University of Minnesota Extension

Become a Master Gardener volunteer Find out how to apply to be a Master Gardener and register for the core course.

📆‼️Deadline next week! Apply by October 1 to join the 2026 Master Gardener Volunteer Program cohort. Details: z.umn.edu/MGInfo.

Three Master Gardener volunteers at a booth at the State Fair.

A State Fair attendee speaks to a Master Gardener.

Attendees in the CFANS wing of the Agriculture-Horticulture building looking at a hydroponic pineapple display.

Goldy Gopher mascot with a hydroponic pineapple display.

Headed to the State Fair? 🎡🌽 Stop by the Agriculture-Horticulture Building (CFANS wing) to talk plants with Master Gardener volunteers! They’re here daily to answer your gardening questions and share how you can become a volunteer.

Become a Master Gardener volunteer Find out how to apply to be a Master Gardener and register for the core course.

Learn and grow with the Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program! Applications for the 2026 cohort are now open. 🌱 Apply by October 1 at z.umn.edu/am3k

Weather and climate resources Find Extension resources to help you weather the storm, including flooding, drought, and extreme cold.

When disaster strikes, it can be hard to know how to respond. Extension’s weather and climate resources help you prepare for, respond to and recover from events like storms, flooding, drought and extreme heat. From your home to your finances, we have resources to support recovery. buff.ly/evJEVgz

Farm Families of the Year The University of Minnesota Farm Family Recognition Program honors farm families from throughout Minnesota for their significant contributions to the agriculture industry and their local communities.

Join us in celebrating the Farm Families of the Year! 👏 Since 1979, the U of M Farm Family Recognition Program has honored Minnesota farm families for their contributions to the agriculture industry and their local communities. This year, 86 families will be honored at MN Farmfest. buff.ly/l0IDKOk

July garden checklist Learn how to take care of houseplants at this stage of summer, and be on the lookout for garden pests. Remember to tend to your trees and shrubs, especially after harsh weather.

The July garden checklist is here! ✅ Learn how to take care of houseplants at this stage of summer, and be on the lookout for garden pests. Remember to tend to your trees and shrubs, especially after harsh weather.

Cold-hardy honeyberries are ripe for connection, community Haskap, also known as honeyberries, captivate consumers and bring cold-hardy fruit-producing states closer together to share knowledge.

Earlier this month, around 100 honeyberry enthusiasts joined us for the first-ever Honeyberry Academy, held in partnership with Extension at UW-Madison. Honeyberries, also known as Haskap, are a delicious cold-hardy fruit with a small, but expanding grower community.

University of Minnesota grows non-native plants for immigrants to have a taste of home Immigrants living in the United States inevitably miss a piece of home that can’t be found abroad. A new program at the University of Minnesota is working to change that.

Master Gardener Chidi Chidozie is building connections with communities through traditional plants with the U of M's Community Plant Breeding Team. Research fields adjacent to the St. Paul campus are home to a global garden, where crops like Ethiopian mustard, fluted pumpkin and African basil grow.

This #MensHealthMonth, Extension #SNAPEd health and wellness coordinators Michael Stratten, Thao Pham and Jonah Udall led by example and shared their personal stories in hopes of inspiring other men and fathers to do the same. Watch the full-length videos: z.umn.edu/RealTalkMensHealth

Participatory Science: Your Involvement Matters Smarty Plants · Episode

My @umnextension.bsky.social colleague, Angie, was interviewed on the Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture podcast, Smarty Plants, recently to talk about her cool work around invasive species participatory science! #InvasiveSpecies
open.spotify.com/episode/2F9H...

Weathering the storm: helping your garden bounce back The summer of 2025 has already been a wild ride—from unseasonal cold snaps to blistering heat and powerful storms. If your yard took a hit, don’t worry. Here’s a simple, safe plan to get your yard…

The summer of 2025 has already been a wild ride—from unseasonal cold snaps to blistering heat and powerful storms. ⛈️ Gardens are resilient, and so are gardeners. With a little care and know-how, storm damage can be the first step toward a stronger, smarter growing season ahead.

Visualizing vegetable pests University of Minnesota Extension educator Marissa Schuh used decorative craft models and art supplies to prepare a lesson on food crop pest scouting.

Acrylic paint and pipe cleaners aren’t typical tools of the trade for Extension Educator Marissa Schuh, who specializes in integrated pest management (IPM). Learn how decorative craft models and art supplies are preparing farmers for food crop pest scouting.🥬 🐛 buff.ly/kfLzjfv

A headshot of this week's guest, David McCullough, co-founder and CEO of American Exchange Project with the Side by Side logo

Side by Side season 2 is here! In this week's episode, David McCollough talks about the transformative power of the American Exchange Project, which aims to bridge cultural and socioeconomic divides for high school students through urban, rural and suburban exchange programs. z.umn.edu/SideBySide

Colorful bean and corn dish prepared during a family cooking class

Chef Peter leading a family cooking class session

Parent cooking a new recipe during Cooking Matters session

Brittany and Ronel smiling with Brittany’s cooking certificate

Food brings families together. Our @umnextension.bsky.social Cooking Matters series helps parents build skills, try new foods, and gain confidence in the kitchen. It’s hands-on, joyful, & full of connection. Bon appétit!

