Scientific name: Tetropium fuscum Fabricius
A new way to help senior men share their talents, foster friendships, reduce isolation and loneliness, and improve health and well-being has taken rural communities in other countries by storm and is spreading to Minnesota.
Anyone interested in learning more about “Men’s Sheds” is invited to join an online meeting at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, July 21 to see if they are something older farmers and other rural Minnesota men would enjoy.
“We know it’s important for retired and semi-retired men to stay occupied, but sometimes they can find it hard to make social connections,” Minnesota Commissioner of Agriculture Thom Petersen said. “Men’s Sheds are a chance to get out and do fun and interesting things with other guys.”
Men’s Sheds first began in Australia in the 1980s and have been making their way across the world. Australia now has 1,000 sheds. Ireland is up to 450. There are also sheds throughout the United Kingdom and in Denmark. Members decide what they want to do together – anything from carpentry, to fishing, community service, music, photography, to gardening, cooking, or other activities.
Farmers, farm and commodity organization leaders, elected officials, social workers and human services professionals, library staff, ag educators, clergy, civic and business leaders, and anybody else who might want to join, sponsor, or support a Men’s Shed in their own community are invited to participate in the July 21 webinar.
Presenters will include Minnesota resident Phil Johnson, managing director of the US Men’s Shed Association; Eva Beirne, manager of the Irish Men’s Shed Association’s National Volunteer program; and Aisling McGrath, a Ph.D. candidate from Waterford, Ireland, whose work focuses on the health advantages and impacts of Men’s Sheds.
This free event is hosted by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Register here to receive the Zoom webinar link.
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Media Contact
Larry Schumacher, MDA Communications
651-201-6629
larry.schumacher@state.mn.us
Scientific name: Spodoptera littoralis Boisduval
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is preparing to treat areas in Carlton, Lake, and St. Louis counties to slow the spread of a gypsy moth. Officials will conduct the aerial treatment July 13-16, beginning as early as 6:15 a.m. each morning and continuing throughout the day. The dates and times are dependent on weather conditions in the area.
The sites total approximately 64,600 acres. They are:
- Carlton and St. Louis counties – Esko block, including portions of the city of Duluth – 19,839 acres (MAP)
- Lake and St. Louis counties – French River block, including portions of the cities of Duluth and Two Harbors – 44,847 acres (MAP)
Residents can look up their address on an interactive map to determine if they are within either of these blocks.
The MDA will use a method of mating disruption involving the aerial application of an organically certified, waxy, food-grade substance containing pheromones specific to gypsy moths that confuses the male moths. This makes it difficult for the male gypsy moths to find females for mating, which means reduced mating success. The result is fewer caterpillars hatching and attacking trees next year. Application is timed just as adult moths emerge in early summer.
The mating disruption product will be applied by low-flying yellow planes contracted by the U.S. Forest Service in a joint project with the MDA. These planes fly approximately 150 feet above the treetops and will be traveling outside the treatment areas as the planes navigate through the gypsy moth infestation sites. The product is not harmful to humans, animals, birds, or other insects, and will help protect forest health, property values, and the state’s tourism industry.
To help area citizens stay informed, the MDA has set up an Arrest the Pest information line at 1-888-545-MOTH (6684). The hotline will offer the latest details about treatment dates and times. Residents can sign up for updates about treatment progress by texting “MDA NORTHEAST” to 468311 to receive text notifications or texting “MDA NORTHEAST [your email address here]” to 468311 to receive email notifications.
Gypsy moths are among America's most destructive tree pests, having caused millions of dollars in damage to Eastern forests. The moths are now threatening Minnesota. If present in large numbers, gypsy moth caterpillars can defoliate large sections of forest. Oak, poplar, birch, and willow are among their preferred hosts. The moths spread slowly on their own, but people can unintentionally help them spread by transporting firewood or other items on which the moths have laid their eggs.
Contact the Minnesota Department of Agriculture at 1-888-545-6684 or Arrest.the.Pest@state.mn.us with questions regarding gypsy moth and the planned treatment.
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Media Contact
Allen Sommerfeld, MDA Communications
651-201-6185
Allen.Sommerfeld@state.mn.us
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has positively identified the invasive weed Palmer amaranth in Goodhue County for the first time.
After a crop consultant reported a suspected plant to the MDA, staff conducted a site visit and found the weed in two corn fields managed by one farmer. The MDA scouted fields surrounding the documented infestations and did not find any additional Palmer plants. It is unknown at this time how Palmer amaranth got into the two fields; however, the MDA is continuing to investigate potential sources.
An herbicide application stunted but did not kill the plants. A crew hand pulled weeds in the two fields to eliminate any chance of seed production. The MDA will continue to work with the farmer, crop consultants, U of M Extension, and the County Agricultural Inspector to manage these infestations.
