(KNSI) – The state’s top agriculture inspector works in Stearns County.
Bob Dunning recently took home the Agriculture Inspector of the Year award. Dunning has testified at the state capitol to make the position funded as part of the state budget. Ag inspectors are responsible for noxious weed control and the unfunded position leads to haphazard implementation across the state.
Dunning uses a specialized bug that only lives and dies on the weeds being targeted. The insects feed on the invasive plants until they’re killed off and no herbicide is required.
Dunning has also done a lot of work on rough potato, a fast-growing plant that can smother other vegetation. The milkweed vine has only been found in the United States one other time in history. A farm field near Ames, Iowa, was affected in the 1950s. It began to crop up along the Lake Wobegon Trail near Holdingford and Dunning spotted it in 2020. It can be identified by its large, heart-shaped leaves.
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