Farm, Garden & Outdoors calendar published Jan. 30, 2021
Events and classes scheduled in the outdoors, gardening and farming. Submit your event at news@wctrib.com by noon on Tuesday. Written By: Donna Middleton | ×
Outdoors
Prairie Sportsman: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 31, and repeats at 12:30 p.m. Monday and 7:30 p.m. following Saturday on Pioneer PBS. Join host Bret Amundson for “Diving Deep and Eating Insects.” Explore mine pit lakes, growing and eating insects and backyard pocket prairie kits.
Prairie Sportsman: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 7, and repeats at 12:30 p.m. following Monday and 7:30 p.m. following Saturday on Pioneer PBS. Join host Bret Amundson for “Bluegills and Salty Waters.” Take a fishing trip in Otter Tail County to learn about the Quality Bluegill Initiative, road salt impacts on our waters and strange Minnesota native plants.
Farm, Garden & Outdoors calendar published Jan. 16, 2021
Events and classes scheduled in the outdoors, gardening and farming. Submit your event at news@wctrib.com by noon on Tuesday. Written By: Donna Middleton | ×
Outdoors
Eagle Lake fishing derby: Jan. 23, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Eagle Lake, north of Willmar. Entry is $10 for adults, $5 for kids under 16. Check in at the public access or at Sunray Cafe. Fish anywhere on the lake, can use shelters and houses, moving around the lake is permitted. All fish must be checked in by 3 p.m. The fundraiser for cancer is in memory of Ron Shimek. Bad weather date is Feb. 13.
Farm, Garden & Outdoors calendar published Jan. 9, 2021
Events and classes scheduled in the outdoors, gardening and farming. Submit your event at news@wctrib.com by noon on Tuesday. Written By: Donna Middleton | ×
Farming
PorkBridge and SowBridge: Jan. 20 is the registration deadline for University of Minnesota Extension distance education programs that begin in early February. The six-session PorkBridge is aimed at those who own, manage or work in swine grow-finish facilities. The 12-session SowBridge is for people involved in managing or caring for sows, and/or their litters, and boars, including operation owners, caretakers, technicians, managers and technical service providers. Online registration at z.umn.edu/PorkBridgeRegistration or z.umn.edu/SowBridgeRegistration.
Research project aims to improve piglet survival
Team will explore practical applications of zinc supplementation that adds little to no extra cost to producers yet reduces pre-weaning pig mortality
Written By:
The Globe | ×
MORRIS University of Minnesota researchers are taking on the challenge of decreasing pre-weaning mortality rates in piglets after hearing from pork producers and industry professionals.
In previous research, Minnesota researchers showed elevated levels of zinc in the sow’s diet during pregnancy positively influences pig performance after birth. This new research project aims to determine the timing and duration of zinc that may influence “fetal imprinting” to optimize health and performance.
Esther Jordan
Morris, MN – Pork producers and industry professionals have expressed the need to decrease pre-weaning mortality rates in piglets, and University of Minnesota researchers are uniquely poised to take on the challenge. In previous research, Minnesota researchers showed that elevated levels of zinc in the sow’s diet during pregnancy positively influences pig performance after birth, this new research project aims to determine the timing and duration of zinc that may influence “fetal imprinting” to optimize health and performance.
The team will explore practical applications of zinc supplementation that adds little to no extra cost to producers yet reduces pre-weaning pig mortality. This project is unique in that it brings the cutting-edge concept of fetal imprinting to an implementation level for commercial sow farms, allowing producers to positively influence lifetime performance of their pigs prior to birth. All animals in the study will be fitted with th