Tri-County News

Great harvest weather


This fall is similar to 1988, the drought year, when all fieldwork  was completed by Nov. 1. I can only recall one rainy Saturday in  early October that slowed farmers down during the peak of corn and soybean harvest.      It looks like we should have all tillage work done yet this fall and nitrogen applied as well. It may be asking too much but 2-3 inches of rainfall before freeze-up would make it a nearly perfect fall. I get a feeling farmers are more optimistic now than a few months ago. Strong markets for milk, beef, and soybeans have driven prices  up in those commodities. Growers were pleasantly surprised with a fairly normal corn crop, in spite of the floods in June and drought 2 months later. I have not heard of any serious farm accidents either, so we have much to be thankful for. Irradiated food safety It’s human nature to be cautious about new technology, especially when it deals with the food we eat. I remember how microwaves met resistance when they first arrived on the market and now they are found in nearly every kitchen. Ron Eustice with the Minnesota Beef Council traveled with Minnesota Extension Educators to Green Bay Wisconsin for the National County Agents Annual Meeting this summer. The Minnesota Extension staff served 1,500 irradiated beef patties for the Sunday evening meal. The hamburgers were delicious. The Minnesota Beef Council is taking leadership in educating consumers so that they understand the irradiation process is safe and effective in killing harmful bacteria. This technology is endorsed by the American Medical Association and Center for Disease Control. We should feel confident irradiation is safe and an effective tool in controlling harmful bacteria in our food supply. Protecting non-winter hardy plants Many different types of non-hardy plants can be grown in our area but they take extra care, and even the extra care may not be enough some years to pull them through. Tender roses and black raspberries are examples of plants that are not native to this area but can be grown successfully, if plants are provided extra protection. We cannot control the weather but we can provide plants protection that will moderate the climate around them. A thick layer of mulch made up of straw will protect plants from both the January thaw and -30 temperatures. For most plants, apply the mulch in mid-November or just before we get our first arctic blast. Snow is nature’s way of protecting perennial plants so keep plants covered with snow as much as possible. Mounding soil around the base of roses has proven to help roses come through the winter. Some plants such as azaleas, lilac, and fruit trees produce their flower buds in the fall. Flower buds can be quite sensitive to cold so selecting plants that bloom on new wood will eliminate that risk. Planting less cold tolerant plants in protected areas is also recommend in reducing winter injury. If you are the type of gardener who wants to completely avoid any risk of winter injury, select plants rated for hardiness zone 3 or maybe zone 4, but never zone 5. Zone 5 plants should only be used in the landscape if the gardener is willing to provide them with extra protection.

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