NDSU STUDY SEEKS FARMER/ RANCHER INPUT ON WELL-BEING

North Dakota farmers and ranchers are invited to participate in a focus group interview to investigate how a worksite well-being program could be designed to effectively decrease stress and increase well-being.

NDSU Extension

Do you deal with a lot of stress in farming or ranching? You are not alone.

Change is everywhere in agriculture. While some changes are anticipated, such as fluctuations in market prices, others, such as unpredictable weather events or unexpected disease, can be hard to cope with.

To better understand how the opportunities and constraints faced in their daily operations impact well-being, Caroline Homan, doctoral student in Human Development and Family Science at North Dakota State University, is seeking North Dakota farmers and ranchers to participate in a focus group.

“Responding to change in agriculture requires flexibility,” says Homan. “It can be a challenge that stimulates personal and organizational growth, or it can be a source of severe stress that has devastating effects on families."

North Dakota farmers and ranchers over the age of 18 are invited to participate in a 60-minute focus group interview to investigate how a worksite well-being program could be designed to effectively decrease stress and increase well-being.

The goal of this research is to learn how to best support farmers and ranchers’ physical health, social relationships, psychological well-being and work adjustment.

The focus group interview will be held virtually using Zoom. Six to 10 participants will be in each group. Participants will not use their real names and will agree to respect the privacy of others, and all identifying records will be kept private.

Prior to the focus group, participants will complete a brief online questionnaire to gather demographic information and consider questions related to topics to be discussed during the focus group, such as, “What are your primary sources of strength?”

To participate, please email caroline.homan@ ndsu.edu. Each participant will receive a $20 Amazon gift card as a small token of gratitude.

NDSU Agriculture Communication – May 5, 2023. https:// www.ag.ndsu.edu/news/newsreleases/2023/may/ndsustudy-seeks-farmer-rancherinput-on-well-being

DAKOTA GARDENER: Great seeds lead to great gardens

By Tom Kalb, Horticulturist, NDSU Extension

Do you want to grow a great garden this year?

You need to start with great seeds. Great seeds can lead to big yields, early harvests and delicious vegetables.

How do you find the best seeds for North Dakota?

There are a few key traits to look for.

Look for a variety that ripens early. This is especially important this year because we are off to a late start.

The description of the variety should say it produces high yields. We want a big harvest.

Look for varieties that resist diseases. Nobody enjoys spraying fungicides in the garden. I recommend you sow modern varieties because they resist many diseases.

This bring us to the issue of heirlooms. Be cautious about growing heirlooms.

In general, heirlooms are less productive and much more susceptible to diseases.

The last and most important trait to look for is to find a variety that has been proven to grow well in North Dakota.

Since 2008, North Dakota State University Extension has worked with hundreds of families to identify the best varieties for our state. Our recommendations are posted on the website of the North Dakota Home Garden Variety Trials at https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/ homegardenvarietytrials.

This year alone, a team of over 280 gardeners have received seeds of promising varieties they will test in their gardens this summer. You can join our team, too. Everyone is welcome.

Over 40 different vegetable and flower trials are available to participate in.

Our most popular trial this year is a comparison of snap peas. The best snap pea variety in our trials has always been Sugar Ann. It is productive, ripens early, tastes sweet and crunchy, and does not require a trellis.

This year we are comparing Sugar Ann to Snak Hero, a new award-winning variety that is reported to be very sweet. The pods of

Snak Hero look like beans but have the taste and texture of peas. Is Snak Hero any good? We don’t know today, but we will find out after 100 families in North Dakota test it this summer.

We are testing melons developed in North Dakota, lettuce that can produce all summer long, premium quality beans, colorful carrots, squash with superior flavor, cucumbers that produce fruits without bees, pumpkins of all sizes and colors, and lots of flowers, too.

Each trial is a comparison of two varieties. For example, if you want to grow the snap pea trial, you will receive a packet of Sugar Ann and Snak Hero. You grow them side-by-side in your garden.

There is no complicated data to collect. You’ll receive a score sheet along with your seeds. Check off which variety germinated better, was healthier, ripened first, produced more and tasted better. Lastly, tell us which variety you recommend for gardeners in North Dakota. It’s that simple.

Gardeners in our program report they are introduced to new varieties, produce higher yields and enjoy healthier diets.

It’s a fun project for kids, too. About 300 youth participate every year. Parents say their kids spend more time outdoors, develop skills in science and eat more vegetables while doing these simple experiments.

Seed supplies are limited. To look over our catalog and order your seeds, go to the North Dakota Home Garden Variety Trials website listed above.

For more information about gardening, contact your local NDSU Extension agent. Find the Extension office for your county at www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/ extension/county-extension-offices.

NDSU Agriculture Communication. May 9, 2023. https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/ news/columns/dakota-gardener/dakota-gardenergreat-seeds-lead-to-greatgardens

Make sure trees, shrubs are winter hardy before purchasing

BISMARCK – Agriculture

Commissioner Doug Goehring is encouraging homeowners to research products before buying and planting nursery stock for their property.

“With warmer weather finally approaching, homeowners may be anxious to add trees and shrubs to their landscapes,” Goehring said. “Many varieties of trees and shrubs adapt well to North Dakota’s climate and soils, but before you plant, you may want to talk with a trusted nursery dealer, horticulturist or local extension agent. They will help you select nursery stock that you will enjoy for years to come.”

Goehring said the North Dakota Department of Agriculture receives numerous complaints every year from both consumers and dealers about non-hardy stock being sold in the state. North Dakota is in plant hardiness zones 3 and 4. Using a trusted source to verify that the plant tag shows the correct hardiness zone for that plant species is recommended.

State law requires that all trees and shrubs, designated by the agriculture commissioner as non-hardy must be labeled “non-hardy in North Dakota.”

“Selling unlabeled non-hardy stock is bad behavior, predatory in nature and a waste of the consumer’s money,” Goehring said. “Consumers who purchase unlabeled non-hardy stock should return it for a full refund.”

The penalty for violating the law is up to $500 per incident. Repeated violations can result in denial or revocation of a nursery license.

“Some plants are not adapted to surviving our North Dakota winters when the temperature can drop to 25 degrees below zero and colder,” Goehring said. “Some plants may not tolerate our soil types or dry winter conditions. Plants not adapted to our environment can also make them more susceptible to plant pests and diseases.”

The most common, non-hardy trees and shrubs offered for sale in North Dakota include emerald arborvitae, dwarf Alberta spruce, eastern redbud, oakleaf hydrangea, Japanese snowball (Viburnum plicatum), dappled willow and certain varieties of fruit trees, such as peaches and sweet cherries. Emerald arborvitae and dwarf Alberta spruce are sometimes labeled as hardy from 30 to 40 degrees below zero, but they tend to winter burn badly resulting in death or severe dieback.

NDDA nursery inspectors will be out visiting nurseries and checking for non-hardy nursery stock as well as other compliance with North Dakota nursery law, including proper labeling, pests and disease, and plant health and viability.

A more detailed listing of non-hardy trees and shrubs and a list of all licensed nurseries is available on the North Dakota Department of Agriculture website at https://www.ndda.nd.gov/ nursery-program. A plant hardiness zone map is available at http://planthardiness. ars.usda.gov/

Did You Know?

There are more microorganisms in one teaspoon of soil than there are people on earth.