University of Idaho Extension Launches New Season of Virtual Ag Talk Tuesday Program for Idaho Producers
Free Weekly Zoom Sessions to Cover Crops, Water and Pest Pressures Across Idaho
MOSCOW, Idaho — University of Idaho Extension is kicking off a new season of its popular Ag Talk Tuesday program, offering Idaho farmers, agronomists, crop consultants and other agricultural professionals a free virtual forum to stay current on the issues shaping production across the state.
Sessions will be hosted via Zoom from 11 a.m. to noon on the first and third Tuesdays of each month from May through August. Participation is free, but registration is required to receive session links. The program draws producers from throughout Idaho and neighboring states, making it one of the more practical educational tools available to the state’s agricultural community.
The format divides each hour-long session into two parts. During the first 30 minutes, Extension experts and participants share observations on current crop conditions, pest threats and other pressing production issues. The second half features a guest speaker addressing a specific topic of importance to Idaho agriculture.
Lineup Includes Water Outlook, Beneficial Insects and Farm Economics
The 2026 season opens May 5 with David Hoekema of the Idaho State Department of Agriculture providing an update on the water outlook and irrigation supply — a topic of particular concern given ongoing water availability challenges across southern and eastern Idaho. With the University of Idaho already serving as a resource during statewide drought concerns, producers across the Palouse and beyond are likely to pay close attention to that opening session. For more on drought conditions and the university’s response, see the recent report on University of Idaho experts available as statewide drought emergency declared.
On May 19, Meetpal Kukal, an assistant professor of hydrologic science and water management, will present “Where Does the Water Really End Up?” — a timely look at irrigation efficiency and water fate across Idaho farming operations.
June 2 brings Bradley Johnson and Blake Mathews of The Nature Conservancy, who will address the creation of beneficial arthropod habitats on farms — a topic of growing relevance as producers balance pest management with pollinator health.
The season closes August 18 with Patrick Hatzenbuehler, an Extension specialist in agricultural economics, rounding out a lineup that spans water, agronomy and financial management.
Session slots on June 16, July 7, July 21 and August 4 are still open for topic and speaker suggestions. Producers or professionals with ideas are encouraged to contact Associate Professor Kasia Duellman, Extension specialist in plant pathology, at 208-529-8376 or kduellman@uidaho.edu.
Program Has Grown From Regional Lunches to Statewide Reach
Duellman launched the program in 2018 as a way to revive Extension’s tradition of rotating informational lunches for agricultural professionals across eastern Idaho. That first year, seven in-person lunches drew a combined 61 attendees, with discussions focused on regional potato production.
The program introduced a Zoom option in 2019, and when the COVID-19 pandemic forced a fully virtual format in 2020, participation jumped to 122 registrants across eight events. Producers embraced the flexibility. By 2025, the program had grown to 188 registrants, with individual session attendance ranging from 32 to 55 participants from across Idaho and surrounding states.
“The more people we have participating, the more diversity of crops we have covered, the more expertise we have and the more insights we can get,” Duellman said.
The accessibility of the virtual format has proven especially valuable for working producers. “There are a lot of people who listen in while they are multitasking and doing something else,” Duellman said. “They’re in a tractor or sprayer and they can pop on headphones and listen like a podcast.”
Each session is recorded and posted to the CALS YouTube channel, with links available on the Ag Talk Tuesday webpage at uidaho.edu/extension/events/ag-talk. Duellman also distributes a periodic newsletter, the Ag Talk Report, which includes written summaries of presentations.
Other program organizers include Doug Finkelnburg, an area Extension educator in cropping systems, and Juliet Marshall, an Extension specialist in cereals and associate director of the Idaho Agricultural Experiment Station. The program is supported by U of I’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, which provides many of the featured speakers.
The University of Idaho Extension continues to expand its outreach efforts. For other news from the university, read about finalists named for the UI College of Law Dean and other developments on the Moscow campus.
What Comes Next
The first Ag Talk Tuesday session of the 2026 season is scheduled for May 5, featuring the water outlook and irrigation supply update from the Idaho State Department of Agriculture. Producers interested in registering for sessions can visit the program’s webpage at uidaho.edu/extension/events/ag-talk or contact Kasia Duellman directly. Registration is required to receive session Zoom links. The program runs through August 18, with sessions on the first and third Tuesdays of each month throughout the growing season.