Field Applications to Fire Dependent Forest Ecosystems

This workshop will address silvicultural strategies for fire dependent systems using the Minnesota DNR's silvicultural guidance as well as on-the-ground insights from local foresters. Throughout the day we'll talk through management strategies at all stages of stand development in these systems as well as logistics associated with implementing, or mimicking, prescribed fire.

Soils and Landforms

This workshop covers relationships between soils, landforms, and plant community development as well as goes over some common tools and sources of information. Includes classroom presentations and hands on activities in the lab.

Fridays with a Forester

Join Extension foresters to discuss some of the key issues and questions around forest and woodlands facing Minnesota land stewards. These online sessions will be very informal, open to the public and free of charge. Each session will start with a brief presentation followed by a discussion framed around participant questions on the topic.

All webinars will be from 9 to 10 a.m.

SFEC's 2026 Webinar Series

We are pleased to announce our free 2026 webinar series. Each session includes an approximately 45 minute presentation and live questions and answers. Sessions are the second Tuesday of the month from 9:00-10:00.

Each webinar is rated for one CAT1 credit. We will record each webinar and post it on the SFEC YouTube Channel. Recordings are typically available within one week of the live broadcast.

Northern Soil Compaction Conference

Soil compaction is a growing concern for farmers and land managers, especially across the northern United States and southern Canada. Every pass of heavy equipment increases compaction risks, leading to lower overall yields. Join us and explore the latest research and practical solutions from top experts in the United States and Canada. Gain actionable insights to address current compaction issues, develop long-term management strategies, and learn about the benefits of these practices for productivity and profitability. Certified crop advisor CEUs will be available. $75 registration.

Strategic Farming: Let's Talk Crops!

We'd like to invite you to pull up a chair and join in, or bring the conversation with you as you go about your day. Whatever works best for you, join us this winter to discuss some of the key issues and questions around commodity crop production facing Minnesota farmers today through the “Strategic Farming: Let’s Talk Crops” webinar series. This live, online program will provide up-to-date, research-based information to help optimize your crop management strategies for 2026.

2025 Tech Talks

Tech Talks is a online training series organized by the Technical Training and Certification Program. Rotating speakers cover a wide variety of technical topics at 1:00 on Mondays. The list of Tech Talks and links to replays for 2025 can be found below.

Soil Mechanics 1 (SM-1) 2026

This training is the foundation for identifying soils based on texture and understanding physical soil properties as they pertain to conservation engineering design and construction. This is an in-person course for performing field tests to classify soils using the Unified Soil Classification System. Participants are shown how to perform the field tests and classify various types of soil. Participants are provided soil samples to test, classify, and explain results. Soil logging is also introduced.