Horticulture Day scheduled for Aug. 21 near Hankinson
HANKINSON, N.D. - The North Dakota State University Extension Service will sponsor a Horticulture Day on Aug. 21 at the American Legion Learning Center and Community Gardens at Lake Elsie, 16610 94½ St. S., near here.
The day begins at 9 a.m. with a welcome by an aide to U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp.
Topics for the day include:
- Home lawn care.
- Proper usage of pesticides.
- Establishing a container or community garden.
- Fruit variety trials.
- Ornamental grasses.
- Perennials for all seasons.
The day ends with a tour of the community gardens from 2:10 p.m. to 3.
The workshop is free and lunch can be purchased at the center.
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American Legion Post 88 began improving the property next to Lake Elsie in 2005.
Since then, a public learning center was built, a 2.5-mile bike path was built from Hankinson to the center, 2,200 trees were planted, a native grass area was established, a meeting center was completed and a public garden was opened for people to rent spots.
Jason Goltz, NDSU Extension Richland County agent, and Todd Weinmann, NDSU Extension Cass County horticulturist, have been working with the American Legion post.
For more information, contact Goltz at (701) 642-7793 or jason.goltz@ndsu.edu .
NDSU launches workshops focusing on local foods
The North Dakota State University Extension Service is launching a series of workshops to help communities get involved in the local foods movement.
The first workshop, "Building Capacity for Local/Regional Food and Understanding the Industry," is Aug. 13 at FARRMS in Medina.
Interest in eating locally produced food continues to grow among consumers, restaurants, schools and grocers. The reasons vary, but health, safety, freshness and knowing where one's food comes from are four key drivers.
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To register for the workshop, visit www.ag.ndsu.edu/smallbusiness .
The workshop is free of charge. Participants will receive travel stipends and a small grant to initiate a local foods program in their communities.
For more information, contact Muske at glenn.muske@ndsu.edu or call (701) 328-9718.
Saline and sodic soil field day set for Aug. 22
More than 90 percent of North Dakota's producers experience reduced yields as a result of salinity or sodicity, so it is an important issue in the state, according to Abbey Wick, North Dakota State University Extension Service soil health assistant professor.
To provide producers with management options, a saline and sodic soil field day is scheduled on Aug. 22.
The day begins with registration between 8:15 and 8:45 a.m. at the Bagg Bonanza Farm near Mooreton. Morning and afternoon field tours will cover topics that were generated by producers.
Topics include:
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- Detecting a soil issue: how to sample and interpret results.
- Water management of sodic soils.
- Whole-systems management of saline soils.
- Vision of the SHARE (Soil Health and Agriculture Research Extension) farm.
- Hydrology, salinity and soils.
- Cropping response to salinity.
- Root diseases on stressed crops.
- Weed management in salt-affected areas.
- Pest pressures.
- Economics and salinity: how much do we gain with tiling?
As part of the tour, a discussion on strategies for remediating saline soil conditions will be held at the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)/Richland County Soil Conservation District (SCD) demonstration site near Wahpeton.
"We will leave time during the day for participants to have one-on-one conversations with NDSU research and Extension faculty, specialists and agents," Wick says.
To register, contact Niki Lynnes at (701) 231-8881 or niki.lynnes@ndsu.edu .
Preregistering by Aug. 19 is encouraged but not required. The registration fee is $20, which includes a noon lunch and evening dinner.
The event is sponsored by the NDSU Extension Service, North Dakota Corn Council, NRCS and Richland County SCD.
