Every July, ag professionals from across Minnesota gather on the U of M St. Paul campus for the Institute for Ag Professionals Field School. From diagnosing herbicide injury to testing soil water movement, participants sharpen their skills with cutting-edge research and practical insights they can take straight to the field. z.umn.edu/afy1 (fb)

Minnesota's only salt lake is a magnet for birds and bird watchers alike. In a single weekend, 150 different species were observed near the brackish waters of Salt Lake, located along the Minnesota-South Dakota border. Minnesota Master Naturalist's Amy Rager, who was involved in this year's Salt Lake birding weekend, shared with the Star Tribune that “The prairie is just as exciting as the North Shore, you just don’t know it yet.” (fb)