“This is a good example of the limits of herbicide on Palmer amaranth,” said Denise Thiede, MDA’s Seed Unit Supervisor. “If plants are allowed to reach a certain size, an herbicide application may not control them. That’s why we’re counting on farmers and crop consultants to report suspected plants. They are our best line of defense against Palmer amaranth.”
The MDA is asking farmers and agronomists to take photos of suspicious plants, pull them out, and save them in plastic bags for genetic testing if needed. Report the find to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Arrest the Pest line at 1-888-545-6684 or arrest.the.pest@state.mn.us.
Palmer amaranth can be identified by the following characteristics:
- The green leaves are smooth and arranged in an alternate pattern that grows symmetrically around the stem. The leaves are oval to diamond or triangle shaped.
- The leaves of some Palmer amaranth plants have a whitish, V-shaped mark on them. Not all Palmer amaranth plants display this characteristic.
- Palmer amaranth looks similar to our native pigweeds such as waterhemp (A. tuberculatus and A. rudis), Powell's amaranth (A. powellii), and redroot and smooth pigweeds (A. retroflexus and A. hybridus, respectively). Here are some distinguishing characteristics:
- Redroot and smooth pigweeds have fine hairs on their stems and leaves. Palmer amaranth and waterhemp do not have these hairs.
- The petiole (stalk connecting a leaf to the stem) is longer than the length of the leaf. For waterhemp, the petiole will be only half the length of the leaf.
- Seedhead spikes on female Palmer amaranth plants are much taller (up to three feet long) and pricklier than waterhemp or redroot and smooth pigweed spikes.
Photos and other information on Palmer amaranth can be found on the MDA website at www.mda.state.mn.us/palmeramaranth.
Palmer amaranth is listed as a noxious weed in Minnesota and was first discovered in the state in 2016. All above and below ground parts of the plant must be destroyed, and it cannot be moved. The invasive weed is also listed as a prohibited weed seed in the state. This means no Palmer amaranth is allowed in any seed offered for sale in Minnesota.
Palmer amaranth has been found in 11 Minnesota counties, including Goodhue County. However, most of the sites have been successfully eradicated and the remaining are being closely monitored. Details of previous finds can be found on the MDA website.
Left uncontrolled, a single female Palmer amaranth plant typically produces 100,000 to 500,000 seeds. It is resistant to multiple herbicides, can cause substantial yield losses, and greatly increase weed management costs in soybeans and corn.
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Media Contact
Allen Sommerfeld, MDA Communications
651-201-6185
Allen.Sommerfeld@state.mn.us
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) issued the following statement today regarding Pipeline Foods, LLC’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. The MDA currently has an open investigation into the license held by Pipeline Foods, LLC and, therefore, is limited to the information that can be shared at this time. However, the MDA will host a meeting for impacted producers in the near future. Producers that have questions regarding the situation can contact the MDA’s Grain Licensing Program at 651-201-6011 or grain@state.mn.us.
STATEMENT:
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is sending out this notice regarding the Pipeline Foods, LLC’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing on Thursday, July 8, 2021, to make producers aware that if they delivered grain to Pipeline Foods, LLC in the last 10 days, whether on contract or not, they may be able to secure their interest in the delivered grain through the legal process under Minnesota Statutes 336.2-702. Furthermore, they may have certain rights for any future delivery of grain they might make. The producers' ability to enforce such rights may depend on their individual circumstances, and issues relating to Pipeline Food's existing credit arrangements. The department encourages producers to seek legal help immediately as many of these issues are time sensitive.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture's Rural Finance Authority (RFA) Board today determined that an emergency exists in Minnesota due to drought, which makes zero-interest loans available immediately for Minnesota farmers whose operations are suffering from lack of rain.
“The RFA board members voted unanimously to make these disaster recovery funds available because of current drought conditions,” said Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen. “This zero-interest loan program is especially important for farmers whose crops and livestock are suffering from the drought and were not insured or were underinsured.”
The Disaster Recovery Loan Program can be used to help cover lost revenue or expenses not covered by insurance. The funds can be used to help clean up, repair, or replace farm buildings, repair or replace septic and water systems, replace seed, fertilizer (or other cropping inputs), feed, or livestock and poultry.
Farmers in Minnesota counties considered to be in severe drought or worse (D2+ on the U.S. Drought Monitor’s designation) and in contiguous counties are eligible to apply.
Eligible farmers must have received at least 50 percent of their annual gross income from farming for the past three years and will work through their bank to secure the loans from the RFA. Interest rates on the RFA portion of the loan are currently set at 0.0%.
More information on the Disaster Recovery Loan is on the Minnesota Department of Agriculture website.
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Media Contact
Larry Schumacher, MDA Communications
651-201-6629
Larry.Schumacher@state.mn.us
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has awarded $95,000 to combat noxious weeds across Minnesota. Twenty projects are being funded though the 2021 Noxious Weed and Invasive Plant Grant.
