Minnesota’s summer heat and unpredictable rainfall are creating drought conditions across much of the state, which can stress neighborhood trees. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources encourages homeowners, residents and community tree caretakers to help newly planted and established residential trees stay healthy during dry conditions.

If you have an interest in plants and gardening and would enjoy sharing that interest with others, come grow with us! Become a University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener in Renville County. Applications are being accepted now until October 1. For general information about the Extension Master Gardener program, go to mg.umn.edu. To register, go to: z.umn.edu/StateMG2027

The Minnesota Horticultural Society (MHS) today announced that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has officially issued a proclamation declaring Aug. 27 through Sept. 7 as Minnesota State Horticultural Society Days. “We are very proud of our history and our ties to Minnesota’s heritage of growing. It’s a great honor to have the governor recognize it as well with his proclamation,” said Lara Lau-Schommer, Executive Director at MHS.

The University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program is accepting applications now through Oct. 1, 2026.
Extension Master Gardener volunteers share science-based horticulture knowledge and practices with people across Minnesota, promoting healthy landscapes and communities through various projects and volunteer efforts.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and partners in the Minnesota Farm Suicide Prevention Campaign are offering free mental health and suicide-prevention trainings in communities across Minnesota this fall. The workshops will teach people who live and work in agricultural communities how to recognize when someone may be struggling and help connect them with support.

Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) officials are warning Minnesota consumers not to eat alfalfa sprouts sold under the Calco and Everything Sprouts brands due to a multistate outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) and Salmonella infections.

Minnesota’s fall nitrogen fertilizer restrictions in vulnerable groundwater areas take effect Sept. 1. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is reminding producers to confirm whether their fields fall within restricted zones and to monitor soil temperatures closely where fall application is allowed.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is now accepting applications for the Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) Sustainable Agriculture Demonstration Grant. The grant supports innovative on-farm research and demonstrations of practices that could help make farming more profitable or efficient.

Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), a U.S. Department of Agriculture program, helps agricultural producers and rural small businesses invest in renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements.