Although winter could be considered a slower time for some producers, online educational opportunities abound from North and South Dakota land grant universities. These webinars and trainings can bring new insights and the latest research to you, all without you ever having to leave the comfort of your home.

From crop production research, variety trial results, beef production and beyond, take advantage of these educational series from North Dakota State University and South Dakota State University.

North Dakota State University

From economics to crop production, check out the following education hours offered by NDSU this winter.

Getting it Right — Sunflower: 8:30 a.m. to noon CST Jan. 30

Topics include managing weeds in sunflower fields, directions in avian damage management research, pest management of red sunflower seed weevils and managing economically important diseases. Register for free and find out more here. 

Getting it Right — Flax: 8:30 a.m. to noon CST Feb. 4

NDSU specialists including Brian Jenks, David Ripplinger and Frayne Olson along with local farmer Barry Coleman will share the latest in production and profitability. Register online and find more information here. 

Getting it Right — Dry Bean: 8:30 a.m. to noon CST Feb. 10

Related:What does the new year hold for sunflowers?

White mold management, pests affecting dry beans, market updates and weed control are topics to be discussed during this webinar. Find out more information and register to attend virtually here. 

Getting it Right – Canola: 8:30 a.m. to noon CST March 14

Weed issues in canola, minimizing losses from pests, canola’s role in global biofuels production and disease impacts on yield will be discussed in this session. Register online and find more information here. 

Agricultural Market Situation and Outlook Webinar

Held every month throughout the year, each webinar will feature the latest updates to the agriculture economy, farm financial conditions and farm program updates from experts at NDSU. Registration is required for these free opportunities. Find out more here.

Learn more about upcoming events from NDSU on its events page.

South Dakota State University

Online offerings from SDSU include crop hours, Cattle HQ and more.

Crop Hour

The SDSU Extension agronomy team provides valuable information for South Dakota crop producers to improve profitability and prepare for the upcoming season in this webinar series. These sessions, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from Jan. 7 through Feb. 27, will cover disease and insect management, weed control, nutrient management, variety trial results, soil health and market updates.

Related:Farm for value first in 2025

The first week’s kickoff to this series will cover all things focused on soil health and water. Find out more dates and topics online here.

Cattle HQ

SDSU is launching a new year-round webinar series for cattle producers called Cattle HQ. These live webinars will be hosted on Zoom on the third Thursday of each month in 2025 from 2 to 3 p.m. CST. Covering timely topics throughout the year, the first webinar will be Jan. 16 and feature Warren Rusche, an assistant professor and SDSU Extension feedlot management specialist, who will discuss winter cattle management strategies.

Julie Walker, a professor and SDSU Extension beef specialist, says the webinars help serve cattle producers whose schedules don’t allow them to attend in-person meetings. “We’re not just lecturing them, it’s an exchange of information between the producers and us,” Walker says. “It’s also a way for us to highlight some of the cool things SDSU is doing.”

Cattle HQ also is the name of the SDSU Extension’s podcast for cattle producers, which releases new episodes every two weeks. The SDSU Extension beef team hopes to produce Cattle HQ webinars and podcasts to work together to give education and insights to all producers.

Related:Set up your farm finances for success

Although free to attend, registration is required to receive the Zoom link and recordings. Find out more about the webinar series and podcast here.

Find more in-person and online educational opportunities from SDSU here.