| Organization |
Phone and Hours |
Service |
| AnswerLine |
1-800-854-1678
Monday-Friday
9:00 am to Noon
1:00 to 4:00 pm |
Household experts answer questions about safely cooking, canning and freezing foods and cleaning stains from clothes and homes. |
| Bell Museum |
1-612-624-1374
Monday-Friday
2:00 to 5:00 pm |
The Bell Museum is located at the University of Minnesota. Students and staff answer questions about wildlife, specifically mammals and birds. |
| Farm Information Line |
1-800-232-9077
Monday-Friday
8:30 am to 1:30 pm |
Extension educators respond to Minnesota agriculture and small acreage farm quetions. They provide referrals to local Extension agricultre personnel where available. |
| Forest Resources |
1-800-525-8636 #748 |
Specialists for trained students answer questions on small woodlot management, agriculture, and urban forestry. |
| INFO-U |
1-800-525-8636 |
An automated system, available 24 hours a day, with responses to 650 consumer questions on a wide variety of topics including gardening, food safety, and parenting. You may request a list of topics by calling INFO-U or your local Extension Office. |
| Onsite Sewage Treatment Program |
1-800-657-3516
Monday-Friday
8:00 am to 4:30 pm |
An educator answers questions on operation and maintenance of sewage treatment. |
| Wood and Paper Science Help Line |
1-800-525-8636 #752 |
Specialists/grad students answer questions on selection and use of wood, including wood-based decks, roofs, siding; and lumber drying, sawing, and preservation. |
| Minnesota Attorney General Consumer Assistance |
1-800-657-3787 |
Trained representatives respond to questions concerning topics such as telemarketing, no-call list, landlord/tenant rights and consumer fraud. |
| MN Department of Commerce Energy Information Center |
1-800-657-3710
Monday-Friday
8:00 am to 4:30 pm |
Representatives respond to questions about insurance, family finance and telephones. Energy reps answer questions about ice dams, building codes, moisture in homes, windows, and offer conservation ideas. |
| MN Foodborne Illness Hotline |
1-877-366-3455 |
Trained health program representative responds to people who believe they have gotten sick from food. A report is filed. |
| United Way's First Call Minnesota |
211 |
Trained workers refer callers to education, health and human service agencies. |
| EPA Indoor Air Quality Information Hotline |
1-800-438-4318
Monday-Friday
10:00 am to 6:00 pm |
Specialists respond to questions on indoor air quality such as mold in the home and flood damage. |
| USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline |
1-800-535-4555
Monday-Friday
11:00 am to 5:00 pm |
Recorded messages on meat and poultry as well as an option to transfer to a specialist who responds to questions regarding the safe handling, cooking, storage, and nutrition of meat and poultry. |
| USDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Outreach and Information Center |
1-888-723-3366
Monday-Friday
11:00 am to 5:00 pm |
Trained specialists respond to questions about food (safety, nutrition, recalls) and women's health. |
| Excel Energy |
1-800-895-4999 |
Trained representatives respond to safety questions about gas and electric appliances, power outages and tree trimming. You do not need to be an Excel customer to receive an answer. |