What are the opening hours?

Monday 8am - 4:30pm Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm Thursday 8am - 4:30pm Friday 8am - 4:30pm

UMN Northwest Research & Outreach Center

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Crookston, MN
UMN Northwest Research & Outreach Center

The Northwest Research and Outreach Center serves the prairie and adjacent land area of northwestern Minnesota.

Its activities are part of the University of Minnesota's agricultural research program.

09/01/2026

What a day we had at the Northwest Minnesota Tillage Expo hosted at the NWROC! ☀️🌾

The weather was beautiful and the conversations were amazing! A huge thank you to our sponsors for making this day possible:

- Minnesota Corn
- Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers
- Minnesota Wheat Research & Promotion Council
- UMN Extension Healthy Soils and Cover Crops
- UMN Northwest Research & Outreach Center
- UMN Climate Adaptation Partnership
- West Polk County Soil & Water Conservation District
- Red Lake County Soil & Water Conservation District
- UMN Minnesota Office for Soil Health
- Valley Plains Equipment

A special thank you to everyone who attended and made today such a success! 🚜

08/24/2026

🚜 Don’t forget to register for the Northwest MN Tillage Expo! 🌾

Join the University of Minnesota Northwest Research and Outreach Center and partners for Tillage for Today and Tomorrow on September 1, 2026 from 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM (Rain date: Sept 3).

What we'll cover:
- Spring & Fall Tillage Demonstrations
- Planter Set Up for High Residue Fields
- Managing Fall Fertility
- Tillage Impacts on Water Management
- Insights & Lessons from Experienced Local Farmers

Registration is FREE, but pre-registering secures your lunch!

Register now at: z.umn.edu/TillageExpo (or scan the QR code)

08/12/2026

🚜 Join us for the Northwest MN Tillage Expo! 🌾

Interested in seeing how different tillage practices work in the field? Join UMN Extension and partners to learn how reducing tillage aggressiveness can improve water infiltration, reduce soil and nutrient losses, and boost farm resiliency.

📅 Date: September 1, 2026 (Rain Date: September 3)

⏰ Time: 9:00 AM – 2:30 PM

📍 Location: Northwest Research and Outreach Center

08/10/2026

🚩Ever wondered what all those colorful flags just west of the USDA office are for?

Here’s what’s happening!

The NWROC is hosting a hybrid poplar tree research trial for the Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) right there!

A few fun facts about the project:
✋5,400 hybrid poplar trees were planted by hand!
🔎 They are studying how these varieties of poplar trees grow in our northwest Minnesota climate along with their biomass.

Pretty cool regional science happening right in our backyard! 🌲

08/05/2026

📸 Safety Day Spotlight: Grain Bin Safety 📸

Today we are highlighting a critical station from our Tractor & Farm Safety Day, along with the incredible people who led it!

Both our youth and adult participants spent time focusing on another serious hazards on the farm: grain storage and bin safety.

Participants gathered around a model demonstration showing the terrifying speed of grain entrapment using a toy gravity wagon and a toy person—a simple, eye-opening visual that clearly showed just how quickly a situation can become dangerous.

We also learned about the immense physical force required to pull someone out once they are trapped in grain. Participants took part in an activity measuring their own pull force, which clearly proved just how little force a human truly has compared to the immense weight of flowing grain.

To make the message stick even further, Nick Rivier joined us to share his personal story about surviving a farm accident. Hearing firsthand how fast an accident can happen was a powerful reminder of why we take safety so seriously.

A huge thank you to Nick and our station leaders for sharing their time, expertise, and personal stories to help protect our farming community! ❤️🌾

Check out the photos below to see the gravity wagon demonstration in action! 👇

UMN Extension Norman County Agriculture ProductionUMN Extension Polk County Agriculture ProductionUMN Extension Women in Ag Network

08/04/2026

⚠️Safety Day Spotlight: Identifying Farm Hazards ⚠️

Today we are highlighting one of the awesome stations from our Tractor & Farm Safety Day, and the fantastic person who ran it!

