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The NDSU Extension weekly podcast In the Pod: Soybean Updates delivers timely insights and expert advice on soybean production.
You're listening to In The Pod, soybean updates, a weekly trek into the latest soybean information from NDSU Extension. Soybean farmers primarily use this time of year to fix equipment and keep an eye on the market. It's also a good time for professional development. Here with a few opportunities is Angie Peltier, University of Minnesota Extension crops educator at the Northwest Research and Outreach Center in Crookston, Minnesota. Angie, could you take a moment to introduce yourself?
Angie Peltier:Sure. My name is Angie Peltier, and I work as a regional crops educator for University of Minnesota Extension. I'm a plant pathologist by training, but I work a little bit with a lot of different topics as relates to crop production in the corn and soybean crops. So, a little bit of pest management work, little bit of disease management, weed management work, and now soil health work as well.
Bruce Sundeen:This time of year, Angie, are there opportunities for farmers?
Angie Peltier:There definitely are, Bruce. In addition to watching the markets and doing trading when at all possible, folks are busy managing all of their equipment, their machinery that took a beating and licking this past growing season. The primary thing that I'm hoping that folks are focusing on this time of year is also getting some of that continuing education that they need in order to be on the cutting edge and be as efficient as possible in their crop production operation.
Bruce Sundeen:What type of educational opportunities are available?
Angie Peltier:We in the Red River Valley and farmers in the Red River Valley in particular are quite lucky in that we have two land grant universities, one on either side of the river. One is University of Minnesota extension, and the other is NDSU extension. And we're also lucky that these two groups collaborate with one another. We have multiple programs that take expertise both from both sides of the river to create an even better program than either state could do alone. So we have three upcoming programs in the next month. We have the soil management summit, which is also, happening in collaboration with the DIRT conference or the Dakota Innovation Research and Technology Conference, and that's happening January in Fargo, North Dakota. Anyone that has an interest in soil health, whether or not you've been practicing soil health on your farm or interested in maybe taking some baby steps in that general direction, This is a great program because there's people that are long term soil health practitioners all the way to those that are just trying to learn a little bit more before stepping into that realm. Folks that wanted to attend can go to z.umn.edu/sms-dirt,dirt. We'd ask folks to get registered as soon as possible and then come and learn from other farmers, from other crop advisers, and from researchers from North Dakota, Minnesota, and around the country.
Bruce Sundeen:Any other learning prospects?
Angie Peltier:The premier program for crop advisers is called the advanced crop advisers workshop. That happens January. That's also a bi state conference, and that's geared primarily towards crop advisors or those that help a lot of farmers in making those management decisions. That's also a jointly sponsored program through NDSU and University of Minnesota, and you can get continuing education units by attending that workshop. The last program that we're doing between the two states is called the best of the best in wheat and soybean research conferences. So these are held Wednesday, February 4 at the Alaris Center in Grand Forks and Thursday, February 5 at the Courtyard by Marriott in Moorhead. This is a free program because it's sponsored by both wheat and soybean commodity groups on both sides of the river. We have a hands on session, which producers definitely tend to enjoy. It's gonna be a good time, and we'd ask folks to to consider attending this event.
Bruce Sundeen:Thanks, Angie. Our guest has been Angie Peltier, University of Minnesota Extension crops educator at the Northwest Research and Outreach Center in Crookston, Minnesota. You're listening to In the Pod, soybean updates, a weekly trek into the latest soybean information from NDSU Extension supported by the North Dakota Soybean Council.