By Katie Drewitz University of Minnesota Extension National Ag Statistics Service (NASS) crop yield estimates for 2025 have been posted. Looking at this data is an opportunity to assess yield trends in the counties to better understand yield potential. Which in turn, assists in the long term financial management of our farms. Today’s article will focus on corn and soybeans, … [Read more...]
Apple Maggots
By Katie Drewitz University of Minnesota Extension PRESTON and CALEDONIA, MN, June 30, 2026 – As the apples on your trees continue to grow there are numerous factors that we need to consider. The apple maggot (Rhagoletis pomonella) is the most important insect pest to Minnesota grown apples and typically starts to become active in July. Heavily infested apples are … [Read more...]
Maximizing the Value of Local Agriculture; Beef Tallow Skin Care
From their home in Lanesboro, Brian and Sue Roelofs have turned a personal health mission for their daughter into a business. Brian grew up near Greenleafton, Minnesota, and went to high school in Preston. He went to college at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and moved several times throughout his career. Eventually, he ended up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he met Sue, … [Read more...]
Harmony Veterinary Clinic Receives Excellence Award from UMN
For the past 14 years, the Harmony Veterinary Clinic owned by Dr. John Rein and Dr. Jeff Collins has collaborated with the University of Minnesota to provide real life experience for future veterinarians. Recently UMN honored the clinic with its prestigious Clinical Training Sites of Excellence Award. Past recipients of the award have included Mayo Clinic, St. Luke’s Health … [Read more...]
Land Legacy
By Benya Kraus President and CEO, SMIF During the summer of my junior year of college, I had what I now call my “quarter-life existential crisis.” I was 21 years old and spending the summer in Waseca on the family farm, a stark departure from the life I was living in Boston during the school year. Instead of cocktail bar hopping in the city with my new 21-year-old status, I … [Read more...]
Welcome to Dairy Night on the Farm
The public is cordially invited to the Mulhern Dairy farm on Saturday, June 13, from 5-8 p.m. for a closer look at life on a working dairy farm in Fillmore County. Plan to attend this year’s Fillmore County Dairy Night on the Farm, which will bring local families to the Mulhern Dairy farm, located at 25901 County 7, Fountain, Minn., for an evening centered on food, family … [Read more...]
Celebrating the G.O.A.T. Dairy Month with MDGA
MDGA (Minnesota Dairy Goat Association) brought Dairy Month in with a bang as they presented their state dairy goat show on May 29, 30 and 31. Most people think of cows during Dairy Month, but many people feel goats are the G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time) providers of a great milk supply. Goat milk is used for drinking, making cheese and butter, and making soap, to mention a … [Read more...]
D & D Dairy Milks 1,000 Cows
When people drive by the D & D Dairy on Hwy. 43 outside of Rushford, they are sure to notice the huge silage pile on the farm. The pile measures 80 yards wide by 100 yards long and rises to a height of about 20 feet. When the pile is under construction, you might see four or five tractors on top of the pile packing the silage down. Once that pile is completed, it takes a … [Read more...]
Beef Prices At All-Time High
According to Joe Nelson, beef prices in all classes at the Lanesboro Sales Commission have seen an increase to levels not seen before. This past week, one of the cattle weighing 1,600 pounds brought $2.585 per pound for a total sale price of $4,136 – an all time high! Nelson commented that not long ago $2 a pound was considered a good deal! Market cows also had an all-time … [Read more...]
Properly Planting Trees
By Katie Drewitz University of Minnesota Extension Trees provide many things for our communities: beauty, energy conservation, reduction of soil erosion, filtering air pollutants, raising property values, a home for wildlife and so much more. Trees are an integral part of our home landscapes, neighborhoods and countryside. If you are looking to plant a tree for the … [Read more...]