Both our youth and adult participants spent time with Emily Krekelberg, Extension Educator specializing in Farm Safety & Health University of Minnesota Extension . During this station, participants observed a miniature farm display and learned how to spot, evaluate, and eliminate everyday farm safety hazards before they cause harm.

A huge thank you to Emily for sharing her time, expertise, and passion for keeping our community safe.

Check out the photos below—can you spot any of the farm hazards in the display? 🔎👇

UMN Extension Women in Ag Network UMN Extension Norman County Agriculture Production UMN Extension Polk County Agriculture Production

08/03/2026

🛻Safety Day Spotlight: Pickup/Trailers 🛻

Today we are highlighting one of the awesome stations from our Tractor & Farm Safety Day on July 27, 2026 and the fantastic people who ran it!

Our adult participants spent time with a pickup and trailer where they learned critical hands-on skills to stay safe on the job.

They learned the ins and outs of safely hooking up trailers, properly hitching, and techniques to confidently drive and back a trailer.

A huge thank you to Ryan Altepeter from the NWROC for sharing his expertise and keeping our community safe. Check out some of the action shots below! 👇

UMN Extension Women in Ag Network UMN Extension Norman County Agriculture Production UMN Extension Polk County Agriculture Production

08/02/2026

🧯Safety Day Spotlight: Fire Extinguishers🧯

Today we are highlighting one of the awesome stations from our Tractor & Farm Safety Day on July 27, 2026 and the fantastic people who ran it!

Both our youth and adult participants spent time at with the Crookston Firefighters Fire Department , where they learned critical skills to stay safe on the job.

They got real hands-on practice on how to respond quickly and effectively to equipment fires in an emergency. The firefighters taught the acronym "PASS" when using a fire extinguisher.

P: "Pull" the pin on the fire extinguisher.
A: "Aim" the nozzle, pointing directly at the base of the fire, NOT at the flames.
S: "Squeeze" the handle or lever slowly to evenly release the pressurized agent.
S: "Sweep" the nozzle from side to side across the base of the fire until it appears to be completely out.

A huge thank you to the Crookston Fire Department for sharing your expertise and keeping our community safe. Check out some of the action shots below! 👇

UMN Extension Women in Ag Network UMN Extension Norman County Agriculture Production UMN Extension Polk County Agriculture Production

08/01/2026

Today we are highlighting one of the awesome stations from our Tractor & Farm Safety Day, and the fantastic people who ran it!

Both our youth and adult participants spent time around the tractor where they learned critical skills to stay safe on the job.

They learned the skills to attach and detach a PTO shaft on a tractor safely, check blind spots, and navigate a tractor with a heavy implement attached through obstacles.

A huge thank you to Extension Polk County Agriculture Production UMN Extension Norman County Agriculture Production Valley Plains Equipment for sharing your expertise and keeping our community safe. Check out some of the action shots below! 👇

07/31/2026

🚜 It takes a village to keep our farming community safe! 🚜

We want to send a huge THANK YOU to all the incredible volunteers, instructors, and community partners who made our recent Tractor & Farm Safety Day a success on July 27, 2026!

Because of your time, expertise, and dedication, both our youth and adult participants went home with invaluable, life-saving knowledge. It was inspiring to see different generations coming together to sharpen their skills and prioritize safety on the farm.

Over the next few days, we’ll be sharing a closer look at the five critical safety stations our attendees covered—from mastering tractor implements to hands-on fire safety.

Stay tuned as we highlight each station and the awesome folks who ran them!

UMN Extension Norman County Agriculture Production UMN Extension Polk County Agriculture ProductionValley Plains EquipmentCrookston Fire Department

Address

2900 University Avenue
Crookston, MN
56716

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	8am - 4:30pm
Thursday	8am - 4:30pm
Friday	8am - 4:30pm

Website

https://www.nwroc.umn.edu/

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