Pierce County Agriculture Improvement Meeting

– Thursday, January 16, 2020 1:00 p.m. @ Dakota Farms

Topics: Wheat and Barley Commodity Representative Elections, Pigweed ID and Other Weed Concerns, Crop Budgets and Comparisons, NDAWN Station Uses and Applications, Soil Acidity Management

5th Annual North Central Region Livestock Update

– Thursday, January 30, 2020 5:30 p.m. @ Northside Lounge meeting room, Rugby

Topics: “Two Balls and a Strike.” Increasing the Value of Your Calves on Sale Day, Livestock Market Update, Mineral Supplementation for the Pregnant Cow, Stretching Your Feed Supply (focus on sprouted wheat & high moisture corn), Consumer Value of Beef Quality Assurance, FSA Disaster Assistance Programs, Beef Quality Assurance Certification for those who need it

2020 Private Pesticide Applicator Certification Training Dates Set

This year’s Pierce County private applicator pesticide certification trainings will again require pre-registration for the session an expiring applicator plans to attend. A pre-registration system was implemented in 2015 and the Pierce County Extension office will continue to utilize this system. This process greatly helps trainings run more smoothly in addition to ensuring adequate space and materials for attendees.

Expiring applicators in our county database will be mailed a notice of their expiring certificates and a list of local training dates during the week of January 13. Expiring applicators will need to choose the training they will attend and submit that to the Pierce County Extension office. Applicators can also register for Pierce County pesticide trainings online. A link and more information will be included with notification letters.

There will be no walk-ins unless there has been a cancellation or no-show.

New applicators should call the Extension office to let us know which training they will be attending. The testing period for all new applicators will be March 19, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. at the Pierce County Courthouse.

The certification fee is $30. Checks are payable to the NDSU Extension Service. Currently, certifications are good for 3 years and expire on April 1 of the third year.

Pierce County private applicator certification trainings will be held in Rugby to recertify or certify on the following dates:

– Thursday, February 20, 2020 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Farm Credit Services check-in @ 12:30 p.m.

– Thursday, March 5, 2020 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Farm Credit Services check-in @ 12:30 p.m.

– Wednesday, March 18, 2020 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Pierce County Courthouse check-in @ 12:30 p.m.

For those re-certifying, who are unable to attend one of these meetings, there is the option of attending a meeting in another county. A list of currently known training dates and locations in other counties will be included in the notification letters sent out to expiring applicators earlier this week. As always, applicators continue to have the option of taking an open book test in lieu of attending a training meeting. The private general applicator certification fee is still $30.

For questions, to find out about trainings in other counties or to schedule a time to take the test please call the Pierce County Extension office at 776-6234 ext. 5 or email NDSU.Pierce.Extension@ndsu.edu.

– Submitted by Pierce County NDSU Extension Agent Yolanda Schmidt