ux77m

🌿 Native plants offer many benefits for both your garden and the environment. Here are a few key reasons to consider incorporating them into your landscape. ⬇️

Simple, scienced-based practices can make a big difference for the health of your garden. Prevent plant diseases with good habits like starting sanitizing shoes, hands and garden tools, and watering low to prevent leaf splash. Read our full list of tips ⬇️

The April yard and garden checklist is here! ✅ Read the full checklist at buff.ly/GP8niVT

In Goodhue County, individuals impacted by the opioid crisis are leading the way forward. With help from UMN Extension Educator Noelle Harden, the Opioid Settlement Advisory Council (OSAC) used a participatory funding model to guide the distribution of $200,000 in settlement funds.

Pasqueflowers are one of the first signs of spring on the prairie. Minnesota Master Naturalist Lisa Meyers McClintick shares tips for where to spot these delicate, fuzzy flowers.

Have you seen the latest posts on our Clean Energy Job Board? Extension Educator - Climate Adaptation & Resilience Decisions, @umnextension.bsky.social Sustainability Project Coordinator, City of Morris Energy Training Corps - Crew Member, @ecolibrium3.bsky.social And more:

🥩 Across Minnesota, many farmers struggle to process their livestock due to a shortage of meat processing facilities. A team from Extension’s Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships (RSDP) is tackling this challenge—working to strengthen local meat processing and support rural entrepreneurs.

🚜 📆 Monday, March 24, 2025 was declared Women in Ag Day in Minnesota! This special day honors the contributions, impact and resilience of Minnesota women in ag. Yesterday, women farmers and ag leaders from across the state shared their experiences with policymakers at the Minnesota State Capitol.

💸 Managing finances can be a hard job during the best of times. This week, Tonia Brinston — a financial health and wellness coordinator in the Department of Family, Health and Wellbeing — spoke with @mprnews.org to share tips for creating sound financial resilience in tough times.

🍄 It’s almost mushroom season! But do you know how to safely identify Minnesota mushrooms? Tanner Barnharst and Amy Rager with Extension’s Minnesota Master Naturalist program recently spoke with KSTP's Minnesota Live morning show to talk about tips and tricks for spring foraging!

🛒 In small towns across Minnesota, local grocery stores are more than just a place to buy food — they are the bread and butter of community. But keeping the doors open isn’t always easy.

🪲 Though winter has its challenges for farmers, gardeners and homeowners, cold temps can help keep pests in check. Some insects, like soybean aphids, struggle to survive extreme cold, while others burrow deep into the ground or use antifreeze-like compounds to endure winter: z.umn.edu/aat3

Rural Minnesota counties are experiencing labor shortages because they don’t have enough housing for the in-migration of young workers. The solution? Extension Educator Ben Winchester urges communities, like Yellow Medicine County, to focus on transition housing. #BrainGain #Rural