University of Minnesota Extension is offering Small Grain Winter Workshops in central, western and southern Minnesota this month to address small grain production.

Row crop farming brings busy spring and fall workloads. There are also pests common to row crops, including herbicide resistant weeds, soybean cyst nematodes, soybean aphid, diseases and corn rootworm. Small grains added to a rotation may offer opportunities to diversity cropping systems in central and southern Minnesota to manage these challenges.

Extension offers wheat, small grain workshops

Extension specialists who are hosting the workshops say the program is designed to help farmers determine if small grains can work on their farm, in their rotation, and if the practice can be sustainable over time.

The second objective is to hand farmers the tools needed to make small grain a successful crop in their operation, they add. This includes information on production agronomics, variety selection, disease identification and fungicide use, fertility, quality, equipment, and economics. Time will be set aside for open forum to discuss related topics and on farm experiences.

Dates, locations, times and contacts are as follows:

February 16 – Le Center, Ambulance Svc / Le Sueur Co. EOC, 10:30 - 4:00; contact Diane at 507-357-8230.

February 17 – Cold Spring, Great Blue Heron, 10:30 – 2:30; contact Joe at 320-980-2915.

February 18 – Slayton, Pizza Ranch, 1:00 - 4:00; contact Liz Stahl at 507-372-3900. Part of Winter Crops Day beginning at 9:00.

February 19 – Benson, McKinney's, 10:00 – 2:30; contact Scott at 320-760-6129.

Presenters, which vary by location, include Jochum Wiersma, U-M Extension Small grain specialist; Jim Anderson, U-Minnesota spring wheat breeder; Madeleine Smith, U-M small grains pathologist; Doug Holen, U-M Extension crops educator; and Phil Glogoza, U-M Extension crops educator.

No registration is needed and lunch included at all sites (fee in Slayton).

For more information or brochure, contact Doug Holen at 218-770-4396 or [email protected]