Welcome to Pennington County, Minnesota.

Welcome to Pennington County, Minnesota.

Welcome to Pennington County, Minnesota.

Welcome to Pennington County, Minnesota.

Welcome to Pennington County, Minnesota.

Category: Extension Office

Minnesota has more than 16,000 thousand certified Private Pesticide Applicators. These applicators generally are farmers or other persons producing an agricultural commodity and using Restricted Use Pesticides (RUP) to control insects, diseases, weeds, or other pests in their production operation. 

New legislative amendments require that any individual involved in the application or pre and post application activities, such as a mixing, loading, or handling, of a Restricted Use Pesticide (RUP) must hold a private applicator certification.

Pre and post application activities include, but not limited:

  • to transporting or storing opened RUP pesticide containers;
  • disposing of excess pesticides;
  • mixing spray;
  • cleaning equipment, pesticide containers, or other materials that contain a RUP.

The mixer/loader/handler (for RUP only) certification will have the same certification requirements as the applicator. Only one certification is needed to do all these jobs.

The applicator, mixer, loader, or handler must be 18 years or older to apply for a private applicator certification. There is no grandfathering for minimum age.

The 2026 Private Pesticide Applicator program will close on October 31. This includes both the mail-in and online exams. If you decide to take the Private Pesticide Applicators test, it must be postmarked by October 31, 2026, or sooner or it will be returned to you.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, there are no more mail-in exams. All exams must be proctored. That means no more open-book exams taken at home in 2027. For this reason, if you need the Private Pesticide Applicators license, take it now so you may have it postmarked by October 31st. If you already have the Private Pesticide Applicator license and need to recertify it, make sure you attend a workshop this winter. The workshop in Thief River Falls will be held at Northland Community and Technical College on February 12th from 1-4:30 pm.

If you have any questions, call Grant Nelson at Pennington County Ag Services from 7:30 to 12:30 at 218-683-7020 or email him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Ag Waste Pesticide Collection Schedule For Summer 2024

Category: Extension Office

NORTHWESTMINNESOTA HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT

P.O. Box 186 Bagley, MN 56621 218-694-2090

 

Ag Waste Pesticide Collection Schedule For Summer 2024

 

July 9° 2024                        

Roseau County Northern Resources Coop

Collection time: 9:00 am -12:00 pm

1504 Center St. Roseau, MN. 56751

 

July 24th 2024    

Kittson County    Nutrien Ag Solutions

Collection Time 9:00 am — 12:00 pm 2424 240* St.

Hallock MN. 56728

 

July 16“ 2024

Polk County  CHS Ag Services

Collection Time 9:00 am — 1:00 pm

3035 Hwy. 75 S Crookston, MN.56716

 

July 18th 2024  

Pennington County CHS Ag Services Hazel location

Collection Time 9:00 am — 12:00 pm

17273 Center St. E Thief River Falls, MN. 56701

 

July 22nd 2024   

Marshall County CHS Ag Services

Collection Time 9:00 am — 12:00 pm

747 S Main St. Warren, MN. 56762

Category: Extension Office

Commercial/Non-Commercial Recertification

If your Minnesota commercial or non-commercial pesticide license expires in 2024, plan to attend a recertification workshop. This should not be confused with the Private Pesticide license held by most farmers who spray chemicals on their own or rented acreage. 

Those who need to recertify in categories A (Core,) C (Crops,) or H (Seed Treatment) may do so in-person locally on January 30th at the University of Minnesota-Crookston, Student Union Building, 2900 University Avenue in Crookston. Registration closes on January 23rd. Cost is $145 for two certifications and $190 for three. A recertification workshop will also be held in Fergus Falls April 15th. A Zoom recertification will be held online for categories A and C on February 14th, registration closes February 7th. You can register at z.umn.edu/psee

Those who wish to earn their initial commercial/non-commercial license may set up to test at Pennington County Ag Services by calling 218-683-7030 between the hours of 7:30 am and 12:30 pm. You may also email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. in order to set-up a test date.  First-time applicants should check-out the PRE-certififcation online,self-paced course prior to testing. 

To register for any of these online or in-person workshops, or to find other recertification times and locations, please search “Minnesota pesticide recertification workshop.” Then look for the University of Minnesota Extension link at the top of the page or go to z.umn.edu/psee

Category: Extension Office

Private Pesticide Applicator Recertification 2024

Private applicators apply restricted use pesticides (RUPs) to lands or sites they own, rent or manage for the production of an agricultural commodity. Farmers and their families who apply RUPs to their land can apply for a private applicator certification.  Certification lasts for three years. To check your certification number, status and expiration date, search for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture Private Pesticide Applicator Search page. Or call the MDA at 651-201-6633.

Those who wish to recertify their private pesticide license have several options.If your certification has not yet expired, choose one of the following recertification options:

  • Complete a mail-in exam, take an online exam, or  attend an in-person or Zoom workshop offered in January or February.

Each option costs $75.   If your certification has expired, you must complete the mail-in or online exam.If you want to mail your recertification test or take it online, call Pennington County Ag Services or stop by to get a packet after January 3rd. Online Zoom options or workshop registrations are available by searching “private applicator testing Minnesota extension.”

Those who wish to attend a workshop may do so as long as their license is still valid.  Here are the workshops sites in the Northwest Region of Minnesota.

1/16/2024 9:00 am - 12:30 pm McIntosh Community Center 115 NW Broadway McIntosh

1/17/2024 1:00 - 4:30 pm  Ada Event Center (former VFW)  415 S Main St Ada

1/19/2024 1:00 - 4:30 pm Comstock Community Center 15855 17th St South Comstock

2/1/2024   9:00 am - 12:30 pm Roseau City Center 121 Center St  Roseau

2/2/2024   1:00 - 4:30 pm Northwest Research & Outreach Center Auditorium 2900 University Ave. Crookston

2/16/2024 9:00 am - 12:30 pm Northland Community & Tech College Auditorium 1101 Highway One East Thief River Falls

If you have questions, contact Grant Nelson at Pennington County Ag Services from 7:30 am until 12:30 pm at 218-683-7030 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

  1. Noxious Weed Appeal Committee