The money, awarded to cities, counties, townships, conservation districts, and tribal nations, will be used to purchase equipment and supplies, conduct mapping and outreach activities, and hire private applicators to manage noxious weeds.
Noxious weeds are plants that have the potential or are known to be harmful to human or animal health, the environment, public roads, crops, livestock, or other property. There are currently 48 plants on Minnesota’s Noxious Weed List.
Grant projects were awarded up to $5,000 to be spent in one year to support local activity.
The MDA has awarded over $1 million since 2017 to local municipalities and tribal nations for projects that focus on noxious weeds throughout the state.
Visit the MDA website to learn more about the state’s Noxious Weed Program.
Organization | Award Amount | Project Title |
---|---|---|
Anoka Conservation District | $5,000 | Invasive Species Control in Anoka County Phase 2 |
Becker SWCD | $5,000 | 2021 Becker County Noxious Weed and Invasive Plant MDA Grant |
Carver County | $5,000 | Carver County Noxious Weed Management Project |
City of Hill City | $3,100 | Hill City Buckthorn Control |
City of Lewiston | $5,000 | Prairie Trails Park Cleanup |
Clay SWCD | $5,000 | Eradicate Poison Hemlock |
Cook County SWCD | $5,000 | Protecting the Intrinsic Qualities of the Gunflint Trail Scenic Byway by Managing Invasive Species |
Forest Township, Rice County | $5,000 | Forest Township: Noxious Weed Eradication, Treatment, and Education |
Houston County Environmental Services | $5,000 | Control of Japanese Hops Along the Root River Corridor in Houston County |
Koochiching County | $5,000 | 2021 Koochiching County Noxious Weed Grant |
North St. Louis SWCD | $5,000 | Ely Area Woody Invasive Species Removal Project |
Pennington SWCD | $5,000 | Pennington County Noxious Weed and Invasive Plant Inventory |
Pope SWCD | $5,000 | Pope-Swift Cooperative Weed Management Area 2021 |
Prairie Island Indian Community | $5,000 | Tribal Noxious Weed Management Project |
Ramsey County | $5,000 | Ramsey County Noxious Weed Grant 2021 |
Scott SWCD | $2,000 | Scott Cooperative Weed Management Area Wild Parsnip Management |
Stearns County | $5,000 | Stearns County Rough Potato |
Wabasha SWCD | $5,000 | Bohemian Knotweed Management at Hammond Creek |
Washington Conservation District | $5,000 | Emerging Invasive Species in Washington County |
Watonwan County | $5,000 | Watonwan County Noxious Weed Program |
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Media Contact
Allen Sommerfeld, MDA Communications
651-201-6185
Allen.Sommerfeld@state.mn.us
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is hosting a series of free waste pesticide collections available to eleven northwestern Minnesota counties. Residents from Beltrami, Cass, Clay, Clearwater, Lake of the Woods, Kittson, Marshall, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, and Roseau counties may attend any of the five collection sites in August.
The program accepts unwanted, unusable agricultural and consumer-type pesticides including insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, and rodenticides. However, crop oils, adjuvants, pesticide rinsate, fertilizer, treated seed, contaminated soil, and empty pesticide containers will not be accepted. The collections are open to farmers, homeowners, commercial pesticide applicators, golf courses, lawn care companies, structural pest control operators, and other pesticide users. No pre-registration for the MDA events is required.
The 2021 MDA collections will be held at the following locations and times:
August 3 - West Central Ag, 334 1st St. SE, Ulen, 2 – 4 p.m.
August 4 - CHS Ag Services, 3035 Highway 75 S, Crookston, 9 – 11 a.m.
August 4 - CHS Ag Services, 624 3rd St. W, Thief River Falls, 2 – 4 p.m.
August 5 - CHS Ag Services, 420 S Main, Warren, 9 – 11 a.m.
August 5 - Nutrient Ag Solutions, 1275 Atlantic Ave. S, Hallock, 2 – 4 p.m.
Collection sites will accept up to 300 pounds of eligible product at no cost. The MDA requests that citizens call 612-214-6843 to provide advance notification if they wish to drop off more than 300 pounds of product.
The MDA has collected over 8 million pounds of pesticides around the state since the Waste Pesticide Collection Program started in 1990.
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Media Contact
Allen Sommerfeld, MDA Communications
651-201-6185
Allen.Sommerfeld@state.mn.us
Informational Meeting on Pipeline Foods Bankruptcy Filing
Pipeline Stakeholder Meeting Recording
The MDA is hosting an informational meeting for producers impacted by Pipeline Foods, LLC’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.
The Fridley-based company announced on July 9 it had filed for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.
The MDA meeting will be held virtually on Wednesday, July 21 from 1-3 p.m. When it's time, join the meeting here. Meeting number (access code): 1465 48 4431. Meeting password: AKqpQ7Ed32
During the meeting, staff will share available information on the situation, review the state’s bond claim process for grain sellers, and take producer questions.