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The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has confirmed emerald ash borer (EAB) in Cass County for the first time. There are now 45 counties in the state, including Cass, with EAB.

An MDA employee noticed a cluster of ash trees near Remer with suspected signs of EAB. The employee was able to find EAB larvae and collect samples. Federal identification confirmed emerald ash borer.

EAB was first discovered in Minnesota in 2009. The insect larvae kill ash trees by tunneling under the bark and feeding on the part of the tree that moves nutrients up and down the trunk. Often, the trees show several signs of infestation because of this. Woodpeckers like to feed on EAB larvae, and woodpecker holes may indicate the presence of emerald ash borer. Also, EAB tunneling can cause the bark to split open, revealing characteristic S-shaped galleries underneath.

Because this is the first time EAB has been identified in Cass County, the MDA is enacting an emergency quarantine for an eastern portion of the county, which limits the movement of firewood and ash material out of the area. The south and east side of the quarantine is the county border. The northern edge of the quarantine follows Minnesota Highway 200 west to County Road 129, County Road 129 south to County Road 7, and County Road 7 west to Minnesota Highway 84. The western border of the quarantine is Minnesota Highway 84 to County Road 79 and east to the county line (SEE MAP).

The MDA issues quarantines for all areas known to have EAB to reduce the risk of further spreading the tree-killing insect.

A virtual informational meeting for residents and tree care professionals in Cass County will be held on November 9, 2023, from 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. Experts from the MDA will give a brief presentation followed by a question-and-answer session.

Emerald Ash Borer Virtual Informational Meeting:
November 9, 2023
10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Register at www.mda.state.mn.us/eab

The public will also have an opportunity to provide input on the proposal to add Cass County’s emergency quarantine to the state’s formal quarantine. The MDA is taking comments on the proposed formal quarantine now through November 27, 2023, and recommends adopting the quarantine on November 29, 2023. The proposed quarantine language can be found at www.mda.state.mn.us/eab.

Comments can be made during the virtual meeting or by contacting:

Kimberly Thielen Cremers
Minnesota Department of Agriculture
625 Robert Street North
St. Paul, MN 55155
Kimberly.TCremers@state.mn.us

There is more EAB information on the MDA website.

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Media Contact
Brittany Raveill, MDA Communications
651-201-6131
Brittany.Raveill@state.mn.us

Many farmers and custom applicators will soon apply anhydrous ammonia (NH3) after harvest. Even with a rush against time and the weather, safety should never be compromised. Accidents involving NH3 have proven how dangerous and deadly the fertilizer can be when not handled properly.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) offers the following tips to farmers, fertilizer dealers, and custom applicators to safely field apply NH3.

• Always wear NH3-rated goggles and gloves. Never wear contact lenses.
• Be sure to have a clean and accessible emergency water supply of at least 5 gallons available.
• Exercise caution when making connections and disconnections of transfer lines, treating them as if they always contain NH3.
• Stand upwind when connecting, disconnecting, bleeding lines, or transferring NH3. Also, close, bleed, disconnect, and secure valves and transfer lines when taking breaks or disconnecting lines, and be sure to handle hose end valves by the valve body.
• Position equipment away and downwind from homes, people, and livestock.

Safety is also key to those maintaining NH3 equipment, operating NH3 storage facilities, and transporting NH3.

• Never assume NH3 lines are empty.
• Always wear the required protective safety equipment.
• Have access to safety water (NH3 storage facilities must have a minimum of one open top container holding 150 gallons of clean, accessible water or an accessible emergency shower with a plumbed eyewash. A 5-gallon container of clean, accessible water must accompany NH3 nurse tanks).

When towing a nurse tank down the road, drive sensibly. Do not go any faster than 30 miles per hour, display a slow-moving vehicle (SVM) emblem visible from the rear, and be sure the tank is secured to the tractor or truck with two separate, independent chains that supplement the hitch pin/clip.

If an accident or spill occurs, seek medical care if needed, immediately call 911, and then the Minnesota Duty Officer at 1-800-422-0798 or 651-649-5451.

You can find more safety, storage, and transportation information on the MDA’s website.

As a reminder, fall application of NH3 should happen after average soil temperatures reach 50 degrees F or cooler to help prevent nitrogen loss and ensure more nitrogen will be available for next season’s crop.

View the MDA’s interactive map to find the current 6-inch soil temperature and the past week’s history.

Under the MDA’s Groundwater Protection Rule, fall nitrogen fertilizer application is prohibited in vulnerable groundwater areas of Minnesota due to environmental concerns or risks. View a map of the vulnerable regions of the state.

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Media Contact
Allen Sommerfeld, MDA Communications
651-201-6185
Allen.Sommerfeld@state.mn.us

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is seeking exhibitors and sponsors for the 2024 Minnesota Organic Conference, the only statewide conference on organic agriculture.

The Minnesota Organic Conference and its 80-booth trade show will take place on January 11 and 12, 2024, at the River’s Edge Convention Center in St. Cloud. The conference offers nationally known keynote speakers and more than 30 breakout sessions providing educational opportunities in areas like organic crop production, dairy, livestock, fruits and vegetables, marketing, and business. The trade show provides space for interested parties to market products or services directly to farmers, agricultural service providers, food industry representatives, and consumers.

Trade show booth locations will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Sponsorship opportunities include access to prime booth locations.

Interested exhibitors and sponsors can register through the 2024 Minnesota Organic Conference website. Although registration will remain open until all opportunities have been claimed, you must register by November 30 for inclusion in the conference program.

Questions can be directed to Cassie Dahl at cassie.dahl@state.mn.us or 651-201-6134.

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Media Contact
Logan Schumacher, MDA Communications
651-201-6193
Logan.Schumacher@state.mn.us