Farmers can seek flood disaster assistance

ST. PAUL -- Farmers in 28 counties are eligible to apply for low-interest loans through the Minnesota Rural Finance Authority to offset the cost of losses caused by severe weather and flooding this spring.

The counties include Becker, Beltrami, Chippewa, Clay, Clearwater, Cook, Douglas, Grant, Hubbard, Kittson, Lac Qui Parle, Lake, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Otter Tail, Pennington, Polk, Pope, Red Lake, Roseau, Stevens, Swift, Traverse, Wadena, Wilkin and Yellow Medicine.

Severe storms and flooding in this region resulted in a Presidential Disaster Declaration in April. RFA's Disaster Loan Program provides low-interest loans to farmers following an official Presidential Disaster Declaration to recover the cost of losses not covered by insurance, such as building repairs or replacement, equipment repairs or replacement and extra feed expenses from lost crops.

Taste of the Farm event set near Waseca

WASECA, Minn. -- The third annual Taste of the Farm featuring the 2009 Waseca County Dairy Princesses will be held June 11 on the Harguth Dairy Farm. The farm is located 3 miles south of Waseca on Highway 13.

The event will run from 6 p.m.-8 p.m.

Dairy Princesses Sara Larson, Katie Clayton, Mindy Sommers and Angie Manthey will be on hand. The event will also feature live music, pork and beef burgers, cookies and popcorn, soynuts, glad corn, root bear floats, cheese and milk.

Children's games will also be available. A First Aid station will be open courtesy of the Waseca Medical Center.

Red Wing lock and dam to get upgrade

RED WING, Minn. -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it plans to spend $70 million over two years to improve the lock and dam on the Mississippi River near Red Wing.

Funding will come from federal stimulus money. However, the project faces a long-standing conflict with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The Corps wants to go forward with the safety improvements because the lock has been the site of more than 100 barge accidents.

The project will create about 500 jobs. Most of the work will be done in the winter to avoid the shipping season.

Hardwood Direct Seeding class set June 13

SPRING GROVE, Minn. -- A Hardwood Direct Seeding class will be held June 13 in the log cabin in Spring Grove's City Park.

Hardwood direct seeding in Minnesota started in 1999. The class will include a brief session indoors followed by outside classes and tours.

The instructors are DuWayne Oaks, consulting forester, and Valiree Green, DNR forester. Both have been doing direct seeding in southeast Minnesota for years.

For more information, contact Angela Gupta at (507) 280-2869.

Aquatic plant removal requires DNR permit

ST. PAUL -- The Department of Natural Resources reminds lakeshore property owners that aquatic plant management activities require a permit from the DNR.

DNR staff who issue permits for aquatic plant removal can help lakeshore owners avoid harming the lake or river near their home, said Steve Enger, DNR Division of Ecological Resources.

"Aquatic plants serve many important functions in lakes, he said. "They prevent shoreline erosion, stabilize bottom sediments, provide habitat for fish and wildlife and tie-up nutrients that might otherwise grow algae.''

'Summer in the Vineyard' event is June 16

PRESCOTT, Wis. -- A special "Summer in the Vineyard'' event will be held June 16 at 7 p.m. at Rudy Jungwirth's vineyard located near Prescott. The vineyard is about 13 miles east of Hastings at W10415 521st Ave.

Speakers will include David Danzinger, John Marshall and Rudy Jungwirth.

The event is open to Minnesota Grape Growers Association members and their spouses. Reservations are requested and can be made by e-mailing don.slinger@mngrapes.org.

Houston County 4-H'ers ready for trip

CALEDONIA, Minn. -- The Houston County 4-H Teen Exchange is preparing for its departure to Butler County, Pa.

The teens will spend June 23-29 in Pennsylvania learning about that state's 4-H program and its 4-H families. Next year, Pennsylvania 4-H'ers will visit Houston County.

To finance the trip, Houston County 4-H'ers sold Tupperware, food at a horse clinic, hosted a golf outing, sold butter braids and held other special events.

Houston County residents who would like to help the 4-H Teen Exchange program can call the Houston County Extension office at (507) 725-5807.