by April Scheinoha
Editor
The University of Minnesota Extension office in Thief River Falls continues to offer a variety of services. At its meeting Tuesday, Jan. 27, the Pennington County Board heard an update.
Abbey Rodelius, Extension educator for 4-H youth development in Pennington County, said about 47 kids are enrolled in the Cloverbuds program for kids in kindergarten through second grade. Eight 4-Hers will soon be attending Building Leadership and Understanding. Project Bowl will be held Saturday, Feb. 14.
4-H projects are off and running, and Pennington County 4-H plans to hold Project Day sometime soon. Currently, it seeks archery coaches because it hopes to again offer Shooting Sports and Wildlife.
Solid waste disposal management is also among the services provided at the Extension office. Grant Nelson, the county’s ag services/solid waste coordinator, said the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency wants Greater Minnesota counties to recycle at least 35% of their total solid waste by weight within the next four years. He indicated that the county’s rate is currently about 25%.
Nelson has been concerned about reaching the 35% requirement by 2030. However, he has since learned that a River Falls, WI, company hauls food compost from county businesses. The food, which isn’t able to be provided to food shelves, is combined with dairy waste. Methane is extracted from the food and dairy waste and then converted into electricity.
Nelson also provided an update on the various events in which Extension was involved. Seventeen people recently attended an agriculture land rental workshop serving both landowners and tenants.
The county is also offering a Private Pesticide Workshop Friday, Feb. 13, from 1 to 4:30 p.m., at Northland Community and Technical College in Thief River Falls. The cost is $100. Prior to the event, a Nitrogen Smart course, will be held. Afterward, a Stop the Bleed course will be held.
The county is among the groups hosting an Invasive Species Management Workshop. The free workshop will be held Thursday, March 5, from 5 to 7 p.m., at the Heritage Center in Thief River Falls. Local experts will go through plant ID, multiple control methods, equipment and programs to get rid of invasive species. The workshop will focus on wild parsnip, common tansy, spotted knapweed, leafy spurge and common buckthorn.
Cindi Kilen, office manager, reported on the Pennington County Master Gardeners. The volunteer-run organization is supported by Extension and Pennington County. The group will host a Gardening and Beyond workshop on Saturday, Feb. 28, from 9:15 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Legacy Event Center in Thief River Falls. The event will feature a variety of speakers. The cost is $30, which includes lunch.
For more information about the above workshops, call the Extension office at 218-683-7030.