ISU Extension and Outreach Mills County

08/27/2026

Needing some tips for your garden this fall? 🍃🧑‍🌾

Join us on September 24th for our Growing Together Workshop for an evening of gardening and landscaping questions! Dr. Cindy Haynes, ISU Consumer Horticulture Extension Specialist will be speaking about the do's and don'ts of fall gardening and landscaping.

📅: September 24th
🕓: 6:00 p.m.- 7:00 p.m.
📍: Mills County Extension Office (61321 315th St, Malvern)
🤔: Everyone is invited to join us!
💵: No cost to attend!
🔗: Registration is required: https://go.iastate.edu/BK9GD0 or contact Sydney at [email protected]. Registration due Sept. 23rd.
❓: More information here: https://www.extension.iastate.edu/mills/growing-together-fall-workshop

08/26/2026

Yesterday, our Master Conservationist class took a trip to Pierce Creek for our 'Aquatics' module. 💧🐢🐟 John Lorenzen and Andy Jansen, Iowa Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Management Biologists were our speakers.

John and Andy did an excellent job explaining what they do and how they do it. Their primary job is to manage and monitor fish populations, as well as manage water bodies to improve vegetation and water quality. They even brought some fish and turtles to show us!

We learned all about Pierce Creek and other water bodies in SW Iowa. We discussed how they manage the fish and turtle populations and how they get their data. To monitor fish populations, they use netting and electro netting. They showed us their nets and boat so we could see the process!

We discussed fish habitat and looked at different examples. We learned about the vegetation in water bodies, the good and the bad and how to potentially control it. They showed us how they take water samples and brought more tools to show us.

Overall, it was a great evening at Pierce Creek! Thank you, John and Andy, for talking with us!

08/20/2026

On Tuesday, we went to our second site visit for our Master Conservationist Program! We went to Waubonsie State Park for our 'Forest' module. 🌳

Lindsey Barney, our Iowa DNR District Forester, was our speaker.
Along our hike throughout Waubonsie State Park, Lindsey pointed out some trees and plants that are distinct to the southwestern Loess Hills, including the Pawpaw Tree! We heard tons of birds, including a Wood Thrush who is only here a few months out the year before it migrates back to Central America.
We looked at and identified some invasive species, including Tree of Heaven, Eurasian Honeysuckle, and Autumn Olive. We discussed how they have become invasive and why it's not always so easy to get rid of them. Despite the invasives, we also saw plenty of natives, including Joe Pyeweed, Hyssop, Goldenrod, American Elm and Redbud trees, and Native Thistles. We discussed the meaning of a savannah (Oak Savannah), which is not a forest, and not a prairie, it is the zone in between. Oak Savannah's are one our most endangered ecosystems in Iowa!

It was another great day of learning!

For more information about Waubonsie State Park, follow the link in the comments!

Fremont County Iowa Extension and Outreach Mills County Conservation Board

08/19/2026

Family caregivers often help coordinate appointments, manage medications, provide transportation, and support individuals throughout treatment, recovery, and survivorship. Caregivers can participate in Powerful Tools for Caregivers, an evidence-based program that provides practical skills for managing stress, improving communication, and maintaining personal well-being.

Learn more: https://go.iastate.edu/EIFSEH

08/17/2026

Our Mills County Master Gardeners have been hard at work this summer at the Mills County YMCA!

08/14/2026

Find all Mills County Fair photos here! ⬇️🍀

08/12/2026

Congratulations to these 4-H'ers! 🍀

The Iowa State Fair starts tomorrow! 🍀
We want to wish all of these Mills County 4-H'ers luck with their projects! We are proud of you!

08/12/2026

Last night we held our first site visit for our Master Conservationist Program! Our first module was called Setting the Stage: Land, Water, and Conservation in Iowa. 🌾💦🍃

James Baker from The Nature Conservancy in Iowa was our speaker. We first met at Pony Creek Conservation Center, where James talked to us about the work that The Nature Conservancy does, preserves that they own and manage and the process of acquiring that land, differences between reconstructed and untouched prairies, the importance of prairies and how having high-quality prairies support a wide variety of diversity!

We then took a trip to Folsom Point, which is 281 acres of high-quality prairie. Folsom Point Prairie protects one of the largest remaining contiguous prairie remnants in the southern Loess Hills. We took a hike and saw tons of dragonflies that are migrating through, along with the amazing views!

It was a great day of learning! For more information about Folsom Point and how to visit the site, follow the link in the comments!

Fremont County Iowa Extension and Outreach Mills County Conservation Board

08/11/2026

Get Harvest Ready with Combine University!

Join Iowa State University's Digital Ag Innovation Lab for Combine University, a hands-on, one-day workshop designed to help operators maximize harvest efficiency, improve yield data accuracy and reduce grain loss.

📅 August 24, 25 or 26, 2026
🕣 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
📍 Blomgren Seeds, Boone, Iowa

Participants will gain practical experience in machine setup, yield monitor calibration, grain loss reduction, residue management and preventative maintenance to keep combines operating efficiently throughout harvest.

💲 Registration: $249
📅 Registration deadline: August 19, 2026

👉 Register today: https://www.regcytes.extension.iastate.edu/digitalag/combine-university/

Questions? Contact Luke Fuhrer at [email protected].

08/10/2026

We would greatly appreciate your honest feedback on this survey!

2026 Post Mills County Fair Survey