Hardin County Extension & Outreach

10/16/2026

10/15/2026

🐛🌱 Seeing Brown Patches in Your Lawn? It Could Be Fall Armyworms!

Fall armyworms can show up in Iowa lawns and cause noticeable damage, especially in newer lawns and tall fescue. They feed on the grass blades and can grow quickly, so it’s a good idea to keep an eye out! 👀

🔎 What to look for:
• Small green caterpillars with dark heads
• Larger green, brown, or black caterpillars with light stripes
• Grass that suddenly looks chewed or damaged

If you find them, early detection is important because smaller caterpillars are easier to control. Healthy lawns can also recover from light to moderate damage with proper watering and care. ([Yard and Garden][1])

🌱 Want to learn more about identifying and managing fall armyworms in your lawn? Check out Iowa State University Extension and Outreach's tips below!

[Learn more about fall armyworm control]https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/encyclopedia/fall-armyworm-control-home-lawns

🐛🌱

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, caused unprecedented infestation and destruction of turfgrass on golf courses and home lawns in the southeastern U.S. this summer. Severe ddamage was reported from Oklahoma to Georgia and Indiana to Maryland.

10/14/2026

🍰🍪 Happy National Dessert Day! 🧁🍦

10/12/2026

🥕🌱 Keep Your Garden Growing This Fall!🌱🥕

Did you know your garden doesn’t have to stop producing just because summer is over? Many cool-season vegetables actually thrive in fall weather! 🍂

Vegetables like lettuce, spinach, radishes, carrots, kale, and turnips can be great choices for a fall harvest. Timing is important, though—planting too late may not give your vegetables enough time to mature before a hard frost.

🌱 Ready to extend your gardening season? Check out Iowa State University Extension and Outreach’s tips for fall vegetable planting!

👉 [Read the full article here]https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/fall-planting-vegetables

What are you still growing in your garden this fall? 🍂🥕 Let us know in the comments!

🌱

Cool-season crops like broccoli and lettuce thrive in fall's cooler weather. Plan your fall garden with seeds and a calendar to extend your harvest.

10/10/2026

💚 You Are Not Alone. Help Is Here. 💚

Mental health is something that affects all of us—farmers, families, parents, kids, neighbors, coworkers, and friends. Life can bring stress, uncertainty, financial concerns, relationship challenges, and difficult seasons, and sometimes it can feel like too much.

At Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, we have resources to help. While our Stress on the Farm resources are designed with farm families and rural communities in mind, many of the mental health and stress resources are helpful for anyone who may be struggling or supporting someone who is.

🌱 Resources include:

* Mental health and stress information
* Resources for recognizing warning signs
* Support for family, friends, and neighbors
* Question. Persuade. Refer. (QPR)
* Mental Health First Aid
* Financial and stress assistance
* Crisis and mental health hotlines

📞 Iowa Concern: 800-447-1985
Free, confidential support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

📱 If you or someone you know is in crisis: Call or text 988 for the Su***de & Crisis Lifeline.

💚 You don't have to wait until things feel overwhelming to reach out. Checking in with a friend, asking someone how they're really doing, or simply letting someone know you're there can make a difference.

👉 Save this post and share it. You never know who may need these resources today.
Explore Iowa State Extension's Stress on the Farm and mental health resources.

10/09/2026

🎃🍂 Pumpkin season is here! 🍂🎃

Nothing says fall quite like the smell of pumpkin and cinnamon baking in the oven! 🧁 These Pumpkin Muffins are an easy breakfast or snack that brings all those cozy fall flavors to the table.

✨ Makes 18 muffins
🍫 Want to make them extra special? Try adding chocolate chips!
❄️ Have extras? They can be frozen and enjoyed later!

Perfect for a chilly morning, an after-school snack, or a cozy weekend at home. 🍁☕️

👉 Would you add chocolate chips to yours? Tell us in the comments! 👇

[Get the Pumpkin Muffins recipe from Spend Smart. Eat Smart.](https://spendsmart.extension.iastate.edu/recipe/pumpkin-muffins/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

10/08/2026

🐷🐰 REMINDER: Iowa 4-H Livestock SPIN Clubs! 🐰🐷

Interested in learning more about swine or rabbits? Don’t forget about the new Iowa 4-H Livestock SPIN Clubs! 🌱

These virtual clubs are a great opportunity for youth in grades 5–12 to learn more about their livestock project, connect with other 4-H members, and learn from experts—all from home! 💻

🐷 Swine SPIN Club: Meets virtually the third Wednesday of each month, 6–7 p.m.

🐰 Rabbit SPIN Club: Meets virtually the second Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m.

✨ There is no additional cost for Iowa 4-H members!

Know a 4-H member who might be interested? Share this post with them! 🐷🐰

[Learn more about the Iowa 4-H Livestock SPIN Clubs]https://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/iowa-4-h-introduces-new-livestock-spin-clubs-youth-interested-swine-and-rabbits

🐷🐰

AMES, Iowa – Iowa 4-H is expanding year-round learning opportunities for livestock project members with the launch of two new statewide Livestock SPIN Clubs focused on swine and rabbits.

10/08/2026

Soybean seed diseases are showing up across Iowa, which isn’t surprising considering the wet weather experienced in parts of the state over the past month. The rain is a double whammy for farmers this time of year as it favors continued fungal development and keeps combines from getting in the field. Some of the primary seed diseases showing up are purple seed stain and Diaporthe seed decay.

Learn more about purple seed stain, diaporthe, and best practices with the link in the comments below.

Photo by Adam Sisson, Iowa State University.

10/07/2026

Ready to enhance your acreage management skills? Join our 7-week hybrid course, "Homegrown Lifestyle: Acreage Management." Dive into online and in-person learning at the Hardin County Extension Office. Topics include soil, water, trees, and wildlife management.

📅 In-person sessions start November 16.
💲 $100/person.

Call 641-648-4811 to register by November 11, 2026. Don't miss out!