By Adam Austing and Nathan Drewitz, University of Minnesota Extension Educator

As this summer drags on, farmers are feeling little relief from this relentless drought. As of August 5, the U.S. Drought Monitor (www.droughtmonitor.unl.edu) showed that nearly all of Wright County was experiencing extreme drought. In response, University of Minnesota Extension is hosting a drought workshop at 10 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 19 in Howard Lake. No registration is necessary.

The workshop will start at Munson Lakes Nutrition (917 6th St, Howard Lake) at 10 a.m. Topics covered will include pricing corn silage, agronomic and feeding considerations for drought-stressed forages, and more. Updates from the Buffalo Farm Services Agency office, the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Wright Soil and Water Conservation District will also be given. The first portion of the event will wrap up at noon, followed by lunch provided by Munson Lakes Nutrition. After lunch, the program will resume at an alternative forages/cover crop plot located just south of Howard Lake. This plot will expose farmers to crop options to finish up this growing season. The event will wrap up by 2 p.m.

This program is not intended solely for livestock producers, but also for crop farmers that are weighing their options for their fields. Thank you to Munson Lakes Nutrition for providing the meeting location and lunch for this event. Questions regarding this workshop can be directed to Adam Austing via email at aausting@umn.edu or calling 320-249-5929.