🔗 waytogrow.org/blog

Photo credit: John Gwinn

What landowners need to know about spruce budworm and wildfire The current outbreak of spruce budworm across northeast Minnesota has led to widespread mortality of balsam fir, dramatically increasing the risk of wildfire, particularly in the Arrowhead region.

The current outbreak of spruce budworm across northeast Minnesota has led to widespread mortality of balsam fir, dramatically increasing the risk of wildfire. Learn how spruce budworm impacts trees and forests, and management recommendations for before, during and after an outbreak. buff.ly/orz8KC8

Northern forests of the future Extension developed a list of native trees expected to thrive 50 -100 years from now; volunteers journal observations to offer clues for how species might fare north of current growing zones.

As ecosystems are anticipated to shift in northern Minnesota, future forests may look different. To address this, Extension volunteers are at work planting, monitoring and preserving trees expected to thrive in the decades ahead. 🌲 buff.ly/3ZM9LzG

A collage of guests on the Side By Side podcast

🏙️🏡 Season two of Side by Side launches June 11! Join Extension Educator Ellen Wolter as she explores the interdependent relationship between rural and urban spaces and why this complex and necessary relationship matters.

Catch up on season one ⬇️ z.umn.edu/SideBySide

As Climate Changes, So Do Gardens Across the United States - Eos Warmer winter temperatures have altered frost patterns and growing seasons across the United States, forcing botanical gardens and arboretums to adapt.

A new @climatecentral.org report shows plant hardiness zones—which determine where plants can thrive—have shifted north in most of the United States.

eos.org/articles/as-...

Let’s talk about accessibility in 4-H Training for all 4-H volunteers and new learning opportunities create more inclusive environments for youth with disabilities.

🍀 Minnesota 4-H is expanding accessibility so youth with disabilities can participate more fully and thrive. Quieter judging spaces, inclusive camps and volunteer training opportunities are just a few ways that 4-H is making programs more welcoming for all.

Lichens: treasure in your own backyard Minnesota Master Naturalist Tanner Barnharst reveals lichens in Minnesota’s urban, rural and in-between spaces.

🔎 You don't need to need to venture far to find the tiny ecological marvels known as lichens. Found in urban, rural and in-between spaces, Minnesota Master Naturalist Tanner Barnharst shares about his fascination with lichens, their unique beauty and his favorite spots to find them. buff.ly/fKdGPHb

How to sell cottage foods at farmers markets safely Brush up on safe food handling practices before selling your goods at the market.

For many cottage food producers, farmers market season is underway. Brush up on food safety tips for farmers markets in the latest Cottage Foods Connection article. buff.ly/6cX6QzX

The spring 2025 cover of Source magazine featuring a collage of photos about flower farming.

Hot off the press🔥The spring issue of Source magazine is here! Dive into stories about flower farming, accessibility in 4-H, rural grocery store resilience, the future of our northern woodlands, and more ⬇️ buff.ly/LwA8yDh.

A new rural playbook University of Minnesota Extension is helping rural communities across the state become places where entrepreneurship thrives and families flourish.

From data-backed research to boots-on-the-ground organizing, Extension is helping rural communities across the state become places where entrepreneurship thrives and families flourish.

May garden checklist This is a good time to plant woody shrubs and establish good practices for keeping your garden pest and disease-free.

✅ Have you read the May garden checklist yet? This is a good time to plant woody shrubs and establish good practices for keeping your garden pest and disease-free. Read the full checklist at

Where to find Minnesota’s only salt lake It attracts huge flocks of migrating birds — and birders — this time of year.

Minnesota's only salt lake, located along the South Dakota border, is a magnet for birds and bird watchers. Master Naturalist's Amy Rager, involved in this year's Salt Lake birding weekend remarked “The prairie is just as exciting as the North Shore, you just don’t know it yet.” buff.ly/JPn02GY

Being a Master Gardener is about more than tending plants — it's about growing connections. Master Gardener Mary Pettit brings nature indoors to the Crow River Senior Center through a program that helps participants connect with long-term memories through gardening activities. buff.ly/ItuGfUE

@educationmn.bsky.social @umnextension.bsky.social

A tale of two landscapes and one Aquatic Invasive Species Detector’s mission Water isn’t just a resource for Bob McNamara. It’s life itself. “You don’t know until it’s gone how important it is.”

Volunteers in our AIS Detectors program do some awesome work! Check out this @umnextension.bsky.social article about Bob, who took some AWESOME rusty crayfish photos for us, traps rusty crayfish, and shares his favorite way to prepare them.

extension.umn.edu/natural-reso...

Choosing plants for your cut flower farm Choosing the right plant varieties is crucial for the success of your flower farm. Choose varieties that are in high demand to maximize sales and meet customer expectations.

🌻 From sunflowers to snapdragons, Extension Educator Robin Trott shares plant variety recommendations and market considerations for cut flower farms ⬇️

A promotional graphic for the Growing Destinations podcast featuring a snapshot of Xinyi Qian and Bill von Bank recording a podcast episode.

Tourism Center Director Xinyi Qian joined Bill von Bank of @experiencerochmn.bsky.social on the Growing Destinations Podcast to talk about how the UMN Tourism Center is helping communities build capacity and create sustainable, vibrant destinations. 🎧 Listen now: z.umn.edu/afat