This virtual workshop equips conservation professionals with practical tools, templates, and strategies to design impactful events — from field days to workshops to community meetings. Participants will learn how to set clear goals, choose the right event format, engage diverse audiences, and evaluate success. The session also introduces the Community Capitals Framework as a simple thinking tool to help trainers understand the broader capacity their events can build.

Most large scale native habitat plantings are created with seed mixes. Plant diversity is a requirement for pollinators, other wildlife, and the foundation of ecological resilience, but it can be a complicated and consequential challenge to select the best mix for any given site. Building high quality native seed mixes that serve multiple species, replicate natural plant associations, establish readily, conform to certain conservation practice standards, and fit within budget constraints requires training and experience.

Soils form the fabric of conservation planning and understanding the soil survey is foundational to evaluating resource concerns. This two day course will provide an overview of the soil survey program, methods, soil maps, Web Soil Survey, interpretive information, and other soil resources that support technical staff with the conservation planning process. Soil genesis, properties, and soil landscape relationships will all be outlined.

Join us March 10 at the Marshall Law Enforcement Center in the basement conference room to discuss the effects of herbicide carryover on the establishment of Native grasses, forbs, and cover crops. Jeremy Corrigan and his colleague will be covering the impacts of herbicides with long carryover intervals and what their effect are on sensitive plants and how to mitigate those effects.

The 2026 Livestock 101 Webinar Series is a series of 9 monthly interactive training sessions, each devoted to a particular livestock sector. Livestock production basics are presented by field based Extension and producer organization partners.

Replays for the Part 1 Webinar Series from 2025 can be found on the Livestock 101 page.

Do you have questions regarding grazing management and other conservation practices that facilitate grazing management? Now is your chance to ask your questions! Jeff Duchene, State Grazing Specialist, along with other grazing specialists in Minnesota will lead a virtual office hour to answer any questions you have about grazing management techniques, planning grazing management, planning and technical specifications of conservation practices used to facilitate grazing management or any other questions you may have related to grazing.

Join us for Basic Cover Crop 2026, designed to provide essential knowledge and practical tools for successfully integrating cover crops into Midwestern cropping systems. This webinar and in person training covers everything from selecting the right cover crops to understanding termination methods, enhancing soil health, and supporting sustainable farming practices. Participants will gain hands on experience with tools like the Midwest Cover Crop Council (MCCC) Cover Crop Selection Tool and NRCS Seed Rate Calculator.

Livestock production fundamentals is a series of 8 webinars focused on providing livestock information to NRCS staff, partners, technical service providers, and other conservation professionals. These sessions will benefit anyone looking to become familiar with the principles of livestock production and successfully working with livestock producers to address resource concerns associated with animal agriculture.

Herbaceous vegetation establishment practices share many of the same considerations for designing a seeding plan such as site preparation, species selection, and seeding dates as well as determining if a nurse crop or fertilizer are needed. Agronomy Technical Note 31 provides the technical guidance for herbaceous vegetation establishment practices. This workshop is intended to primarily be a hands on working session during which participants will have the opportunity to work on several practice design exercises that apply the concepts found in Agronomy Tech Note 31.