NDSU Extension - McLean County

05/21/2026

🤔 Emerald Ash Borer continues to spread. Does your city have a tree replacement plan? Time to consider diversifying your trees!

To help protect against EAB and all pests, it's important to diversify tree plantings. Green ash is the most plentiful tree in the state, but as they die or are removed, they should be replaced by a different species rather than another single species.

Check out the North Dakota tree selector at https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/tree-selector or visit with your local nursery for options.

05/21/2026

Awesome work, Wilton Wolfpack!! We are excited to see your creations at our 4-H Achievement Days at the McLean County Fair!

05/18/2026

We will be closed Monday, May 25 in observance of Memorial Day.

05/14/2026

Ag community: if you are observing drought conditions, or any other extreme weather, consider submitting a report. The old adage “The squeaky wheel gets the grease” is true in this case! We need reports for our county to get support.

Expanding areas of abnormally dry (D0) and moderate drought (D1) and the addition of severe drought (D2) conditions out in the west. https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/ag-hub/ag-topics/disasters/drought

What impact are dry conditions having in your area? Submit your localized impacts to the CMOR dashboard https://go.unl.edu/cmor
These maps are only as good as the information received from all of you.

What should you report? https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension/publications/reporting-drought-impacts-north-dakota-condition-monitoring-observer-reports

05/08/2026

⏰ Achievement Days Fair Entry Reminder ⏰

Don’t forget to register your Achievement Days exhibits in Fair Entry! All exhibit registrations must be completed by May 15 at midnight. Be sure to get your entries submitted before the deadline so you’re ready for Achievement Days. We can’t wait to see all the amazing projects our 4-H’ers have been working on!

Please check out the McLean County 4-H Google Drive for Exhibit Guide, Record Books, and other helpful resources.
=====> https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1JPqYgTSA0C4_qdzvyy2kK3QG-jN4KxE-

05/07/2026

We still have spots in the My First Business: Babysitting Training on May 29th!
Ready to build confidence, learn real-life skills, and start earning babysitting money? 💰
Youth ages 11–14 will learn safety basics, childcare tips, leadership skills, basic first aid, and how to start their own babysitting business. ⭐

✅ Register here: https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLScBG7xz7Zp8WI.../viewform

04/30/2026

April is Financial Literacy Awareness month, so to celebrate Kamile visits McLean County kindergarten and first grade classes to talk about saving money. Each student comes up with a savings goal and gets to decorate a piggy bank for their local Piggy Bank Pageant!

Since April is almost over, that means we just wrapped up our last Piggy Bank Pageant 🐷 in Wilton. Congratulations to Easton for having the most votes and Finlee a close second!

Thank you to all of you who came to vote and to The Union Bank for sponsoring the piggy banks and hosting the adorable Pageant! 😊

04/30/2026

North Dakota's local food economy is growing, but it isn't showing up in the data that drives funding, infrastructure, and support. That's what we're working to change. 🌱

Today, April 15th, local food producers and businesses across North Dakota will receive an email from North Dakota State University with a secure link to participate in the North Dakota Local Food Economic Contribution Study. This study is a first-of-its-kind effort to build a real, credible baseline of what local food contributes to our state.

If you grow, raise, process, or sell local food in North Dakota, watch your inbox. Your voice is exactly what this study needs.

📧 Look for an email with the subject line: "Local Foods Survey"
📅 Survey closes May 15, 2026
🔒 All responses are confidential

Help us make North Dakota's local food economy visible. Learn more about the project at https://www.farrms.org/economicimpactstudy

04/28/2026

Our Piggy Bank Pageant in Underwood wrapped up last week. Congratulations to Ford and Colter for having the most votes!

A huge thank you to the community members that voted to support these young savers and a big thank you to Bravera for sponsoring the piggy banks and being our host for the Underwood Piggy Bank Pageant!